TOUR INTRODUCTION: 
Mcleodganj is a small town in Dhauladhar mountain range famous for it’s natural beauty and Buddhist culture. It’s called Little Lhasa due to large number of Tibetan refugees living there. It is also the capital for Tibetan government in exile led by Dalai Lama. For tourists and photographers, this place is full of numerous places of natural beauty and cultural significance. There are old temples, waterfalls, monasteries, forested areas, small villages and many other places of interest which attract numerous visitors from all over the world. This photography expedition is meant to help the visiting photographers hone their photography skills and capture some great shots under the guidance of an expert photographer. This photo tour contains a mix of different types of photography including landscapes, people, building, markets, nature, art and more.
TRIP SUMMARY:
DAY 01: Introduction. Photo walk in town
DAY 02: St. John in wilderness church, Bhagsu Waterfall, Dal Lake, Naddi.
DAY 03: Hike to Dharmkot waterfall, Local village.
DAY 04: Triund day hike.
Duration: 4 Days, 4 Nights
Best Season: March till November
Difficulty Level: Low
Maximum Elevation: Triund at 2875 m
Weather: Cold nights and days during winter. Pleasant days during summer.
Getting From/To: Mcleodganj is 495 km by road from New Delhi. Nearest airport is at Dharmshala.
TRIP ITINERARY:
DAY 1: The guests will meet up with and their photography guide in the hotel and spend some time going over some essential tour details and getting to know each other. The guide will offer a few tips and instructions for the trip and photography techniques. After breakfast, we will take a photo walk in the town led by the photography guide. The day will be spent walking in the markets, taking pictures of markets, locals and nearby wooded areas. We’ll also visit Tsuglag Khang monastery, the residence of Dalai Lama along with a few other local places of interest. This day, we can take pictures of these Buddhist temples and the monks debating with each other in their unique way.
DAY 2: This day will begin with a visit to Bhagsu waterfall, a small yet very picturesque waterfall, near an ancient temple. Later on, we will visit St. John in the wilderness church and the old cemetery nearby. From there, we will walk to small but beautiful Dal Lake and to Naddi sunset point where the road ends. From Naddi we’ll be able to see our jungle trail for next day a few kms away.
DAY 3: We’ll take a short hike to a lesser known but beautiful waterfall in Dharmkot. Not many people know of this place and it’s accessible only via a hiking route through thick jungle. The hiking route as well as waterfall offer some really beautiful options for taking beautiful pictures. There are numerous birds, flowering plants and insects like butterflies and ladybugs all around. After coming back, we will spend some time in the village nearby.
Day 4: This day we’ll hike to Triund, a 6 km hike from Dharmkot. It’s a pretty easy hike with gentle inclines apart from a small stretch at the end. There are ample resting points by way of small tea stalls, so it can be completed by almost anyone. It’s quite common to come across snowbanks till early summers. On the way, you will see hundreds of different varieties of trees, birds, small animals and insects which make for very interesting picture subjects. Triund by itself is a beautiful ridge with mind blowing views of snow covered mountain peaks. Later on we will go back the same way to our hotel for rest and to end the tour.
HIGHLIGHTS OF TRIP:
- Professional quality image reviews and constructive feedback from experts.
- Expert guidance and help from accompanying photography guide on all days.
- All basic needs of the journey are taken care of and the guests can feel free to focus on their photography.
- Careful selection of sites for some great photography opportunities.
- Comfortable accommodations in main town.
PACKING LIST:
- Wind cheater, warm trousers.
- Warm jacket.
- Thick socks and hiking shoes.
- Scarf, cap, hat.
- Sunglasses.
- High SPF sunscreen.
- All personal medications and tablets for high altitude sickness.
- Water filter or tablets.
INCLUSIONS:
- Accommodation in good quality hotels, guest houses and camp site.
- Local transport.
- All meals with option for non-vegetarian food in a few places.
- Services of a highly skilled and experienced photographer as a tour guide.
EXCLUSIONS:
- Pickup or drop from Delhi. It can be arranged if needed at an additional cost.
- Rental of photography equipment.
- Cost of any personal expenses like laundry, shopping and similar.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
- If this is your first time visiting such high altitude places, consult a doctor first to check for any medical condition which may prove problematic. Usually it is not an issue if you are generally healthy but better to be safe than sorry as people with some medical conditions like BP, respiratory and cardiac issues may face some problems.
- Travel programs in the mountains not necessarily would always run exactly as scheduled. Allow for unplanned long days or early camps due to weather disruptions or similar causes.
- There are places with limited communication possibility and/or medical facilities nearby on this route.
- Participants should be prepared for cold conditions with strong winds and high wind chill factor.
- Any additional expenses which might occur due to delays, weather disruptions, medical evacuation etc. would need to be borne by the participants. All overstay due to weather disruption, road blocks and similar which are not under our control would be charged as per tour cost for planned days.
- All participants are recommended to have a travel insurance that covers trekking and wilderness travel.
