Ladakh 2018

28th August 2018 to 6th September 2018

Terms and Accommodation

Important points to be noted

• The tour is designed from Leh to Leh.
• This tour is conceptualised in such a way that personal attentions can be given to each and every photographer and for that, the group will be restricted to 5 photographers only.
• This tour has been specifically designed for the photographers. Non-photographer spouse/friend may be accommodated on the tour but at full cost and on agreeing to stick to the schedule of the tour.
• Indians do not require visas for entering Ladakh. If you have a passport, please carry it with you.
• All care would be taken to stick to the schedule, unforeseen circumstance, time consistency might lead to some changes.

What does the tour fees include?

• Standard double bedded (Separate Bedded) room / camp in twin sharing basis.
• Two times Tea, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner in all days. Nonveg and Veg food will be provided.
• Pick up and drop at Leh airport.
• Inner Line Permits.
• Ladakh entry fees.
• Packaged drinking water will be provided.
• Expert guidance of the photographic mentors.

What is not included in the tour fees?

• Anything else other than mentioned in includes.
• All expenses of personal nature.
• Medical expenses
• Personal purchases
• All items of personal nature e.g. telephone call bills, fax/email bills etc.
• Tips and gratuities in Hotels, Lodges, Hotel Staff and Driver-guide(s) tipping.
• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
• Travel Insurance
• Laundry services
• Your souvenir and/or duty-free shopping
• Extra activities not included in the Itinerary
• Any other item(s) not included in our Itinerary
• Any other actual expenses would be shared by all participants on actual basis.

Booking

You need to pay 50% of the tour amount immediately (either in USD or INR as per the conversion rate on date)
Balance amount to be paid 30 days before the tour.

Cancellation

Full payment needs to be made in advance. No refund on cancellation. Please read all details on this page and Detailed Terms and Conditions, Disclaimer / Undertaking in the Registration cum Booking Form.
In order to reserve your seat, 100% advance payment is a must.
To confirm registration, the participant must pay the amount through NEFT or IMPS or RTGS. Once the payment is done please send us a copy of bank receipt (screen shot is also fine) of your payment sent details. Once we confirm your payment, we will send you the tour id no. along with the Rules & Regulations of the tour, which makes you, a confirmed candidate of the photo tour.

Deadlines

Registration is open from 5th June,2018 until 25th July,2018 or till the seat reservations end.

Conditions

Only a maximum 5 hardworking photographers will be selected for this photo tour. This is not a fancy tour; you have to walk a lot, so your physical fitness is very important.

Participants will be granted for the photo tour based on email confirmation on a first come first serve basis.

Feel free to call +91 8509333385 or +91 8900702900 for any further assistance.

What you will need?

ESSENTIALS

1. LUGGAGE: Please make sure you DON’T carry hard-case luggage. Duffle bags or backpacks would be most suitable. Since we are mostly on the move, all our luggage needs to fit on top of our vehicle. Soft case bags are easier to fit and consumes less space. This gives us ample space inside the vehicle with no luggage to suffocate us. Please note domestic airlines only allows max. of 15 kg in check-in luggage.

2. PROTECTIVE WEAR: In Ladakh it is best to dress in layers, since majority of cold is due to wind chill and temperatures can change rapidly depending on the place, time and weather. Hence dressing in layers will allow you to add/subtract layers as and when needed. So make sure apart from your regular cloths, you are also carrying Sweater / Pullovers / Gloves / Cap (protect head and ears from cold winds), Balaclava (for those extra sensitive to cold), Warm Inners / Thermals, Woollen Socks, Air / Water resistant jacket and tough waterproof trekking shoes.
Do not under estimate the cold, be well prepared. Also, make sure you have tough waterproof shoes and of course the flip-flops.

3. SUNSCREEN LOTION: UV rays at high altitude can be quite damaging to the skin, even during the harshest of winter, so don’t forget to carry a good quality sunscreen lotion SPF30 or higher and apply it generously before going out in the sun.

4. SUNGLASSES: As mentioned earlier, UV rays at high altitude can be quite damaging and this holds true for eyes as well. So having decent quality sunglasses is quite essential, especially because we are traveling when mountain passes have a lot of snow cover and sunlight reflecting from the snow can be even harsher!

5. LIP BALM: Dry and cold weather of Ladakh will make your lips dry, which can get quite painful due to cracking and skin shedding, so make sure you carry a lip balm or Vaseline.

6. DOCUMENTS AND IDS: Make sure you have few copies of your passport and visa, few passport size photos in white background, copies of flight tickets, as it is needed while applying for inner line permit and at certain places, to register at the check post.

7. TORCH: A powerful torch, since we would be shooting Astor in remote locations. Also do carry a head torch.

8. UNIVERSAL CHARGING PORTS: India caters to round pins. So make sure you have the adapter for the square pins that UAE offers.

9. MEDICINES: Carry Diamox if you aren’t allergic to sulphur drugs, which helps reduce symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness and medicines for headache, fever, stomach ache, cold and cough syrup.

10. WATER BOTTLE: Though sounds obvious, do carry a bottle for water, one which could fit into your walk around backpack. Dehydration in high altitude can be very risky. Make sure you always have a bottle of water hooked to your bag.

