Useful Tour Information.

Please go to the Contact Us tab on the header panel to find the Tour Request Form. We aim to respond within one working day. Once we receive your enquiry, we will check availability, confirm this to you, answer any questions that you may have, and reserve you a place on tour. We will send you an invoice for the deposit (25% of the tour cost) and once this payment has been received, your place will be fully confirmed.

The balance (75%) will be invoiced later and we will usually request payment no later than 60 days before the tour start date. At the moment, we prefer to receive payments via Wise, although in some circumstances we can accept payments via via SWIFT transfer to Nathan’s bank on the Isle of Man. Full details of how to pay will be included in the covering email when we send your invoice.

You will need to arrange flights to and from the start and finish points on the tour. Any good travel agent will be able to advise you on the best options to suit you, although you might finw it helpful to check flights using websites such as Kayak or Skyscanner.

Depending on your country of residence and the start point of the tour, you may be able to fly non-stop, or may need to transit through one of the regional hubs such as Dubai, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Taipei. We can also advise you if that would be helpful.

Travel insurance is compulsory for all Nathan Horton Photography Tours travellers and should be taken out at the time of booking. Your insurance must provide cover against personal accident, death, medical expenses and emergency repatriation with a recommended minimum coverage of US$200,000 for each of the categories.

We also strongly recommend it covers cancellation, curtailment, personal liability and loss of luggage and personal effects. We will ask for a copy of your insurance policy before the start of the tour. If you’re unable to provide this information you will not be able to join the tour.

Healthcare services and standards in most of the countries we visit are some way below those in more developed western countries. Therefore, it is essential to have comprehensive health insurance to ensure you get the best treatment in the event of an emergency. We strongly recommend that your insurance includes medical evacuation in case of an accident that requires treatment overseas.

Visit your doctor at least six weeks before you travel to find out about vaccinations or medications when visiting Asian countries. We suggest that you pack a basic medical kit to cope with, at the minimum, the following ailments: upset stomachs, dehydration, minor cuts and bruises, headache or similar, insect bites and blisters. You should only drink bottled water and avoid ice at local restaurants, though ice at the larger restaurants and hotels should be fine - if in doubt you can ask Nathan.

Malaria and Dengue Fever are prevalent in some areas of the countries that we visit. You can find out about the risk of Malaria in the area of your tour by visiting the CDC website. Please note that Malaria pills will not protect you against Dengue Fever, and there is a higher risk of the latter in the rainy season. It is recommended that you wear long-sleeved and legged clothing in the evening and use insect repellent. Prevention is better than cure and avoiding being bitten in the first place is both more comfortable and better protection against both of these diseases.

Prior to the start of the tour, we will also send you a self-assessment health form which you will need to complete and send back to us, confirming that you are in good health.

You will generally need a tourist visa for the country where we run your chosen tour. On your landing / immigration form you should state that you are on a group tour if requested, and provide the name of our local tour operator. We will provide the necessary details once your booking is confirmed.

As visa rules can vary according to your country of residence as well as the country that issued your passport, we strongly advise that you research the relevant visa rules before you travel.

Nathan Horton Photography Tours cannot be held responsible for your entry/exit arrangements, so please note that obtaining the required documentation is solely your responsibility. No refunds will be made in the event of you being refused entry into the country where travel is to take place.

We will provide more detailed recommendations for your chosen tour as soon as your booking is confirmed. For the majority of our tours, natural fabrics or the more modern fabrics designed for travel are the most comfortable, and it’s usually worth bringing a light rain/wind jacket.

We may recommend adding layers when necessary such as a down jacket or fleece in some cases, especially if we are at higher altitudes.

When visiting temples, it is respectful to wear below the knee trousers/skirt, and there are some temples that you cannot access without covering your shoulders. It’s useful to carry a scarf or shawl with which to cover up where necessary. In most of the countries in which we operate, it is generally required that you take your shoes off before entering a temple or a private home.

Hiking trainers may be recommended, and a hat is useful to keep off the midday sun. Some of the hotels on our tours offer a laundry service. If the tour involves any trekking, you might need a small backpack to carry your personal items as well as your camera equipment. On many of our tours, you can buy most of the clothes, shoes and other items mentioned above when you arrive in the country, and it’s probably a lot cheaper than at home.

If you want to give some gifts to children during the tour, please buy them locally, rather than bring them from your own country, so you will be contributing to the local economy. We try to include a market visit during the tour so you should have an opportunity to buy some gifts there. Rather than sweets or candy, we suggest you buy pens, books, notebooks, toothpaste, and fresh fruit.

The countries in which we run tours are generally very safe for tourists, but you should take sensible precautions to protect yourself and your belongings in big cities and tourist areas. The majority of travellers find that wearing their bag across their body (if it isn’t a rucksack) is a more secure way of enjoying the environment whilst not putting your belongings at risk. Some people like to wear a money belt for extra security. Most hotels will employ security guards or have a safe in the room.

