Bhutan Travel Agent Specialist

Tiger's Nest in Bhutaln

Bhutan, set at the base of the Himalayas, is a tiny Kingdom where the mantra of the country is "Gross National Happiness".  The people always have a smile on their faces!  I went there when there were only 14,000 visitors/tourists allowed into the country with a guide a year.  Paro is the city you arrive on the national airline, Druk, from Bangkok on one of the world's most dangerous airports only because of the short runway and the close proximity to the mountains of the Himalayas.  But all is good with the skill of the native pilots.  You can start your journey in the city of  Thimphu, the capital.  There are many Monasteries throughout the country.  The most famous of which is Tiger's Nest, situated on a mountainside.  Or if you wanted to stay on the ground there are numerous, beautiful monasteries throughout.  The monks enter the monasteries at a very young age and are very friendly and interested in Westerners.  We traveled as far East in the country from Thimphu to Trongsa where wildlife is plenty.  The national sport is Archery with tournaments held throughout the country.  We went during one of their Festival times.  Very interesting with their performances of the dances and the drums in their native dress.  The country is primitive outside of the big cities, with dirt roads in the small villages, hotels with potbelly stoves and horsehair mattresses.  But there is some luxury in resort hotels with spas and even an Aman Resort out in the middle of nowhere!

The Crown Jewel: Tiger’s Nest (Paro Taktsang)The most iconic image of Bhutan is the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. Perched precariously on a sheer granite cliff 900 meters above the Paro Valley floor, it looks like it was dropped from the heavens.The hike to the top is a pilgrimage in itself. The air thins as you climb through forests of blue pine and rhododendrons draped in "old man's beard" (lichen). Halfway up, the monastery appears through the mist, a cluster of white buildings with shimmering gold roofs. Legend says that Guru Rinpoche, the "Second Buddha" who brought Buddhism to Bhutan, flew to this spot on the back of a tigress to meditate in a cave and subdue local demons. Standing at the viewpoint, looking across the abyss at the monastery, you feel the weight of centuries of prayer. It is a place where the barrier between the physical and spiritual worlds feels impossibly thin.

If you want a Bucket List trip, I would highly suggest Bhutan. Not necessarily known for its food and wine, but known for the happiness of its people who live there and their religious culture of all the monks that serve their country.