Bhutan: Photo Gallery

I don’t believe in comparable goodness. There is no such thing as the best country in the world. Every country has its own good and bad parts. Bhutan is no exception. Take the chili cheese, for example, the country’s national dish. Not a fan. I’m sure there are many other bad things about Bhutan. I just can’t think of any right now.

Punakha monastery in central Bhutan.

In May, 2019, I spent 10 days traveling through Bhutan, a previously isolated Himalayan kingdom squeezed between India and China. From Delhi, I flew to Guwahati in eastern India where I was picked up by my guides. It was a 2-hour drive to the Bhutan border. As soon as we crossed into the country, the terrain changed dramatically and from then on we were surrounded by mountains. We spent the first 3-4 days in and around Royal Manas National Park in southern Bhutan, where the weather was warm and humid and I did not encounter a single non-Bhutanese or Indian person.

Outside Royal Manas National Park, I came across a local football match. The monsoon season was just starting and it had been raining for several days, so the uncut field was very wet. But it didn’t seem to bother the players who were making use of the few minutes of daylight that remained.

We spent days driving high above the clouds on mountain roads in various states of construction, every turn opening up a view so breathtakingly beautiful it made me think the ugliest place in Bhutan must be prettier than the most beautiful place in most other countries on Earth. At one point, I asked Sonam, the travel agent, if there were any straight roads in Bhutan. “Yes,” he replied. “In Paro,” meaning the runway at Bhutan’s international airport.

More photos to follow.

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