Bhutan–Window in the Sky
Posted on February 24, 2007
Filed Under Travel | Viewed 4908 times
The Kingdom of Bhutan is a country nestled in the Eastern Himalayas. Visitors and guests in Bhutan will be surprised that the culture and traditional lifestyle in Bhutan is still richly intact and at the degree to which it permeates all strands of modern day secular life. The country has consciously adopted a controlled tourism and development policy to safeguard its rich and natural environment and culture. As of 2004, only 9,000 visitors have entered the kingdom, and the numbers in the coming years are not expected to increase greatly. Instead of Gross National Product it uses Gross National Happiness to measure posterity.
One of my favorite pictures taken in Bhutan. Yes, the leaves of these trees in Punnakha turn to lavender in April, and this lasts for only about a month.
with young monks
an old Bhutanese lady holding prayer beads.
a refreshing sight to behold.
in front of the Ministry of Finance Building
with a young Bhutanese lady in front of the Ministry of Health Building
two young Bhutanese girls
this old man stays near the temple during the day
Gross National Happiness reflected in the faces of these young kids. Aren’t they cute and cuddly?
tiny prayer bells, hundreds of them, in front of the hotel
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About Me
Dine Racoma is Sexy Mom, a Filipina doing what she likes best—writing, her passion. She writes freelance, does research, advises on new media, and manages a virtual assistance office for home-based jobs. A mother of 7 (what joy!) foremost, a wife, MIL, grandma to 2 pretty girls and an angel in heaven, sister, daughter, friend. Was in the corporate world for 27 years, the first 5 as Executive Secretary to an affiliate of the country’s biggest drug chain, and the last 22 as an international civil servant in an international development bank with HQ in Manila. Traveled extensively to many countries bringing about rich experiences and lessons learned to share with dear Readers. All these—in The D Spot
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Lucky you! I wish I could visit Bhutan!
Wondrful pictures!
Great architecture!
I’ve never seen a tree with lavender leaves! Only in your picture! Thanks for sharing.
From your pics, Bhutan sounds like an exotic but exciting country to visit.
thanks, Sydney, yes, i guess i am lucky. i visited Bhutan 3 times, and i have visited a number of cities and towns. one of these days, i will write extensively about these travels.
Kathy, it is an exciting place to visit because it is kinda different. it is very rich in culture, and the place—wow! pristine forests, clean air, a place for meditation…:)
OMG, what a remarkable tree
I’d love to go the Himalayas.. one of my soo many dreams.. heaven on earth
People always equate unlimited rights with being free and happy and the people of Bhutan might as well prove this theory wrong. It is considered one the top ten happiest country in the world with one of the jighest per capita income in Asia with unspoiled environment and it is a constitutionally controlled nation.
You visited Bhutan 3 times??? Wow. I envy you. This is one of the places I want to go. I think you need to apply for special permit isn’t it?
The pictures are beautiful, I especially liked the one with the lavender-colored leaves.
Gross National Happiness—what a great concept.
Oohhh, now my feet are really starting to itch.
Wow, Dine, those are beautiful shots. I didn’t know such place exists. Thanks for sharing! Would love to visit that place someday.
You look gorgeous, by the way.
Pining and Lizza – the lavender trees are lovely!
Sesame – my 3 visits to Bhutan were all work-related, but i was able to see most of the country during field trips. there is a surcharge (for meals, accommodation, tour) of $200/day per person (minimum of 3). if the group is less than 3, each person pays another $40. tourists have to make arrangements through authorized travel agencies (no independent travel is allowed).
Pining, yes, Bhutan is called the last place on the roof of the world. it’s a dream place, indeed.
Vic – smiles are abundant, the people are happy, people are unspoilt, so is the environment. tv was introduced only a couple of years ago (it used to be only the local radio). when i asked the people who had the opportunity to study abroad why they returned to Bhutan, most of them would say that “migrating out of Bhutan was never an option for them”. they like living in their country.
Belle – i suggest that you keep Bhutan in your list of places to see.
thanks for the compliment, though being gorgeous is the last thing in the mind while in Bhutan (lol)
Gross National Happiness! Haha, that’s awesome.
I like that picture of the kids. Perfect image for the said statement. I find your blog very amusing, esp. because of the name. Hope you don’t find that offensive, it’s a compliment!
