Beautiful Bhutan: A Magical Kingdom

As we said good bye to Nepal and continued our journey with a stop in Bhutan, we questioned if Bhutan would be all that different from Nepal. I, for one, was anxious to get home for a quick visit with my mom since her husband had passed away, and Glenn and the kids were ready for less touring and maybe even some beach time. We even asked our pal Google: “Nepal vs Bhutan: The differences,” but we couldn’t find any definitive answers that swayed us one way or another. What did sway us were the hefty non-refundable fees we had paid to visit Bhutan, so off to Bhutan we went and what we discovered was indeed quite different.

In keeping with the saying, “the journey is the reward,” Brady had uncovered a great tip when flying from Kathmandu to Bhutan..... 

...sit on the left side of the plane and be rewarded with breathtaking views. In case you are wondering exactly where Bhutan is (I was), it’s nestled in the Himalaya mountain range, bordered by China to the north and India to the south, and the views from the plane were quite simply the most majestic we have ever seen. For most of the trip, we had a bird’s eye view of the stunning Himalaya range….definitely a sight we won’t soon forget (and further fodder to encourage us to try another trek).

Upon landing in Bhutan, we were immediately struck by its cleanliness and the purity of the air. As the second least populated country in Southeast Asia, Bhutan is one of the few negative emission countries, and we could immediately feel the positive impact on the environment - crisp, clean air and virtually no trash. In comparison to Nepal, Bhutan’s population is approximately 750,000, which is roughly one-tenth of the population of Kathmandu alone (the largest city in Nepal). It was such a stark example of the toll that excess population can have on a region.

Beyond the population itself, Bhutan’s strict regulations also play a role in preserving the beauty and culture of the country. For one, you can only visit the country if you hire a government-run tour agency, and you must have a guide. The places we stayed were comfortable but very much on the “tour circuit,” where we ate side-by-side with other tourists but had limited opportunity to meet any of the locals. 

Despite it being one of the poorest countries in the world, Bhutan proudly measures success in “GNH,” or Gross National Happiness, and it has a lot of cultural pride. The sights and experiences we took in were amazing - many beautiful monasteries, with the Tiger Nest Monastery being the most beautiful site of the trip thus far; bright and colorful paintings and tapestries throughout the sites;  a traditional farmhouse homestay, complete with a hot stone bath; and the traditional Talo Festival with dancing, singing and some hilarious antics. Interestingly, it almost felt like an alternative version of Disneyland….they do call it “The Kingdom of Bhutan,” after all.

Probably my most favorite thing about the trip was the story of the Divine Madman of Bhutan and his symbolic legacy found throughout the country. More on that later…
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