From cloud-obscured mountains to sprawling terraced rice fields and massive temple-fortresses, the “Land of the Thunder Dragon” offered challenging and oh-so-memorable subjects for the participants of PhotoTreks: Bhutan. This group of avid photographers visited this obscure South Asian kingdom last August with their hands on their cameras, and their minds set on an adventure.
Tucked amidst the Himalayan mountain range, Bhutan has been called “The Last Shangri-la” - a reference to its unique culture that has stood unchanged for centuries. On these slopes, life still throbs to the rhythm of the Buddhist prayer wheel. Native Dzongka designs still dominate the local architecture, and traditional dress remains the preferred everyday attire. In fact, so isolated is this country that they didn’t have roads until the 1960s, and there was no Internet here until 1999.
A location like this was the perfect venue for a travel photography workshop, as noted by PhotoTreks founder and tour leader, Lester V. Ledesma.
Bhutan is one of the hottest emerging destinations today, and it offers that rare opportunity for photographers to explore really a place, as opposed to just touring it,” said the multi-awarded lensman who has documented Asia for over a decade. “This is one of my favorite destinations, and I’m so happy to show others why I love it so much,” Ledesma added. A partnership with Bhutan travel agency Druk Asia helped make PhotoTreks: Bhutan a reality.