Please bring your best camera and:

• A medium zoom lens (around 24-70 mm or equivalent).
• A wide-angle lens (around 12-24 mm or equivalent)
• A telephoto lens (around 70-200 mm or equivalent - or one of the newer 100-400mm lenses).

Ideally, you should have one lens that opens to f2.8, although the latest cameras have excellent ISO capabilities and can generally give very good results with an aperture of just f4. Nathan also finds that a second camera body is helpful for his second lens choice, making travel photography easier than constantly changing lenses.

Within a group tour dynamic, the flexibility of a zoom lens is preferable over fixed lenses. If you bring a fixed (wide-ish) lens, please be aware that others may be behind you, and you should move away when you have got your shot; slightly longer zooms make it easier for everyone.

We also suggest that you bring the following:

• UV, Neutral Density and polarising filter(s)
• Waterproof camera bag
• Lens hood(s)
• Tripod (not essential on every tour)
• Spare batteries & charger
• Plenty of memory cards
• Laptop and downloading device
• Portable hard drive
• A multi-socket electrical extension lead and a suitable adaptor for the country of the tour.

Check here to see what type you will need.

Carrying a large camera bag with a lot of lenses is not always recommended. The minibus or car is generally close to us, so it is a good idea to bring an additional smaller bag (that you can pack flat in your suitcase) to work lighter when appropriate.

We also advise you to bring lockable luggage as on some occasions (in more remote areas) there may not be a safe in the hotel room. This should also prevent you from accidentally leaving your passport or other valuable items in a safe, as has been known to happen. A travel wallet may also come in handy for you to carry some local currency and a credit card.

We ask that you bring a laptop, if possible, for work review and post-production advice. Please load it with Lightroom. Nathan teaches Lightroom Classic CC so it is best if you have this version NOT Lightroom CC. The latest version is available as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan.

At the start of the tour, we will arrange for a car to pick you up from the airport on arrival and transfer you to our hotel. We will arrange for a car to take you back to the airport at the end of the tour.

We recommend changing a few hundred dollars into the local currency when you arrive at your destination airport. In most countries you will get the best exchange rate at the airport, though there will generally be ATMs and money exchange facilities at various points during the tour. Credit cards can be used in many places, though they are often subject to a surcharge.

In most countries, we estimate a daily spend including meals, tips and drinks of around $20-$40. Please also make sure you have access to an additional US$500, in case unforeseen incidents or circumstances outside our control necessitate a change to our planned route.

We recommend that you bring a mobile phone and/or a tablet that you can use with a local SIM card. In most countries, you can purchase a 4G Tourist SIM Card at the airport on arrival, with very reasonable call and data allowances. Wi-fi is generally available in most of the hotels during our tours, except in some of the very remote areas.

We prefer to use WhatsApp as our primary means of communication across the group during the tour.

In most Asian countries, people are usually more than happy to have their photograph taken, but it is best to ask if possible. It is also a good idea to show the photograph back. This often relaxes people so you can then take another shot which is more natural.

Please also be aware of your fellow photographers.
In a situation where there are several photographers taking shots of the same subject, make sure that you do not get in each other’s way and ‘retire’ when you have got your shot so that others can come forward.

Throughout our tours you will generally stay in hotels that are well researched, safe, clean and comfortable. In some of the more remote areas you may need to stay in a more basic guesthouse and, on rare occasions, you might also need to share a room for one or two nights.

We can help to book hotels for you for nights before and after your tour, if requested.

Our tours include accommodation with breakfast in the quoted price. Please refer to the Essential Information sheet for each individual tour for clarification. Unless stated otherwise, you will need to pay for lunch, dinner and any drinks. Bottled water is provided on bus/car journeys and treks.

Whilst on tour we tend to eat as a group in locally-run restaurants which will give you the chance to taste the native cuisine. However, you are free to eat at a restaurant of your choice when such a choice is available, usually in the larger towns and cities.

It is usual to tip doormen that carry luggage, drivers, and local guides. We hope you are happy with our operators and tip according to satisfaction, but you should allow $1 for luggage carriers, somewhere between $3-$5 a day for drivers and $5-$10 for guides.

Please ensure you have small change and that you keep some cash back to tip our main guide and driver at the end of the trip. Tips are not always expected at restaurants, but if you have received good service, then a 5-10% tip will certainly be appreciated. We will provide more suggestions along with your joining instructions for the particular tour.

Prices are generally fixed in shops and restaurants, but bargaining is expected and part of the fun in the local markets! You rarely have to pay the first price in a market. A rule of thumb is to start your end of the bargaining at about half the initial price, and expect to end up at around two thirds.

Throughout Asia, people often say: 'Good for me - Good for you!'. It works both ways, and this is true for all the countries that we visit, but remember, if you have been taking pictures in markets, it creates a better atmosphere if you buy something and are a little more generous when you bargain.

We will provide you with more specific information for the country you will be visiting after you have booked your tour.