Author: William Chua

  • Nomadic Magic & the World Nomad Games — Kyrgyzstan

    30 August – 7 September 2026 · Kyrgyzstan · 9 days, 8 nights

    Final places

    Timed to the World Nomad Games — eagle hunters working with golden eagles, kok-boru played at full speed, and yurt camps on the shore of Issyk-Kul with the Tian Shan behind them. Entry to the opening ceremony and a full competition day are included.

    This is the most people-heavy trip on the calendar. Expect crowds, dust, fast action and very little control over your background — which is exactly what makes the frames worth having.

    Photograph needed. This departure currently has only a poster graphic. A landscape photograph is required for the listing.

    At a glance

    Dates

    30 August – 7 September 2026

    Destination

    Issyk-Kul and the Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan

    Twin share

    $6,800 SGD, excluding airfare

    Single

    $7,700 SGD

    Included

    Accommodation, meals, transfers, entrance fees, World Nomad Games opening ceremony and competition day

    Operated with Intriq Journey, a Singapore-licensed travel agent (TA03349).

  • Northern Xinjiang in Autumn

    18 – 28 September 2026 · Xinjiang, China · 11 days, 10 nights

    Places available

    The Altai in late September, in the fortnight when the birch and larch turn and the whole valley goes gold at once. Kanas lake with its morning mist, the Tuvan village of Hemu, and grassland that runs to the Kazakh border.

    The timing is narrow and weather-dependent — that is the nature of an autumn colour trip. Some high-altitude days; expect cold mornings.

    Photograph and pricing to be confirmed. This departure has not yet had a price published.

    At a glance

    Dates

    18 – 28 September 2026

    Destination

    Kanas, Hemu and the Altai, Xinjiang, China

    Price

    On enquiry

    Group size

    Minimum 4

    Operated with Intriq Journey, a Singapore-licensed travel agent (TA03349).

  • Caucasus in Autumn — Georgia

    Caucasus in Autumn — Georgia

    23 October – 1 November 2026 · Georgia · 9 days, 8 nights

    Places available

    Georgia in the last week of October, when the Caucasus has turned and the harvest is in. Kazbegi with the Gergeti Trinity church on its ridge, the vineyards of Kakheti, and the balconied old town of Tbilisi after dark.

    A trip with real range — high mountain landscape, village life, food and wine culture, and a capital city that photographs beautifully at night. Some driving days are long; the roads to Kazbegi are spectacular and slow.

    At a glance

    Dates

    23 October – 1 November 2026

    Destination

    Tbilisi, Kakheti and Kazbegi, Georgia

    Twin share

    $6,800 SGD, excluding airfare

    Single

    $7,600 SGD

    Group size

    Minimum 4

    Operated with Intriq Journey, a Singapore-licensed travel agent (TA03349).

  • Xiapu Mudflats & Bamboo

    Xiapu Mudflats & Bamboo

    22 – 27 November 2026 · Fujian, China · 6 days, 5 nights · maximum 8 photographers

    3 places left

    Xiapu is the most photographed coastline in China and still worth going to. Bamboo seaweed racks in geometric rows, fishermen working the tidal flats, and mud that turns silver, gold or black depending entirely on where the sun is.

    Everything here is tide-dependent, so the schedule is built around the tide tables rather than the clock. Expect early starts and late finishes with a long break in the middle of the day. Capped at eight so that everyone gets the position they need on narrow viewpoints.

    At a glance

    Dates

    22 – 27 November 2026

    Destination

    Xiapu, Fujian, China

    Twin share

    $1,900 SGD, excluding airfare

    Single supplement

    $350 SGD

    Group size

    Maximum 8

    Operated with Intriq Journey, a Singapore-licensed travel agent (TA03349).

  • Bird Photography in Weihai

    Bird Photography in Weihai

    2 – 6 January 2027 · Weihai, Shandong, China · 5 days, 4 nights

    Places available

    Whooper swans overwinter on the Yellow Sea coast at Weihai in their thousands, and they come close enough that a 400mm is often too long. Add gulls, raptors and a coastline that produces mist on the right mornings.

    We work from purpose-built hides and from the shoreline itself. Cold — expect below freezing at dawn — but the light is exceptional and the birds are entirely used to photographers.

    Please confirm the dates before booking. The original announcement carried both “02/01/2027 to 06/01/2027” and “February 1–6” — the January dates above match the flight details and are believed correct.

    At a glance

    Dates

    2 – 6 January 2027

    Destination

    Weihai, Shandong, China

    Twin share

    $1,800 SGD, excluding airfare

    Single

    $1,900 SGD

    Operated with Intriq Journey, a Singapore-licensed travel agent (TA03349).

  • Holi Festival — Kathmandu & the Valley

    Holi Festival — Kathmandu & the Valley

    19 – 25 March 2027 · Nepal · 7 days, 6 nights · maximum 10 photographers

    Places available

    Holi in Kathmandu is not a photograph you plan. It is colour thrown from rooftops, a crowd that closes around you, and light that changes every ninety seconds. This expedition puts you in the middle of it with a working photographer beside you — and then gives you the quiet mornings at Boudhanath and Pashupatinath to balance the week out.

    Open to photographers of every level. Non-photographing companions are welcome and pay the same rate. Fujifilm bodies and lenses are available on loan for the duration of the trip.

    Day by day

    Indicative itinerary — to be replaced with William’s own copy.

