“Gross National Happiness”

Virtual Traveller 86
Apr 29, 2020
2 min read

Day Two: Country No. 7

BHUTAN Arrival time: 3:01pm

Flying into Paro airport was a hairy experience! This gateway to Bhutan is surrounded by high mountains and has a very short runway.

So I’m glad I didn’t really need to fly in order to access this intriguing kingdom in the Himalayas. Until 1974 the country was closed to foreigners and the only way you could access it was to have a personal invitation from the king or queen. Although now open to tourists access is still very much regulated. However I didn’t require any special permissions and I didn’t have to travel with a guide...just via the wonders of the internet.

My tour was mostly taken in a helicopter using www.airpano.com. Having spent longer than anticipated in China this trip was to be a brief one.

I am also very glad that I didn’t make this trip in person since it is incredibly expensive to do so. “The government has placed a minimum fee of around $200 USD per day per person in low season and $250 USD per day per person during high season for visitors to Bhutan. This is to help protect Bhutan’s culture and environment. Naturally, this makes your trip to Bhutan remarkably expensive. This fee covers things like internal travel costs (not internal flights); all meals and a guide to help you get around. It also means the government can provide nationals with free education and healthcare (Source: Why is Bhutan so Expensive, by Kham Sang; 20th November 2019 www.tibettravel.org)

I’ll now handover to the photos I snapped.

Top picture: Punakha Dzong

Bottom Left picture: Tiger’s Nest Monastery (3120 metres high and clinging to side of the rock face).