The lofty barriers had wrapped the country with a cloak of mysticism. For centuries, the country did not have a name for the outside world. Some Tibetan chronicles referred to it with exotic names as "the Southern Valley of Medicinal herbs", and the "Lotus Garden of the Gods". To the Bhutanese, the country was always "Druk Yul" literally meaning "The Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon".

The name Bhutan appears to have derived from the ancient Indian term "Bhotanta" which means the end of the land of the Bhots. Bhot was the Sanskrit term for Tibetans.

Bhutan's distant past is surrounded by mystery as books and documents were lost in a series of fires and earthquakes, which destroyed important Dzongs where the historical records had been stored. The prominent event in what little exists of Bhutanese history is the legendary flight of Guru Padmasambhava from Tibet in 747 AD. Guru Rimpoche, as he is today popularly referred to as, is considered the second Buddha. Guru Rimpoche arrived in Paro valley at the Taktshang (Tiger's nest). Today a monastery exists perched precariously on the cliff's face as an indelible mark of the Guru's visit. Guru Rimpoche is the founder of the tantric strain of Mahayana Buddhism practiced in Bhutan. He is also worshipped as the father of the Nyingmapa School of religion. Although the religious presence was acting as the Spiritual cohesion, the country was not unified under one central authority. Many local lords who had for centuries been at war against each other ruled it.

In the early 17th century, Shabdrung Nawang Namgyal, a Tibetan Lama of the Drukpa School, came to Bhutan and eventually ended the long period of rivalry between factions of feudal lords. He established the Drukpa sect, which is still prevalent today. The Shabdrung, meaning, "at whose feet one submits" established himself as the Country's supreme leader and vested civil powers in a high officer known as the Druk Desi. The Je Khenpo, another leader was charged with the religious affairs of the country. The country was divided into regions and a comprehensive system of law was codified.

The Shabdrung built a chain of Dzongs throughout the country, which served as the seat of Government and as fortress, which guarded each valley during the times of battles.  The Shabdrung died in 1651.  In the ensuing two centuries, the country was again engulfed into regional fiefdoms with intermittent civil wars.  At the end 18th century, the Trongsa Penlop Ugyen Wangchuck, who then controlled the eastern and central region suppressed all his rivals and again united the country.  An assembly of representatives of the monastic community, civil servants and the people unanimously crowned Ugyen Wangchuck the first king of Bhutan in 1907.  The monarchy has thrived ever since and the present king, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck commands the overwhelming support of his people.

Bhutan is one of Asia's smallest nations, nearly lost between the extensive borders of the two great nations of China and India. Only 46,500 square kilometers in extent, the kingdom straddles the 27th parallel north latitude, and stretches from 88°45' to 92°10' east longitude a mere 150 km in its longest dimension. Sikkim and West Bengal lie on Bhutan's western border, Tibet to the north and northwest, Arunachal Pradesh to the east, and Bengal Duars and Assam to the south.

Bhutan is a land of Jungle-clad hills, Impressive River gorges and high mountains. No section of the country is without diversity. The southern strip, paralleling to the border with West Bengal and Assam is a jumble of forested hills heavily dissected by rushing watercourses with wide shingle banks.

The ridges of the southern hills generally trend north-south, and northward they give way to higher ridges oriented in a similar fashion. Between these mountains, many of whose summit exceeds 4000 m, lie broad flood plain valleys, the home of Bhutan's largest towns and much of the country's population. The major concentration cluster around the sites of traditional fortress-monasteries known as Dzongs. Most of these are situated along major river courses, and inhabit the mid-mountain zone nearly equidistant from the northern and southern borders. From west to east the most important are in: Ha, Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Wangdue Phodrang, Trongsa, Shongkar and Trashigang.

For centuries Bhutan's isolated location and it's self-reliant national character kept the Kingdom outside the path of economic development in South Asia. Although this seclusion prevented Bhutan from fully benefiting from many of the medical, technical, and scientific advances of the day, it also shielded the country from many of the detrimental side effects of poorly planned or haphazard development. As a result, while most of the Himalayan region has seen its natural resource base severely compromised through deforestation, soil degradation, erosion and pollution, Bhutan's national patrimony of extensive and varied forests, limited yet fertile and productive farmland, and pristine water and air remains largely intact.

Among the Himalayan Nations, Bhutan has the richest diversity of Flora and Fauna made possible by the ecological sensitivity of the Bhutanese People and preserved by the policies of a concerned government. With over 70 percent of the country under forest cover and it's rich bio-diversity, Bhutan has been declared one of the 10 environmental "hot-spots" in the world.

The immense beauty of the Himalayas is contained in its diverse landscape. Cascading rivers, conifers, wild rhododendron and blue poppies, long sweeping valleys, fields of maize and tall, imposing white-capped peaks: these are only a few poetic references.

The wealth of the floral variety includes "Rhododendron, Junipers, Magnolias, Orchids, Edelweiss, Gentians, Daphne. In addition, the rare Blue Poppy, Bhutan's national flower, which can be found at altitudes as high as 4000 meters. Along with these, grow rare medicinal herbs and exotic mushrooms.

