Category: Travel

2. Koh Phi Phi

It is an archipelago which consists of 6 small islands: Ko Phi Phi Don, Ko Phi Phi Leh, Ko Mai Phai, Ko Yung, Bida Nok and Bida Nail. Koh Phi Phi is highly appreciated by domestic and international travelers for its emerald water and poetic landscapes. Koh Phi Phi is located towards the south of Thailand. From Krabi, it takes more than an hour by boat. In Koh Phi Phi, besides swimming, you can snorkel to admire the coral reefs and visit islands such as: Monkey Island, Bamboo, Maya Beach, etc.

3. Koh Poda

Koh Poda is in the province of Krabi towards the west of Thailand. Blessed with a year-round mild climate, blue water and white sand, Koh Poda is considered a sparkling pearl that attracts the interest of tourists from all over the world. In addition to underwater sports, taking it easy on the beach and watching the sunset is also a memorable experience. A destination not to be missed.

4. Koh Tao

5. Koh Chang

6. Koh Phangan

Although recently known, Koh Phangan is as attractive as the other islands that have already been famous for a long time. The path leading there is quite difficult, but the island is definitely worth the detour. Koh Phangan is 400 miles south of Bangkok. From the capital you take the bus or train to Koh Samui. From there, you take a 45-minute boat ride to Koh Phangan. The most beautiful beach on Koh Phangan is Haad Rin. There, night parties are often held and you can easily join them. Koh Phangan is also ideal for sunbathing and diving.

7. Koh Samui

Koh Samui is a name already familiar to admirers of Thailand’s beaches. Being a renowned place of relaxation, Koh Samui provides 5 * services such as: accommodation, restaurants, spa, etc. The island acquires a beauty that other destinations cannot have. The harmony of crystal clear water and primeval forests is highly appreciated by adventure fans.

8. Koh Tarutao

On the border with Malaysia, in the very south of Thailand, Tarutao National Park encompasses around fifty islands scattered in the Andaman Sea, most of them deserted. This archipelago is one of the most beautiful – but also the wildest – regions of Thailand. Covered in jungle and lined with immaculate sandy beaches, the eponymous island of Ko Tarutao, placed under the protection of the park, spreads over nearly 160 km2 of morning landscapes of the world, totally preserved and uninhabited, except for a few forest guards. An island with the taste of paradise lost, recommended for backpackers who have a Robinson Crusoe soul. Nothing is more pleasant than having a glass of wine in the candlelight by the beach in Koh Tarutao.

9. Koh Lanta

Ko Lanta or Koh Lanta is a coastal island in the Andaman Sea located in southern Thailand, in the province of Krabi. It is divided into two islands separated by a mangrove, Ko Lanta Noi to the north and Ko Lanta Yai to the south, the latter concentrating the tourist facilities. A bridge between the two islands was inaugurated on April 22, 2016.

10. Koh Samed

Koh Samed is a pretty little island located in the southeastern part of Thailand. This place is best suited for those who love tranquility and want to immerse themselves in nature. In terms of popularity, Koh Samed is no match for the above islands. But if you talk about the beauty of nature here, Koh Samed is no less. Another long beach of white sand and clear blue water but Koh Samed is even more special when it contains caves and ecosystems hidden deep in the seabed. Koh Samet is very popular with foreign tourists, but also Thai tourists. Close to Bangkok, it is the ideal place to come and enjoy a weekend on a friendly island that is ideal for relaxation. The island belongs to Khao Laem Ya – Mu Ko Samet National Park.

11. Koh Mak

Far from being the most famous island, Koh Mak or Ko Mak in Thailand is one of those secret islands, preserved from mass tourism. Despite its small size, it is absolutely worth the detour. Wedged between the most famous Koh Chang and Koh Kood near the Cambodian border, the island of Koh Mak enjoys an exceptional geographical location. An ideal destination for a break of a few days on dream beaches during your trip to Thailand.

