Bhutan is a remote independent kingdom in the eastern Himalaya and the last bastion of the Tibetan Buddhist culture and religion in its purest form. Despite opening up to tourism in the late 70's it has managed to minimise the effect of outside influences and the country is virtually untouched, in terms of the environment, religion, architecture and lifestyle. Bhutan has the youngest reigning monarch in the world, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who guards Bhutan's culture and national identity fiercely.
It is a remarkable country and Mactrek and Expedition (P) Ltd / Mactours and Travels (P) Ltd offers the opportunity to see not only Bhutan's exquisite Himalayan scenery but to experience its rich and ancient tradition in Thimphu, the capital and Paro, its second largest town. Few people have the privilege of experiencing Bhutan and in the light of fragility of such a small nation and traditional culture in this age of superpowers this slice of an old world may, in future, be denied us.