Bhutan is not an ordinary place. It has one foot in the past and one in the future. Its far-sighted leaders recognize the necessity of being part of the modern world, but they realize that once their forests and culture are destroyed, they can never be recovered. They have maintained their traditional culture, yet they have adapted what they need from modern technology. You’ll find monks transcribing ancient Buddhist tests into computers and traditionally dressed archers using the most modern high-tech bows and arrows.

Bhutan is a country of rolling hills and towering crags, with only small patches of cultivation and very little deforestation.  It is often compared to Switzerland, not only because they are similar in size, but also because many parts of Bhutan look like the Swiss Alps, with green hills, houses that look like chalets and snow peaks sticking out of nowhere.

Bhutan is a land replete with myths and legends, and many tales contribute to its underserved reputation of being an impossible place to visit. While certainly isolated and remote, it is not in fact a difficult place to visit.

Bhutan holds many surprises and a visit to the country is a splendid adventure. There are Western-style hotels and food throughout the country, but the best facilities are in Thimpu, the capital, and the town of Paro where the airport is located. If you travel to eastern Bhutan, be prepared for simple hotels and less familiar meals.
 

There are numerous contradictions in the various sources that describe Bhutan’s history. Facts and figures are often missing or confusing. There is no authoritative list of place names, no list of mountain peaks, and population figures are based on estimates. The statistics and description of historical events presented here are based on credible sources, but many of these ‘facts’ are open to interpretation. Much of the information about temples, monuments and local history was provided by monks, caretakers and school teachers, who do not always agree with each other – or with the history books – about events, dates and other information.

Bhutan is a landlocked country about 300km long and 150km wide, encompassing 46,500 sq. km. It is bounded on the north-west and north by Tibet. The rest of the country is surrounded by India: on the east by the state of Arunachal Pradesh; on the south by Assam and West Bengal; and on the west by Sikkim. Tibet’s Chumbi valley, the old trade and expedition route from India to Lhasa, lies between the northern parts of Bhutan and Sikkim. Virtually the entire country is mountainous, and ranges in elevation from 100m to the 7541m Gangkhar Puensum peak on the Tibetan border. It can be divided into three major geographic regions: the high Himalaya of the north; the hills and valleys of the centre; and the foothills and plains of the south.

The Bhutanese are very curious about life outside their mountain kingdom and are eager to hear stories about your country and how you live. If you visit Bhutan, you will become one of the few who have experienced the charm and magic of the country, and you may become a proponent of the kingdom’s tourism policy and its efforts to maintain its distinct identity.