I skimmed through lists of top travel destinations from the NY Times and National Geographic and kept seeing Bhutan make the top 50 list. I read that Bhutan was the land of happiness where they measured their country’s progress by GNH
(Gross National Happiness) over GDP. I was intrigued and decided to place it on my travel list. In my research, I saw images of Tiger’s Nest Monastery or Paro Taktsang perched on the edge of a cliff. I was curious especially with my interest in Buddhism. Bhutan seemed to be a very serene and peaceful place to explore.
I kept hearing, however, that traveling to Bhutan was difficult because it is a tiny Himalayan country nestled between India and China. I heard that Bhutan had a quota system that only allowed a certain number of visitors at a time and later learned that was a misconception. The real barrier for travel is the cost to Bhutan and how expensive it is.There is a daily minimum spend of $250 a day per person that must be prepaid through a travel agency in order to get your travel visa. I learned if you travel during off-peak season or in a larger group then the cost per person is slightly less.
I remembered how difficult it is for me to acclimate to high altitude due to my past visit to Tibet. I pondered the idea to visit Bhutan for years. Then I began my research to make this goal come true. I even seeded this idea as my sankulpa during a yoga retreat in Scotland. I decided to make use of my 9- week sabbatical (earned by working at Airbnb for 5+ years) by finally making it to Bhutan. I asked around among my circle to see who had already been to Bhutan to get a start on the planning process. Next week, I’ll talk about how I planned my trip.
Travelogue 