reddottours

Planning a trip to Bhutan but don’t know where to start? Start here 👇

Bhutan is now part of the Red Dot family but it’s a country that does things a little differently and rewards careful, expert planning. Visitor numbers are deliberately limited and the Sustainable Development Fee means it’s worth getting your itinerary just right. That means guides who can help you understand and experience the traditions that are woven into everyday life. It means tailoring your trip around the local festivals or the migration patterns of the black-necked crane, depending on your interests. It means booking with specialists who know how to create a personalised trip to Bhutan that takes you under the skin of one of the world’s last truly remote kingdoms.

From the quiet streets of Thimphu to Punakha’s river valleys, the wide-open Gangtey Valley and the cliffside walk to Tiger’s Nest - this is a trip that rewards careful planning and slow travel.

Ready to start? Send us a DM and our specialists will get back to you.

In a world where technology seem to be everywhere, this is where we want to be - hand block printing in the villages outside Jaipur.

People have been doing this the same way for centuries. Carved wooden blocks, dyes made from indigo and madder root and turmeric, cloth laid out to dry in the sun. Nothing mechanised, nothing perfected by a machine. The colours never come out exactly the same twice because they depend on the water and the weather that week. It’s not a flaw, it’s just what block printing looks like when it’s done by a real person.

Most tours pop by for 15 minutes, take some photos of the drying cloth, and move on. We think a craft that takes so long to make, deserves more time.

We’ll take you out to Bagru or Sanganer - earthy dabu prints in one, delicate courtly florals in the other - and set you up with women-led studios we’ve worked with for years. You sit down, pick your blocks, have some chai, and just give it a go. Your lines will probably wobble - everyone’s do at first. But the finished article will still take pride of place in your home, simply for the memories.

Discover more at the link in bio.

Hold the front page! Sri Lanka’s hotels are having their moment in the spotlight…

We’ve spotted some of our favourite hotels gracing the pages of design magazines across the world, including Wallpaper, Interior Designer, and Conde Nast Traveller and it’s great to see Sri Lanka’s fabulous hotels get the recognition they deserve. ✨

From Geoffrey Bawa’s tropical modernism to boutique beachside hideaways, here’s just a small selection and a reminder of why Sri Lanka keeps earning its place in the design conversation: characterful, story-led properties that are as much about craft and creativity as they are about comfort.

Swipe through to see the properties the design world can’t stop talking about - and tell us which one’s going straight to your travel list 👇

Google might tell you to head to the Atacama Desert for the best stargazing. We think it’s better to head away from the well-trodden paths.

Ladakh isn’t just dark. It’s dry and that’s the real secret. Almost zero atmospheric moisture + near-zero light pollution + 3,500m+ altitude means some of the clearest skies on Earth.

For serious stargazers, Hanle is India’s first Dark Sky Reserve, scores 1 on the Bortle Scale (that’s when the Milky Way is bright enough to cast shadows on the ground) and is home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory.

If time and energy mean a trip to remote Hanle is a little too off-the-beaten track, the better-connected Nubra Valley has clear skies and crisp air to satisfy your stargazing appetite.

But the real magic is in the people. Some of the most memorable night-sky experiences happen where your guides have grown up under those stars. In Hanle, the Dark Sky Reserve project trained local people - two-thirds of them women - to become Astronomy Ambassadors. We build our stargazing trips around that same idea - experiences that respectfully and responsibly draw on real, local knowledge.

The best time for stargazing in Ladakh is May to September so now’s the perfect time to start planning your trip for 2027 - get in touch to find out how our highly personalised itineraries and local knowledge can create a star-gazing trip like no other. Or head to the link in bio to discover more of the best places to see the stars in India.

Is your day looking a little grey? We have the perfect antidote... 🌈

Every corner of India is a colour story and these photos from our recent research trip to Rajasthan show that colour in all its technicolour splendour.

From kaleidoscopic spice markets to indigo doorways, marigold garlands to shopfronts where reams of sari silks unfurl like a rainbow, this is a country that refuses to be muted.

Swipe through a spectrum of colour guaranteed to brighten your day then share it to spread the joy further 💖

[Save + share] Sri Lanka’s capital is having a serious food moment right now - and our Colombo based team has tasted their way through it so you don’t have to guess where to eat.

From traditional with a twist hoppers to candlelit terraces washed down with arrack cocktails, Colombo’s restaurants have it all. Which one’s going on your list?

Swipe through our favourites 👉and get the full list at the link in bio.

Got post-summer holiday blues? Time to start planning the next one…

The Maldives might conjure up images of honeymoon couples and romantic dinners on postcard perfect beaches but pick the right spot and it’s also a great choice for families.

From kids clubs that let you finally finish your book to meal plans made for little appetites, the key to a successful Maldives family holiday is choosing a resort built with children in mind.

A few things worth knowing before you book:

🐢 Beach villas over overwater ones - they open straight onto the sand, giving little ones that barefoot island freedom (and a lot less worry for you).

🐠 A healthy house reef means snorkelling starts steps from your villa - the easiest way to introduce kids to the underwater world.

🍽️ Look out for resorts with an underwater restaurant - watching turtles glide past mid-meal is the kind of thing they’ll talk about for years.

Resorts we love for families: Niyama’s extensive kids’ club for ages 1-12 and underwater restaurant is fun for all the family. Sun Siyam Olhuveli’s three connected islands mean space for everyone’s idea of a good day. Constance Halaveli offers family villas alongside gentle activity programmes.

The right island makes all the difference. Let’s find yours. Link in bio.

Google will tell you the Cultural Triangle has five main sites…

We’ve been organising trips to Sri Lanka for almost 20 years - and that’s like saying you can understand Rome by visiting the Colosseum. We know that to really appreciate the Cultural Triangle takes more than a climb of Sigiriya. Beyond the main sites lie forgotten monasteries swallowed by jungle, cave temples only locals know about, and ruins without the crowds.

Whether you’re meeting a hermit monk in the place where Buddhism was introduced to the country, climbing the 5th century Pidurangala, or preparing food for alms-giving in a local family’s home, we’ve built relationships and experiences over the years that take you far beyond Google’s recommendations.

Ready to travel further? Get in touch at the link in bio.

Everyone knows the Taj Mahal. Not everyone knows where to find the Pacchikari inlay workers who use the same technique that decorates the Taj.

Visiting the Golden Triangle doesn’t have to just mean ticking off the main sites. We believe that the people often tell you more about a country than its ancient monuments. This could be meeting artisans in Jaipur’s street market, losing yourself in a kaleidoscope of colour at the flower market, flying kites with a local family or learning about the cultural significance of each street vendor’s signature dish in Old Delhi.

If this sounds like your kind of travel, get in touch and let’s start planning.

There’s a reason “literary travel” has taken over our Instagram feeds - the right story doesn’t just tell you about a place, it offers you a way in. And Sri Lanka has no shortage of writers ready to show you the real stories.

We’re firm believers that the best trips start with a good book. So we picked six - one for the hills, one for the ruins, one for the coast, one for the north, and two for Colombo - a place that really is a tale of two cities.

Start a book on the plane and finish it on a veranda in the hills, tea in hand, with the very landscape you just read about stretching out in front of you.

What’s already on your Sri Lanka reading list? Tell us below.