Introducing Bhutan
Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, is no ordinary place. This is a country where buying cigarettes is illegal, where the rice is red and where chillies aren’t just a seasoning but the entire dish. It’s also a deeply Buddhist land, where men wear a tunic to work, where giant protective penises are painted on the walls of most houses, and where Gross National Happiness is deemed more important than Gross National Product. Tourism in Bhutan is also unique. Visitors famously have to pay a minimum of US$200 per day, making it one of the world’s most expensive countries to visit, but this fee is all-inclusive, you don’t have to travel in a group and you can arrange your own itinerary. What you won’t find in Bhutan is backpacker-style independent travel. This is Nepal for the jet set.
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First off there are the early Buddhist sites in the cultural heartland of Bumthang Dzongkhag and the undisturbed traditional Tibetan-style culture that sets Bhutan aside as the last remaining great Himalayan kingdom. Then there are the textiles, outrageous trekking as well as the stunning flora and fauna of Phobjika Valley. Trashigang is an interesting town and also useful for launching into a trip in Eastern Bhutan.
It is also a country of surprises. This is not just a nation of saintly, other-worldly hermits. Bhutan is straddling the ancient and modern world and these days you’ll find monks transcribing ancient Buddhist texts into computers as traditionally dressed noblemen chat on their mobile phones.
If you do visit Bhutan, you will become one of the few who have experienced the charm and magic of one of the world’s most enigmatic countries – the ‘last Shangri La’ – and you’ll be playing your part in this medieval kingdom’s efforts to join the modern world, while steadfastly maintaining its distinct and amazing cultural identity. So why spend all your money to come here? Because most of all, Bhutan offers an opportunity to glimpse another way of living, an alternative vision of what is truly important in life.
Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
- Take in the 'must see' highlights of both western and central Bhutan
- Combine a trek in Sikkim with a journey to Bhutan
- Go on an unforgettable journey through once Forbidden Kingdoms Bhutan, Nepal & Tibet
Last updated: Feb 8, 2012
Tips & articles
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Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel: top 10 countries for 2012
27 April 2012
Which countries will come into their own as travel destinations in 2012? We’ve collated hundreds of ideas from everyone at...
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When the going gets tough
16 January 2012
What are the toughest adventures on the planet? Which extreme exploits push willing participants to their mental and physical limits?...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: forgetting your native tongue
by chucho_flaco 27 May 2012
Thank you for the replies. Yes, viagero, this is what I had in mind. I have a shortwave radio and I used to hear the opening hour of Bhutane…
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RE: Cost of meals in Bhutan
by Bhutanonashoestring 26 May 2012
Dinner would be around 200 Nu in a cheap hotel, 400 in a normal hotel and 1000 Nu in an expensive one. Price depends on where you are…
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RE: Travel advice for a travel novice heading to Bhutan
by Bhutanonashoestring 26 May 2012
If you have time and the weather is good, spend one day or two to go to the monasteries in Phajoding and Thujidrag above Thimphu...and…
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Bhutan
Things to do
- All things to do (146)
- Activities (5)
- Entertainment (17)
- Restaurants (33)
- Shopping (43)
- Sights (36)
- Tours (12)
Make it happen
Our Top Picks For Bhutan
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1 Taktshang Goemba
Hike to the spectacular ‘tiger’s nest’ monastery, precariously perched on a sheer rock face
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2 Jhomolhari Trek
Trek to distant villages and capture spectacular views of Bhutan’s most sacred mountain
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3 Gasa
Spot blue sheep and soak in a hot spring - just some of the delights of Gasa
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4 Snowman Trek
Take Bhutan’s premier challenge - a 25-day, high altitude trek to remote Lunana
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5 Bumthang
Visit Bhutan’s most precious and earliest Buddhist sites in its cultural heartland
Fast Facts about Bhutan
- The export of
The export of hydroelectricity to India provides 32% of government revenue
- Number of tourists visiting Bhutan in 2005
13, 600
- Human Development Index ranking
134 out of 177 countries
- Percentage of population involved in agriculture
69%
- Tourism
is the third largest provider of foreign exchange in Bhutan, earning it US$18.5 million in 2005
- Area
38, 392 sq km – similar size to Switzerland
- Population
634, 982 (2005 Census)
- Life expectancy
63
- Percentage of Bhutan’s land used for agriculture
7.8%
- Forest cover
72.5%
Our favourite Bhutan Blogs (beta)
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Overland Travel from India to other South Asian Countries
Blog: Arnab Maity Travel and Photography - 30 March 2012
There is nothing quite like a road trip, the ochred rockies giving way to emerald paddies or clustered houses transitioning to dense settlements, a road trip comes with a promise of something new to the eye almost every time, even if its through a narrow side window of a bus or the wide windshield of a car.
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Taking on the Tiger’s Nest Challenge at Paro Taktsang Monastery
Blog: PassportChop.com Travel Blog - Reviews, Travel Experiences - 4 March 2012
Taktsang Palphug Monastery (also known as The Tiger’s Nest & Paro Taktsang) Taktsang Monastery, also known as Tiger’s Nest Monastery, is located in Paro, Bhutan, about 10 kilometres north of Paro city. The monastery is one of the most venerated places of pligrimage in the Himalayan region. The legend behind the Tiger’s Nest monastery is [...] Related posts:Practising Yoga in Bhutan
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Thimphu to Paro and hiking the Tiger’s Nest
Blog: Arnab Maity Travel and Photography - 14 January 2012
A bracing wind gushed into the narrow recess carved out of rocks, muddling the prayer flags, which had joined hands to cross the adjacent gorge. A cliff stood tall in front, cradling a monastery on its lap. A wave of chants cascaded from a distance soothing the mind into a trance. An artist’s fingers captured the stunning vista with the strike of a pencil, sketching the Taktsang Goempa, one of the holiest places in Bhutan, which every Bhutanese wants to visit at least once in his life.
