Chocolate hills and emerald rivers of Bohol

Chocolate Hills

Loboc river is transparent in the morning and changes colour to green by afternoon

Kayaking on the river

Local children playing in the river

Resort huts by the river

Dinner place!

Inside a floating restaurant on the Loboc river

Tarsier, small monkey with very big eyes!

Damages from the Bohol earthquake in 2013, which affected many of the old church buildings

Alona beach, Panglao. to the south of Bohol

Secret islands: Koh Yao

Swing or hammock - take your pick!

Koh Yao is a set of beautiful, pristine, and largely undeveloped islands near Phuket in Thailand. It is way less crowded and more peaceful than the nearby Phi Phi Islands. Less than an hour's boat ride away from Krabi pier, it is fairly easy to reach. What sets it apart are the wooden swings and hammocks on every beach, where you can spend hours doing nothing. And the little beach shacks and cafes with great food and fruits, and ever-smiling Thais. And the fact that if you go to one of the smaller islands, you are most likely to be the only person on the beach!

There are few options for accommodation - you either opt for luxury bungalows or for backpacker cottages like these!

All of Koh Yao's beaches have shells of amazing shapes and colours

Definitely my favourite place to sit!

In the island interiors, the jungles and bat caves are still intact

I hired a fishing boat for a day, to visit some of the smaller islands nearby. Koh Kudu was one that stood out. Limestone rocks close off the entrance to the island, forming a small lagoon in the process. The beach has it all - soft white sand, green water, incredible views! Take away all the noise and trash from Phi Phi and Phang Nga (James Bond island) and you have Koh Yao!

You won't have the same level of comfort and hotel facilities, and that means spending the night with frogs and lizards (and some other unidentifiable insects) in your room. I hitchhiked a ride on my last day, from the hotel to the pier - my companions being lots of hotel towels. The van driver, boatman and every other person I met was just super-friendly and helpful, and I was greeted by a lot of "India Thai - same same"!

Koh Roi

Koh Kudu's two towers

Picnic on the beach!

The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan

Conquering fear and faith

Bhutan is such a beautiful country! It almost makes you feel that if there is so much beauty around, why would you ever want to leave and see other places. It is like a little place of peace and happiness, isolated from life in other places. The mountains, rivers, woods and fields have their own song, and you could just go and forget everything else in the world.

I had a memorable stay at Nivvana Lodge and Homestay, Paro; a pretty, little place away from the town and closer to the countryside. The people there, and mostly everywhere in Bhutan, are warm and friendly. The driver and guide, an ex-army man with a passion for collecting currency notes, was so nice and helpful. I almost felt at home there!

Nights in winter in the mountains are freezing cold. It was an amazing feeling to sit near the cosy fireplace, drink hot coffee and eat spicy food. Bhutanese people love to put cheese and chilly in almost all their dishes; even the national dish is cheese chilly curry!

Paro Airport makes for a stunning landing. The runway is hidden from the plane by a mountain, until the plane has descended considerably. Then the plane swoops around the mountain, and touches down almost immediately.

Paro Dzong on the banks of the Paro river. A dzong is the administrative centre of a dzongkhang (district). It also houses temples and living quarters for monks.

Inside Paro Dzong

Kyichu Lhakhang, Paro. This man was followed by the dogs to every praying site he went.

Chelela Pass (3988 metres) is the highest road in Bhutan

Haa valley, a small town near Bhutan's border with China

The Indian Army base at Haa valley. India works with Bhutan on many things like army training, building roads, mutual exchange of food and power.

Starting the trek to Taktsang Monastery (near the top of the middle mountain) - it took 2.5 hours to climb from 2300m to 3100m.

Buddhist prayer wheels - turning the wheel brings good karma

A Bhutanese man praying in front of Taktsang

Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) Monastery, set into the mountainside

Strange and pretty trees on the way down

A local kid in Paro started an impromptu street dance in front of me, while I was sitting and doing absolutely nothing

Living room of the Nivvana Lodge and Homestay, Paro

The beautiful road from Paro to Thimphu

At Dochula Pass, you can get breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. One side has dense forests, while on the other side are snow-capped mountains and pine trees. There are 108 chortens, and you can walk clockwise around them for benevolence. The roads leading to and from the Pass are covered in snow in winter. Even the Bhutanese girls in my car looked delighted to be at this place!

The tallest Bhuddha statue in the world overlooks the capital city of Thimphu

Thimphu city is the busiest place in Bhutan. The Buddha statue is visible in the top centre.

Monks inside the Thimphu Dzong

Archery is the national sport of Bhutan. Every time an arrow hits the target, the players perform an amusing song and dance routine.

The King and Queen, who are the equivalent of movie stars in Bhutan :)

Beautiful winter streets of Thimphu

A beautiful wooden bridge connects to the Punakha Dzong

Colourful prayer flags at Chimi Lhakhang, Punakha

Wangdue, bathed in the morning sunlight

Mountain ponies grazing in Wangdue

Descending from the mountains to Phuentsholing town, to cross the border into India!