(From left to right) Alex Hong, Kim Peng, Tom Shen, David Lock, Kevin Tan, Michael Lee, Jason Poh

IT CAN ONLY BE

NEPAL

Deep in every photographer’s heart, we yearn to visit exotic places with like-minded people and share the joys of capturing a moment in time where everything seems to be just right. It is through the constant search for that “perfect?picture that we continue to pursue this elusive goal that we know we will never accomplish, but within our hearts, the idea of perfection still lingers.

When coupled with the unlikely gathering of a bunch of like-minded individuals that come from all walks of life, the joyful experience of sharing a simple photographic expedition has increased exponentially.

Though it may seem a clich? in a place like Nepal, one tends to forget the troubles that we face in our everyday life back in our city dwelling lifestyle and tend to focus on the simpler things in life, friendship, trust and adventure.

Gone are the mundane bickering over equipment and the superiority of different lenses and manufacturers. What filters through during the trip is our deep appreciation for the picture taking process, the understanding of the needs and aspirations of fellow photographers, and a re-discovery of what drew us to this fascinating world of photography.

Flying into Katmandu City we arrived at the airport eager to get started. The first location we headed for was a fifth century Stupa that is said to house the remains of a Sage who was well respected by both the Hindu and Buddhist communities. This is known as the Boudhanath. There is an outstanding number of Stupas and other places of worship. As this was our first visit to Nepal, we were awed by the history and the intricate construction of these religious structures. We took every opportunity to capture these amazing sites through our lens.

The next day gave us a first hand feel of what mountain roads are all about. We sat in a mini van that transported us from Katmandu to Charaudi where we began our “wet and wild?white water rafting trip down class 3 rapids. The view whilst rafting was breathtaking. Then, having lunch right at the sandy banks of the rivers topped the whole experience. It was this time that we could reflect on the tranquility and beauty of nature whilst at the same time enjoying the welcome break back on terra-firma.

On the third day we moved towards the higher grounds of the Sarangkot Hill. The hill is the highest peak in the Pokhara region. As avid photographers we didn’t want to miss the sunrise against the glorious setting of the Nepalese mountain ranges. We were fortunate that day as we had a magnificent view of the range including the famous Machapuchare or the “Fish Tail?mountains. The trek towards the Sarangkot Hill observation point was a test of our physical abilities as city dwellers. The 15 minutes walk turned out to be a 40 minute trek over impressive large steps.

We walked on the “wild side?and ventured to the Chitwan National Park where we spent the next two days close the nature and appreciating the simple life of the villagers. Upon visiting the rustic Traru Village, we mingled with the villagers. Tom and Kevin were kept busy capturing portraits of the children and villagers. The natural surrounding gave us ample opportunity to experiment with new photographic styles.

The next day at Chitwan, we experienced the simple pleasures of riding in a dug-out wooden canoe, the thrill of riding on an elephant’s back, the mystery of a jungle walk and the seeing wild animals in their natural habitat.

On the sixth day of our trip, we took eight hours to drive towards Dhulikel, an ancient resort town on the rim of Katmandu that’s famous for its scenic beauty. We stayed at the quaint looking Dhulikel Lodge Resort that had a picturesque view of the Himalayan range and the green rice-terrace valley. The heavy mist that regularly drifted into this area provided ample opportunity to take atmospheric pictures of the scenery. We trekked from Dhulikel to Nagakrot, a resort town that is 2,175m above sea level. This brought us through villages and, not a few, army fortifications.

After 4 hours of trekking, we were rewarded by the un-spoilt beauty of the countryside and the warm smiles of the villagers. Finally, we understood, just a little, of how villagers traveled in these inhospitable routes.

The next two days saw us moving from one historic site to the next with the most memorable sites being the Bhaktupar Square, Kantipur ?Durbar Square, Lalitpur Square, various temples and ancient cities.

UNESCO designated some of these sites as Word Heritage Sites for their stunning beauty and rich historic heritage, and quite understandably too. The tour gave us many opportunities to photograph and record historic architecture in various ways. It is not everyday you get to eat lunch at a 300-year-old historic building.

We arrived back in modern Singapore charmed with the memories of the people and places of Nepal.

- Michael Lee