B is for Bhutan

We were invited by a good friend- who at the time was Bhutan’s manager for HSI -as volunteers to contribute to Humane Society International’s National Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme in Bhutan.

Not surprisingly, we jumped at the chance to visit a country very high on our bucket list, and to be a part of something we feel very passionate about.

Bhutan is a small landlocked country in Asia located entirely within the Himalayan mountain range. The kingdom practices what they call “high value, low impact tourism”, making it a very exclusive travel destination. The policy of “low volume” regulates tourist arrivals in the country, minimizing the impact and sustaining the number that its limited infrastructure can support.

All tourists must pay US$250 per person per day to visit Bhutan. This covers accommodation, transport in Bhutan, a guide, food and entry fees.

Giselle and I were EXTREMELY lucky that we were invited by a friend, and that this fee was waved for us by the government. We wouldn’t have been able to travel there otherwise.

When we were not working, we travelled through this peaceful country, and awed at its natural beauty, from towering snow peeked mountains, to farm valleys, to monastery’s built on mountain sides, to incredibly colourful and detailed Buddhist inspired works of art.

Most Bhutanese still dress in their traditional kiras , and gohs, and you can’t help but feel a calm peaceful energy everywhere, especially when you hear the chants of om mani padme om.

We are incredibly grateful to have spent 3 weeks exploring this so called Shangri-la.