The world can learn from Bhutan!
Top 7 reasons why you should go to Bhutan:
-
The Kingdom is the only carbon neutral country in the world.
It even has a negative Co2 balance.
The air is pure in the truest sense of the word.
-
Bhutan has always believed in nature conservation. More than 70% of the country is covered with forest and will remain so,
Bhutan has committed to this. Thousands of trees are replanted here every year.
The whole country is divided into 9 nature reserves.
-
The mountains are considered sacred in Bhutan, so extreme mountaineering is prohibited.
-
Bhutan values soft tourism and uses daily fees to protect itself from mass tourism.
-
However, part of these daily fees are used for assistance to the local population
eg hospital, school. (Both free for the population)
-
The approximately 800,000 inhabitants of the small kingdom are considered to be one of the happiest peoples in the world.
Their king declared decades ago:“We are concerned with the well-being of people,
the grossnational happiness and not about economic growth".
dr Tho Ha Vin, the so-called "Happiness Ministerwas responsible for this project
has reported on it in many lectures around the world.
-
You will witness a lively, centuries-old monastic culture.
About Bhutan
Bhutan, slightly smaller than Switzerland, is geographically wedged between India and China with its 700,000 inhabitants.
The country covers an area of 50000 km2 and is divided into 20 districts.
Only its own airline, Bhutan Air or Druk Air, flies to the airportparoas these pilots are specially trained for the steep valleys and breakneck landing manoeuvres.
In the north stretches the mightyHimalayan massif, traversed by
lovely valleys with raging rivers
and lush rhododendron forests.
Bhutan is drained by seven major rivers that eventually flow into the Indian lowlands, B.Cdivided on north to south. The highest mountain, Gangkar Pünsum is in the Himalaya mountains and with its 7497m has never been climbed.
In Bhutan, mountains are considered sacred.
More than 80% of the country is higher than 2000m. Here you'll find lichen hanging from old, towering trees, looking like ragged magic cloaks.
Crossing the passes one has the opportunity to meet yaks, to see prayer flags flapping in the wind by the thousands. The Buddhists call this Fire Boucha. Twigs are burned in an open fireplace to ask for blessings on the onward journey.
Today a single main road crosses the country from west to east.
BHUTAN is in9 nature reservesdivided. These range from tropical rainforests in the south to the glaciers of the Himalayas in the north. You will find a varied fauna and flora with a variety of flowers, butterflies, birds but also animals like gold lamurs,black bears,Red panda,Takin, snow leopardsandtiger.
Bhutan has also agreed to keep 60% of the country under conservation forever.
dzongs, as the monastery castles are called, stand for the dual system of government in Bhutan and are scattered all over the country. These multi-story buildings are lined with a brown band, a sign of theHoliness.
The walls are of whitewashed rammed earth, decorated with ornate motifs, flanked by carved columns. A filigree wooden framework adorns this imposing building high up. About 800 monks were counted in 2004, and there have probably been more in the meantime.
Bhutan has 108 iron wire bridges.
The stablechain linksmake it possible to build bridges with a span of more than 100 meters. They were built in the 14th century byTang Tong Gelpu constructed. He was a Buddhist saint who is still revered today as a philosopher, poet, teacher, architect, painter, sculptor and physician.
Bridges like die Golden Gate Bridge are inspired by the work of this personality.
Tang Tong Gelpu was 104 years old.
In Bhutan prevailsdualsystem of government, a secular oneanda spiritual one.
The daily life of the Bhutanese is shaped by religion, customs and tradition.
It wasn't until 1974 that the gates were opened to daring travelers.
From 1985 the first real tourist opening began, for example for Switzerland, Scandinavia, Kuwait, Japan, South Korea and since 1989 Austria.
In fact, the tiny country has succeeded with the idea of the "Gross National Luck"as a kind of moral power to get a lot of attention in the western world.
