About Bhutan
The kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked nation nestled in the eastern Himalayas, bordering China to the north and India to the south. With a total of 38,394 sq. km and aerial distance of 350km from east-west and 150km from north to south. It is a mountainous country except for a strip of plains in the south.
Bhutan has three distinct ecological zones with sub-tropical in the south, temperate in the middle and sub-alpine in the north which corresponds with three different climatic zones. The variation of climate is therefore correspondingly extreme.
The plains in the south have hot and humid summer and cool winter. The land here is covered with dense forest, alluvial lowland river valleys and the mountains rise up to 1500m.
The hills and valleys in central and eastern Bhutan are temperate and drier than the west with warm summers and cool winters. The northern region with an alpine climate is perpetually under snow. Most peaks in the north are over 7000m above sea level with the highest peak being Mt. Gangkar Puensum at 7564m which has the distinction of being world’s highest unlimbered mountain.
Bhutan is an independent nation throughout its history following a policy if self-imposed isolation and was largely cut off from the rest of the world until 1950s. The process of modern development began only in the year 1961 when the construction of the first highway from border to the capital was started. Despite the late start towards modernization, the kingdom has recorded many remarkable achievements in the last 4 decades. Today the country is connected with a wide network of roads, electricity widely available, a modern system of telecommunications links all corners of the country and with the outside world. The airline was first introduced in the early 80s and connects to seven destinations in the neighboring countries.
A country with a mosaic of cultures, lifestyles, languages and belief system, Bhutan’s rich and unique cultural heritage has largely remained intact. Unlike many countries, traditional arts, age-old ceremonies, colorful religious festivals, social conduct and structures are not remnants of the bygone age but are practiced as they were done hundreds of years ago.
With unique development philosophy based on the principle of Gross National Happiness (GNH), Bhutan is becoming increasingly known to the outside world because of its visionary and dynamic leadership under the monarchs. It holds uncompromising stance on environmental conservation and is known for the policy of ‘high value low volume’ tourism. Bhutan is a paradise of unparalleled scenic beauty with majestic virgin peaks, lush valleys, un-spoilt countryside, and fascinating architecture, monumental fortresses, fluttering prayer flags, hospitable people and a devout Buddhist culture makes the Kingdom of Bhutan extraordinarily special. Today, Bhutan stands as a unique nation that blends the forces of modernization with its tradition and culture.
Map of Bhutan showing neighboring countries
Why Bhutan?
Bhutan is a unique blend of the old and new. This is a country where the past is still present. Those who are fortunate enough to visit Bhutan describe it as a unique, deeply spiritual and mystical land. Visiting this kingdom is an adventure like no other.
Imagine a travel destination where cyber cafés and mail carriers to remote places coexist; think of a place where Toyota vehicles and riding ponies, modern farming machines and Ploughing oxen run simultaneously. Dream of a place where you can experience everything exotic, starting from phallus-welding clowns during festivals to thrilling drives along the snaking roads crawling amidst dense wilderness, exhilarating white water rafting to torturous trekking, medieval fortresses sprouting from the top of the cliffs to innocent village folks facing foreigners with a maiden’s shyness. This is not an imaginary world! This is real. This is Bhutan, the last Shangri-La known as Druk-Yul- the dragon kingdom (literally translated), a tiny speck of 38,394 km² mountainous nation, sandwiched between the two giants, China in the North and India in the South. If one had to describe Bhutan in 3 words, Bhutan is Magical, Surreal and un-Americanized.
This is the country, which has attracted the world’s attention by daring to advocate its unique economic development policy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a truer/better indicator of measuring development, thereby challenging the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) parameters.