6 BEST PHOTOGRAPHY VACATIONS

Join American fine art photographer and photojournalist John McDermott for a tour of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. McDermott will take you to the best sites given the time of the day and the season. McDermott will also tailor the tour based on your interests, whether it’s specific temples or surrounding villages. Expect to play with incredible colors, sepia-toned dawns and evening light, and breathtaking architecture. You’ll still want to keep your camera by your side when you stay at Phum Baitang. Designed to look like a traditional Khmer village, this chic resort is nestled within eight acres of gardens and padi fields.

If you want to brush up on your photography skills, why not practice your technique on safari? The Wild Studio team in Botswana will not only take you on a three-day tour of the Okavango Delta and the Selinda Reserve, but they will help you create a portfolio that you can be proud of. Join your photography guru on game drives in the bush or kayaking along the Spillways. The Wild Studio team hopes that you will take home your portfolio and help spread the word on wildlife conservation.

Stay: The Selinda Camp is the perfect place to relax after a day in the bush. Kick back on your four-poster bed or watch the sun go down from your terrace.

After travelling all the way to Chile, you want to make sure that you come home with a perfect shot. Join photographer Katsuyoshi Tanaka for a shoot that blends nature photography and adventure. On this 10-day vacation, you’ll be invited to take shots of Torres del Paine National Park at sunrise, snap gauchos in Patagonia and travel to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) to photograph the sacred Moai statues.

Stay: Book into the chic and sleek Explora Rapa Nui. You can swap photography stories over glasses of Chilean wine or just ease those muscles in the spa.

Catch a flight to Tromso to snap nature’s biggest light show – the Aurora Borealis. Your Lightfoot Travel designer can arrange for you to join a photographer and learn which techniques you need to use to get the best shots of the Northern Lights. If you have left your camera at home, don’t worry. They can arrange for you to use a digital SLR while you’re there.

Stay: Book into the Malagen Resort. It’s the perfect place from which to explore the local area or you could just take in the views from the hot tub.

Wildlife photographer Diego Araya will take you deep into Torres del Paine National Park to snap one of its most elusive creatures – the puma. Along the way, you will also have the chance to snap other rare species such as the endangered huemul.

Stay: At the EcoCamp Patagonia Suite Domes. With floor-to-ceiling windows that look out across the landscape, these stylish tents are hard to beat.

For a photography expedition to remember, join the Lindblad-National Geographic photo expedition team in Alaska. You will be able to go rafting through a bald eagle preserve, explore Glacier Bay National Park and hike through Tongass National Forest. The team will help create the perfect photo ops for you thanks to their insights on when and where to capture the wildlife.

Stay: Lindblad’s ships are small enough to take you into each bay but large enough to feature every last little luxury. National Geographic Quest is the latest vessel to join the fleet and its high bridge gives photographers the chance to get the perfect view of all the action.