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Asian
Photo Expeditions with George Mann
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Asian
Photo
Expedition for Serious Photographers
Overland Bangkok to Angkor Wat
Ta Prohm Temple -
made famous in the 2001 Lara Croft Tomb Raiders movie, starring
Angelina
Jolie.
The Cambodian winter is
fast approaching, which means that for the next
three or four months it will be easier to spend long days exploring the
mysteries of the Angkor temple ruins. My personal photo expeditions are
not for everyone, but if you want to experience the life I have lived
for three decades now (and do it in the comfort and style you are
accustomed to), please contact me for a quote.
We specialize in providing high end photo tours of South East Asia for
individuals and small groups only. Security and privacy can be provided
for high profile individuals and celebrities.
My current travel equipment includes Nikon D300, D80 and
D40 cameras, my
computer of choice is Macintosh portables, and I use Adobe and Nikon
software for processing my images. I will allways be available to
address any
questions or problems you may have, throughout the expedition.
Photo
Expedition Calendar: contact George Mann
for more information - george@dpmac.com
This is a suggested
itinerary only, if you would like to change the dates, make a slightly
shorter trip, or skip the cross country portions and fly directly into
Siem Reap, please contact me and we will accomodate your wishes.
Other
destinations in South East Asia are also available.
Day 1
- leave Bangkok early in the morning for a one day trip by SUV or van
from
Bangkok to Aranyaprathet on the Cambodian border. There will be several
photographic stops at up-country temples and markets along the way to
the border. Stay the night in the border town of Aranyaprathet.
Day 2 -
leave Aranyaprathet early in the morning for the border
crossing and trip by SUV or van from Poipet,
Cambodia to Siem Reap. The distance is short but the road can be
pretty rough, so we will take our time and make a number of photography
stops at temples and markets on the way to Siem Reap. Check into the
hotel in Siem Reap, take a much needed shower and visit the Old
Market and Pub
Street.
 Day 3
- get up early for sunrise photography at the Angkor
Wat temple and spend the morning exploring and photographing the
Angkor Wat temple. Stop for a leisurely lunch at the Angkor Cafe,
across the street from the Angkor Wat temple. In the afternoon we will
explore an number of temples in the adjacent ancient
city of Angkor Thom, including the incredible faces
of the Bayon temple. In the evening we can catch a cultural show
(Apsara dancers) in one of the many venues in Siem Reap.
Day 4
- get up early in the morning to visit the Ta
Prohm temple, this temple is overgrown with the roots of large
trees making it even more mysterious and exotic than it would be if the
exquisite temple was fully restored and bare of the jungle's strangle
hold. This temple was made famous by the Lara Croft movie, starring
Angelina Jolie. After lunch we visit the incredible Preah
Khan temple (one of my favorites). In the late afternoon or early
evening we can visit the Red Piano Pub and Restaurant, where Angelina
Jolie would relax after a day of shooting her movie in the area.
Day 5
- get up early to catch the sunrise at Banteay Srei, the exquisitely
carved pink sandstone temple that predates the Angkor temples, but has
some of the finest detailed and best preserved temple carvings in the
country. Since it takes close to an hour to get to this temple from
Siem Reap, we have to leave very early to get there before the tour
buses and catch the early morning light. There are several other
temples and sites in the same area which we will visit before
heading back to to Siem Reap for lunch and a leisurely afternoon
exploring the Old Market area of Siem Reap.
Day 6 - take a break from the
temples and visit Kompong
Phluk and the floating
village
on Tonle Sap lake. This part of the trip turn out to be the favorite of
many visitors to Siem Reap and we will attempt to go where none (or
very few) of the tourists go. If we get back to Siem Reap in time, we
may take a late afternoon tethered balloon ride (close to Angkor Wat),
or if you are feeling
really adventurous a helicopter ride around the area.
Day 7 -
on the last day in Siem Reap we can either go back to reshoot temple
sites you would like to have another go at, or spend the day at the
Cambodian Cultural Village and other Siem Reap town sites. The Cultural
Village is a little touristy, but it has a lot of interesting photo
opportunities, that would be difficult to capture otherwise, unless you
had months to spare traveling around Cambodia.
