Beauty and serenity come naturally to Bhutan, but what sets it apart is the vibe it emits in every little thing — from the air, to the water, mountains, the Dzongs, the bridges lined with prayer flags, and even the tiny little bustling lanes full of cafes — Bhutan says to you: “Life is beautiful, what are you running around for?” Here’s our journey to this immensely serene land that should definitely be on your trip next.
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Journey To Bhutan
Walk into Bhutan with stress and your visa will surely be denied. Any negativity would just evaporate, vanishing into all the purity and positivity the place exudes. The flagship tour of Thriive Journeys to Bhutan was no afterthought. We knew that for people to transform they needed to feel the bliss. And this was bliss elevated to an art form. Thirty minutes of flight time from Delhi, and the sight of the Himalayan Mountains greets you. A peek into the clouds and you can actually say hello to friends hanging around at the base camp of Mt. Everest!
Paro In Bhutan
But that has nothing on the rather treacherous landing — one of the shortest commercial air strips in the world — into Paro. Like a mythical creature Paro looms up through the fog, and instantly you are transported to a land from long ago. Here, anyone can believe in fairytales and magic. The rolling green hills, the lush paddy fields, the antique cottages dotting the plains, the mist, all hypnotize you to drop whatever it is that you left behind and just believe you can step into a deep magnetic energy where you can finally let go of all the bad stuff.
And the best part? It’s not just all fantasy or a cleverly crafted illusion to draw in tourists. The Bhutanese live by their happiness creed and are quite oblivious to the fact that Wi-fi, data, Netflix, Amazon Prime are not household names, and there is no imminent plan of integrating them into their daily life. We couldn’t deny their contentment since it was probably the only place on Earth that wasn’t waiting for the Avengers movie to open on Friday night. Because, of course, there are NO movie theatres.
As luck would have it, our group had an enlightening meeting with the newly-elected Prime Minister and surgeon Dr. Lotay Tshering, who backing up this concept, said, “For us, it’s most important to preserve our culture and our old ways.” This is a country that has a negative carbon footprint. In a world where environmental concerns are spelling grave danger, the Bhutanese have definitely done something right. The lively young prime minister did agree that balance is key, and as a doctor himself, his main focus is education to ensure growth. But in general, and our driver happened to agree, the Bhutanese love their old ways
and slow pace.
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What Do The Bhutanese Do?
Besides breathing in pure mountain air, and serving the tourists, they follow in the sacred footsteps of the thousands of monks who are their spiritual guides. Spirituality is not an afterthought in Bhutan or just another stress buster — it’s the heritage they are born into. Meditation, mantras, chanting, and the ancient teachings of the monks are second nature to all Bhutanese, and the key to their contentment and compassion.
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Thriive Journeys was able to tap into all the oozing wellness, and enjoy special meditations with the head monk at the Dochula pass, a sound meditation by local Bhutanese, and a deep walking meditation on the banks of the Paro river, plus special sessions by in-house tarot readers, and numerologists. There was something to touch everyone’s soul.
Why Everyone Must Visit Bhutan
Maybe it’s a bubble that the Bhutanese live in, and maybe it will burst one day far far away. But if it’s up to the romantics amongst us, we wouldn’t let it happen because these are the places that make humanity believe that peace and oneness is not just a myth. That’s why leaving Bhutan isn’t easy. When you’ve tasted and felt such deep peace, to walk back willingly into chaos is like agreeing to a rash.
Needless to say, the last breakfast overlooking the banks of the river in Paro held an air of melancholy. And the question on everyone’s mind was, “Can we ever reconnect with this calm again?” Fortunately for us, the answer is yes. Bhutan is so compassionate and generous that it lets you carry a piece of it with you always.
From here on, when the city noises crowd our minds, we’ve all learnt how to close our eyes, focus on our prayer flags, let our hearts remember the chants echoing off the mountains, and reconnect to the real self we all found there. Isn’t that just wonderful?
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This article was contributed to Curly Tales by Pinky Daga. If you have a story to tell us, drop us an email to hey@curlytales.com