Categories: Travel

Trail to Bhutan 2.0

Trip To Bhutan


 A short trip of 5 days into a small kingdom not so well known to the outside until the late 1990’s. The kingdom of thunder dragon does have their own identity tightly held in the folds of mighty Himalayan ranges. It is spread on the south eastern part of the Himalayas. Bhutan as it is commonly known in the outside world has a wide range of topography, with tropical lowlands in the South with the border with India to the snow-capped peaks in the north, along the China border. The climate and the temperature hence fluctuate drastically as you climb and unclimb the landlocked country. A flat continuous land is a rarity.

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Bhutan maintained its isolationism which was favored to it by its geography and its serene culture. The ubiquitous lush green carpet which stays always fresh, with misty clouds kissing and embracing the rugged mountains and how can you miss the happy people? Smiling is like a tradition, something ingrained in people from where we get the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH). 
Till the late 1990’s, TV and internet were controlled, the current avatar is kind of Bhutan 2.0, with economy looking up, higher purchasing power and tourism on the rise. At the same time it is controlled to make sure it does not influence much on its cultural and religious fabric. 

On the other hand the standard of living is quite high (prosperous) with a population of just 750,000 people. Majority of it follows Buddhism, with symbols and colorful prayer flags throughout the country on all houses and commercial buildings. Strangely something you cannot ignore are symbols and graffiti of phallus (penis), on quite a few homes, shops and apartments. When I asked  my guide, he explained with a very straight face, that it is a symbol which acts like a shield from evil forces, bad luck and malice. 



  • GAUTAM PENDHARKAR

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    • This is the best place to have a tour. I like the statue. I am so fascinated to see this kind of places. I am pretty sure the place is so crowded with foreign tourists. If I have the chance, I will take a lot of photos.

      • Thanks for commenting, but believe me it was not much crowded as Bhutan is much restricted for tourists. Check my blog link for details.

        • @Gautam It is a sad thing because of the restriction. I hope they will just modify the pathway going to the statue. That's the best thing they can have consideration. I really like the statue.

    • I missed a golden opportunity to visit Bhutan when we were on a package holiday to Darjeeling. We were dog tired and so we opted out.
      I always considered Bhutan to be a mystic country.

    • @Gautam Pendharkar - That could be your choice but we prefer to combine places. It is not always that we get tired but this was an exception.

    • While we in India cannot "copy" the Bhutan model, we can ingrain some elements from it. And what is the approximate cost- accommodation+flights for a family of 4 for 4/5 days?
      And I believe an Indian passport will be enough for Bhutan?

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