Beginning our descent in to Paro International Airport, Bhutan, our Captain came over the loud speaker. “Ladies and Gentlemen, as we come in to land, you’ll see that there are mountains quite close to us on the left, and on the right. Because of this, sharp turns may be necessary. This is completely normal, so please don’t be alarmed.”
With this statement, the eerie sounds of the pan flute were piped through the aircraft sound system, and we were glued to the windows as we turned sharp right, left, and right again, with thick green forest and mountains on either side through the clouds, to land.
Bhutan is like nowhere else on earth.
It has been described as ‘the last Shangri-La.’ We found it to be a pristine, naturally beautiful land, completely un-spoilt by Western development and tourism.
They’ve developed their own, unique approach to life, which is becoming the envy of World Leaders. Gross National Happiness, GNH, is Bhutan’s answer to Gross National Product.
It shifts the focus of life to measure the nation’s collective happiness, rather than wealth, and while it’s not without criticism, it seems, for the most part, the Bhutanese are on board with the concept, and are quite happy!
The Bhutanese are devoutly Buddhist, with the landscape dotted with monasteries, nunneries and stupas; small shrines. Monks in their orange and red robes are seen everywhere, and are highly respected amongst ‘commoners’ for their dedication to Buddhism.
From the Bhutan that we saw, we noted that it is certainly not a poor country. There is no homelessness, no beggars, free education and free healthcare. In fact, their healthcare system is so good that if they can’t fix you, they’ll pay to fly you to a different country that can!
In my opinion, eight days is the perfect amount of time for your first trip to Bhutan (because I guarantee you’ll want to come back for a second visit!). With eight days, you can spend a leisurely amount of time exploring museums and galleries in the ‘cities’ of Thimphu and Paro, plus enjoy the remote countryside villages further east.
Hikes to remote monasteries, with mountains as far as the eye can see, are a real highlight – stay tuned for a future blog post about the incredible hike to Tiger’s Nest, plus one about our favourite destination in Bhutan, the incredibly beautiful Phobjikha Valley.
Bhutanese food is a fiery cuisine, with chilies treated like a vegetable rather than a garnish.
Their national dish is Ema Datsi which translates to ‘Chilies and cheese.’ The dish is, quite literally, red chillies, boiled with sheep cheese.
Aside from the chilli dishes, meals are vegetable heavy, with a mostly Indian or Chinese flavour. My husband claimed he’d never eaten so many vegetables in his life!
A trip to Bhutan can’t be compared to anywhere else in the world.
We experienced exquisite architecture and monuments, friendly people, spicy, spicy food and gorgeous, authentic guesthouses. Perhaps the highlight of visiting Bhutan is experiencing nature. Walking through a green, forested valley on your own, in the crisp morning air, with only the sound of birds chirping and the occasional chanting from a nearby monastery, is magic.
Best time to visit
April-May and September – October are the best times to go, with mild temperatures and clear weather. In April and May you have the added bonus of the rhododendrons being in bloom, blanketing the valleys.
Some argue that November – December is also a brilliant time to visit – colder weather and snow on the mountains, but crisp and clear days, and fewer tourists.
Avoid mid June – end August when it’s steamy and monsoonal.
Getting there
Only Bhutanese airlines are allowed to fly into Paro National Airport, as they’re the only ones skilled enough to master the mountain landing! You can fly in to Bhutan via Bangkok, Singapore or major cities in India.
Getting Around
Bhutan has a unique way of doing tourism, which is tightly controlled by the government. Independent travel is not allowed, and travellers must pay a minimum fee of $USD 250.00 per person, per day (slightly lower in the monsoon season). This fee includes a Guide, Driver, 3* hotels, plus all meals and entrance fees. If you want a higher standard of hotels, these are an additional cost.
For more information, and itinerary suggestions, call Rosie on 0424 226 388.
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