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Destination Bhutan with FriendsTravel.com

Bhutan is the only place in the Himalayas, perhaps the last in the world, where the Vajrayana Buddhist culture survives intact. The fall of other kingdoms that represent this vibrant culture, such as Tibet, Sikkim and Ladakh, and the encroachment of globalization, make the survival of this tiny Buddhist nation increasingly fragile and poignant.

It’s neither cheap nor easy to visit Bhutan, which is tucked in among India, Tibet and Nepal. It’s one of the most expensive destinations in the region, and no independent travel is permitted. The government charges all travelers a substantial daily (all-inclusive, including guide) fee, to which the local Bhutanese company may add its operating costs. If you travel with one of the high-end tour companies based in the West, you will pay more depending on the company and its reputation. The country opened to outsiders only in the early 1970s, and the king has said that he considers the people’s Gross National Happiness of great importance.

In Bhutan, trekkers will find an alternative to the overcrowded trails of Nepal. Photographers will be impressed with the country’s historic architecture and abundant wildlife. (Herds of yaks graze in its alpine valleys, and rare snow leopards, blue sheep and black-necked cranes can sometimes be spotted in its farthest reaches.) Others find pleasure in the elaborate tsechus (religious festivals) with music, chanting and dancing, held throughout the year at various dzongs (fortress monasteries). Nearly everyone who visits Bhutan will be awed by the unsurpassed majesty of the Himalayas.

A sliver of a country in the Himalayan range, Bhutan is bordered on the north by Tibet and the south by India. Though highly mountainous, Bhutan has a surprisingly diverse topography. Much of the country is heavily forested, and the central region has abundant farmland. The southern part of the country, which is closed to visitors, is temperate and semitropical.

Most visitors see western Bhutan, which contains the country’s main cities and most of its people. The area has steep hills, lush valleys and a number of winding rivers. The fabled Buddhist monasteries are in central Bhutan, which is divided from the west by the Black Mountains—excellent terrain for trekking. Eastern Bhutan, which has lower altitudes and a warmer climate, contains extensive farmland and is renowned for handwoven clothes and textiles.

Bhutan boasts of being the world’s last Vajrayana Buddhist kingdom. Its roots date back to the 1600s, when a Tibetan refugee, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, transformed the area from a collection of rival fiefdoms into a unified nation and built the extensive system of dzongs. Following the Shabdrung’s death, penlops (governors) and dzongpons (chiefs) who had settled in regional dzongs were involved in numerous power struggles until the late 1800s. Ugyen Wangchuck, Penlop of Tongsa, finally emerged as the first king (Druk Gyalpo).

For most of the 20th century, the tiny landlocked kingdom called Druk Yul (Land of the Dragon) was virtually unknown to outsiders: Telephones, electricity, paved roads, airports, hospitals, formal education, postal service and foreign relations were nonexistent. Business was conducted on the barter system. It was only in the 1960s that these elements of infrastructure were put in place, and only in 1974 were tourists allowed into the country.

King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has ruled since 1972, is considered a progressive-minded leader who has continued the sensitive process of opening Bhutan to modern influences. In 1999, he allowed his country access to television and the Internet. The next year the nation’s first feature-length film was released. (The Cup depicts a burgeoning soccer craze among Buddhist monks.) Another film, Travelers and Magicians, by the same director debuted internationally in 2004. The film is a delicate fable about the illusory world of dreams and the true nature of reality as taught in Buddhism.