11. CASH: Have some Indian currency at your disposal. Transport, hotels, breakfast, lunch, dinner, tourist entry fees, inner line permits for foreign nationals and other such expense is covered by EXPOSURE – Travel & Photography but you may want to buy some souvenirs…

Most Important Part – GEARS

As always we will put our best efforts to loan Tamron lenses for you all, depending on availability. Meanwhile here is the list of essential gears.

• One or two Digital cameras with two to three lenses (for example – 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, or zooms like 16-35mm, 14-24mm, 24-70mm and a long focal length like 70-200).
• ND, UV, Graduated ND, Polarizer, Filter Holders (depending on your choice)
• Tripod
• Extra camera batteries
• Protector for your lens.
• External hard drive with adequate space
• Adequate memory card and Card reader
• A Computer with photo-processing software

How to reach Ladakh?

Ladakh is one of the most scenic places to visit in India and ranks very high, probably on top, on the list of motor bikers across the country. Its absolutely stunning landscapes make the drive from Manali or Srinagar to Leh in Ladakh one of the most memorable journeys you can ever embark upon.

By Air

The easiest way to travel to Ladakh is by air. The nearest airport is Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport located in Leh. This airport is connected with many international airports in India like Delhi. It also receives flights from Srinagar, Jammu, Chandigarh and other common destinations in India. The airport is a military terminal and thus, the security is a bit strangling. It is important to have all your documents ready when you enter Ladakh via the airport. It is better to have a hard copy of your e-ticket.

By Train

The nearest railway station to Ladakh is in Tawi, which is 700 km away from Ladakh. This railway station receives trains from many important destinations like Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and others. From the station, you can find cabs to reach Ladakh. You can also pre-book cabs. It would take two days to reach Ladakh and the trip will cost INR 10,000. Other nearest railway stations are in Chandigarh and Pathankot. It would take at least three days to reach from the railway station to Ladakh. This is the most inconvenient method to reach Ladakh.

By Road

First Approach- Srinagar to Leh

The first route is reaching Ladakh from Kashmir Valley through Kargil, around 434 km away. This route remains open from the starting of June till November. Zoji-La pass, at an altitude of 11,500 feet, is a gateway to Ladakh. Regular ordinary as well as deluxe buses are run by Jammu & Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (J&K SRTC) between Srinagar and Leh. Hire a car, a jeep or a taxi from Srinagar. If you are traveling in groups, renting a bus for Kargil, Leh, and Padum (Zanskar) from Jammu & Kashmir SRTC at Srinagar is another option.

Second Approach-Manali to Leh

Since 1989, Manali-Leh road stretching to 473 km, open from mid-June to early October, has been the second road route to Ladakh. This road takes you via the desert plateau of Rupsho, ranging between altitudes of 3,660 m to 4,570 m. A number of high passes fall on this route, including Taklang-La, the world’s second highest motorable road, 17,469 feet (5,235m) above the sea level. Ordinary and deluxe buses run between Manali and Leh every day and are managed by Himachal Pradesh Tourism (HRTC) and J & K SRTC. This journey is of around 2 days with night camping in Serchu and Pang. Another option is to hire a jeep or a Gypsy.By Bike
Many tourists visit Ladakh in bike. The place has the world’s top three highest mountain passes that can be scaled on a vehicle. Biking along the mountain passes and stopping for a steaming cup of tea is the iconic activity of this place. If you are planning to travel to Leh via bike, you can choose one of two routes.

By Bike

Many tourists visit Ladakh in bike. The place has the world’s top three highest mountain passes that can be scaled on a vehicle. Biking along the mountain passes and stopping for a steaming cup of tea is the iconic activity of this place. If you are planning to travel to Leh via bike, you can choose one of two routes.

Leh – Srinagar Highway

Srinagar is 434 km away from Leh. The route covers Sonmarg, Zozi La, Drass, Kargil, Mulbek, Lamayaru and Saspol before reaching Leh. This route is open from May to October. It is the most scenic route with many attractions in its path.

Leh – Manali Highway

This route stretches from 490 km covering Rohtang, Gramphu, Kokshar, Darcha, Baralacha La, Gata Loops, Lachulung La, Tanglang La, Gya and Karu on the way. This route is open from May to September.

Weather of Ladakh

The biggest advantage of visiting Ladakh in the month of September is that all roads to and within Ladakh remain open. So traveling to any part of Ladakh and exploring as much as possible is easier. Even the high altitude passes are all approachable and chances of getting stuck in a certain part of Ladakh are minimal.

It will be pleasant and normal in the daytime with maximum temperatures of about 15°C but in Pangong and Tso Moriri it could be a minimum of 5°C during night.

Disclaimer

We reserve the right to improvise (always with the objective to improve your overall experience), and change the itinerary due to adverse weather conditions or complications that may arise that are out of our control. Fun and safety are our number one priority.

We reserve the right to cancel the tour if the minimum number of participants is not met (which quite frankly, is highly unlikely. Who wouldn’t want to have this experience of a lifetime!?).

Please do not purchase air travel before confirming with us. We wouldn’t want you roaming around unguided.

Participants are expected to be in fair health and be capable of spending the days walking around the various areas while carrying their own equipment. It’s a holiday, yes, but it’s also an adventure.

*Limited seats on first come first serve basis.
**Please note that the timings of the rituals can be changed slightly according to the present situations of the festival. The mentor will guide you throughout the festival.
***Please read all details on this page and Detailed Terms and Conditions, disclaimer/undertaking in the Registration cum Booking Form.