Designer Incentives and Conferences – Bhutan

Introduction

About

“The World has few secrets left, but Bhutan is one of them” – Katie Hickman, 

This truly is a “hidden kingdom”.

The small and predominantly Buddhist nation of Bhutan, nestled in the Eastern Himalayas mountains bordering Tibet and India, is lanced by deep ravines and coated with thick woods. The country has no traffic lights. Smoking as well as tobacco products are illegal, as are hunting and fishing (except for catch and release). It is forbidden to climb high peaks (where spirits dwell), and employees must wear traditional clothing—a gho robe for men and kira dress for women—during work hours. Years ago, Gross National Happiness was identified by the nation as being more important than Gross National Product (GNP).

Monasteries—often massive and commanding—abound; monks, when not in prayer or meditation or chores are often found playing board games, sharing stories, laughing or all three. Archery is the national sport and green chili peppers together with ‘cheesy sauce’ is the national dish. Ask any resident, and likely you’ll find they truly do love their king and queen.

his country—with an area of 14,824 square miles (38,394 square kilometres) is slightly larger than the U.S. state of Maryland, or the European state of Montenegro. This sounds relatively small until you spend hours crossing thin and switch backed roads through jungles and over mountain passes. Suddenly the land appears gigantic. Seventy percent of the terrain is coated with forests, while seven percent is pressed beneath glaciers. The highest Himalayan peak—Gangkhar Puensum—soars to almost 25,000 feet (7,570 meters) above sea level. That’s higher than any peak in Europe, Africa, the Americas or Australasia.