In Bhutan the vegetation profile falls into five general classes:

• Tropical              [up to 1000 m]
• Sub-tropical        [900 m-1800 m]
• Temperate          [1800 m-3500 m]
• Sub-alpine          [3500 m-4500 m]
• Alpine                [4500 m-5500 m]

Spotting unusual fauna in Bhutan is almost obligatory. There are over 500 species of Birds to be seen in Bhutan. The rich bird life includes the Monal, Pheasant, the Tragopan, many different types of wild pigeons and Doves, the rare Rufus-necked Hornbill and the endangered Black Necked Crane. There is also an abundant butterfly fauna. This reflects the kingdom's wide range of agro-ecological environments, from subtropical to alpine, and its zoo-geographical Indomalayan (oriental) region and the permeable and fluid (for birds) border with China.

The Kingdom is home to a very rich mammalian wildlife population; there are 165 species of mammals. From the Snow Leopard, Blue Sheep, Musk Deer, Takin and Himalayan Black beer in the North to the Tiger, Rhinoceros, Gaur, the Great Indian Water Buffalo and the Golden langur in the South.

Brown Trout and local fish are found in the Northern Rivers and mountain lakes. Further to the South East, the rivers are full of elusive Mahseer.

Throughout the centuries, the Bhutanese have treasured their natural environment and have looked upon it as the source of all life. The traditional reverence for nature has delivered us into the 20th century with our environment still richly intact.

The population of Bhutan in the year 1994 was 600,000 with 43 percent of the population aged under 15 years. The government is keenly aware that an increased population will strain the country's resources.

Bhutan's 90 percent lead an agrarian life style and continue to live in the valleys isolated from one another and the outside world by formidable mountain passes. Bhutanese are traditionally rural dwellers and their homes and villages reflect their rich history.

Bhutanese generally refer to themselves as Drukpas meaning the inhabitants of the Druk-Yul. The mosaic of different people can possibly be divided into three main ethnic groups, the SHARCHOPS, the NGALOPS, and the LHOTSHAMPAS. The Sharshops, Bhutan's earliest residents reside predominantly in the eastern Bhutan. Although their origin is unknown, they are of Indo-Mongolian type. The Ngalongs who are the Mongoloid origin have migrated from the Tibetan Plains. They are believed to be the importers of Buddhism. Ngalongs reside in the western region of the country. The southern Bhutan is inhabited mainly by the Lhotshampas who are of Nepalese origin. Lhotshampas brought with them the Hindu religion and Nepalese languages, which is spoken today over much of southern Bhutan. Several small minority groups, many with their own language, form about 01 percent of the population. Many of these groups comprise fewer than 1000 people. The most important of these groups are the Bumthap in Bumthang, the Mandhep in Trongsa, the Kheng in the central region of Zhemgang, and the Layap in the north-west. Other smaller groups are the Brokpa in the far eastern villages of Mera and Sakteng, the Doya and Lophu in the southern district of Samtse, the Dagpa in the east, Tibetans in the central-west and north and the Lepchain the west. The Bhutanese society is egalitarian in disposition and the people know of peace unhampered by the fast life that marks the advertisement driven consumerism society.       The present population is officially estimated at close to 0.6 million.

The southern part of Bhutan is tropical, and in general, the east of Bhutan is warmer than the west of the country. The central valley of Punakha, Wangdiphodrang, Mongar, Tashigang and Lhuntshi enjoy a semi tropical climate with very cool winters, while Thimphu, Tongsa and Bumthang have a much harsher climate, with heavy monsoon rains in the summer and heavy snow fall in winter. Winter in Bhutan starts from mid-November till the mid-March, and at this time of the year the climate is dry with daytime temperature of 16-18° C and nighttime temperature falling below zero. The monsoon usually arrives in mid-June, with the rain falling mainly in the afternoons and evenings. Autumn starts from the end of September, after the last of the big rains, and it is a magnificent season for trekking-lasting till mid-November.

Average temperatures are as follows:

Place

an/Feb

Mar/Apr

May/June

July/Aug

Sept / Oct

Nov / Dec

Paro	+13° +3°	+15° +3°	+23°+13°	+25°+15°	+22°+10°	+12°+3°
Thimphu	+14° 0°	+16° + 6°	+22°+14°	+27°+17°	+20°+13°	+16°+1°
Punakha	+18° +7°	+24° +9°	+22°+10°	+26°+13°	+25°+11°	+22°+9°
Wangdi	+17° +7°	+24°+11°	+28°+18°	+29°+20°	+26°+17°	+22°+7°
Trongsa	+12° +1°	+16° +2°	+20°+14°	+18°+14°	+17°+13°	+16°+9°
Bumthang	+10° +1°	+16° +5°	+18°+10°	+21°+13°	+19°+11°	+15°+2°
Mongar	+23°+10°	+27°+11°	+30°+20°	+35°+22°	+30°+18°	+25°+8°
Trashigang	+16° +4°	+19° +7°	+20°+13°	+22°+14°	+20°+11°	+16°+9°

The temperatures listed here are all in centigrade with the maximum temperatures on the left and the minimum temperatures on the right.

