The Kingdom of Bhutan is a South Asia country, which lies on the eastern Himalayas, bordered by Tibet (China) in the north and India in the south. Bhutan is also called ‘Druk Yul” – The Land of The Thunder Dragon by its people from the 17th century. Bhutan has a population of around 779,000 (2021 data). The capital is Thimphu, which is located in the western central part of the country. Due to its location on the rooftop of the world, not many tourists have had the opportunity to explore Bhutan, which keeps the land remains as a new and mysterious tourism destination.
The Himalayas are spread across Bhutan. In Bhutan, the highest mountain is Gangkhar Puensum. With an elevation of 7,570 meters (24,840 ft), it is a strong candidate for the highest unclimbed mountain in the world. The mountain’s name means “White Peak of the Three Spiritual Brothers”.
Bhutan is blessed with a diverse environment and the Government has done well in preserving nature and caring for wildlife. Thousands of rare and endangered species can be seen in this country, and some of them only live in Bhutan. Forests cover around 72% of the country, giving animals and plants here ideal habitats to grow and develop. The lush valleys and enormous mountains create a stunning nature for Bhutan. The pristine environment is why Bhutan is called the Last Shangri La – beautiful, charming and mystic.
The Bhutanese culture is unique, with Buddhism as the national religion. People here practice Buddhism daily. The Bhutanese enjoy a lively life and are warmhearted towards guests, even to perfect strangers. They mainly live in small villages, in isolated farms or some in tents, and wear their traditional clothes – a gho for men and a kira for women. Ancient monasteries, temples, chortens and Dzongs (fortresses) in Bhutan are the characteristic architectures, with the main purpose of practicing and teaching Buddhism for people. The silent and peaceful atmosphere at these places is the ideal destination for meditation to relax one’s mind. Their unique cultural heritage is expressed through festivals (Tshechu) with masked dance performances and other events that pass on the ancient stories to next generations. This is their way to protect the cultural values from outside influences while still open to modern development. These festivals attract many visitors to come and explore Bhutan each year.