One more thing about promises of super cheap tours to exotic locations.
There is NO free lunch.
In certain parts of South America, Europe and perhaps even closer to home in Bali; naive people have been offered very cheap tours.
Only to be trapped in a bad situation when they are physically in a foreign land; and given an ultimatum by ruthless gangsters to "help carry a present for someone" across the border customs controls. You know what that is. Drug Mules. Narcotics Trafficking. Many young naive people have been tricked/bullied/forced to become drug mules due to their greed for "free or very cheap" tours to fancied destinations.
You need to be suspicious if the offer is too good to be true.
And do not go on far away tour with a total stranger who promises everything wonderful at very low prices.
You can be a victim of a scam.
THAT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF MY WHOLE QUESTION HERE. TO FIND FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE USED LOCAL GUIDES AND COMPANIES WHOM WE CAN TRUST.
THE PRICE COMPARISON I SHOWED MAKE MORE SENSE AND NOT MEANINGLESS. FIRST YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT CHEAP TOURS. I AM TALKING ABOUT SOLO TRIPS AND SOURCING GOOD LOCAL GUIDES. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE.
When you travel on your own, you dont need to pay for your so called photo guide who help you along the trip and take you in a pre fixed itinerary with 15 other people which you cant change. Further you dont really decide what you need to shoot and there is always 10 photographer with you around not letting you take what you want in peace.
Then the cost. if you get a trip from singapore and take a guide, you pay for all his travel and accomodation and plus his salary. when I can make a trip with 1000 dollars, its not required for me to pay 4000 dollars. The local guides always cost much lower and most of them knows the place better. You just need to know how to source local guides.
also, the part about Solo Travel, if you are a real traveller and not tourist, its about understanding the place, the culture and their food. there is always some risk. when you travel alone. but its really worth. i cant explain it to you, because you have to feel it for urself.
I eat local food whenever i travel, not because its cheap. I just want to try local food, because its part of my trip. If i want to go to a country and eat food from restaurant all the time. I can do that in singapore.
Then about the guides I have mentioned above, they are all from a very reputed companies and only that they are local and charge less. they know the place better than any of your photography guide from singapore. Also you should understand even some of the reputed photography guide companies from singapore use them for their purpose.
if you think stingy and I wont take travel insurance. I cant help it. I always take insurance with unlimited medical evacuation clause. I just dont like paying additonal money to a photo guide. I just dont want someone to take me to a spot and point me to what to shot and you call that your best shot. for me its rubbish.