8-DAYS GUILIN & GUIZHOU PHOTO TOUR

June 15th to 22nd, 2024

– group size: 4 to 6 people –

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region gathers some of the most breathtaking landscapes of China, as well as a diverse population including several ethnic minorities. We will capture the famous cormorant fishermen of Guilin, some of China most beautiful and impressive rice terraces, a buffalo farmer, an old village, and unique karst landscapes that are typical to this region of China.

We will then continue our journey to the neighboring province of Guizhou to discover the typical local architecture, as the Dong-style drum tower, and some of the local Dong and Miao ethnic minorities. Among them, the famous Basha Miao, a sub-branch of the Miao people, who form the last tribe authorized to carry guns in China.

This trip is a fantastic opportunity to capture some iconic scenes and landscapes of China, as well as some portrait of local people with various cultural background.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Two private shootings in different locations with cormorant fishermen on the Li River
• Longji rice terraces, some of the most beautiful rice terraces in China with private shooting of local people carrying baskets in the rice fields
• Several sunrise and sunset landscape shootings over the iconic karstic mountains of Yangshuo
• Ancient village and local people
• Buffalo farmer
• Dong and Miao minority tribes
• Basha Miao people, the last gunner tribe in China

DETAILED ITINERARY

This tours starts at Guilin Airport and finishes at Guiyang Airport.

DAY 1 / JUNE 15TH, 2024: GUILIN AIRPORT – YANGSHUO

Upon your arrival at Guilin, we will pick you up from the airport and we will drive to Yangshuo. Late afternoon, if we have enough time, we will head to a mountaintop to capture the sunset over the karst mountain peaks and village rivers. Overnight in Yangshuo.

DAY 2 / JUNE 16TH, 2024: YANGSHUO

Today, we will wake up early to catch the sunrise over Damian Hills. The scenery is beautiful, and can bring up unexpected views, from a mist over the river and karst mountains, to a sea of clouds. We will then head back to the hotel for a short break. We will then explore further the karst landscapes for more landscape photography. At the end of the day, we will head to a secret place to photograph one of the last cormorant fishermen on the Li River.

DAY 3 / JUNE 17TH, 2024: YANGSHUO

Today, we start our day early again to head to a hidden spot to capture stunning photos of two other cormorant fishermen on the Li River, in the smooth light of sunrise. We will then head back to the hotel for a short break, before heading to a beautiful ancient town. There we can do some street photography, and we will visit a local man in his old traditional wooden house who will show us some ancient Chinese tools. Late afternoon, we will head to another location in Yangshuo to capture the sunset.

DAY 4 / JUNE 18TH, 2024: YANGSHUO – LONGJI RICE TERRACES

In the early morning, we will head to the countryside to capture photos of a buffalo farmer on an ancient stone bridge in a village, framed by the backdrop of spectacular mountains in the distance. We will then head to a village near the Longji Rice Terraces, where the largest minority tribe in the area, the Yao people, lives. We will have a walk in the minority village where you can witness the local people’s life and enjoy street photography. We will then go to the rice terraces that filled with water in this season and capture the sunset.

DAY 5 / JUNE 19TH, 2024: LONGJI RICE TERRACES – ZHAOXING DONG VILLAGE – BASHA MIAO VILLAGE

Start your day by capturing the beauty of the flooded rice terraces during sunrise. There, we will shoot three local minority women carrying bamboo baskets through the rice fields, creating a picturesque scene. We will then drive to Zhaoxing Dong minority village. During the day, we will visit the Basha Miao Village, which is home to the last tribe of gunmen in China and visit a family house where we can take photos of the house and family. We will then head back to Zhaoxing so we can enjoy and capture the lively nightlife.

DAY 6 / JUNE 20TH, 2024: ZHAOXING DONG VILLAGE – XIJIANG MIAO VILLAGE

In the morning, we can have a last stroll through the village or have a longer sleep. Then we will go to Xijiang Miao Village, which is home to the largest Miao tribe in China. There we will photograph local people in their beautiful clothes. In the evening, we will have a walk in the village to witness its beautiful evening liveliness.

DAY 7 / JUNE 21ST, 2024: XIJIANG MIAO VILLAGE – LANGDE MIAO VILLAGE – JIDAO MIAO VILLAGE

In the early morning, we will capture Xijiang Miao village bathed in the warm glow of sunrise lighting. During the day, we will visit Langde Miao Village and Jidao Miao Village which are nearby. Each village is unique in terms of culture, architecture and people and there will be plenty of opportunities for street photography.

DAY 8 / JUNE 22ND, 2024: XIJIANG MIAO VILLAGE – GUIYANG AIRPORT

Following the morning sunrise in the village, we will go to Guiyang airport for your flight back.

PLEASE NOTE

• The type of scenery we will see, especially from mountain top points of view, depends a lot on the weather and may differ from the photos shown in this itinerary. Photos are for reference only.
• The schedule can be rearranged to adjust to weather reasons, or unexpected circumstances.
• Please always behave respectfully with locals, and ask permission before taking photos of people.

