The Happiest Country in the World
BHUTAN
Did you know that the first country to adopt happiness as an official goal of public policy is the tiny little country of Bhutan in Asia?
How to Travel to Bhutan and Some Interesting Facts You Didn't Know
Here’s some of my photos taken from my trip to Bhutan in August 2019. Was lucky to have captured the sunrise over somewhere near the Himalayas I think.
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Let me tell you a little story on this flight in case you weren’t aware off or planning to visit Bhutan someday. ⠀⠀
There are only 2 airlines permitted to fly into Bhutan both are Bhutanese owned Airlines ie Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines. I was fortunate enough to fly on both the airlines. ⠀
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Did you know that flying into Paro Airport the pilot doesn’t use ILS (instrument landing system) which guides the aircraft laterally and vertically in an approach to landing. Basically, he/she will fly the plane on manual mode. Imagine flying 18,000 feet through the thick clouds between the Himalayas on manual mode for sure it was nerve wrecking I assure you it wasn’t easy. Especially going thru smoggy conditions. But in actual reality I didn’t feel at all nervous or anxious. On contrary it was the most calming experience I’ve ever had onboard.
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Check out my IG story, I just posted a video on our descend into Paro. Listen carefully to the video and you then learn why I said it’s the most amazing experience ever. It is known to be one of the ‘most challenging’ flights in the world.
Rinpung Dzong Monastery
Rinpung Dzong is a large Buddhist monastery and fortress - of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school in Paro District, Bhutan. It also houses the local Administrative offices inside. Actually it’s a large ground space inside. ⠀⠀ Did you know that the Movie The Little Buddha was filmed here? If you’ve not watched, Keanu Reeves played “Buddha” .
Here’s my favourite photo of Bhutan look at the surrounding of my hotel.. its just filled with lush greeneries and amazing view of the mountains.. I thought I’ll share some facts about this beautiful country.
1) Bhutan adopts “High Value, Low Impact Tourism” policy. So don’t be saddened if your Visa doesn’t get approved. You can always try again another time
2) it’s known as the Last Shangri-La
3) National happiness is officially measured – it was introduced by Jigme Singye Wangchuck the 4th king of Bhutan in 1972
4) Education and healthcare are Free for All
5) it is one of the few countries without traffic lights (check out my post later on)
6) it has the highest unclimbed mountain in the world. The Gangkar Puensum has an elevation of 24,836 feet, and is off limits to mountaineering. In 1994, the Bhutanese government prohibited climbing mountains above 18,000 feet due to the belief that these areas are sacred.
7) Paro Airport is one of the most challenging airports in the world ⠀
8) The Phallic symbols are everywhere in Bhutan. For the Bhutanese, the phallus is simply of sign of good luck and an instrument to ward off evil spirits. This belief traces its roots back to the 14th century when “Divine Madman” Drukpa Kunley made generous use of his penis to fight demons and convert the masses to Buddhism.
9) Bhutan has banned smoking since the 1990s.
10) Bhutan has banned plastic bags since 1999.
11) All of Bhutan’s buildings must follow the traditional architectural style. And I love the intricacies of the structures too.
12) It is mandatory for the Bhutanese to wear their national costume. it looks like a Kimono like but shorter its at knee length
13) Tourists need to pay a minimum of US$200 per day to visit Bhutan.
14) Bhutan is the only country in the world that doesn’t have a single traffic light in the capital city. Instead, policemen in Thimphu stand at major intersections and direct traffic. Supposedly a set was installed, and then quickly removed, because the Bhutanese preferred the policemen. Btw – check out my YouTube videos if you don’t believe me
Even reading about these facts is intriguing itself. Hope you’d be inspired to visit this beautiful country. .
I’ve always wanted to visit Bhutan and finally albeit the numerous visa submissions finally getting that visa done was well worth the wait! ⠀
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As soon as we reached our hotel which is listed as a heritage hotel btw. To see this breathtaking view everyday. My gosh no words can express the tranquility and peacefulness of this country! And I totally get why Bhutan is super strict on the number of tourists they allow. Wish I could go back to Bhutan again in the future.
“Set your heart on doing good. Do it over and over again and you will be filled with joy.”
-Buddha-
I truly enjoyed visiting Thimphu, this is where you’ll see the Largest Sitting Buddha statue in the world. What I like about Bhutan is that the people are just sincere and happy with what they have. They value their lush greenery, animals are protected (no slaughtering allowed), they live within their means and Buddha teachings plays a vital role in their daily lives and lastly the King is adored. ⠀⠀
This statue sits at a measuring 51.5 meters in height and is made of solid bronze. Inside the status are 125k smaller Buddha statues. It also overlooks Thimphu city. .
When in Bhutan, you must visit Taktsang Lhakhang.
The name Taktsang translates to “The Tiger’s Nest”. This temple is one of the most holy sites in the kingdom and clings impossibly to a sheer cliff face 900 meters above the Paro Valley.
It was first built in 1692 at a cave where Guru Rimpoche meditated in the 7th century A.D. Legend states that Guru Rimpoche flew to the site atop the back of a tigress and meditated in the cave for 3 years, 3 months, 3 days and 3 hours in order to subdue evil demons residing within it. The cave has been considered a sacred site ever since and many famous saints have travelled to meditate in it.
The first and second photos is from the base. Can you see Tiger’s Nest in the photo. Well, it’s not an easy hike I tell you at an altitude 3,120 m. It took us almost 4-5 hours to go up the peak. But seeing the temple was something extraordinarily and beyond words. Also by that time I think I almost fainted.
For those of you planning on heading to Bhutan, please do ensure you acclimatize at least 4-5 days before heading to this place. Bhutan is at at 7,300 feet in the Himalayas.