Creative EscapesReviews 

I’ve just returned from an inspiring trip to Sicily, my third with Creative Escapes, and definitely not my last.

From the start, our tutor and guide Christian was incredibly generous with both his time and knowledge. He genuinely helped me move closer to my photographic goals, and I came home feeling I’d grown as a photographer. It was equally inspiring to see the other lovely members of the group developing their own work and ideas with his guidance.

Beyond the excellent photography tuition, the whole trip was thoughtfully planned, with a fantastic range of locations and memorable experiences that exceeded my expectations of Sicily. And of course, the food was incredible, every tried and tested restaurant booking was a winner.

Already trying to resist booking the next one. Thank you Christian and Jon!

Incredible Bhutan photography tour with amazing guides, an inspiring tutor, and a brilliant group. Every day was a joy, I’d go again in a heartbeat!

I have just returned from an incredible tour of Bhutan. CE’s reputation for finding unique experiences and offering off-the-beaten-track opportunities for photography is well deserved. This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that exceeded all expectations.
Nim, our tour guide, was exceptional – open, kind, brilliantly organised, deeply knowledgeable about Bhutan’s culture, history, and landscapes, and wonderfully flexible. His “pilot,” Kuzang, was an absolute gentleman who took impeccable care of us every day and navigated Bhutan’s mountain roads with ease.
Simon’s depth of experience, creative vision, and ability to connect with each of us made the photographic side of the trip outstanding. He both supported and challenged us, encouraging experimentation and helping us refine our work. Under his guidance, my photography developed in ways I hadn’t imagined, I even found the confidence to approach locals and capture portraits I’m genuinely proud of.
The group energy was amazing: open, positive, and full of laughter. Learning, creating, and exploring together made every day a joy and an unforgettable part of the journey.
I’ll treasure the experience, the people, and the photographs for years to come, and would go again in a heartbeat.

The Bhutan Creative Escapes holiday was pure magic from the moment we landed. Nim, our local guide and Simon, our photography tutor went out of their way to make sure we created images that pushed our creativity. From the access we were given to local events and the lessons we were taught to capture them, I felt like we were immersed into Bhutan to set us up for taking great photographs.

I came away having learned so much and had an incredible time in the process.

Thank you

Really enjoyed this trip - Bhutan is glorious - from first sighting of Everest and the world’s prettiest airport to our final portion of chilli cheese this trip possibly ranks tops! I found the Bhutanese people welcoming Creative Escapes attracts eager photographers and the trip was extremely well managed with plenty of opportunities to improve our photography under expert guidance. A shout-out to the team on the ground who were knowledgeable , efficient and great fun to be with. The shooting opportunities were plentiful . Thanks as ever.

The whole experience of booking, preparing for and experiencing my visit to Bhutan was as easy as it could possibly be. Visas were set up, transit through immigration and onward flights couldn’t have been more helpful or smoother.
On arrival in Bhutan, our guide, driver and bus were ready and waiting and unfailingly welcoming and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble.
The hotels were of an excellent standard throughout.
Our photography coach Simon was a mine of good advice and set us some challenging but achievable taskings.
I would recommend Creative Escapes to anyone.

One word can truly capture my experience with Creative Escapes, inspiring.
Gone are the days of aperture mode, manual is the future and no more horses jumping over sticks.
To my tutor goes a big thank you for pulling me out of the mundane, my trip was a memorable experience in more ways than one.
Would I travel with Creative Escapes again, yes, but improve on communications.

Fantastic tutor, knowledgable and kind. I am astounded at how much I have learned in four days. Also, a great holiday where we were well looked after in the choice of accommodation, restaurants, locations.

The chance to explore Sicily through a lens gave me a much deeper observation and insight into the diversity of the landscape, monuments, people and of course, the food! In just 4 days, the tutor helped my photography skills evolve from being a recording happy snapper to becoming a much more discerning creative photographer. The schedule was perfectly balanced between organised routes, accommodation and places to eat, thereby leaving us lots of time and confidence to explore alone with our camera. As a small group, there was plenty of time and attention given by the tutor to address individual needs and, of course, for us all to share our wonderful achievements over a delicious meal and beverage!

Just back from Sicily and looking at my photos. Having never used a camera in manual before the trip I am really chuffed at what I achieved - thanks to the amazing teaching from our very patient, insightful and supportive tutor.

