Bhutan

This is not a simple place to either get to or get into. There are perhaps only 10–20 flights daily into the country. More than that land at O’Hare in a minute.

Getting in also has some barriers. You must apply in advance for a visa, and Bhutanese visas cost $280 per person, per day. So a three day stay for two (like us) was $1,680. It must be paid in cash and must be wired to the Bhutanese bank account you are given. Cash. Wired. No credit or debit cards accepted.

To be honest I wasn’t certain it wasn’t a scam! Our bank even advised against it. But everyone who has come here went through the same process and the agent we were using was specifically recommended by our hotel, the Le Meridien (a high-end and well-known brand). So it’s a bit of a leap of faith to even get the visas set up. You REALLY want to have to come here, and I think that’s the point.

Now let me tell you what you get for your $280 per day:

1. A private guide. This is a person that is schooled in Bhutan culture and history, so not just someone that escorts you and points at stuff.
2. A driver. A professional driver who is on call for you the entire stay.
3. A vehicle. We had a really nice and roomy Kia SUV. Includes gas.
4. Entrance fees to any cultural site you visit.
5. Your hotel, if you choose. They will book you into a local hotel at no extra charge, but if you want to book your own you can do so at your own extra cost.
6. Meals. Meals are provided at the local restaurants of their choosing. Again if you choose differently, it’s at your cost.

When you add it up you realize that $280 might not be enough. Just the guide, driver, and vehicle probably add up to more than that.

Here are Ello (“Eee-lou”) our guide and Bhurba (“Boar-bah”) our intrepid driver.

Ello was with us every step of the way and we grew quite fond of his enthusiasm for Bhutan. He was excited to share every bit of information he knew about wherever we were. Here’s Jeffrey asking him some questions. It was very, very interactive – like having your own docent. Definitely worth every single penny.

Bhutan is a small country, just 300km by 150km and is sandwiched between Tibet and India. So they are very concious of maintaining their culture and not being overrun. Men still wear traditional gho dress (like what Ello is wearing), and women the kira.

There is no smoking in Bhutan. Cigarettes are banned.

There are no plastic bags in Bhutan, they were banned in 1999.

It is written in their constitution that they must maintain at least 60% forest coverage forever. Right now forests cover 80% of the country.

Bhutan is not only carbon neutral, it is carbon negative. The large forests act as a carbon sink that absorb twice as many greenhouse gasses as they produce.

They are committed to achieving 100% organic farming by 2030.

It is a devoutly Bhuddist country, one of the few in the world. Freedom of religion is guaranteed.

That’s not to say that there isn’t work to do. The economy is fragile and relies on non-value add activities. Life expectancy is low at around 70 and illiteracy is still an issue in this largely rural country.

But we’re finding Bhutan utterly charming and easily one of the most beautiful and interesting places we’ve been.

Just wait until you see what we saw.