Exotic India Photo Tour: October 15th-November 3rd, 2009
*Includes Diwali in Varanasi and the amazing Pushkar Camel Fair and Mela!*
Join me for this unforgettable 20-day journey through Northern India. From the oldest city in the world, Varanasi, through Royal Rajasthan’s desert to the greatest monument of love ever created, the Taj Mahal, this is a tour that will awaken your visual senses and overwhelm you with photographic opportunities.
During this trip you will explore the highly spiritual side of Indian life, observing and taking part in fascinating rituals, ceremonies and visiting the pilgrimage sites of Varanasi and Pushkar.
After flying into Delhi and meeting up with your guides and group you will start your incredible adventure by witnessing Diwali (The Festival of Lights) in bustling Varanasi. Considered the holiest city in India, Diwali is celebrated here with extraordinary fervor. The place becomes a blaze of candles and fire with music and fireworks filling the night air.
After the crazy fun of Diwali comes the reverent beauty of the Taj Mahal. Listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, this stunning example of Mughal architecture lives up to its reputation. Shooting here on sunset will take your breath away.
From there you venture onwards into Royal Rajasthan. Visiting the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur with its elephants, forts and markets.
In Shekhawati you will experience the "open art gallery" as it is popularly known. No other region in the world has such a large concentration of exquisite frescoes, a vibrant juxtaposition against the flat, arid landscape of the area.
An overnight camel trek into the Thar Desert will provide a unique insight into the life of the desert nomads who wandered Rajasthan for centuries and staying in the Gajner Palace, inside the Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary, will allow endless shooting opportunities
Making your way through the vibrant desert communities of Jaisalmer and Jodhpur (the ‘Sun City’) you will feel as though you have stumbled into an Arabian Nights fable. Spectacular sand dunes and desert oasis’s combine with the warmth and color of the local people for a fascinating few days full of incredible imagery.
Then comes a respite from the desert environment as you head into the lush hills and the wondrous ‘City of Temples’: Ranakpur.
After an overnight stay you then get to explore what is considered the most romantic city in all of India: Udaipur, the ‘City of Lakes’ or ‘Venice of the East’ as it is affectionately known. Here you will find marble palaces literally floating on water and sunset views not to be missed.
Finally your tour concludes with three unbelievable days spent at one of the world’s most spectacular festivals: The Pushkar Fair.
This annual religious festival and cattle fair brings extraordinary color and life into the Thar Desert. Pushkar’s picturesque lake is taken over by thousands of Hindu devotees who come from all over India to dip in the tranquil and holy waters during the Mela.
Ashen covered Sadhus from the Himalayas mix with turbaned camel traders from the desert, while the local women dress in their best finery and colorful clothing during the five-day celebration.
Stalls selling all kinds of goods are set-up on the roadside and approximately 25,000 camels are traded during the Pushkar Fair, making it the world’s largest camel fair.