Other initiatives have been calculated to ensure that Bhutan is not overwhelmed by the modern world. Maintenance and restoration of the nation’s dzongs are high priorities—not merely as historical artifacts, but as functioning monastic and governing communities. All new buildings constructed by private and government agencies or individual homeowners must receive approval from the state Division of Works and Housing, which is responsible for the standardization of architectural styles and regulations. Designs for new buildings must incorporate an officially regulated number of traditional elements aimed at preserving Bhutanese aesthetics as well as the livelihood of the artisans who specialize in the traditional designs. The king has also passed into law a decree requiring the maintenance of 70% of the kingdom’s total area under forest cover—for all time. Among other measures to protect the culture, traditional robes must be worn by all citizens in government buildings and at official functions, under penalty of a fine. And tourism, although encouraged, is controlled by the governmental regulation of high tariffs. Even today, the vast majority of the people are subsistence farmers, and the Bhutanese, who call themselves Drukpas (Dragon People), hold strongly to ancient traditions.

Wangchuck has also tried to make the monarchy more democratic. The National Assembly can now revoke his title with a no-confidence vote. Less clear is the future of some 100,000 ethnic Nepalese who fled Bhutan in the late 1980s. The Bhutanese government says they are illegal aliens; the Nepalese say they had lived in Bhutan for generations and were the victims of an arbitrary and discriminatory campaign. Whether they left of their own accord or were forced to flee depends on which group you ask. Negotiations, involving the International Red Cross, the Nepalese government, India and Bhutan, have broken down repeatedly because of recent upheavals and growing political instability in Nepal. In December of 2003, members of an official Bhutanese team sent to the camps run by the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) were attacked by violent mobs, an incident that is being investigated as part of the ongoing discussions toward a settlement.

Bhutan’s main attractions are mountain scenery, beautiful architecture, Buddhist culture, spirited village festivals, game reserves, temples, monasteries, jagged gorges, green valleys, trekking and historical sites.

Bhutan is a good destination for flexible, adventurous travelers who are visiting India or Thailand and who enjoyed Nepal, Tibet or the Ladakh region of India. Although, there are now some upscale resorts, the country is generally not for those who require deluxe accommodations, who are adversely affected by high altitudes, who desire a wide variety of food, shopping and nightlife, or who will become upset if everything doesn’t go exactly as planned.

King Jigme Singye Wangchuck has four wives, all sisters, who maintain separate residences in Thimphu. His goal for the nation is to maximize “gross national happiness.”

The national dress code—khos for men and kiras for women—was established in the late 1980s.

Kuensel is Bhutan’s only newspaper. It is published weekly in Dzongka, Nepali and English.

The national sport is archery, but basketball is gaining in popularity. Soccer matches are common sights in Thimphu’s Changlingmethang Stadium.

There are no traffic lights in Bhutan.

English is now the official language used in Bhutan’s schools. The king initiated the law to help his subjects study abroad.

The erotic art (coupling men and women) on the Tantric Buddhist monasteries represents the union of knowledge and wisdom.

Dzongs (fortress monasteries) are dual-use complexes built by Shabdrung Ngawal Namgyal in the 17th century. Each village takes its name from the nearest dzong.

Bhutan has more than 300 species of birds, including the black-necked crane. Other rare animal species include the bharal (blue) sheep, golden langur (monkey), red panda and snow leopard.

There are three primary ethnic groups in Bhutan: the Sarchops (the earliest inhabitants, in the east), the Nepalese (mostly in the southern part of country) and the Ngalops (Tibetan descendants).

There are only about 50 names commonly given to Bhutanese people. They are not necessarily passed down to family members, however, and can be first or last names.

The country has imposed a national ban on smoking and the sale of smoking tobacco.

Along with red rice, hot chili peppers are the single most important ingredient of the Bhutanese diet, and issues over chili are hotly (no pun intended) debated in the National Assembly.

Most visitors perceive the atsaras, or clowns, at the annual tshechus (festivals) as buffoons because of their antics. In actuality, they are highly respected religious teachers and the word atsara is derived from the Sanskrit, acharya, or “great teacher.”

The only way to fly into Bhutan is on the national carrier, Druk Air, which currently features a grand total of four planes in its fleet, and Friends Travel has access to every seat! Email JESS Kalinowsky at FriendsTravel@earthlink.net for your travel arrangements today!

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