Bhutan - World's secret no. 1 travel hotspot

Have you ever wanted to visit a country which has the potential to change your life? Then Bhutan is the real deal. The saying goes that who has visited Bhutan leaves it with a spark of magic and a changed mindset. I can confirm that this is true.

Bhutan, most well known for it's temple called "tiger's nest" (picture above) is imbedded between China and India. Their religion is Buddhism. The size of Bhutan equals Switzerland and has approx. 800k inhabitants.

Why is Bhutan so special? There are uncountable reasons why Bhutan is unique. One of them is that Bhutan is currently the only country in the world to be 100% organic. No Mc Donald's, no Starbucks, no Monsanto, no Exxon Mobil can be found there. It's pure nature. The government has set up strict rules for visitors (which include having a mandatory guide from arrival to departure, booking only via government accredited travel agencies and set prices for visitors). I first thought that these rules all sound very stringent but it's actually the opposite. This is just the paperwork. Once you are there you feel completely free. Wouldn't they have all these rules in place then the country would be flooded with tourism such as Thailand and probably turned into another party hotspot...

Bhutan has so much to explore. The travel agencies offer cultural, meditation, festival, botanical, safari, trekking, honey moon, bird watching, mountain biking tours. Just to mention a few. The food is delicious and organic. From certain higher located spots one can see the breathtaking himalayan mountains. The people in Bhutan are probably the friendliest people in the world.

I recommend a trip to Bhutan for anybody who loves nature, friendly people, good food, interesting culture and wants to experience a once in a lifetime trip. As already mentioned, the prices are fixed and therefore nobody can scam you. It's a totally honest country. The daily costs range from USD 250-300.-. The costs depend on the type of tour (private or group) and what kind of hotels you choose. The daily costs include a guide, transport, breakfast and dinner at the hotel, lunch in a restaurant, water, visa checkpoints paperwork and entry fees into museums. The local currency is called Ngultrum but they accept USD anywhere. Bhutan isn't cheap but it's surely worth it.

Here are some more very interesting facts about Bhutan (according to my guide; visit in 2013):

-Bhutan doesn't measure growth with GDP. They measure growth in GNH, which stands for "gross national happiness". 😊

-There are only around 115 HIV patients in the whole country (brought in there by Indian construction workers).

-There is practically no criminality. Bhutan occupies currently only 2 prisoners countrywide. Both are political prisoners. Every guide will tell you that you can lose your wallet on the street and the finder will try anything to find the owner. They are a very honest country.

-Bhutanese law requires 73% of the countries nature to be preserved at any time.

-The capital Thimphu doesn't have one single traffic light. That's unique for any capital city.

-They had a ban on televison until approx. 15 years ago.

-The highest number of tourists visiting the country was in 2011 and added up to approximately 50'000. That's only about 140 tourists a day in the whole country. (This number has surely increased by now)

If you ever decide to visit Bhutan, I can assure you, you will come back home with a big smile on your face 😊