    Fri 19 Mar

    Singapore → Kathmandu — afternoon departure, arrive evening. Welcome dinner and a kit check before an early start.

    Sat 20 Mar

    Boudhanath at first light · Patan Durbar Square — dawn kora at the stupa while the pilgrims circle, then the old brick squares of Patan.

    Sun 21 Mar

    Pashupatinath · evening aarti — sadhus and cremation ghats in the morning; the river ceremony after dark at high ISO.

    Mon 22 Mar

    Bhaktapur · potters’ square — a full day in the best-preserved of the three royal cities, with time to work a single subject properly.

    Tue 23 Mar

    Holi — Basantapur Durbar Square — the main event. Rain covers and a second body strongly advised. Critique session over dinner.

    Wed 24 Mar

    Nagarkot sunrise · edit and review — the Himalaya on the horizon at dawn, then an afternoon working through everyone’s take.

    Thu 25 Mar

    Kathmandu → Singapore — morning free for last frames or Thamel; afternoon flight home.

    At a glance

    Dates

    19 – 25 March 2027

    Destination

    Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

    Twin share

    $2,500 SGD, excluding airfare

    Single

    $2,790 SGD

    Group size

    Minimum 4, maximum 10

    Fitness

    Moderate — long days on foot in crowds

    What is and is not included

    Included

    • Six nights’ accommodation, twin sharing
    • All meals as per itinerary
    • Private air-conditioned transport throughout
    • English-speaking local guide
    • All entrance and permit fees
    • Daily instruction and critique with William
    • Fujifilm camera and lens loan

    Not included

    • International airfare
    • Nepal visa fee
    • Travel and equipment insurance
    • Gratuities for guides and drivers
    • Beverages and personal expenses
    • Anything not listed as included

    Operated with Intriq Journey, a Singapore-licensed travel agent (TA03349). A deposit secures your place; the balance is due 60 days before departure.

    What people say afterwards

    I came home with pictures I did not think I was capable of taking. The difference was having someone tell me where to stand.

    Participant · Masai Mara

    Small group, no rushing, and every single morning we were in position before the light arrived.

    Participant · Nepal
  • Shangri-La — Monasteries & High Country

    Shangri-La — Monasteries & High Country

    29 March – 6 April 2027 · Yunnan, China · 9 days, 8 nights

    Places available

    The high country of north-west Yunnan, where the Tibetan plateau begins. Songzanlin monastery at prayer, Meili snow mountain catching first light across the valley, and the villages on the road north where the architecture changes every fifty kilometres.

    Altitude is between 2,500 and 3,500 metres for most of the trip. Days are long but not strenuous. Open to photographers of all levels; non-photographing companions welcome.

    At a glance

    Dates

    29 March – 6 April 2027

    Destination

    Shangri-La, Yunnan, China

    Twin share

    $2,900 SGD, excluding airfare

    Single

    $3,200 SGD

    Group size

    Minimum 4

    Operated with Intriq Journey, a Singapore-licensed travel agent (TA03349). A deposit secures your place; the balance is due 60 days before departure.

  • Namibia — Etosha, Sossusvlei & Deadvlei

    Namibia — Etosha, Sossusvlei & Deadvlei

    15 – 25 August 2026 · Namibia · 11 days, 10 nights

    Departed

    Ten days across the two Namibias — the game-rich pans of Etosha in the north, and the red dunes of Sossusvlei and the dead camelthorns of Deadvlei in the south. Two entirely different photographic problems in one trip.

    Sossusvlei holds some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world. We are at Deadvlei before sunrise for the twenty minutes when the dune face behind is lit and the pan floor is still in shadow — the frame everyone comes for, and the one you cannot get on a day trip.

    At a glance

    Dates

    15 – 25 August 2026

    Destination

    Etosha, Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, Namibia

    Twin share

    $14,500 SGD, excluding airfare

    Status

    Departed — register interest for the next departure

    Operated with Intriq Journey, a Singapore-licensed travel agent (TA03349).

  • Masai Mara — The Great Migration

    Masai Mara — The Great Migration

    1 – 9 August 2026 · Kenya · 9 days, 8 nights

    Completed

    Sixteen consecutive seasons on the Mara, and it has never once repeated itself. This is the wildebeest migration between the Masai Mara and the Serengeti — river crossings, big cats, and the particular light that arrives about four minutes before everyone else is ready for it.

    Custom 4×4 safari Land Cruisers with pop-up roofs and a guaranteed window seat for every participant. Twin-sharing safari lodges inside the reserve. Fujifilm bodies and long lenses available on loan for the duration.

    Open to photographers of all levels. Non-photographing companions are welcome.

    At a glance

    Dates

    1 – 9 August 2026

    Destination

    Masai Mara, Kenya

    Twin share

    $11,500 SGD, excluding airfare

    Single

    $13,500 SGD

    Status

    Completed — register interest for the next season

    Operated with Intriq Journey, a Singapore-licensed travel agent (TA03349).

  • Fujifilm GFX 100 RF — first frames

    A fixed-lens medium format camera has no business being this portable, and yet here we are.

    Post content to be migrated from the original article.

    Originally published 20 March 2025.

  • Yoga, and photographing stillness

    What a discipline built on holding a position teaches you about waiting for a frame to arrive.

    Post content to be migrated from the original article.

    Originally published 11 July 2024.