As I enter the final phase of preparing for my 21-day expedition through India, a trip that will take my tally of countries visited to 50, I must admit that I am beginning to get very excited. The photography equipment is already laid out on the dining table and the clothing on the sofa. The two backpacks (a camera bag and an 80-litre rucksack) should hold everything I need and I have rigged a way of strapping them together for when I need to carry them at the same time.
The promises of colour and beauty by everyone that I have talked to has already got me visualizing the type of shots I’d like to get. Reading the discussion boards, on the other hand, has made me acutely aware of the difficulties of both shooting is very strong light as well as the potential safety issues of carrying too much equipment. I don’t have an assistant for the trip, so it has been a case of carefully choosing what I am going to take and knowing that I am going to have to be fairly creative when I get there.

My itinerary is as follows:

Day 1 – Delhi.
Day 2 – Delhi – Jama Masjid (largest Mosque in India), Chandni Chowk, India Gate, Connaught Place.
Day 3 – Agra – Taj Mahal, Red Fort.
Day 4 – Bharatpur / Abhaneri – Fatehpur Sikri, Harshat Mata temple
Day 5 & 6 – Jaipur – Hawa Mahal.
Day 7 – Delhi.
Day 8 & 9 – Cochin – Fort Kochi.
Day 10 – Nilgiri Hills tea plantations.
Day 11 – Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary.
Day 12 & 13 – Mysore – Chamundi Hills.
Day 14 & 15 – Mamallapuram – Shore Temple and beach.
Day 16 – Thanjavur /Tiruchirapalli – Brihadeeswara Temple, Rock Fortress, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple.
Day 17 – Madurai.
Day 18 & 19 – Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Day 20 – Kerala Backwaters.
Day 21 – Cochin.

I am not sure yet if I will make many blog entries while I am there, as I won’t be taking a laptop this time, but there may be time for one or two updates from hotel internet booths in the less remote areas.