Thanks for stopping by my site!
thanks, Stella. that gives me an idea, i will re-label the picture to reflect GNH.
This place seems too tranquil with simple people living simple lives. If I only get the chance to visit Bhutan, I won’t hesistate buying a new Canon lens right away.
i thought those leaves are flowers…. sooo lovely…
i like the picture with you and the young monks.. hehe soo nice.
lovely photos.. how i wish i could visit bhutan too. i’d love to meditate along with those monks
Together, we will chase it around perdition’s flame!
I have heard of Bhutan… my sister and her husband have both been there… and it’s definitely one of the places I want to go to in my lifetime. I like that Gross National Happiness.
Gross National Happiness … I love that! That should be the universal unit of measurement of a nation’s success.
I love your pictures; you do have an eye. Have only one request, though—could you resize your pics for a small size. I have a sloooooow online connection kasi, eh. Hehehe!
Keep taking them pictures, Dine!
based on the photos, bhutan is indeed a kingdom! it’s nice to see the typical friendly asian faces and traditional costumes (which is somewhat similar to ours no?). and yes, the lavender tree, ngayon lang din ako nakakita niyan
more, more pictures!
yes, Abaniko, if one were bound for bhutan, it will be worth buying a new set of lenses.
tina, they are leaves. being with the young monks is a different experience, they seemed to exude simplicity and inner peace.
yes, Dimaks, bhuddist meditation places abound in bhutan. have you heard that richard gere converted to buddhism?
toe, am sure your sister and her husband liked the experience. and yes, similar mysticism as angkor watt pervades bhutan.
eye, men and women have to wear their traditional costumes when they are outside the house. if they break the rules, they will be imprisoned (though there are very few who break the rules). men wear the “goh”, similar to the robes that japanese men wear.
thanks, senor enrique, will resize the pictures next time. and GNH is indeed a good idea. i wonder if the developed countries would take initiative in replicating it.
Hi Sexymom,
The pictures are so Zen. It’s so refreshing to see people in non-westernized clothes.
The purple blossoms behind you in the first picture are beautiful.
thanks KK, that’s exactly the color – purple, when i was writing the post, i was cracking my head, i knew there’s a color more apt than lavender. ah! purple!
I didn’t know about richard gere having converted to buddhism.. wow, really. Must be a tough inspiration and choice.
Gross National Happiness … now if only everyone could adapt this noble measurement, life would be so much more pleasant.
Thanks for sharing all these lovely photos especially the first one. I’ve never seen a tree like that before. Amazing!
Bhutan seems like a beautiful country worth visiting.
you captures such beautiful sights and faces in your photos. Very nice. And the tree is such a beautiful sight too. Now I have to search for a close-up photo of that.
Did you get to go to the Tiger’s Lair?
Bhutan is definitely in my to-go list after Peru. I wonder how much it would cost to go backpacking. hmmm…
yes, Dimaks, Richard Gere has converted to Buddhism, and one of the places he frequents is Sri Lanka
Rach, GNH was not a difficult idea in Bhutan, with a population of less than a million. if it were to be adopted in the Philippines, i wonder how…
benj, i wanted to go to the Tiger’s Lair, but i did not have the time.
am not sure about backpacking. as i mentioned in my comment to sesame, there is a surcharge (for meals, accommodation, tour) of $200/day per person (minimum of 3). if the group is less than 3, each person pays another $40. tourists have to make arrangements through authorized travel agencies (no independent travel is allowed).
A work-related visit to Bhutan?! Hmmm… Are you with Unicef? hehe. I guess I could rule out backpacking then.
200$/day… ouch. For some reason, I thought Bhutan was going to be cheap – Cambodia cheap. Oh well. Pag iipunan – at maghahanp ng kasama.
I’ve been dreaming of going to the Tiger’s Nest (nest pala, I think I was half asleep when I typed that). Ang gandaaa sa tv.
I bet Nepal’s even going to cost more. Hay. Southeast Asia nalang muna lakwatsya.
benj, yes, work related trips to bhutan! with adb. nepal should be cheaper, very much cheaper, one can even go backpacking.
The purple tree is indeed beautiful and it’s a Jacaranda tree and a native of Australia.
thanks, Linda, now i know the name!
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