The experience was intense but there is nothing so relaxing and energising than really getting into the flow of a creative activity. And, of course, all of this was enhanced by a lovely group and delicious food and wine.

I’ve come home with a greater appreciation for those photographers I have long admired and a desire to keep practicing.

Just completed my second trip with Creative Escapes, this time to Istanbul. If you enjoy photography and want to become more creative then do not hesitate to book a trip with Creative Escapes. I would give them 6 stars if I could.
A really nice group of fellow photographers all looking to learn and be inspired by one another. And what really sets Creative Escapes apart is the tutor, who not only tailors the trip and the objectives for each photographer, but also takes the time to review everyone’s work and offer 1:2:1 advice on how to aim for the next level.
Trip No. 3 (to Cuba) is already booked for 2026!

Recently returned from a great photo trip to Istanbul with Creative Escapes .
Really good for pushing the creative boundaries whilst having fun along the way . Time to enjoy the surroundings with a lovely group of like minded people and to enjoy fabulous food and drink at tried and trusted restaurants.
Whatever your level of photographic experience this is a great company to choose . My first and looking forward to the next in 2026 .

This was my first trip with Creative Escapes, to Istanbul, a city I had long wanted to visit, and it was an ideal combination of seeing the sights, learning and straight up fun.
The sights: we went both to the main tourist spots – yes, everyone goes to them but for very good reason and you wouldn’t want to miss them – and to places and for experiences I would not have found myself. A visit to a traditional hammam was among the most memorable (and cleansing!).
The learning: I was the least technically fluent in the group and was a little nervous about that ahead of time – it was apparent from the whatsapp group set up before we left, which was a great initial ice-breaker – and it was the first time that I have stuck to manual mode.
So, a challenge, but a very rewarding one – it forced me to slow down, think, reflect and focus on quality rather than quantity, and the why of an image as well as the what. That resulted in both images that I’m surprised by and proud of, plus an unexpected helping of and appreciation for the internal personal work and power of photography.
And, happily, my nerves were unfounded – both group and 1-2-1 tuition by our tutor was excellent, and my fellow travellers were a lovely bunch of people, all with our own aims. It’s intensive, but I really felt that I was able to build the foundations for the next step up, and have come home determined not to let life get in the way of building on that!
The fun: it was an excellent group. A great collection of people and a lot of laughs along the way to the learning. Fantastic to return home with new friends as well as new knowledge. And very well fed! Delicious dinners, and decompressing from the day over beers.
All in all a fabulous trip – if you’re thinking about booking, do it!

I had a great time learning more about my photography in Istanbul under our tutor's expert guidance. I found both the 1-2-1 and group sessions very informative. To my surprise I was told to slow down and reduce the numbers of photos I took so I became less of a “snapper” and more of a photographic storyteller.

My fellow travels were a great group who encouraged each other to make progress and also offered useful insights. In five days, I could see a radical improvement in the quality of the photos I took.

As seems to be a theme with Creative Escapes the restaurants we visited in the evening’s served fantastic food.

The small “fly in the ointment” was the change of date, but luckily, I was able to change my dates to fit and agree that the back-office operations need to be tightened up. But once you get to your holiday location the experience is so good that these communicational/operational difficulties are quickly forgotten.

I would recommend a Creative Escape holiday to anyone looking to improve their photographic skills regardless of their current skill level. I’m already thinking about booking another trip with them in 2026.

I’m on the way back from a four-night, five-day trip to Istanbul. I wanted to see if I could move beyond just taking good, pretty pictures. I was curious to explore a new city, and nervous about my first ever solo holiday. So for me there were two sides to the trip: photography (nailing the technical and beginning to understand my why) and then the social side (meeting new people AND travelling by myself).

My experience exceeded all of my expectations. It was intense, fun, exciting, powerful, challenging, inspirational and creative. Our tutor taught with generosity and humour, which led to plenty of lightbulb moments. They navigated expertly our group of seven, each of us with different aims and levels of expertise both technically and creatively.

We visited wonderful places, ate well and laughed a lot. I learned that I was capable of far more than I thought. I loved the photography side. But also, and really importantly for me, the people were magic. I have made new, firm friends.

