• Iranian women

  • Ancient city of Bishapur

  • Beautiful places to visit in Iran

  • Dried herbs used in Persian cuisine

  • Friendly locals in Iran

  • Turquoise tiles of Iran

  • Persian gardens

  • Beautiful eggplants for sale

  • Rolling dough for dinner

  • Architectural columns with blue tiles

  • Want to buy a carpet?

Iran – Gem of the Middle East

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

Often when you mention to a friend or family member that you plan to tour Iran or have an interest to, it is often met with a question of “Why?”

  • Local fishing boats

  • Dried fish at the market

  • Colourful sign

  • Fresh produce at the markets

  • Beautiful old wooden buildings

  • Beautifully restored building

  • Locals going to work

Paramaribo, Suriname

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

I’m on a research trip with my wife Kate, doing our homework for a tour to what is collectively knows as The Guianas. We travel from Guyana to Suriname, flying into the

  • One of the Naga chiefs

  • Naga tribes related to SE Asian people

  • Tribal dress accessories

  • Tribes at the Hornbill Festival

  • Naga tribe ladies

  • Naga tribesman

  • Red is the dominant colour of Naga tribes

  • Tribal dancers

  • Cowrie shells used for decoration

Hornbill Festival, North East India

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

Located in north-east India and bordering Myanmar (Burma), the state of Nagaland is one of the last frontiers of India and is home to sixteen major Naga tribes – the

  • Timkat Festival unfolds

  • High priests carrying the church Tabots

  • Deacons in a rhythmic dance

  • Orthodox Christian priests bless the water

  • Christians showered with blessed water

  • Annual site of Timkat in Lalibella

The Festival of Timkat

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

The Timkat Festival is a highlight of any visit to Ethiopia. Celebrating the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, it is one of the most important religious events in the Ethiopian

  • The Big Tsingy

  • One of the many lemurs

  • Crossing the suspension bridge

  • At the river crossing

  • Rafts are pulled across the river

  • Ring-tailed Mongoose

  • Climbing up through the gorge

  • Tsiribihina River crossing

  • Everyday tasks along the river

  • Using carabiners to hook on and off

  • Crossing suspension bridgs

  • River crossings on the way

The Big Tsingy – Madagascar

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

The highlight for many of us on our Madagascar trip has been the trip to the Big Tsingy. Just getting there is an adventure! After passing through ancient baobab forests we finally

  • Three Brothers rock

  • Valley of the Geysers

  • Native wildflowers

  • View from your helicopter

  • Cute ground squirrel

  • Brown bear looking for salmon

  • Fishing for salmon in Kamchatka

  • Brett hiking up Mutnovsky Volcano

  • Looking for wildlife

The wilds of Kamchatka in Far East Russia

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

Not many people know where Kamchatka is. And not many people can pronounce it, let alone spell it. For the record… it’s a peninsular at the southern end of Siberia,

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