The air jaunt from Kathmandu to Paro clocks in around 1:15 but feels like eternity when your plane on Druk Airways* is corkscrewing** itself down to land in the Paro Valley.
(*Side notes: yes, that’s “Druk” meaning dragon, not a misspelling of drunk which might be more fitting. **To be clear, the only corkscrew I’m comfortable with is the one opening my wine.)
I first applied some deep-breathing techniques telling myself, “You got it this; no bigs!” but quickly threw that out as primal fear rose and my thoughts turned to: “Oh. God. You’re going to die.” I gripped the armrest tighter.
The Buddhist music blaring in the background to help soothe didn’t help nor did the woman across from us making hysterical, sudden high-pitched screams. At one point, my husband pointed out that if we could open the airplane window, we could probably touch the mountain side. Great.
Now, that’s a blaring, “WELCOME TO BHUTAN!”
Needless to say, it was the most terrifying flight of my life, but alas, I’ve lived to see another day.
First, the basics: Bhutan is tiny Asian country in between the giants of China and India (just like Nepal!). It currently has about 700,000 people (fewer than most U.S. States!) and uses a constitutional monarchy, in this case a king*+parliament.
(*Side note: the king is actually a younger, very good looking gentleman, but he is sadly already taken by a lovely lady. Go here for more of this lovely love story.)
We had a chance to visit for 5 days, largely in Paro, Thimphu and the Punakha Valley.
Purposefully, we made sure our trip also coincided with the famous Paro Tsechu, an annual festival that features performances by trained monks and people in elaborate masks and costumes. Among other highlights, we hiked to the famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery and along Darchula Pass; rafted in the Mo Chuu River; visited countless temples and monasteries; and, became introduced to chili cheese! In short, the trip was amazing. I won’t bore you with all the details. Instead, here are the things that really stood out about this magical nation.
> Responsible ecotourism: Those from non-SAARC countries are required to pay a $250/day fee, enter through an approved airline, and enter with a guide pre-arranged. The guide also arranges your visa in advance. (Read: no visas on arrival!) This daily fee covers your guide, lodging, food, transportation, and most cultural activities (i.e., museum entrances, etc). This is central part of Bhutan’s ““High Value with Low Impact” model of tourism.
An estimated $65 of the fee is reportedly used by the government for improving infrastructure, healthcare, and education. And, with a relatively low-level of corruption, the Bhutanese do seem to believe that it is being spent for such. While this cost detours some visiting the country, it has helped ensure that those that do visit help invest in the development of the country.
Given all this, I was interested to know if/when other countries had adopted this model and the benefits as well as the costs. Turns out, this is a huge topic, and perhaps I’ll put together another blog on this, but in general, this has been used in places where environmental protection and/or preservation of indigenous communities are key, for example, the Chalalan Lagoon in the Bolivian Amazon. I didn’t come across another country-wide example where this had be used to the extent of Bhutan. (If you know of one, please let me know!)
In contrast, Nepal doesn’t have a daily fee requirement like this, and there is no requirement to visit Nepal with a guide. As a result, it has attracted a more cost-conscious crowd than Bhutan. (Side note: Nepalis in the tourist industry once remarked to me that they actually prefer local-other Nepalese travelers-to international visitors as they spend more on a holiday away. My cheapskate ways to negotiate 50 rupees ($.50) were shamed to the core that day.)
It’s not clear if a daily fee like this could even work in Nepal, considering the political instability and low government transparency. It also seems challenging to integrate this model after the cat’s already been let out of the bag. There is also a risk that imposing this model now would detract tourists, and Nepal depends too much on tourist dollars to mess with this equation.
Instead, it probably makes more sense for Nepal to continue building its infrastructure and experience offerings to bring in more tourist dollars while at the same time working to funnel more to the benefit of the country.
> Environmental responsibility: Bhutan is strikingly clean and unpolluted. There is little trash cluttering the sides of the roads or clogging rivers, a frequent sight in Kathmandu. I wondered if this would change after we got out of more touristy areas. While it did somewhat, it was not extreme. A sense of environmental responsibility seems to be better ingrained into the culture (see GNH and responsible tourism). I certainly noticed plenty of signs of “put your trash here”; “protect our cultural heritage”; “keep Bhutan green”, etc. in public places with warnings of stiff fines for littering.
Seeing the contrast from India and Nepal where it’s not uncommon for people to throw a wrapper on the ground when they’re done with it, there does seem to be value in these types of government mandates to “not litter OR ELSE!” (Perhaps, people need that fear of penalty until protection of public lands starts to feel normal.) Granted, this has to be backed up with the right infrastructure, including trash cans in public places, routine trash collection, and recycling programs.
Bhutan’s reliance on tourism and hydropower also encourages environmental protection. However, smaller countries may have to make less of a sacrifice between economic development and environmental degradation. Short-term gains to economic growth often come at the expense of environmental preservation, but with tourism playing such a big part of economic development for many countries and the increased effects of climate change becoming more apparent, more and more are weighing the options and choosing otherwise.
> Gross National Happiness: Bhutan refuses to measure the growth of its country in economic terms (GDP) alone. It has also put forward a new approach in the form of the Gross National Happiness (GNH) indicator which measures the spiritual, physical, social and environmental health of its citizens and natural environment. This quote in a Guardian article sums the philosophy up,
“It’s easy to mine the land and fish the seas and get rich…Yet we believe you cannot have a prosperous nation in the long run that does not conserve its natural environment or take care of the well-being of its people, which is being borne out by what is happening to the outside world…People always ask how can you possibly have a nation of happy people? But this is missing the point…GNH is an aspiration, a set of guiding principles through which we are navigating our path towards a sustainable and equitable society. We believe the world needs to do the same before it is too late.” -Thakur Singh Powdyel, Minister of Education
The government actively uses the GNH indicator to help assess any potential development projects for the country. It is also used in private and public institutions. For example, schools have added basic agricultural techniques and environmental protection themes to the curriculum. A waste management program ensures that every piece of material used at the school is recycled. GNH also means daily meditation sessions and soothing traditional music at school.
In a world facing increasing uncertainty, inequality, and fear, it seems fitting that we also evolve our notion of “developed”. Developed countries have some of the most unhappiest, unhealthiest, unsafe, and unequal societies, so we could learn a lot from this updated definition.
> Religion: Finally, an estimated 75% of people in the country are Buddhist, and the religion’s impact on history and culture are all throughout Bhutan. Prayer flags adorn every open pass. There is a temple at what seems every corner. Monks pass you left and right.
I won’t get into the core beliefs of Buddhism, but it is worth noting that Buddhists believe anyone can achieve enlightenment through a journey that among other things, requires being a good person. Fear of being reincarnated below one’s current status also encourages good behavior. (As our guide told us, you never know what your dog was prior, so be nice to him! I felt our dogs sent him specifically to get extra food.)
While I think it’s overly simplistic to say the culture is peaceful, there did seem to be a greater sense of connection with other humans, animals, and the world in general that permeated people’s daily lives.
Overall, Bhutan offers a largely untouched, religious, and deeply cultural experience that makes you reflect on a different way of life, indeed, making it a pretty magical place.
Oh, and the plane ride out is so much easier.
