Photography holidays

Photography trips need different planning: sunrise and sunset take priority, you stay closer to viewpoints and you need flexibility for weather.

What changes on a photography trip

• Hotels near the subject, such as Oia in Santorini, a lakeside camp at Pangong Lake or a fort-view room in Jaisalmer.
• Golden-hour scheduling, with midday kept for travel and rest.
• Extra nights where weather can spoil the shot: northern lights in Tromsø and Iceland, balloons in Cappadocia.
• Local guides who know the angles, like the ghats of Varanasi at dawn or Hampi from Matanga Hill.

Seasonal highlights

Blossom in Kyoto (late March), lanterns in Chiang Mai (November), the Rann of Rann of Kutch under a full moon (winter) and golden rice terraces in Sapa (September).