For my summer break this year, I spent six days in Bhutan with my mum, sis and two cousins. It was an amazing trip and here are some pictures of this beautiful country.

In the capital Thimphu, we went to a vantage point where we had a view of the dzong (fortress) which is now the administrative and monastic centre of the city. At a weaving centre I also managed to get a shot of this six-year-old girl, dressed in the traditional costume kira, with a hint of a smile on her pretty face.

Buddha Point is where a huge sitting Buddha protects the city of Thimphu with his gaze. The middle picture of the bottom row shows the dzong in the city of Paro. In the bottom right picture, traditionally woven bags are sold in a handcrafts market in Thimphu’s city centre.

The dzong in Punakha, the old capital; an old man who allowed me to take a photo of him as he was walking around one of the stupas situated in the middle of a padi field; two sisters who are on their way home after school; padi fields below one of the hotels we stayed in; and prayer flags hang from a suspended bridge about 50m above the ice cold waters of a flowing river.

Hiking up Bhutan’s most famous monastery, Tiger’s Nest, in Paro. For a person of average fitness, the hike will take about 1h 45min. A hiking pole, which you can rent, might come in useful for some. Total ascent was about 900m and it was certainly worth the climb which took us to an elevation of about 3,000m above sea level.