Bhutan-World’s only Carbon Negative Country

I have to begin this post by saying that Bhutan is underrated. It’s such a tiny country, nestled between mountains that most of us forget that it even exists. But oh ho ho. You should never forget that it exists. Especially travel – wise. Did you know Bhutan is the only country in the world that is carbon negative which means it produces more oxygen that it consumes.

Our guide told us a wonderful story which goes like this.. Every student in school as young as 6 years old has to plant 3 saplings. The student is responsible for its growth for all the years he or she is in school. That’s about 12 years. Students are not only graded academically but also on how the plant grew with him or her over the 12 years!. Then, the guide pointed out to us his 3 saplings that had grown into wonderful trees! Stunning right? and that he will take care of them his entire life!

Now I’m quite aware that it is rather difficult to get to Bhutan. Being surrounded by the Himalayas, it takes a bit of skill for the pilot to navigate through the treacherous mountain passes. Currently, there only 17 pilots in the entire WORLD that can land in Bhutan’s Paro Airport. In fact its so difficult that this airport made it to Forbes 17 Scariest Airport Landings in the World. Fun, right? 

But trust me, as someone with terrible motion sickness, it wasn’t that bad. What improved the experience a whole lot was the views. We passed by beautiful snow capped peaks including the great Mt. Everest. Only passengers sitting on the left side of the plane can view, so book your seats on the left side people. Don’t believe me? I have a picture for you: 

The next wonder is the Paro Airport. Now when I say airport, what comes to mind? Crowds, confusion, security, businessmen, right? Wrong. Paro airport is a tiny airport where you will literally find no one else except the people from your flight. It’s so small that they let you get off the flight and walk on the runway. Yeah, you heard me right. No buses or aerobridges. You get off, cross the airstrip and walk into the airport. 

For all tourists arriving in Bhutan a pre-booking of a guide and a taxi with a driver is mandatory. For foreigners a minimum spend of 250 dollars per day is also mandatory. But please research on various websites as rules may change by the time you read this post. Also your travel agent may give you fixed package with hotels of their choice. I recommend you choose your own hotels as per your budget. We stayed at the Tashi Namgay hotel in Paro. Pretty nice with large rooms and its right near the Paro river with Bhutanese architecture. They have a nice outdoor sit out to relax with a book and enjoy the views.

Paro and Trek to Tiger Monastery

Now lets get to the good part: Paro. Lush green hills, a winding river with crystal clear water and smiling people. It’s a perfect mix of the country and city life. And when I say city, I really mean a town with one main street. Though the shops are a must visit. Filled with antiques and relics, this is the perfect place to buy a souvenir that encaptures the essence of Bhutan. 

But the main reason that you should visit Paro is because it’s 20 minutes from the Tiger Nest Monastery. This monastery hangs on the edge of a steep cliff that makes it look as if it is going to fall off any minute. The two hour trek to the monastery makes you feel as if <em>you</em> will fall off any minute. I do not recommend this to anyone with a fear of heights or with extreme vertigo. The trek involves hugging the side of a cliff the entire way as there is a very thin and weak looking barrier separating you and a 7,000 foot drop. That’s not to mention that there are people coming to and from the monastery that you have to make way for. However, don’t let this frighten you from doing the trek. It is completely worth it to see how this monastery has been standing there since 1692, weathering all the elements but still persevering. I’m not going to spoil the story of how this monastery came to be – you will have to visit it and learn for yourself. 

Haa Valley

The next day brought a new adventure. We packed our bags and took off to visit Haa Valley, a small district nestled between the Himalayan mountains. The name Haa itself means hidden, and thats exactly what it is. A few hours drive from Paro, Haa Valley is green and picturesque, like something straight out of a postcard. We spent our one and only day there walking around and exploring the valley. We walked on bridges that are suspended over a gushing river, it’s water crystal clear and freezing. There is a beautiful homestay which is run almost like a hotel. That is mostly the only place you can stay in Haa unless a few more have mushroomed. If you would like to explore there are a few scenic treks from Haa. Haa is also very close to the chinese border. We ate some amazing local food and wandered the district. It was the perfect place to relax and get in touch with nature. Haa is also where the Indian army is stationed. It was an insight for us when we heard a few stories from some of the army personnel and a bloke from Gujarat, Bhavnagar who runs the canteen. We were served some fresh hot samosas with tea.

Punakha

Rejuvenated after our day in fresh, crisp air we took off to Punakha, a small city in Bhutan. Punakha is famous for the Punakha Dzong, a 17th century fortress that is situated on the juncture of rivers Pho and Mo Chhu rivers. I think it’s pretty easy to guess the first place we visited when we reached Punakha. We spent the whole day walking around the fortress with our guide who showed us escape routes and small nooks and ridges for hidden booby traps. He explained the history of the fortress and described a vivid picture of the rituals and festivals that happened there. There is another monastery that you need to trek upto. So ask your guide. There are lots of other small but pretty monasteries in Bhutan where a short trek is required. We did a couple and they are simply worth it.

Now let me tell you the best part. Remember how I said that the fortress was located at the juncture of two rivers? Well, Bhutan made the best of it. You can come out of the fortress and go river rafting along the two rivers. Isn’t that fun? And before you get scared at the mention of river rafting, I feel compelled to tell you that it is not scary at all. In fact, these rivers and comparatively gentle and easy going. It’s the perfect place for beginners and first timers. So we went rafting on the Mo which is the mother river and it confluences with the Po the father river.

Thimphu

Next place: Thimphu, the capital city. It was quite jarring to come back to a city after spending so much time in towns and districts. Thimphu almost felt… crowded. As someone who lives in Mumbai, I can assure you that it was not actually crowded, it just felt that way. We didn’t really do anything tourist-y in Thimphu, we just took our time getting accustomed to the hustle bustle of a city and did a little shopping in their market place. Now that we were in a city, we wanted to do some city related things. For example, we visited a local football stadium and watched a match. We also visited the best burger joint in the whole of Bhutan: Cloud9 Gourmet Burger and Milk Bar. It’s an adorable eatery and ice cream bar started by an Australian couple who moved to Bhutan after completely falling in love with its culture. 

Let me tell you, it was the best burger I’ve ever eaten along with the best ice cream I have ever had. Now, I’m a writer. I have a tendency to exaggerate. So, in order to show you that I’m not exaggerating I got a second opinion. From who, you may ask? Well, the former Queen of Bhutan. As it just so happens, while I was eating my burger, perfectly minding my business, there was a sudden flurry of activity. And then, the Queen of Bhutan entered. Apparently, this burger place was a favourite of the Queen’s and she tends to visit it pretty often. So there. Now you know how great this place is. 

It was the perfect way to end the trip and say goodbye to this happy country. I’m not going to lie, I got a little teary eyed when it was time to leave. One of the things that I miss the most is the friendly people. Eager to help and always with a smile on their face, the Bhutanese people immediately put you at ease and make you feel comfortable. 

Bhutan did everything right in terms of peace and happiness, allowing the indigenous businesses to grow and prioritizing education and empathy. It is a country that values traditions and customs and teaches its people to be kind above anything else. Bhutan is definitely on the list of places that are a must visit especially for anyone who loves nature and culture.

We would recommend a nine days stay in Bhutan. We would also recommend flying into Paro from Delhi and driving out of Bhutan from Thimphu via Phuentsholing into India if you are an Indian resident. The drive is picturesque.