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Bhutan, guaranteed happiness in the happiest country in the world
They say that Bhutan is the happiest country in the world and one that gives more importance to Happiness than to tourism.
Here they measure the level of internal happiness (GNH), instead of measuring GDP.... Incredible!
Natural beauty, culture, and tradition. These are perhaps the most important pillars of life in Bhutan, a South Asian country bordering China, Nepal, and India. This country, hidden among mountains, was isolated from tourism until 1974 and has more than 155 temples and monasteries. In Dzongkha, the official Bhutanese language, Druk Yul is the name of Bhutan, which means "Land of the Thunder Dragon."
The most incredible part of the beginning of my trip to Bhutan was undoubtedly the arrival. You can arrive with Druk Air or Bhutan Airlines. Either way, flying over the Himalayan range gives you a sense of grandeur hardly comparable to any other flight. When I arrived in the Himalayas (tip: ask for a seat on the right side of the aircraft on the way out and left on the way back), the stewardess already warned us of what we were seeing: Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Kangchenjunga.
The Bhutan experience begins before the landing, flying over the Himalayan mountain range.
Did you know that landing at Paro airport can only be done manually, and that there are very few accredited pilots in the world who can do so? This airport is located in the heart of a valley at an altitude of 2,237 meters, surrounded by mountains that exceed 5,000 meters.
On my trip to Bhutan, I was fortunate enough to stay at the Six Senses Chain Hotels, opened in 2019, in the towns of Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha, as well as the Como Uma Chain hotels in Paro and Punakha, and the Aman Chain hotels. Each hotel is for a different type of person, and based on my experience, we will recommend one option or the other for you, depending on your preferences.
In my opinion, the minimum time needed to visit this wonderful country surrounded by mountains is 6 days/5 nights, if you want to visit the western part of the country: Thimpu, Punakha, and Paro. But if you have more days, I advise you to extend the trip and go deeper into the country, until you reach Gangtey and Bumthang. The road is quite comfortable, although it is a long journey. Fortunately, a domestic flight that completes the route between Bumthang and Paro was recently established.
The visa is another important point: it must be arranged well in advance and costs around 250€ per day and person, including transportation, accommodation, and meals based on local hotels.
Swimming pool of the Six Senses Hotel in Thimpu.
The hotels are integrated into the natural environment of the area.
On top of the world
On my trip to Bhutan, I first visited Thimphu to see the Buddha Dordenma, a gigantic statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, which offers wonderful views of the mountains. Also, be sure to visit the market, which is very colorful and full of life.
From Thimphu, the trip continued to Punakha, but not before stopping at Dochula Pass, at 3,150m high, where 108 chortens can be found. There, we trekked for 3 hours until reaching the highest point, the Lungchutse Temple, 3,566m, from where you can see many peaks over 7,000m. Luckily, my guide was also a mountain expert and knew all the trails as well as the monk who guards the temple, who let us in.
The statue is located in the middle of the ruins of Kuensel Phodrang.
At the Douchula pass, a table shows the altitudes of the peaks that can be seen from there.
Punakha is another place that one can not miss, and undoubtedly the Punakha Dzong. Its fantastic location at the confluence of two rivers makes it the most beautiful dzong (fortress-monastery) and representative of the architecture of Bhutan. Honestly, I would have stayed for hours visiting every corner, but as there is so much to visit and little time, I had to continue.
Luckily, my guide was very knowledgeable about the destination, its customs, culture, and religion, and explained everything to me in detail. He was also very flexible about the type of trip I had in mind. For me, it is very important to find a guide who is flexible and who can change the tours if necessary, based on the needs and tastes of each person or group.
The Dzong of Punakha. This city was the capital of Bhutan until 1955, when it was moved to Thimpu.
On my way back to Paro, I was able to see how the country's national sport, archery, was practiced. This sport is practiced from childhood by the Bhutanese. It is very easy to observe small competitions among the local men. Dressed in their traditional costume, the "GHO", they do not hesitate to challenge the icy winds of the Himalayas.
In Paro, besides visiting the Paro Dzong, one cannot leave without trekking to the Tiger's Nest, and yes, although it is the most typical thing to do, you have to do it! According to legend, Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), one of the essential characters of the origins of Tibetan Buddhism, came to this remote corner on the back of a tigress in order to meditate on this steep place. This extraordinary religious complex, one of the most iconic spots on any trip to Bhutan, was built in the 17th century.
Taktstang is a monastery located on a cliff in the Paro valley, at 3,120 meters. Its name means "Tiger's Nest".
The monastery is an important sacred place for Himalayan Buddhism and includes seven temples.
It is highly recommended to start very early, as it is a visit that everyone usually does, and it is usually a fairly busy route. In addition, half of the way can be done on the back of a donkey (something I do not advise), and those who are walking will eat all the dust left, so... get up early. The trek, between the ascent, the visit to the monastery, and the return, takes about 5 hours, but the visit is truly worth it. You will reach up to 3,200m in altitude.
Bhutan is a country where you truly disconnect from the world: the mountains, the landscapes, its people, and its culture offer a peace hardly achievable in the Western world. It is an ideal destination to connect with the spirituality of the country, take meditation classes and yoga, and enjoy the spas of the hotels, the landscape, the happiness of its inhabitants, and nature.
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