Dragon Kingdom: Departure 30 Mar 15

So what are our thoughts of Bhutan. It is a different tourist destination only touched to a limited extent by tourists. It has the cleanliness, strong anti-corruption stance and national pride of Singapore, the friendliness of Thailand, the religious commitment of Tibet, and the mountains of Nepal.

King number 4 was clearly far sighted and guided slow gradual change, including retiring at 60 and handing over to his son. The commitment to national dress and mandating of national features into buildings has certainly enhanced national identity.

Economically they are comfortable with the export of hydro power to India their biggest generator of income, with tourism second. Economically they are tied to India which is probably not a bad place to be. Their currency is pegged, Indian notes are accepted, and Indians do not require a Visa to enter and this is reciprocal. A challenge is the geopolitical tension between China and India, soon to be the two biggest economies in the world.

On the down side they do not have sufficient flat land to grow the cereal they need. India can probably supply the shortfall or they could introduce high productivity strains. They do receive aid from many countries including Australia. As I approached Tiger Nest I came into conversation with an Australian lady who is in Bhutan for a year, sponsored by Australian Government and the Red Cross. She is a psychologist and will be undertaking analysis of children with special needs.

Overall Bhutan is an interesting travel destination with their efforts to maintain national costumes, 60% of land designated to forests, protection of the environment as a goal. All these ingredients combine in the catch phrase of Gross National Happiness.

Tourism is expanding! We flew out on the first flight by Drukair's fourth A319, that will expand connections to further destinations. We had a great trip due in part to our great guide (on right) and driver (left).

Best wishes Bhutan!