Reflections from Bhutan

Bhutan is the last intact Himalayan Buddhist kingdom in the world. Imagine a country the size of Switzerland without any traffic lights, one lone cinema where only locally produced films are screened and I believe the escalator count is still one. The Land of the Thunder Dragon in this modern age is still a place where the strength of its national identity is so obvious. The landscape is dotted with imposing forts and monasteries built in the 17th century, as well as traditional farmhouses which also look like they have stood the test of time. Colourful prayer flags flutter in the wind, strung at high passes and across rivers, carrying well wishes and blessings to all sentient beings.

Travellers who come here would inherently need to slow down and operate on BST, which does not stand for Bhutanese Standard Time, but rather Bhutan Stretchable Time. The country and its people go about their daily lives at their own pace. While it may be frustrating at the beginning, you will inadvertently end up just going with the flow. On all my trips to Bhutan, this being the sixth, I found myself accepting that all the best (and often serendipitous) encounters happen on BST. There is no way to schedule a car ride to coincide with the annual movement of the Chief Abbott's winter residence or a chance meeting with a rinpoche, staying for tea and a conversation where we don't speak each other's language but leave with a common understanding and appreciation.

Every experience in Bhutan involves your senses. The path from the car drop-off point to the hotel lobby at Amankora Paro requires walking on a bed of pine leaves. The soft underfooting itself is a precursor to calm you down before settling into what I consider the best accommodation in Paro. Inhaling the smoke wafting from the incense sticks as we were blessed before our departure. The low droning of monks chanting during a special prayer for homeward bound journey ahead. If it isn't for BST, none of these sensorial connections would be possible. Perhaps this is why journeys in Bhutan are so often etched into a traveller's core memories. It's all about taking time; but I am uncertain how much longer this slow pace of life would last.

The country's topography of soaring mountains and deep valleys used to make people walk or travel on horses than drive. But this is changing fast and life is growing more distant from Bhutan's medieval roots as the country plays catch up with the rest of the world. I recall one of my treks to the far north of the country as I skirted the border with Tibet. Men and pack mules were carrying parts of pylons to bring electricity and connectivity to isolated villages. Before embarking on the trek, I resigned to the fact that I would not have any phone signal for more than 3.5 weeks. Two years later, returning to the nomadic settlement of Laya, it was not uncommon to see yak herders on their smartphones. I was also able to check my emails from my tent with views of the snow-capped mountains.

"In Buddhist terms, the Bhutanese are collectively in some kind of bardo, the place between cycles of death and rebirth, waiting to see if they will enter the next life as a nation selectively modernized for the common good but otherwise unaltered." (Barbara Crossette, So Close to Heaven)

Unsurprisingly, this trip was filled with sobering conversations about youth brain drain and roads being built to connect the furthest reaches of the Kingdom. The speed of development in the country was constantly on my mind, and takes up more of my mindshare with every visit. Inevitably, the landscape will change, and the country will face challenges of balancing development with its retention of its culture and traditions.

One evening in Thimphu, our partners at My Bhutan organised a special evening of blessings, meditation and a dinner under the stars at a monastery above the town. We had the opportunity to dine with a tulku in his 30s, recognised as the reincarnation of a Buddhist master. To my surprise, he has social media accounts ranging from Instagram to TikTok, shattering my presumption that a highly regarded monk like him would spend his days in deep meditation and prayer, and avoid the worldly distractions of short-format content. His stance is that in a country at risk of losing its adherence to buddhist traditions and beliefs, young but learned Buddhist masters like himself help bridge tradition and the modern world, making an ancient belief approachable even to an agnostic like myself. Access to social media keeps him plugged into modern society and it is a way for him to see the world.

The highlight of this trip was Sangwa Camp in Haa Valley, the least visited of the Kingdom's 20 dzhonkhags (regions). It was the last to open to tourism in 2008, due to its location at the borders with India and China, making it a sensitive area. In Tibetan Buddhism, a beyul is a sacred and hidden place where the physical and spiritual worlds overlap, and serves as a refuge. Surrounded by a pine forest as the sun was setting, and local villagers danced and sang to the local diety Ap Chundu, I felt like I was being lured into this overlap. After a traditional hot stone bath and hearty dinner, I drifted into the best sleep of the trip to the sound of the nearby river.

There has been talk of spreading the tourism dollars to the other regions outside of the typical tourist route of Paro, Thimphu and Punakha. While I understand the socioeconomic benefits which come with tourism development in rural areas, I can only observe with bated breath what this would mean for a place like Haa, one of my beyuls in Bhutan.

Is this the sign for you to visit Bhutan sooner than later? Here are five reasons to plan a trip to the Kingdom:

• To experience endangered Himalayan Buddhist culture in a place so close to heaven

• Bhutan is slow travel at its best

• Epic treks such as the Laya Trek and Snowman Trek, which will take you to far-flung villages. For travellers with less time to spare but are wanting of a taster, Jomolhari Trek which takes you to the base of the Mother Goddess ountain

• World class hospitality, filled with generosity and candor, two traits which are distinctively Bhutanese

• Unique experiences such as private blessing ceremonies, learning about traditional textile dyeing and red panda tracking

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