Photography & Wellbeing
with Graham Parish & Adrian Wyatt
6 - 13 November 2024
From £825
Book soon to get good prices on tickets
““The whole ambience at La Maison Anglaise is magical – from the beautifully decorated rooms, the lovely surrounding gardens, the delicious meals prepared with such care and the delightful efficient team all made for a memorable and happy seven days… and the added options of the cultural tours meant we all learnt a little more about the extraordinary and fascinating country that is Morocco.” Jane Stanley 2024
This brochure provides you with lots of information about the venue, the bedrooms, the activities, how we design your holiday to meet your needs, your tutor, the likely itinerary and what is included in the cost. Please read on to the end!
The Venue Well known for magical meaningful holidays, excellent food and exceptional staff, this award-winning set up relocated in 2020 to a stunning sustainably-run eco-lodge with a chlorine-free pool and permaculture gardens. Located on the south side of the ancient town walls of Taroudant, which enjoys the best winter climate in Morocco. Enjoy an exceptional menu of local healthy food.
“It’s just brilliant. I love it – the whole vibe in the well-designed garden, the buildings, and the sustainable aspect of it all. The staff are incredible, all caring, kind, diligent and willing to do whatever it takes to make your stay perfect. The food is truly delicious, fantastic for vegetarians and meat-eaters too, as well as offering tea/coffee at any time by helping yourself. Relaxed, with the smell of the beautifully planted garden at night, and a well-stocked library so I can read all day long by the pool. Heaven!” Jane Duncan Rogers January 2024
Bedrooms The comfortable, beautifully appointed rooms are cleverly designed to be cool in summer and warm in winter. All have en–suite bathrooms, their own terrace and garden and can sleep two or more. A limited number are allocated for single occupancy. More details of rooms here
Heartful Holistic Holidays which offer a wide choice of authentic activities run by amazingly knowledgeable English-speaking guides. Explore the fascinating culture and landscapes, use our library, our small spa, swim or simply laze in the sun.
Optional activities include cookery, walks, visits to local families and charitable projects, wildlife, massage, shopping and several other choices. Little visited by tourists, the local souks offer an exotic traditional atmosphere.
Located within 30 minutes’ drive of the contrasting mountain landscapes of the majestic High Atlas and the extraordinary Anti-Atlas (beyond which lies the Sahara). We are also only an hour’s drive from the Atlantic coast.
Feel safe and cared for thanks to the care of loving, experienced English-speaking staff, good medical facilities, excellent WiFi, safe drinking water and being on the edge of a small, relaxed and friendly town with few tourists.
“La Maison Anglaise is really beautiful, impeccably kept and nurtured by you and your delightful Moroccan team there. All of the staff, without exception were wonderful – helpful, courteous and so very happy all the time. They looked after our every need, and nothing was too much trouble for them. The gardens are a real delight, the pool is gorgeous, and the meals were all delicious. The trips out and other activities that the staff took us on were a treat, and we all felt very safe with your careful drivers and guides”. L Turner, May 2023
Why choose a holiday with us?
We have been organising group holidays since 1998. Our venue has a variety of lovely spaces including the tiled circle in the gardens, the spacious 64 sq metre activity room and a very large tiled roof terrace, lovely at sunset and sunrise.
“I have organised, attended and facilitated many group events in a myriad of locations around the world over the last forty years…I found the ideal setting. It is small enough to maintain intimacy whilst having the spaciousness to accommodate privacy. The bespoke planning and vision which created this venue, inspired by Jane’s deep knowledge of the needs and requirements of small group holidays and workshops is evident in the care paid to every detail.” Tutor Katy van Haeften
Your Tutor
Photo of your tutors Adrian Wyatt & Graham Parish
Read more about Graham here and about Adrian here.
Read more about your tutor here.
To Book or Express an Interest: Limited places available. Request a place at www.cecu.co.uk/book We will then send you the payment schedule (split into instalments with a small initial deposit to secure your place).
Book early to get good flight prices, but please do NOT book flights until we give the go-ahead!
