So that this trip is not just a selfish trip to fulfil personal desires to explore the diverse landscapes, ethnic groups and culinary delights offered in this huge country, I have decided to also open this trip up to raising funds to a cause that maybe controversial, but is a cause that I am hugely passionate about. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society : www.seashepherd.org Sea Shepherd's Mission Statement Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organisation. Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal acti... read more

I mentioned that The Great China Roadtrip was item 7 on my bucket list. Drawing inspiration from the now classic movie and from some of the wonderful travel blogs on this site, I believe that everyone should have a bucket list, a list of things they want to do before they "kick the bucket". Here's my first mostly completed list : 1: Shoot a wild tiger in Rajasthan (with a DSLR !!!) I managed to get this shot on our third day in Ranthambore National Park with an excellent guide who could literally "smell" a tiger from miles away 2: Climb to the Tiger's Nest in Bhutan. The Taktsang Monastery is located on the cliff edge of the upper Paro Valley. Built in 1692 to mark the site where it is said that the Guru Rinpoche ... read more

What an incredible country Bhutan is. Words in a blog will inevitably fail to describe the beauty that is Druk Yul. Not only is Bhutan a Kingdom of incredible landscapes, majestic Dzongs, and crystal clear rivers, what makes the country special are the people, and most especially the children. If ever you are fortunate enough to find yourself here, take some time off your planned itinary to visit a school, any school, unannounced. Before your trip, prepare some boxes of stationary. I like to take boxes of those ball point pens with the three colours. For children in lesser developed countries, these pens are novel and useful, and make a nice small gift to the teachers to distribute.... read more