5 Reasons To Visit Bhutan, One Of Travel’s Hottest Destinations

18.09.2023 - 11:11 / forbes.com

2024 will mark the 50^th anniversary of the opening of Bhutan to foreign travelers, and in that relatively short time it has been one of the least visited great places in the world. Bhutan has always been a true “Bucket List” destination for select niches of travelers, including romantics, nature lovers, the spiritually inclined, and that enviable group who has been “everywhere else.” But after a total pandemic shutdown, Bhutan has gone prime time, re-emerging with new hotels, activities, travel options and revamped tourism policies that make the logistically challenging destination easier to visit than ever before.

In an increasingly ubiquitous and globalized world, amidst artificial cities full of the same stores and restaurants found all over the planet, uniqueness and authenticity stand out in travel more than ever, and many things make this small country (the size of Switzerland, in turn the size of West Virginia) truly unique. It’s the world’s only Buddhist monarchy, the only country entirely contained within the Himalayas and unlike many newcomers to the sustainability trend, has a lengthy green history that has made it the first carbon-neutral country on earth. Bhutan famously measures its domestic success with a Gross National Happiness index and is one of the happiest country on earth. It has the highest unclimbed peaks in the world, along with tropical climate valleys producing everything from coconuts to mangoes to oranges. It is legendarily home to the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, but for sure it is home to a shocking array of wildlife, such as Bengal tigers, leopards, elephants, red panda, monkeys, black bears, and the national animal, the rare takin, a sort of sheep or goat meets musk ox.

Below the high snowcapped peaks, it is warm, lush and very green, and some think Bhutan was the inspiration for the novel and film Shangri La, as it is a true hidden Himalayan paradise.

There are many good reasons to visit Bhutan in the near future, but here are my top five.

1. It Just Got Easier (and Cheaper): Until recently, American tourists were required to go through special tour operators and book entire pre-paid itineraries, with a minimum daily spend, in order to get a visa (in turn, you cannot buy plane tickets into Bhutan without a visa). There are still a lot of rules, such as that you need to be with a guide almost the entire time, but the booking process has become more transparent and simplified, and you can go directly through hotels or a growing number of North American or Bhutanese tour operators. The daily spending requirement is gone, and just this month (September 2023), the daily Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) was cut in half for the next four years, immediately saving most