My top line would be this: book with Creative Escapes: it’s not a trip but a journey.

I booked a Creative Escapes photography trip months ahead, arranged work around it, and bought new gear. Less than two months before departure, they changed the dates to suit the founder’s schedule — dates I couldn’t attend.

Communication was poor: wrong dates, unanswered emails, and payment requests despite no clarity on the trip. The director admitted they “dropped the ball”, apologised and promised to refund my deposit that day. Ten days later, I’m still waiting.

The trips themselves may be enjoyable, but my experience of the organisation and customer service was hugely disappointing. I’m sharing this to help others make an informed choice before booking.

I joined the Creative Escapes photography trip to Cambodia in March. I’ve not been on a solo or indeed a photograph holiday before and am used to planning my own trips, so really didn’t know what to expect. I needn’t have worried; after a super quick adjustment period, this was an amazing trip that pushed me out of my comfort zone in many positive ways.
From the outset we were asked to turn our SLRs to manual so we were in total control of the camera and for me, this was very much a steep learning curve. Fortunately, all levels are catered for an our tutor was extremely patient and knowledgeable and on hand to provide support whenever required. As well as tuition and packs for exposure, composition and a few other areas, our tutor also held 1:1s with each of us.
Each day provided an amazing and well thought out actioned packed itinerary focusing on the non-tourist route. These ranged from being blessed by a monk, to taking pictures behind the scenes at a circus; you really just needed to turn up on time, some starts were very early, with your camera and you were zipped away on our small tour bus with Aaron (our lovely tour guide) or in a tuk tuk for four.
I should probably say that this was a full on holiday (I had naively taken 3 books expecting a lot of down time!). The pace is fast but ultimately the decision is yours as to how far you want to push your photography and if you prefer the slower pace, that is fine too.
Outside the photography, each night with our tutor and the lovely ladies in our small group of 9, we had an amazing culinary experience with almost every other night being an excellent value 6-8 course taster menu.
Our boutique hotel was located centrally in Siem Reap, a little oasis really with a stunning pool and backdrop. Any downtime I had was by the pool and invariably with a cocktail - you get the idea! Occasionally, I took the 10 minute walk into town and felt very safe doing so on my own.
Needless to say … I am already booked on my next Creative Escapes photography trip.

After my first trip with Creative Escapes to Cuba in 2016, I became hooked and am now a regular Creative Escaper. I have since been to Japan, India and Sicily, always coming back with photos I am proud of and inspired again. Don’t expect a relaxing holiday - this is all about using the time and locations to challenge yourself creatively and get the most out of having a photography tutor with you every day! They seek out the best locations away from the tourist hotspots so you can get under the skin of the destinations you are visiting. What I love is there is no judgement at all based on your camera or ability - these are open to all levels whatever your equipment as it is about understanding how to elevate your photography and take it to the next level beyond the same old tourist snaps. Expect assignments catering to different styles of photography, lots of feedback and tips, great food and drink options to keep you going in between and tutors that are passionate to teach and help you discover your own individual style/strengths. Also great to be on trips with people with the same passion who you can also learn from. Perfect for anyone who is too busy to plan it all themselves and wants to focus on the photography when you get there.

I have just returned from the 5 day Sicily trip and have had an amazing time. I wasn’t sure what to expect but on the trip I met a group of fun, like-minded people of all ages who enhanced my experience. From a photography perspective, this trip has improved my creative eye and made me more thoughtful in the way I shoot. Our tutor on the trip was full of encouragement and gave us lots of tips on how to improve. As part of the trip we got to do various assignments including street photography, landscape and street portraits! This was a very memorable trip and am already looking at where to go next!

Superb experience - will be back for more!
Challenging assignments and individually tailored support from our knowledgeable tutor Jon.
I have personally found that my photographic process and skill has improved during the trip and look forward to using this more considered approach in the future- hopefully yielding more quality images.
Many thanks Jon - good job!!
Andy Q

Bhutan trip
September 2024

Most amazing experience. Photography, Adventure, Lifelong Friendships.
Thanks to Becky W. Our amazing photography leader and Nim@ Lotus Arising our amazing Guide and Rinzin our careful and dedicated driver we had the most perfect curated experience in the land of Happiness. Grateful to Creative Escapes for putting all these elements together to make an out of this world trip happen.