A March 2019 guided tour of Bhutan for eight people; visiting Paro, Thimpu, Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang District
n March 2019 Graham Ellison Roberts will be paying his fourth visit to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. This time he can take eight people with him to explore the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
Bhutan is a small mountain kingdom, located in the eastern Himalaya, with India to the south and Tibet to the north.
Since the 17th century the country has been known as Druk Yul – Land of the Thunder Dragon, and until the 17th century it was a patchwork of warring fiefdoms until unified by the Tibetan lama Ngawang Namgyal. During the 1870s civil war resulted in the ascendancy of the Wangchuk Dynasty and it was only in 1953 the King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk established a National Assembly and promoted a democratic form of government. Now Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy and the present king Jigme Singye Wangchuk enjoys great popularity.
The land consists mostly of steep and high mountains crisscrossed by a network of swift rivers, which form deep valleys before draining into the Indian plains. The climate varies with elevation; from the subtropical south to the permanent snows of the northern peaks.
Bhutan is a land steeped in tradition; it is estimated that three quarters of the population follow Vajrayana Buddhism, which is the state religion.
Bhutan has a rich and unique cultural heritage that has largely remained intact because of its isolation from the rest of the world until the mid-20th century
Bhutan is mysterious and magical, but also warm and welcoming. Join me on this tour.
Graham Ellison Roberts