12. Koh Kradan

Koh Kradan is located on the west coast of Thailand and is still one of the absolute dream islands in the south of the country. This gem is part of the Had Chao Mai National Park and is one of the ultimate high points in the Andaman Sea. Here you will find a picture-perfect kilometer-long beach, turquoise blue sea water, an untouched underwater world, deep jungle and, last but not least, plenty of rest and relaxation. Far from mass tourism, Koh Kradan is a popular island for travelers and backpackers who like to travel individually and experience Thailand on their own.

13. Koh Mook

Koh Mook, also called Koh Muk, is an idyllic small island in the Andaman Sea located in southern Thailand. Much of the island is made up of deep jungle, untouched nature and quiet little villages. The coast of the island is lined with palm trees, gigantic cliffs and beautiful beaches. Finally, the breathtaking Emerald Cave and the white sand beach of Sivalai, make Koh Mook one of the most spectacular islands in Thailand.

14. Koh Lipe

Koh Lipe is a small island in the southern part of the Andaman Sea in Thailand. It is located in the province of Satun, near the island of Langkawi (Malaysia), about 60 kilometers (38 miles) from the coast. It is part of the Tarutao Marine National Park, a large group of over 70 islands, as well as part of a smaller group of islands called the Butang Islands or Adang Archipelago. Koh Lipe is famous for diving and snorkeling as well as for the beautiful beaches and relaxed atmosphere.

15. Similan Archipelago

The Similan Islands archipelago is located about sixty kilometers west of Thai Muang. The archipelago is made up of a set of nine granite islets covered with lush tropical vegetation. They arise from the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, called the Andaman Sea here. The show is fabulous and unforgettable. Small beaches of almost immaculate white coral sand border some of the islets.

First thing first : collect !
I follow quite a lot of photographers, especially in Thailand, because I live in Bangkok and with covid I don’t have much choice to travel internationally these days, so I focus on traveling locally.

You can follow these great talented photographers : @sebastien.nagy, @thismattexists, @withluke, @tiffpenguin, @trystane, @patkay, @seven7panda, @koalamarty, @f.khnnt, @florisgone, @gavsgoneagain, @phantomminn, @sunny_rung, @janderycke, @asiaanbeyond, @patoss, @demas, @donamtykl, @hasinghaa

So every time I see a beautiful photography or a beautiful place on instagram, I screenshot it.
Every few weeks I check my phone and I organize all these screenshots by country / province / city.
Before going to a place, I also check what’s around on google : for example “name of the city” + “things to do”. And same here, I save all images I find interesting to visit or to photography and I organize them in folders.

With all the images collected, I create a 1st word document with all the best photos that I want to take. Most of the time I end up taking different pictures of the same location, but it’s a reference, and it usually gives me a good starting point for the angle or viewpoint.
Then I organize it by location like the example on the left : Thailand / Province (here Phetchaburi) and the photos of the same location.

From that document, I then search all precise locations on googlemaps.
This usually can take quite a lot of time, especially here in Thailand, because the alphabet is different, and most of photographers don’t indicate the precise location where they took the pic. If you ask, some will tell you, but most of the time they won’t. So it needs a lot of search on google, travel blogs, tripadvisor etc… to find the exact name of the location (for example the name of the temple or the village), and then to find the exact location on googlemaps.
For example if I see a nice photo of a rice terrace in Chiang Mai, that would be very difficult to find the exact location, because Chiang Mai is a very big province, and there are many different places to see different rice terraces. But it’s not impossible ! So for this example, I’ll check google “most beautiful rice terraces in Chiang Mai”, I’ll check all travel blogs and collect again all images and locations. Once I find several pictures of the exact same place, I’ll check 2 things on googlemaps : satellite view and street view.
Satelitte view will show me if this is the right place, especially for drone views. And it will also show me the different places around where I could launch my drone safely. I usually search for empty space a bit away from the touristic place, so I do not bother anyone when taking off and landing.
Street view (if available) will show me if this is the exact place I’m looking for and it will give me details for other things : if the road is ok, if there are places to park, places to eat around, etc…

