You can also upskill by reading books, in particular Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography by Richard I'Anson. Full of Richard's inspirational images, this book provides comprehensive advice on the subject, including tips on getting your work published.
Once, when asked what it took to get a great photo, Richard replied: "Get up before sunrise and be ready when it's going down." So, our advice is to spend your budget on travelling to places that will inspire you to snap madly at sunrise, sunset and all the hours in between.
Lonely Planet's new edition of the Australia guidebook covers the entire Red Continent and includes suggested itineraries ranging from six to 60 days. It's packed full of cheap eating and sleeping options, too, to help you stretch your budget. Whet your appetite further by checking out the wonderful collection of Australian photographs on lonelyplanetimages.com.
As Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler said: "All you've got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go." We'll add to that: make sure you've got spare batteries and memory cards.
Red Sea diving
I am planning a trip to Egypt and would like to know more about Nile tours and which tour is suitable to catch a lot of the main attractions including Luxor. Also, can you offer any information about diving in the Red Sea?
- Mike
During the high season (October to May), an armada of boats plies the Nile between Luxor, Esna and Aswan, stopping at Edfu and Kom Ombo en route. These enable you to tick off all the must-see sights. There are scores of cruise operators to choose from, varying wildly in cost from about US$50 ($65) to more than US$200 per day. Reservations can be made online before you go or through accommodation providers in Egypt.
Many travellers, however, wisely wait until they're riverside to organise their cruise, allowing them to inspect the boats before committing. We recommend you do the same. They leave all the time so you won't be hanging around and, if your bartering skills are any good, you might just strike a bargain.
Sadly, much of the once-idyllic Red Sea Coast has been scarred by construction projects, particularly around the soulless city of Hurghada. Commonly described as Egypt's answer to Las Vegas, Sharm el-Sheikh draws in waves of British and European package holidaymakers. It does, however, remain immensely popular with divers, who swarm around the spectacular coral reefs of the Ros Mohammed National Park.
Eighty kilometres up the coast on the Gulf of Aqabar, Dahab is a less-developed option with a smooth fusion of hippie mellowness and resort chic, where independent travellers are the norm. It also has the bonus of the 130m-deep Blue Hole and Dahab Canyon, two famously good dive sites. Lonely Planet's Egypt guidebook includes recommended dive operators. Red Sea diving is also a hot topic on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum.
Visit safetravel.govt.nz for the latest travel advice and check again prior to departing. While most holidays in Egypt are trouble-free, the New Zealand Government does advise caution when travelling to the Luxor, Aswan and Red Sea resort areas because of the threat of terrorism.
* Mike will receive a copy of Lonely Planet Turkey ($50) for his question.
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