Join us on this amazing tour to the land of happiness with professional photographer Anna-Mair Francis.  Go to www.annamairfrancis.com/tours/Bhutan/ for more details or contact us on info@ctlphototours.com. 

The Kingdom of Bhutan is an extraordinary place known for the concept of Gross National Happiness. In the foothills of the Himalayans it is full of temples, fortresses, forests and has a unique culture. We have made the 2020 trip shorter in duration from previous years but the experience will be just as incredible. To make the most of the time we will be making an internal flight to Central Bhutan (hoping for clear skies the see the Himalayas from above) and then driving back through picturesque villages, valleys and over high mountain passes topped with temples and prayer flags. We will visit 2 traditional and colourful festivals which will give us the opportunity to mix with the locals in their beautiful national costumes. We will be expecting to photograph landscapes, people, cultural scenes, magnificent Dzongs, flora and fauna along the way. Our professional photographer will be on hand for technical and compositional support. For further information check out the draft itinerary. 

Please note the price is based on $US 7999 which is approximately $AUD11,600. This amount in AUD may vary up or down depending on the exchange rate. The correct rate will be determined for you on booking. Please contact us for clarification. 

Please note that the itinerary is subject to change:  http://www.annamairfrancis.com/bhutan-draft-itinerary-april-2020/

Costs: USD $7999# twin/double* room

*Single supplement addition of USD $800 applies

Includes:

• Flight to/from Bangkok to Bhutan**


• All internal transport including internal flight


• 11 full days in Bhutan


• Two Authentic cultural festivals


• Small group size


• All your meals on Tour


• Highly experienced Bhutanese guides and drivers


• Bhutan Visa


• Photographic support from internationally renowned photographer Anna-Mair Francis.

What’s not included:

• Flights to/from Bangkok to your home city


• Accommodation/ Evening meals in Bangkok


• Alcohol or soft drinks with meals


• Photographic equipment


• Laundry, gratuities, etc


• Horse ride up to Tiger’s Nest Monastery café  if required.


• Excess baggage


• Travel Insurance

**Please note that the main group will enter and exit Paro from/to Bangkok but if you are travelling from Europe then flights could be arranged to India, Nepal or Singapore. The main group however will be meeting in Bangkok. This may change the price so please enquire for clarification on alternative entry/exit points for Bhutan.

Payment schedule: Deposit of US $2000 to secure the booking (US $500 of which is non refundable). Please note that the trip is not locked in totally as far as the Bhutanese agency is concerned until the total balance is received. So the balance will need to be paid as soon as practical.

See our Terms and Conditions

# Price is based on cost of flights from Bangkok/Paro/Bangkok and internal flight from Paro/Bumthang. This price are subject to change until we pay in full with our Bhutanese Agent.

Ask about our multi tour discount.

Borneo is a diverse Island, made up of 3 countries, Indonesia,Brunei and our destination, the state of Sabah in Malaysia. Sabah has much to offer a photographer from the deep steamy jungles to the long winding waterways and from the mysterious caves to the heights of Mount Kinabalu there are plentiful opportunities to get amazing photos. Sabah offers a varied amount of flora and fauna including the orang-utan, proboscis monkey, hornbills and over 5000 species of flowering plants found nowhere else in the world.

We visit in June when there should be an abundance of fruit and flowers, which should increase our chances of seeing a variety of animals. We are intentionally visiting some remote jungle areas first in the hope of seeing wildlife in their natural environments and then we will visit some rehabilitation centres where will see orang-utan, sun bears and proboscis monkeys so one way or another you will see these wonderful creatures. 

We arrive on the Saturday to start our 12 day experience refreshed on the Sunday morning. We will begin in Kota Kinabalu where we will start with street photography in a bustling market before we visit a cultural village experience with locals in traditional dress bring alive tribal customs and culture before finishing the day with sunset over the bay.

Monday we take an early flight to Lahad Datu on the Eastern Coast where we will meet our guide and driver and venture into the rain forest jungle to experience all that it has to offer. We will be staying within two different National Parks over the next 5 days which are known for a huge variety of flora as well as insects, spiders, birds as well as the chance of the wild animals like orang-utan, gibbon, macaque, otter and pygmy elephant. An early rise and drive deeper into the jungle to the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) tower will provide the perfect chance to witness the dawn rising and photograph the early morning mist and listen to the animals waking up and calling loudly to each other across the valley. A night drive will give us the chance to see some of the nocturnal animals like the flying squirrels and the Civet cat

The Kinbanatang river is our next destination where we will do early morning and late afternoon cruises along the river to spot proboscis monkey, gibbons and many other primates (including an orang-utan if we are lucky), as well as crocodile, lizards and plentiful birdlife. With luck we might see pygmy elephants coming down to for a drink or to bathe. The cruise back in the afternoon also provides a beautiful sunset along the river. There is an option to join a night walk when you can get up close with birds whilst they sleep and if you are fortunate see frogs and the tiny western Tasier.