At the end, I put all these exact locations in googlemaps and it gives me an itinerary (using the direction button + add new stop). I’ll then change the order of the places to visit to shorten the most the itinerary. I cut then each itinerary into 6-9 stops, which is equivalent to 1 day. Normally not more than 200-300km per day or 4-5 hours of driving. That’s my limit. Here it’s up to everyone : some people will prefer to chill and relax and do just 2 or 3 stops in 1 day, some will do more. For me 6 to 8 stops in 1 day is my limit. And at the end of the itinerary, depending on where is my last stop, I’ll search for an hotel around there.
I also change the order of the stops depending on sunrise and sunset : if there are very beautiful places to visit, it’s usually best to shoot around the golden hour (1 hour after sunrise or 1 hour before sunset).
And some places require some exact hour to visit, for example a cave which have a beam of light only for 1 or 2 hours in the morning, then I’d have to arrange that as well.

This the final document I use all the time when I travel.
I separate all itineraries day by day (Day 1, day 2, day 3, etc…) and I send it to my email.
When I drive, I use the googlemaps itinerary, and when I arrive at the destination, I open the document to see what photos I need to take. And then I take 100 more, changing angles, vantage point, zoom, altitude for drone, panoramas, etc, etc…
From these 100, I’ll keep about 40-50 to edit, and then I select about 20 to 30 to sell. Probably 20 to 25 will be approved on stock photography websites.

Each day of shooting is about 100-200 photos that I sell on stock agencies, which represents around 5-10$ of sales added to my passive revenues each month. Here I’m only talking about travel photography. Photoshooting with model is another thing, I’ll talk about it in another post.
At this time today (mid september 2021), I’ve done my best month with 1,000$ (usd) of passive revenues from stock photos and videos. And my revenues keep growing as long as I continue uploading new photos regularly.
If you want to know how to have similar passive revenues, you can check my training : www.photostockacademy.com

Première chose à faire : Collecte !
Je suis pas mal de photographes, notamment en Thaïlande, car je vis à Bangkok et avec le covid je n’ai pas trop le choix de voyager à l’international ces jours-ci, donc je me concentre sur les voyages locaux.

Vous pouvez suivre ces photographes talentueux : @sebastien.nagy, @thismattexists, @withluke, @tiffpenguin, @trystane, @patkay, @seven7panda, @koalamarty, @f.khnnt, @florisgone, @gavsgoneagain, @phantomminn, @sunny_rung, @janderycke, @asiaanbeyond, @patoss, @demas, @donamtykl, @hasinghaa

Alors à chaque fois que je vois une belle photo ou un bel endroit sur instagram, je fais une capture d’écran.
Toutes les quelques semaines, je vérifie mon téléphone et j’organise toutes ces captures d’écran par pays / province / ville.
Avant de me rendre dans un lieu, je vérifie aussi ce qu’il y a autour sur google : par exemple “nom de la ville” + “choses à faire”. Et pareil ici, je sauvegarde toutes les images que je trouve intéressantes à visiter ou à photographier et je les organise dans des dossiers.

Avec toutes les images collectées, je crée un 1er document avec toutes les meilleures photos que je souhaite prendre. La plupart du temps, je finis par prendre différentes photos du même endroit, mais c’est une référence, et cela me donne généralement un bon point de départ pour l’angle ou le point de vue.
Ensuite je l’organise par lieu comme dans l’exemple de gauche : Thailand / Province (ici Phetchaburi) et les photos du même lieu.

