Photography in India

Where we photograph - click on a region

It's hard to imagine a richer setting for a photography holiday in India than Kerala, our newest destination and a paradise for the photographer.

Kerala is the maritime region along India's tropical south-west coast. Its warm yet gentle climate makes it a wonderful place to relax, to wander, to explore and of course to take pictures. The lush greens, the brilliant patterns of the kingfishers, bee-eaters and peafowl, the subtle blues and greys of the waterways and the vibrant colours of the saris ensure you'll enjoy a fresh feast for your lens at every turn.

Kerala is a cultured state and sophisticated states, yet thanks to the moderate tropical climate and the diversity of the landscape, it is one of the richest in natural beauty.

Cochin, the Venice of the East

We begin and end our holidays in the seaport of Cochin on the Malabar Coast, a spice trading centre since the 14th century. Cochin sits on a headland dividing the inland lagoons and backwaters from the Indian Ocean – Fort Cochin is the site of an old Indian settlement whose architecture will take you back to the days of the British Raj.

We explore the lagoons, canals and rivers on foot and by boat, stopping to take pictures at selected locations - you'll soon realise why Cochin has been dubbed the 'Venice of the East'. As always with Authentic Adventures holidays, our hand-picked local guides will add a depth of understanding you could never hope for as a conventional tourist. You'll wander through gardens filled with the scent of cardamom, fenugreek and cinnamon, see the fantastical Chinese fishing nets, and take in the bustle of the trades people in the waterside villages.

Tigers and tea plantations

From Cochin we travel inland and up into the spectacular Western Ghats, a 1000-mile long mountain range which rises to nearly 9000 feet. Among its peaks and valleys lies Periyar Tiger Reserve, whose extraordinary wildlife has made it one of India's most important nature reserves. You may get shots of elephants, macaque and langur monkeys, mongooses and monitor lizards, plus any of 160 butterfly species and 2000 kinds of flowering plants. There's always the chance of spotting a tiger.

From Periyar we go on to the hill town of Munnar, the centre of Kerala's beautiful tea region. The cooling hill breezes of Munnar once made it a favourite summer resort for India's colonial rulers, and its old-world charms are a delight.