My husband and I were very fortunate to spend 4 days in Bhutan in October 2000. This small Himalayan kingdom is a real treat: warm friendly people, outstanding art and architecture, impressive scenery and an active Buddhist culture little tainted by the outside world. Television and Internet were introduced very recently; blue jeans and plastic bags are banned and sacred peaks are not for sale.

Situated at the far eastern end of the Himalayas, Bhutan covers an area roughly the size of Switzerland, and supports a population of about a million people. It is an absolute monarchy, ruled by a benevolent young king. The Royal Government of Bhutan has adopted a very cautious approach to the development of tourism in the kingdom in an effort to avoid the negative impacts of tourism on the culture and the environment. In 1999, the number of tourists who visited Bhutan reached 5,361. Visitors to Bhutan must either be guests of the government or tourists. All tourists must travel on a pre-planned, prepaid, guided package tour; independent travel is not permitted. If you want more infos on the Tourism Authority of Bhutan (TAB), check the following site: http://www.yudruk.com/info.html

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