Bhutan

The kingdom of Bhutan is sandwiched in the Himalayas between India and the Tibetan region of China. It is situated in the eastern Himalayan region, bordered by Tibet in the North, Sikkim in the west, Indian states of Arunanchal Pradesh in the east and Bengal and Assam, the famous lands of tea, in the south. Cut off for centuries from its neighbors due to its inaccessibility, a visit to Bhutan is much like a journey backwards through time, to a mystical place untouched by the ravages of mankind’s progress… the Last Shangri – La.

The Bhutanese calendar is marked by many ‘Tsechus’ or festivals, eagerly awaited events made special with vivid and colorful masked dances, folk dances and religious allegorical plays, set in the cobbled courtyards of numerous Dzongs and in this ancient and traditional land, it seems fitting that archery is still the national sport.

The population of 600,000 is made up primarily of indigenous Bhutanese. Many naturalized citizens came originally from Tibet and India. Early records suggest clusters of inhabitants had already settled in Bhutan when the first recorded settlers arrived 1,400 years ago. Bhutan’s indigenous population is the Drukpa. Three main ethnic groups, the Sharchops, Ngalops and the Lhotshampas (of Nepalese origin) make up today’s Drukpa.

The best season to visit Bhutan is March, April, May, September, October and Novermber.