Day 8 -
have breakfast and transfer to the Siem Reap Airport from where you
can fly out to Phnom Phen, Bangkok, or Singapore, to continue your
travels in Asia or return home.
Photo
Expedition Expenses:
 I am very flexible as to
the exact itinerary of the expedition and am
more than willing to make changes to the above package. If you wish to
fly from
Bangkok, or meet me in Siem Reap, it is entirely up to you. The minimum
number of days you should stay in Siem Reap is four days though, less
than that and you will either not see very much or be in a lot of pain,
the distances that you have to walk and climb are deceptive and the
area is much larger than you can imagine. I also do not mix strangers
in my expeditions, it will only end in someone being very unhappy and
could lead to very unpleasant experiences.
Accommodations
- You let me know what level of comfort you are used to and I will make
a recommendations. When traveling in remote areas the choice can be
fairly limited, but we can usually find something clean and
comfortable. In the big cities and popular tourist destinations the
choices are from super luxurious to super cheap. I tend to prefer high
end guest houses in Cambodia but have been known to stay in some high
end hotels too.
Local Fees
- the Angkor Archaeological Park charges (and strictly enforces) $20.
per day, $40. for three days, and $60. for a seven day pass. There are
also separate fees at some very remote locations. Guards ask for your
pass at many locations within the park and if you lose it, you will
have to buy a new one.
Tour Guides
- some places are difficult to visit without a local (Cambodian) tour
guide, but they all have trouble adjusting to last minute changes in
the itinerary and
understanding the needs of photographers. They also tend to be more
interested in taking you to their friend's handicrafts shops and
figuring out how to get a big tip from you, then actually arranging
what you require to get the job done. Therefore I often work only with
a driver who also doubles as a tour guide. There are times though, when
both a driver and a separate local tour guide are necessary, for
instance we may be trekking a considerable distance in a straight line
(through a temple site) and the driver will pick us up at our
destination. Depending upon the distance covered in a day (and the
specific places you visit), the van, driver and tour guide can cost
from $75 to $150 per day. The driver and tour guide also expect a tip
of from $10 to $20 per day and do not like it when I pay them directly
for the group (they say, I know too much). I find the whole experience
very exasperating, but every tour guide I have ever used is forever
looking for the one foreigner who will see what a special person he
really is, and either give him a great sum of money or take him back to
his country and set him up in a better life. It does happen
occasionally, so they all constantly look for it.
Transportation
- photographers require a lot of elbow room, so whether your group is
comprised of two or five persons, I always use a passenger van (or
SUV). The
cost of a van (and driver) around the temples is usually around $50.
per day, but the distance you travel and the condition of the road can
change that price. There is also an additional charge for starting
before sunrise and staying out later than sunset, so the transportation
fee can go as high as $100. per day. The driver also expects a $10-15
per day tip.
George Mann's
Expedition Fee - My fee is separate from all travel and tour
expenses and negotiable depending upon your exact itinerary (plus
special travel related requirements) and the number of days you require
my services. My base rate is $500 per day, but I am willing to
negotiate for longer trips.
Celebrities
and other high profile individuals - we can provide security and
other special services, to make your trip as private and unique as you
deserve. We have a lot of experience dealing with high level
executives, royalty, politicians and celebrities, both in Asia and in
the US.
Please contact George Mann for more information and expedition booking
- george@dpmac.com
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George
Mann's Pocket Guide to the new Nikon
D300
 Even the most knowledgeable
photographer often finds himself wondering,
"what does this button do again?" or "how do I change to that mode?" It
is nothing to be embarrassed about and George Mann's Pocket Guide to
the
Nikon D300 can help you find the answers quickly.
The Nikon D300 Pocket Guide is
comprised of
eight laminated pages, packed with
information on the functions and locations of the camera's external
buttons, dials and switches. It also explains all the read-outs of the
Control Panel, the Viewfinder, the Custom Menu Settings, and provides a
brief overview of the modes and controls available for the Internal
Flash system.
The handy size of
approximately 4.5 by 6.5 inches,
folds flat to fit into any jacket or camera bag pocket and the high
quality lamination keeps it protected from the elements.
The George Mann's Pocket Guide to the Nikon D300 digital SLR camera is
now available exclusively from thenikonphotographer.com.
Available for only US$ 9.95
Get more
information here .............
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