Guest review: Carole relives her photography holiday experience in Dordogne, France

Carole is a professional artist, but was looking for a photography holiday to broaden her skills. She joined hosts Paul and Pam for a photography adventure in the Dordogne for her first-ever solo holiday. We’re always keen to learn how our solo travellers feel about their holidays, and Carole was kind enough to answer some of our questions about her holiday experience in France:

Because you were travelling solo, who did you meet on the holiday?

There was actually only one other woman attending, but luckily we got along very well; as we are both professional artists, we had a lot in common.

What were your hosts like?

Paul and Pam come from Northumbria originally and are lovely! They are both photographers, and as it turns out, fantastic cooks. The entire holiday was all inclusive, even when we ate meals out on the town, meaning the food was very diverse and always something great that we looked forward to.

Would you say the holiday was good value for your money?

The price was perfect for what we received — all of our needs and wants were met. I would honestly say that if you brought €20.00 for yourself to splurge with in the market, you may come home with change. Once you’re booked, you have nothing more to worry about.

What were your evenings like when the day’s itinerary had come to an end?

The evenings were relaxed and we could do whatever we were in the mood for.

The other guest and I each had a work station that we could utilise whenever we wanted to, so some nights we worked on some post processing, some nights we went for a country hike, and some we just relaxed in the gorgeous farm house.

By the middle of the week, it felt like we were living with a family with common interests — every evening it was the four of us.

What places did you go that were non-touristy that you wouldn’t have otherwise seen?

We did take a pause out of one day to watch some of the Tour de France, which isn’t normally on my daily itinerary! We also got to explore and capture the inside of many buildings that I otherwise would have passed by.

What was your favourite part of the holiday?

As an artist, I take a lot of photos to recreate in paintings and drawings, so I wanted to improve my photography. My favourite thing to capture was the beautiful rural nature and settings that are typical of southern France, especially the sunflowers and old cobbled villages.

What was the best photography tip you picked up?

I now know much more about post processing, and loved that I had my personal work station to improve and work upon.

What advice do you have for future solo travellers?

Although our group was small, it gave us the opportunity to get to know each other and teach each other things, and I never once felt lonely or bored. It was like being in a large, open beautiful garden where you get to meet others passionate about the same things as you — I still keep in touch with the other traveller from this holiday, and plan to do a learning holiday again in the future.