bhutan Destination Travels

Introduction
The Kingdom of Bhutan lies in the eastern Himalayas, sandwiched between China in the north and India in the south. It has a total area of about 47,000 square kilometers. Located in the heart of the high Himalayan mountain range, Bhutan is a land-locked kingdom with a diversified altitudes ranging from 7,300 meters in the North to about 100 meters in the south. With a total population of about 700,000, Bhutan is a tiny kingdom which unlike so many other countries in the world has preserved its tradition and culture till today. Mystery surrounds Bhutan's distant past, as priceless irretrievable documents were lost in fires and earthquakes. Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava or second Buddha) introduced Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century. Taktsang monastery or Tigers Nest in the Paro Valley is where he landed during his legendary trip from Tibet to Bhutan on the back of a flying tigress and remains one of the most sacred places in Bhutan.
The country has been declared as one of the ten bio-diversity ‘hotspots’ in the world for its huge bio diversity. With 70 percent of the country under forest cover, Bhutan is home to many rare and endangered species of wildlife like the Takin (Bhutan’s national animal), blue sheep, Himalayan Black bear, snow Leopard, tiger, water Buffalo, Elephant and golden Langur. The richness in floral variety includes numerous species of rhododendron and orchids, blue poppy (the national flower), junipers, magnolias and many varieties of rare medicinal plants.
Bhutan has never had a rigid class system. Bhutanese women enjoy equal rights with men in every respect. To keep the traditional culture alive, Bhutanese people wear the traditional clothing that has been worn for centuries. Bhutanese men wear a 'gho,' a long robe tied around the waist up to the knee length, by a belt. The women's ankle length dress is called a kira, made from beautifully colored and finely woven fabrics with traditional patterns. Bhutan is the only country in the world to retain the Tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism (Drukpa Kagyu) as the official religion. Annual festivals (tsechus and domches) are spiritual occasions in each of its twenty districts. People from all walks of life come to witness these festivals where many events including mask dances take place. They bring together the population and are dedicated to the Guru Rinpoche or other deities. Throughout Bhutan, stupas and chortens line the roadside commemorating places where Guru Rinpoche or another high Lama may have stopped to meditate. Prayer flags dot the hills, fluttering in the wind. They allow Bhutanese people to maintain constant communication with the heavens.
While urban settlements have seemingly embraced the process of modernization, the majority of Bhutanese people still live in small rural villages. The Bhutanese diet is rich in meat, dairy, grain (particularly rice) and vegetables. Emadatse, a dish prepared from (chili, cottage cheese and herbs) is considered, unofficially, the national dish. Meat dishes, mainly pork, beef, yak and chicken, are lavishly spiced with chilies. Salted butter tea, or suja, is usually served on all social occasions. The Bhutanese way of life is greatly influenced by religion. People circumambulating the chortens (temples) with prayer beads and twirling prayer wheels are a common sight. Every Bhutanese home has a special room used for prayers - a chosum.

The Royal Government of Bhutan acknowledges that tourism is a world-wide phenomenon and an important way of achieving socioeconomic development especially for developing countries like Bhutan. It also recognizes that tourism can enhance promoting understanding among people and building closer ties of friendship based on appreciation and respect for different cultures and lifestyles.
However, there are issues associated with tourism which, if not given proper attention, can have devastating and irreversible impact on the local environment, culture & tradition including the identity of the people and the nation itself. Realizing these problems and the fact that the resources on which tourism is based are limited, the tourism industry in Bhutan is founded on the principle of sustainability, meaning that tourism must be environmentally and ecologically friendly, socially and culturally appropriate and economically viable.
Towards achieving this objective, the Royal Government, since inception of tourism in the year 1974, has adopted a very cautious approach to progress and development of the tourism industry in Bhutan. In order to minimize the problems, the number of tourists has been maintained at a manageable level and this control on number is exercised through a policy of government regulated tourist tariff and a set of administrative requirements. The Royal Government of Bhutan adheres strongly to a policy of low volume, high value tourism. Through its restricted tourism policy, Bhutan has emerged as one of the few unexplored tourist destinations and least travelled countries in the world.