Photo Tour: Kolkata & Darjeeling (KDRP15)

A photography tour (13 days), beginning in Kolkata, with a sunrise capture of the Victoria Memorial, set within Maidan Park, where horses grazing amongst city joggers are not uncommon. From here it’s onto India’s largest flower market, a frenetic melee amongst baskets piled high with flowers, followed by Howrah Bridge and a visit to a potters' district, famous for its life-sized sculptures. It’s then onto the cooler hill station of Darjeeling, where we visit tea estates, to capture classic harvesting scenes, whilst learning about the tea production process. Next, we visit local Tibetan monasteries, getting a glimpse into the daily life of Buddhist monks, including a visit to the Tibetan Refugee Centre, where traditional handicrafts are created. From here, we change pace and head off-road in a Land Rover Jeep for 2 days, up the *Singalila mountain ridge, giving us an opportunity to photograph Himalayan villages and 5 of the highest peaks in the world. Next, we head to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, where we will visit local waterfalls a local zoological park, containing Himalayan wildlife rarely seen in its natural habitat. We then drive to Tsomgo glacial lake, known for its reflective surface and colourfully decorated yaks. As a finale, we visit local villages and a handmade paper cooperative, to experience rural life, before ending our tour with a farewell dinner.