Could this be the best place in the world ... Bhutan

(TRAVPR.COM) BHUTAN - August 19th, 2015 - Could this be the best place in the world?

 It is one of the most remote, untouched and least visited countries in the world. Sandwiched between the Himalayas on either side with Tibet on its north and India on its south, east and west, this Buddhist marvel uses Gross National Happiness rather than Gross National Product to determine its economic wealth and puts environmental and cultural conservation at the forefront of its very existence. This is beautiful Bhutan.

Bhutan is peppered with dzongs across its mountains which once served as effective defence fortresses, protecting them from invaders. Today they have been transformed into centres of religious worship and cultural activities. Bhutan also gives way to some of the most extraordinary monasteries in the world which are sprinkled throughout its landscape and form an indispensable part of its culture.

There is no country quite like Bhutan. It is a country that is not dictated by money-making schemes but believes that culture and nature conservation is the most important factor that will ensure happiness and healthy living for the people of Bhutan. By law, at least 60% of Bhutan must remain forested for future generations to come. It is a country where chillies are not just a seasoning but a main ingredient, where plastic bags are banned (world take note) and where the 5th of June of every year has been coined as ‘Pedestrian Day’ where cars are banned from the roads (except for emergencies) to free the air from pollutants and to promote ‘health, community interaction and vitality.’ It is a country where condoms are distributed freely by the government in order to prevent the spread of AIDS, where traffic lights are non-existent and where television sets were only introduced some 14 years ago. Yes, it really is like no other country.

For centuries, Bhutan has guarded its traditions by cutting itself off from the outside world. In fact it was only in the 1970s that it first started to open its doors to tourists. Today Bhutan continues to place its culture, natural beauty and traditions at the forefront, only allowing tourists to visit this magical and mysterious country on a guided tour with a set fee of $250 per person per day (apart from Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian passport holders).

This has, therefore, limited this Buddhist haven to the few well-heeled tourists, ensuring that its fragile environment is never compromised and its culture continues to be preserved.  The money made from tourism continues to be fed back into the community and the country’s wider philosophy of Gross National Happiness.

Yet, in today’s modern world largely dictated by technology and modernisation, Bhutan now faces the challenge of moving with modern times in a sustainable way without sacrificing what it has been preserving for so long. In the past 50 years it has undergone more change than it has in the past 500 years combined, threatening its natural resources as more people move out of the rural areas and into the cities and larger towns in order to have access to more modern amenities. 

Bhutan continues to maintain the balance between modernity and traditionalism to ensure that economic development is not achieved at the cost of culture and environment. Some 51% of Bhutan's forest is under protected areas and well preserved natural environment act as a sanctuary for the endangered snow leopards, the Bengal tiger, the black-necked crane, and elephants. 

Let Bhutan, therefore, act as a country of example, a country that continues to sacrifice money-making schemes to ensure that it remains the beautiful and magical country that it is. A country that continues to fight in order to only allow development to be sustainable, that recycles all its resources and that ensures that wastage is kept to the minimum. This may really be the best place in the world. Let us just hope that it will remain like this for future generations to come.

Bhutan Lhayul Tours & Travels organise trips all over Bhutan. To travel to Bhutan please contact them. Article by: Sara Mizzi.

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