“BHUTAN- The best and safest green travel destination”
Travel opens your heart, broadens your mind, fills your life with stories to tell and soothes your eyes with every stride you take. Choosing Bhutan as your travel destinations has numerous benefits for your mental, physical and spiritual health. Few glimpses of your to be travel destination are listed herewith.
“A safe haven during COVID-19 pandemic”.
Bhutan is one of the safest countries to live during the current situation where the whole world is struggling to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The Dharma King himself is leading from the front in the fight against the coronavirus with the government doing a top job, and with the clergy and the citizens coming to support the overall efforts. It is through such coming together as ‘One Nation, One People’ Bhutan is a safe place to be.
Bhutan is fortunate to have no local transmission and not even a single death, with all cases being imported. The Government bears all the quarantine expenditures and also provides free testing and medical services.
The Lonely Planet offers Bhutan as # 1 Country to Travel for 2020
The Lonely Planet offered Bhutan as the number 1 country to travel in 2020 under the ‘Best in Travel’ category. Lonely Planet’s family of writers and contributors chose Bhutan amongst other top destinations in the world. Here is a quote from Lonely Planet “Bhutan is no ordinary place. It is the last great Himalayan Kingdom, shrouded in mystery and magic, where a traditional Buddhist culture carefully embraces global developments”.
Bhutan declared as Top Sustainable Green Destination
Green Destinations offered Bhutan with the Earth Award in 2018 and Gold Award in 2019 out of 100 top sustainable destinations in the world for its sustainable and green initiatives. Bhutan is recognized as a leading green and sustainable destination in the world.
As tourism grows, Bhutan has come into the limelight to the outside world for its best ethnic values, culture, traditions, natural beauty and climate.
- The Pacific Asia Travel Writers Association (PATWA) offered Bhutan the best travel destination for happy tourism award in 2020.
This is certainty an affirmation to our national tourism aspiration to share happiness through special travel experiences in Bhutan.
Bhutan measures its progress through Gross National Happiness
The great fourth, His Majesty the fourth Druk Gyalpo through his farsighted vision and dynamic leadership introduced this unique development yardstick as a measure of progress. The world knows Bhutan by its pursuit for Gross National Happiness (GNH). GNH is a holistic and sustainable approach to development, which balances material and non-material values with the conviction that humans want to search for happiness. It is based upon four pillars of development as stated below:
- Sustainable and Equitable Socio- Economic Development
- Conservation of Environment
- Preservation and Promotion of Culture
- Good Governance
Upon Bhutan’s proposal, the United Nations adopted ‘Happiness’ as development indicator and all member states agreed that ‘Happiness’ should have greater role in the development philosophy. Upon Bhutan’s proposal to the United Nation’s General Assembly in 2011, since 2012, every year, March 20 is celebrated as the International Happiness Day.
‘High value, Low volume’ Sustainable Tourism
Bhutan has followed a cautious growth to tourism development since its opening in 1974 guided by the principles of ‘High value, Low volume’. The core of this policy principle is to promote tourism in a sustainable manner that will meet the needs of the present tourists and destinations while protecting and enhancing opportunity for the future.
The reason for Bhutan being recognized as a top sustainable tourism destination is because of this guiding tourism policy principle of ‘High value, Low volume’ tourism approach.
The tourism policy of ‘High value, Low volume’ is best in line with the preservation of environment which is one of the most important pillars of Gross National Happiness.
The only Carbon Negative Country in the World
While rest of the world is struggling hard to fight against climate change and its effects, Bhutan is the only carbon negative country in the world. The Constitution of Bhutan mandates a 60% forest coverage for all times to come. Currently, a total of 72.4% of Bhutan’s land mass is covered with forest making a safe haven for flora and fauna. Bhutan absorbs more carbon than it produces and it has also helped lower the risk of green house effect that leads to heating of the earth’s atmosphere. The glaciers are still intact and Bhutan today enjoys the fruits of its divine nature.
The only Country in the World with no Traffic Lights
The world today is largely affected by noise pollution and the major cause of it is traffics. Cacophonous streets and cities cause distress and disharmony. Life without traffic lights can be peaceful and good for the environment as well. Bhutan has not adopted traffic lights while the human manned traffic attracts attention of our visitors.
Highest Unclimbed Mountain in the World
Bhutan’s Mount Gangkar Phuesum standing at 7570 meters above sea level is the world’s highest unclimbed mountain. Apart from lush green hills, Bhutan has been blessed with good numbers of mountains and the passes. The Himalayan mountains remains capped by snow and glaciers throughout the year and offers thrilling experience of trekking and mountain climbing to the visitors. Some of the mountains are still untouched by the travelers.
Respect for Mountains
Nature, such as beautiful mountains are key to being happy for Bhutanese. In Bhutan, Mountains are protected and preserved as abodes of Gods. Therefore, mountaineering beyond 6000 meters is not allowed.
This has allowed mountains and flora and fauna to be protected and thrive. The joy is bigger when it is appreciated and maintained as untouched pristine mountains.
