• Naga tribal elder

  • Wonderful faces of Naga tribes

  • Wrestling Naga style

  • Pulling of the monolithic stone

  • Tribal costumes you will see at the Hornbill festival

  • Impromptu dancing at the festival

  • Vibrant colours of Hornbill Festival

  • Tribal head gear worn at Hornbill Festival

Hornbill Festival of Nagaland North East India

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

The north east frontier of India has always been a remote outpost even during the rule of the British Raj. Whilst the famous Assam tea plantations saw early colonial interest

  • I do!

  • Full bloom in Shinjuku Gyoen park - FINALLY!

  • Blossoms everywhere

  • Everyone's welcome

  • Kanazawa castle

  • Vibrant blossoms

  • Tokyo with the sakura blooming

  • Chasing cherry blossom in Japan is well worth it

Chasing cherry blossom in Japan

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

Take a tour named Japan in Spring and it’s perfectly reasonable to expect to see cherry blossom … and lots of it. What I didn’t expect was the fervour that came with

  • Nalychevo National Park - Kamchatka

  • Travertine Creek Kamchatka

  • One of the many carnivores to be found in Kamchatka

  • Ex-military helicopter is the standard mode of transport

  • Valley of the Geysers

  • A Kamchatka brown bear

  • One of the many volcanoes in the UNESCO-listed area

Land of Fire and Ice – Kamchatka – Far Eastern Russia

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

I’m fortunate enough to have visited the land of fire and ice on a few occasions. It’s a destination that few people can pronounce and even fewer know where to find. Kamchatka

  • Victoria Memorial

  • Artisan making clay statues in Potters Lane

  • Flower market in Kolkata

  • Sunset over Hooghly River

  • Bath time by the Hooghly River

  • Waiting for the train

  • Waiting for the next ride

Kolkata – India’s second biggest city

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

Kolkata is very loud and very busy and some parts (but not all) are dirty. It could be best described as chaotic, but its utterly fascinating and if opening your mind

  • Rhino out in the open grass

  • On safari in Kazaringa

  • Sunrise over Kazaringa National Park

  • Salient features of Kazaringa

  • Up close to one horned rhino

  • Early morning elephant safari

  • Sneaking up on a rhino

  • Hunting leopards in Kazaringa

  • Mother and baby rhino

Kaziranga National Park – Assam, North East India – UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

The rays of the early morning sun bounced off the water drops on the giant elephant grass as our mahout steered his 37-year-old elephant on our 5.00am morning safari. The

  • Japanese geisha girl

  • Sado Island taiko drumming

  • Anyone for squid

  • Japanese shrine

  • Quaint wooden buildings

  • Taiko Centre for a hands-on drumming experience

  • Cherry blossoms in the spring

  • Spring in Japan

  • Blue Dot Travel clients learning to drum

  • Japanese girls in traditional dress

  • Bamboo forest in Japan

Sado Island – Japan’s most precious gem

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

Sado Island, one of Japan’s smaller islands, is rarely visited by the European Tourist. In fact, it’s very difficult to find anyone – even in the hotels – who speak

  • Buddhist statue in ancient city of Polonnaruwa

  • Sigirya an ancient rock fortress

  • Warthogs on parade

  • Deliveroo Sri Lanka style

  • Elephant safari in Sri Lanka

  • Crocodile alert

  • Sigiriya fresco wall paintings

  • Leopard up a tree in Sri Lanka

  • Road side fruit stall

  • Sail away from Negombo Beach

  • Ceylon spotted deer

Sri Lanka

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

It’s no wonder that Lonely Planet recently named this island-nation the “hottest destination on the planet to visit”. And they weren’t talking about the weather! There are so many reasons

  • You may be lucky to see a tiger in Southern India

  • Bath time by the river

  • Enjoy House a boat experience on the tranquil backwaters of Kerala

  • Boatman with bamboo pole

  • Everyday life along the river

  • Kerala houseboat

  • Local transport on Kerala backwaters

  • Back waters of Kerala

House Boating on the backwaters of Kerala

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

The South of India around the Kerala Backwaters, could not be more of a contrast to the North. If your view of the North conjures up images of overcrowding, huge

  • 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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