On the drive from the river will we call in at a cave known for the swiftlets that create nests harvested for bird's nest soup. This area is also a favourite haunt of wild orang-utan. They are often spotted here quite close up and can be seen lazing in the canopies during the heat of the day. If you wish to visit the caves this is an optional extra as it is not for everyone. The caves main chamber is massive and with multiple openings which allows the light to filter through giving it a cathedral like atmosphere and great photo opportunities. However, the cave is also home to thousands of bats and insects which over the decades have produced mounds of guano so the smell is quite overpowering. As I said, it's not for everyone but if you wish to go in then Anna-Mair will accompany you. 

We will continue to Sepilok where we will visit the orang-utan rehabilitation centre that works with orphaned and stolen apes. We will visit the centre at least twice seeing the nursery and feeding sessions for the other apes which will attract the orang-utan to coming out of the trees for a feed. We will also visit the Sun bear rehabilitation centre, the Rainforest Discovery Centre and Labuk Bay for an up close experience with the proboscis monkey.

Our adventure will the continue west to Poring Hot Springs where we will photograph the waterfalls and Tropical Gardens where if we are lucky (or unlucky) witness the Rafflesia in flower. This amazing looking flower is one of the largest flowers in the world but is better known as the stinking corpse lily! Whilst in the area we will visit the Anzac Memorial Gardens in Kudisang. Our final full day of photography will be at Mt. Kinabalu National Park that has some lovely forest trails covered with mosses and fungi. We will spend some time in the Botanical Gardens with a variety of orchids and other tropical flowers. Fingers crossed the clouds will clear so we have views of the mountain itself.

We will finish our tour back in Kota Kinabalu.

What's Included:

• Airport transfers


• Internal flight from Kota Kinabalu - Lahad Datu


• All internal transport and accommodation


• 13 days/12 nights in Borneo


• Entry fees


• Most meals on Tour


• Highly experienced local guides and drivers


• Small group size


• Photographic support from Anna-Mair Francis

What's not included:

• Flights to/from Kota Kinabalu and your home City


• Evening meal on first evening


• Camera tax (local tax on photographers charged at some location approx total RM250)


• Tourism tax in hotels (RM10 per room/per night)


• Alcohol/soft drinks with meals


• Photographic equipment


• Laundry, gratuities, etc


• Excess baggage


• Travel Insurance (we require a copy of your insurance with your final payment)

Join us in 2025 on this amazing tour to the land of happiness with professional photographer Anna-Mair Francis. We will venture across the Country towards areas in the East which are rarely visited by Westerners. We will attend one (hopefully two) annual festivals in villages away from huge crowds where we will mix with locals and monks in their beautiful traditional dress to watch masked performers who enact historic dances about the fight between good and evil. We will visit a remote mountain town where women create complex silk  fabrics in their homes which sell worldwide. We will be expecting to photograph landscapes, people, cultural scenes, magnificent Dzongs, flora and fauna along the way. 

The Kingdom of Bhutan is an extraordinary place known for the concept of Gross National Happiness. In the foothills of the Himalayans it is full of temples, fortresses, forests and has a unique culture. Our professional photographer will be on hand for technical and compositional support. 

*Please note the price is based on $US 7995 which is approximately $AU 12,145. This amount in AUD may vary up or down depending on the exchange rate. The correct rate will be determined for you on booking. Please contact us for clarification. 

Please note that the itinerary is subject to change:

We will publish the full itinerary as soon as possible but our route will be via Thimphu, Panakha, Phobjikhu, Jakar Valley, Khoma, Trashigang, Haa Valley and Paro. 

Costs: USD $7995 (approx AUD $12145) per person twin/double* room 
 
*Single supplement addition of USD $700 (approx AUD $1065) applies

#Pay a $AUD2000 deposit (AUD $500 of which is non refundable) on this site to hold your place and we will instruct you how to pay the balance in US Dollars once we have reached minimum numbers. If we do not reach minimum numbers we will return your deposit in full. Please do not book flights until we confirm departure.  This price are subject to change until we pay in full with our Bhutanese Agent.

• All internal transport including internal flight

• 17 nights and 18 days in Bhutan


• One (hopefully two) authentic cultural festivals

• Visiting traditional weavers in Khoma

• Small group size


• All your accommodation and meals on Tour


• Highly experienced Bhutanese guides and drivers


• Photographic support from internationally renowned photographer Anna-Mair Francis.

What’s not included:

• Flights to/from Paro to your home city


• Alcohol or soft drinks with meals


• Photographic equipment


• Laundry, gratuities, etc


• Horse ride up to Tiger’s Nest Monastery café  if required.

• Entry to sites not on the itinerary 


• Excess baggage


• Travel Insurance

• Bhutan Visa

Please note that the main group will enter and exit Paro from/to Bangkok but if you are travelling from Europe then flights should be arranged via India or Singapore. 

Payment schedule: Deposit of AUD $2000 to secure the booking (AUD $500 of which is non refundable). Please note that the trip is not locked in totally as far as the Bhutanese agency is concerned until the total balance is received. So the balance will need to be paid as soon as practical. We need 4 people for the trip to go ahead, if we cancel the trip we will refund your full deposit to you. Please do not book flights until we confirm departure. 

See our Terms and Conditions

 This price are subject to change until we pay in full with our Bhutanese Agent.