The Easiest way to Plan a Trip
Everyone visiting Bhutan must use the services of a professional Bhutanese tour operator who make planning a trip to Bhutan easy. All the hassle of planning a trip is taken up by the professional Bhutanese tour operators and their counterparts. Therefore, you can enjoy from the very start.
The Tiger’s Nest (Taktshang)- the center of tourist attraction in Bhutan
Paro Taktsang also known as the Taktsang Palphug Monastery and the Tiger’s Nest), is a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site located in the cliffside of the upper Paro valley in Bhutan. It is one of thirteen Tiger’s Nest caves in historical Tibet in which Padmasambhava practiced and taught Vajrayana.
Later monastery complex was built in 1692, around the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave, where Guru Padmasambhava meditated and practiced with students including Yeshe Tsogyal before departing the kingdom of Tibet in the early 9th century. Padmasambhava is credited with introducing Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan, which was then part of Tibet, and is the tutelary deity of the country. Today, Paro Taktsang is the best known of the thirteen Taktsang or “tiger lair” caves in which he and his students meditated. The shrine dedicated to Padmasambhava, also known as “the Shrine of the Guru with Eight Names”, refers to Padmasambhava’s Eight Manifestations and is an elegant structure built around the cave in 1692 by Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye. It has become the cultural icon of Bhutan. This architectural masterpiece built on a cliff is a spiritual delight and photographer’s haven. It is every visitor’s dream to come up close with this beautiful spiritual place.
‘A Spiritual Haven nested in the Himalayas’
Bhutan provides a perfect place to escape from every day stress and connect with nature and find your inner peace. Spiritualism is a way of life for Bhutanese.
- Peaceful Country
Bhutan is one of the most peaceful and safe countries in the world to live and visit.
Top biodiversity hotspot
Bhutan is recognized as one of the top biodiversity hot spots in the world. In order to ensure that Bhutan remains economically and environmentally sustainable during these changing times, the Royal Government of Bhutan committed to create an innovative funding approach called ‘Bhutan for Life’ and fund generated through this initiative will be used.
In order to protect and conserve the biodiversity, many biological corridors and wildlife sanctuaries have been established. Bhutan is a home to a wide variety of flora and fauna.
Hospitable Happy Hosts
Visitors have rated Bhutanese and their hospitality as one of their top reasons for their wonderful experience in Bhutan. Bhutanese are in general happy, hospitable and friendly and this character plays an important part of visitors’ experience in Bhutan.
Happiness is a Place
The national tourism logo is complemented by a tagline “Happiness is a place”. The tagline is more an assertion of Bhutan’s serious pursuit of happiness than a claim to having achieved it. While Bhutan may not be the place of happiness yet, it certainly has place for happiness. The tagline is simply an affirmation that happiness can be found often in the simplest of things in anything, anywhere and anytime. Happiness is universal and it only increases by sharing it.
Happiness is a Space
Bhutan has always been vigilant about the space. Managing visitor numbers so that all visitors get their own space to find happiness.
‘High value, Low volume’ is about not crowding tourism sites and letting those privileged travelers to have their own space and at the same time there is no pressure on social and environment.
This is even more relevant with the COVID-19 pandemic requiring to maintain distance and promoting personal health through safe travels.
Always in the Safe Hands
All visitors are accompanied by a professional, knowledgeable and reliable guide at all times. The top goal of all these trained guides is to make sure that the visitors are safe and get a wonderful experience during their stay in Bhutan.
Unique Culture and Tradition
While Bhutan is one of the smallest countries in the world, its cultural diversity and richness are profound. A strong emphasis is laid on the promotion and preservation of its unique culture and tradition.
Organic Dream
Bhutan is also on the right track in wanting to become the first organic country agriculturally with the government supporting and promoting organic farming. Our visitors get a good choice of organic ingredients.
Democracy is a gift from the Golden throne
In 2006, the Fourth King of Bhutan announced that Bhutan will introduce democracy and took the Bhutanese people by surprise. The King said “we cannot leave such a small, vulnerable country in the hands of one person, who is chosen by birth and not by merit”. “Bhutanese must choose their own leader”.
The people of Bhutan literally begged to maintain as status quo but the King said democracy is the only way for Bhutan. Democracy was a gift from the golden throne from the King to the people of Bhutan.
Great Monarchs – A True People’s Kings
The Dharma kings of Bhutan are synonymous to unity, happiness, and peace for the Bhutanese. Bhutanese are truly blessed to have the farsighted leaders whose selfless acts and kindness towards the citizen are beyond mention.
The Kings have always put the country before them. The 4th King, popularly known as the Great Fourth, stepped down from the Golden Throne at the young age of 51 in making way for the Crown Prince. May be, Bhutan’s Constitution is the only one in the world that recommends (sets) an upper age limit of 65 years for a King.
Bhutanese are grateful to their Kings and their Kings are their source of inspiration, happiness, and peace.
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