More Information For FAQs go to www.cecu.co.uk/faqs
Contact us: www.cecu.co.uk/contact or visit www.holidays-with-heart.co.uk
We will also send detailed pre-visit information after you book.
About the course:
You will learn the principles of mindfulness and apply them to your photography enabling you to develop your own personal photographic style. Small group with 2 excellent tutors – you will get all the attention you want!
Every day we are bombarded with thousands of thoughts and sights. So many in fact that we stop noticing them individually. We take loads of photos with our phones or digital cameras.
At the wonderful La Maison Anglaise Ecolodge in Morocco we will have the opportunity to stop, breathe, look and take photographs with a little more thought, using the skills of mindfulness – staying in the moment, becoming more aware. Mindful photography is not about creating award winning images or seeking validation of the photographs through social media channels. It is a judgement-free personal response to the moment and the world around you at any given time.
Being aware and present in our own lives is something we need to question and explore. There are so many demands on our time we rarely make time for ourselves to notice what is around us or even how we actually feel about something or somewhere. We may feel tired, stressed or depressed but we won’t make judgements on those facts. We simply accept them for what they are. Acceptance means, among other things, that we stop trying to change things we can’t control. This saves us a lot of time and energy and in the long run, saves our sanity.
What will be covered?
• The principles and practice of mindfulness and how to apply them in everyday situations
• How to apply mindfulness to ways of seeing and your creative photographic practice
• How to produce a mindful photographic project which helps develop your photographic style
• Photographic skills for your particular level of ability.
What will you achieve?
By the end of this workshop you should be able to…
• use the simple mindfulness techniques you’ve learnt
• carry out simple meditation techniques to reduce stress
• apply mindfulness to develop ways of seeing to enhance your creative photographic practice and style.
With every photo you take we’d like you to write something down in your notebook. It doesn’t matter what – it might be just one word – whatever comes to mind.
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME which will vary with travel arrangements, weather etc
There will be daily tutored sessions and possibly spontaneously at inspiring places.
Each day you may choose one of the optional activities on offer below. Anything listed as “optional” means it is payable locally and not included in the price. Please see our price list for costs.
Day 1 Arrival Day – Our drivers meet you at Agadir airport. Lunch or dinner, settle in, introductory talk and tour of the site. Optional massages. Optional tour around town walls by horse-drawn taxi.
Day 2 Optional excursion: walking at one of 2 oases and possibly in the Anti Atlas Mountains with Said.
Day 3 Optional cultural experience: cookery lesson; massages; experience our on-site solar powered hammam.
Day 4 Optional excursion: High Atlas Berber Villages – an insight into daily lives of villagers in the mountains with Rachid.
Day 5 Exploring Taroudant. Optional cultural experiences: shopping in the souk; massages; experience our on-site solar powered hammam.
Day 6 Optional excursion: walking and wildlife in the High Atlas Mountains with Said.
Day 7 Optional cultural experiences: henna tattoos. Finish shopping. Optional lunch out at a restaurant of your choice (at your expense).
Day 8 Farewell. Vacate rooms after breakfast. Transfer to Agadir 3 hours before flight departs.
Summary
Cost: From £825 per person in shared twin/double room
Includes:
- Transfers from/to Agadir Airport at one designated time
- Accommodation in en suite twin or double bedroom; single occupancy on request
- Chlorine-free pool
- Substantial breakfasts and vegetarian evening meals (meat or fish at extra cost)
- Lunches on the first 6 days
- Tutored workshops – about 20 hours in total
Excludes:
- Flights (often under £100 return if booked early)
- Single occupancy supplement £20 per night
- Travel insurance (required)
Payable in Morocco:
Best Holistic Ecolodge in Morocco 2023
Trip Advisor: Number 1 in the Taroudant Region
Voted Top 10 in the World: Lonely Planet Eco Stays 2014 & VegeNews Vegetarian Holidays 2005
Responsible Tourism Trophy for Community Project Work 2009