GROUP SIZE

Minimum 4 people, maximum 6 people

PRICE

3200 € 

(Single room supplement: 220 €)

INCLUDING

• English/French/Chinese-speaking professional photographer guidance
• English/Chinese-speaking local guide
• All hotels (boutique hotels) based on double occupancy
• All meals with water and/or tea (chinese meals)
• All entrance fees
• Private transportation from your pickup at Guilin airport to your drop-off at Guiyang airport
• Expenses for people we photograph
• Water bottles throughout the day

EXCLUDING

• Flights to Guilin Airport and from Guiyang Airport
• Other drinks
• Travel insurance and cancellation insurance
• Tips for local staff
• Visa fees if any

RECOMMENDED GEARS

• Camera, lenses, memory cards, batteries, battery charger
• Smartphone
• Tripod, to capture low light and long exposure
• Mini tripod for time lapses with phone
• Drones are allowed to be used in most areas

Q&A

• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REGULAR TOUR AND A PHOTO TOUR?

Photo tours are especially designed for photo taking. It means that what you will see can be quite different from what people who visit the same place with a regular travel itinerary will see. We will go to places that are particularly photogenic, or meet local people who will introduce us to their culture or to some of their tradition to facilitate the shooting. It also means that we will often wake up earlier than most travelers, in orders to capture the best light and bring the best photos, so our schedule could be a bit different. For instance, we can get up very early to catch the sunrise, then come back to the hotel for breakfast, or take a break during midday when the sun is too strong and then go out later again to capture the golden hour and sunset, or some night views. It all depends on the itinerary of the tour.

• DO I HAVE TO BE A PHOTOGRAPHER TO PARTICIPATE?

You don’t have to be a photographer, amateur or professional, to participate to our photo tours. As long as you enjoy photography in general and the idea of capturing the best moments, you should enjoy traveling with us! Photographers of any level can enjoy our tours, from beginners to advanced, even smartphone photographers! The idea is also to learn from each other and to enjoy! We recommend however that you to let us know a bit more about your level and material beforehand so we can adjust the tour accordingly so you can make the most of it.

Please note that for photographers with specific requirements, it is also possible to organize customized tours. Please contact us for more information.

• WHAT GEAR DO I NEED?

You can choose the gears you want, and we can also give you some recommendations if you need. But a camera that offers manual settings option is necessary if you want to make the most of your travel.

A basic kit for travel photography would be a camera body that offers manual settings and or or two versatile lenses, such as 24-70mm and 70-200mm. For some trips, some specific lens could be recommended such as bigger zoom . We would also usually advice to bring a tripod for low light photography (we usually bring one spare tripod with us as well in case you don’t have one, but it is better to let us know in advance in that case). We will let you know for each trip what gear we suggest.

• WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE SOME GEARS? CAN I RENT THEM?

In China, it is possible to rent cameras and lenses. I have a partner in Beijing with whom I can arrange this. However, please let me know several weeks ahead to have enough time to arrange. This service is not included in the price of tour. We would give you a quotation beforehand, and a deposit would be needed additionally to the daily fee. Please not that it is not possible to rent drones in China.

• CAN I USE DRONES?

It depends on the destination. In China, drones have become increasingly popular over the last years, and regulations are adjusting fast. So far, drones are allowed in most our shooting locations in China, but forbidden in big cities for instance.

• HOW ABOUT SETUPS AND “STAGED” PHOTOGRAPHY?

We will arrange setups for you to shoot picture of people during the tours. Some of you could have the idea that it lacks authenticity, but there are reasons why we work like this. First it is a way to make sure you will end up with good photos, as it is very helpful to create a beautiful shot, because you will have more time to find the right angle, ask for a specific posture, or see how to capture the best light. The people we will photograph are not models, they are local people willing to showcase their traditions and culture for us, and give us a chance to witness what most visitors will have a hard time witnessing. Besides this, there can be some specific reason to go with setups. For instance, in China, the society is evolving very fast and traditions are quickly fading. To be able to capture them, we will go to the people who are really familiar with those traditions for they have lived with them for most of their life, and therefore are the best at showing us what those traditions are.

• HOW ABOUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY?

Street photography is also part of our tours. We do our best to bring you a good balance between landscape photography, arranged setups for portrait photography, and street photography. However, when doing street photography, we ask you to always behave respectfully wherever we go, to respect the local people and culture, and to ask for permission when taking photos of people.

• DO YOU WORK ALONE OR WITH A TEAM?

I do the scouting and choose the itineraries by myself, but I have local partners with whom I collaborate, like local drivers, guides and travel agencies. Tours are all organized in partnership with local travel agencies with proper licenses and authorizations. We want you to be able to join our tours stress-free!

• HOW ABOUT VISAS?

Citizens from France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Holland and Malaysia can stay in China without visa for a duration of up to 14 days according the new visa rules issued on December 1st, 2024. For the countries that require visas, we can assist you by providing invitation letters, detailed itineraries, or helping you with flights booking. Please contact me directly for more information.

For more information and for registration, please contact me at: hello@cecilezehnacker.com .