A partir de ce document, je recherche ensuite tous les emplacements précis sur google maps.
Cela peut généralement prendre beaucoup de temps, surtout ici en Thaïlande, car l’alphabet est différent et la plupart des photographes n’indiquent pas l’endroit précis où ils ont pris la photo. Si vous demandez, certains vous le diront, mais la plupart du temps ils ne le feront pas. Il faut donc beaucoup de recherches sur google, blogs de voyage, tripadvisor etc… pour trouver le nom exact du lieu (par exemple le nom du temple ou du village), puis pour trouver le lieu exact sur googlemaps.
Par exemple, si je vois une belle photo d’une terrasse de riz à Chiang Mai, il serait très difficile de trouver l’emplacement exact, car Chiang Mai est une très grande province et il existe de nombreux endroits différents pour voir différentes terrasses de riz. Mais ce n’est pas impossible ! Donc, pour cet exemple, je vais vérifier sur Google “most beautiful rice terraces in Chiang Mai”, je vais vérifier tous les blogs de voyage et collecter à nouveau toutes les images et tous les lieux. Une fois que j’aurai trouvé plusieurs photos du même endroit, je vérifierai 2 choses sur googlemaps : la vue satellite et la vue sur la rue.
La vue satellite me montrera si c’est le bon endroit, en particulier pour les vues par drone. Et cela me montrera également les différents endroits autour desquels je pourrais lancer mon drone en toute sécurité. Je recherche généralement un espace vide un peu éloigné du lieu touristique, donc je ne dérange personne lors du décollage et de l’atterrissage.
Street view (si disponible) me montrera si c’est exactement l’endroit que je recherche et me donnera des détails pour d’autres choses : si la route est bonne, s’il y a des places pour se garer, des endroits où manger autour, etc. ..

À la fin, je mets tous ces emplacements exacts dans googlemaps et cela me donne un itinéraire (en utilisant le bouton de direction + ajouter un nouvel arrêt). Je changerai alors l’ordre des lieux à visiter pour raccourcir au maximum l’itinéraire. Je découpe ensuite chaque itinéraire en 6-9 arrêts, ce qui équivaut à 1 journée. Normalement pas plus de 200-300 km par jour ou 4-5 heures de conduite. C’est ma limite. Ici, c’est à chacun de décider : certains préféreront chiller et se détendre et ne faire que 2 ou 3 arrêts en 1 journée, d’autres en feront plus. Pour moi, 6 à 8 arrêts en 1 jour est ma limite. Et à la fin de l’itinéraire, selon où est mon dernier arrêt, je chercherai un hôtel dans les environs.
Je modifie également l’ordre des arrêts en fonction du lever et du coucher du soleil : s’il y a de très beaux endroits à visiter, il est généralement préférable de photographier autour de l’heure dorée (1h après le lever ou 1h avant le coucher).
Et certains endroits nécessitent une heure précise pour être visités, par exemple une grotte qui n’a un faisceau de lumière que pendant 1 ou 2 heures le matin, alors je devrais également m’organiser.

C’est le dernier document que j’utilise tout le temps quand je voyage.
Je sépare tous les itinéraires jour par jour (Jour 1, jour 2, jour 3, etc…) et je l’envoie sur mon email.
Quand je conduis, j’utilise l’itinéraire googlemaps, et quand j’arrive à destination, j’ouvre le document pour voir quelles photos je dois prendre. Et puis j’en prends 100 de plus, en changeant d’angles, de point de vue, de zoom, d’altitude pour drone, de panoramas, etc, etc…
De ces 100, j’en garderai environ 40-50 à éditer, puis j’en sélectionnerai environ 20 à 30 à vendre. Probablement 20 à 25 seront approuvés sur les sites Web de photographie de stock.

Chaque jour de shooting, c’est environ 100-200 photos que je vends sur des agences de stock, ce qui représente environ 5-10$ de ventes ajoutées à mes revenus passifs chaque mois. Ici, je ne parle que de la photographie de voyage. Le shooting photo avec modèle c’est autre chose, j’en parlerai dans un autre post.
Aujourd’hui (mi-septembre 2021), j’ai fait mon meilleur mois avec 1,200 $ (usd) de revenus passifs provenant de photos et de vidéos. Et mes revenus ne cessent de croître tant que je continue à uploader régulièrement de nouvelles photos.
Si vous voulez savoir comment avoir des revenus passifs similaires, vous pouvez consulter ma formation : www.photostockacademy.com