• Where: Nicaragua
• When: February 25th – March 7th, 2014 eleven days (10 nights)
• Who: you and 11 other fabulous people. Spouses and non-photography types are welcome.
• What: photo tour catering to photographing in the best light of the day, in the field practice in a fun small group setting, and a flexible schedule to allow us to decide how long we stay at each location!
• Why: learn to take better photos, immerse in some local culture, help some kids and to have a whole lot of fun doing it from a beach on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast!

Price: $1650 (price in USD)

Nearly full, 3 spots remaining

I’ve tried to incorporate as many photo and culture related events and opportunities as possible into the schedule. The itinerary is flexible and we have the ability to adjust our schedule to meet our needs. For example, if we travel to one location and are supposed to be there for an hour, but we are really enjoying it and want to stay longer – we can do that, and perhaps shorten or delete the next location or rearrange to another day. I’ve also left quite a bit of free time so you can revisit a place you enjoyed, take in some beach activities or just relax. Also remember this is part of my recon mission, so your flexibility with changes is important, and I will appreciate your feedback.

Tuesday February 25th

Arrive at Managua International airport and overnight in Granada (airport pickup and transfer to Granada is all arranged for you, so it’s hassle free)

Wednesday February 26th

Enjoy a morning walking tour of Granada, and lunch in this historic city. Then we get picked up and travel three hours by private van to our west coast beach headquarters, stopping whenever we like along the way. Dinner and a relaxing evening exploring our lodging.

Thursday February 27th

Morning sunrise photos, bright and early, and then orientation. We learn about our area, see the sites where we’ll be helping out, lunch and then have the rest of the afternoon to yourself.

Friday February 28th

We will visit the local school helping with lunch preparation as we meet the school kids and spend part of the day there. Then Friday night, we’ll do some night photography on the beach.

Saturday March 1st

Today we’ll be spending with a few select children to help paint the outside of their school. A portion of your travel tour registration helped pay for the paint and supplies. The evening is filled with disco at a local outdoor establishment located across the road. Dance the night away with the locals.

Sunday March 2nd

Free day to do anything you want. Options include deep sea fishing, surfing, biking, horseback riding, other activities or just plain relax. Additional fees may apply for some activities.

Monday March 3rd

Today we’ll be spending time with the women’s cooperative. We’ll be gardening and baking bread in solar ovens and of course doing photography. Part of your registration fee also covers the purchase of a digital camera for the women to keep to document their projects.

Tuesday March 4th

See the root of the local problem… we’ll travel to the garbage dump in Chinandega where the kids go to work each day. We’ll tour the garbage dump and see the conditions and then prepare food and feed people. Finally, we’ll visit the market.

Wednesday March 5th

This day we hike up an active volcano, Cerro Negro. Climb up and then sand board down if you dare. Next is a photo tour of famous Leon Cathedral, declared a World Heritage Site with UNESCO. Full day of travels and touring.

Thursday March 6th

A relaxing three hour boat tour on the water in an estuary. Sunset at the estuary, for a beautiful photo opportunity.

Friday March 7th

Wrapping things up with a morning follow-up with the local ladies group, and then travel back to Granada by our private transport. Return flights or continued trip / tours in Granada or elsewhere in Nicaragua. (Optional custom tour package available with Tours to Nicaragua, see bottom of the page)

Pricing of Photography Tour to Nicaragua

Includes:

• all rooms
• all meals*
• all tours and transportation**
• translator
• tour guide
• money to purchase and donate a digital camera to the local women’s cooperative
• money to pay for paint and supplies for our school project
• money to cover food costs for lunch at the garbage dump

Flights to Nicaragua: We travel to Nicaragua through Managua. Book your flights for Managua, and then we have arranged transportation to our overnight lodging in Granada for you. We just need your flight arrival information to get you picked up.

I’ve explored numerous options for this tour and had to make some tough decisions. I chose accommodation, events and schedule based on what I think will work best for the group. As this is the inaugural tour you’re going to be helping me refine this tour and process for future dates and possibly other locations so I’m certainly open to your feedback along the way. It may not all go perfectly, and I can’t guarantee an exact itinerary, but I will guarantee you a great time.