Due to wide range of temperature and climatic conditions, it is advisable to bring appropriate clothing. From May to September normal traveling cloths plus a light woolen sweater or a light jacket and a light walking boots are sufficient. From November to end of April on the other hand, you will need very warm cloths including underwear or woolen tights to wear under trousers, thick socks, strong boots and down jacket. You will be offending people if you walk around in skimpy or tight fitting clothes. Although there are normally opportunities to wear skirts or loose trousers, men should not wear singlets. During visit of monasteries, dzongs and other religious sites, you should not wear shorts and hats.

The following is a fairly exhaustive list of what you should pack for the trip:
Clothes as per season, sunglasses/spare glasses or contact lenses, pair of casual shoes, washing kit, shaving kit, towel, hat umbrella, camera, film and accessories, maps, insect repellent, hand cream, small sewing kit & safety pins, torch or flash light with spare batteries, mirror, sun screen cream, lip salve or soluble aspirin, antiseptic cream, preparation for the relief of sunburn. You may not be tuned to the Asian drugs so it is always better to bring own brand.

Bhutan's unit of currency is the ngultrum (Nu), which equals 100 chetrums. It is at par with the Indian rupee, itself a legal tender in the kingdom. One US dollar is exchanged for roughly 44 Ngultrums. Tourists can exchange traveller's cheques or cash at the Bank of Bhutan or at their hotels. American or Australian dollars, pound sterling, French and Swiss francs, German marks, Dutch gilders, Hongkong dollars, Singapore dollars, Thai bath or Japanese yen are all accepted currencies.

Thangkas

Thangkas are Buddhist paintings, usually on canvas. Traditionally, they are mounted on a background of brocade and hung by a stick sewn across the top. You can also buy an un-mounted painting.

Textiles

Hand-woven cotton fabric is the most traditional and useful item you can buy in Bhutan. The quality is almost always good, but the price will vary depending on the intricacy of the design and whether any expensive imported silk is used in the weaving

Other items

Brass statues and Buddhist ritual items, such as bells, cymbals, trumpets and dorjees are available form specialist shops. Jewellery and other silver items are best purchased from a reputable shop or from the artisans themselves. Excellent wood pieces can be bought. Useful items such as picture frames and furniture is available, as are wooden masks similar to those used in the tshechu dances. Wooden bowls, either plain or lined with silver, are a specialty of eastern Bhutan.

Bamboo work is available in most of the handicraft shops and sometimes at roadside stalls. The round bangchung baskets are a typical Bhutanese item. Another unusual item are the large bamboo pipes covered with weaving that is used for carrying local liquor.

Handmade paper: is available in large sheets and is packaged into handy packets of letter-writing size.
Carpet manufacturing: is recent innovation in Bhutan.
Handicrafts: Bhutan boasts a variety of high quality handicrafts.

Customs and Regulations:

The Bhutanese authorities strictly prohibit the export of any religious Antiquity or antiques of any type. All personal electronics, Cameras, Video Cameras, Computers and personal electronic equipment may be brought into the country but they must be listed on the customs form provided on arrival at Paro and will be checked on departure. Two liters of Alcohol and reasonable quantity of cigarettes may be brought in to the country without duty.

The Bhutanese postal system is reliable, you can send mails from hotels and post offices and no special procedures are necessary. If you mail cards or letters from the Thimphu post office, you can buy exotic Bhutan postage stamps from the philatelic bureau and use them on your letters and postcards. Bhutan Post offers outgoing EMS [expedited mail service], which is a reliable and fast international mail delivery facility that is cheaper than courier services. It also has a LUM [local urgent mail] service for delivery within Bhutan. DHL is the only international courier to operate from Bhutan.

Most of the country’s major towns have both domestic and international direct dial facilities. Nearly all hotels and some PCO’s have facilities to send and receive faxes. Bhutan has its own Internet and email services. 

The photography opportunities on a trip are immense.Photography is permitted nearly everywhere in Bhutan and the local population has no aversion to being photographed. If you wish to record the local population, their houses, shops etc, always ask by gestures if it is okay to do so. Photography inside the Dzongs and Monasteries are not permitted. Please follow your guide's instruction carefully while visiting Dzongs, monasteries and religious institution.

Of late, the Royal Government encourages the filming groups. Any commercial Filming must pay a royalty to obtain the permit from the Royal Government of Bhutan. We will assist you to get the permit. 
Filming royalty: All proposals for filming are subjected to payment of a royalty at the following rates:
Duration of the final Edited version                                 Amount in (US dollars)

• First 30 minutes or part thereof                                                 10,000.00
• Next 30 minutes or part thereof                                                   6,000.00
• Every additional30 minutes or part thereof                                     3,000.00

 

Bhutanese food is a tantalizing blend of hot Himalayan flavours. Northern Indian cuisine mixes with the chillies of the Tibetan plateau and traditional recipes from Bhutan’s villages to create sizzling and memorable tastes. Chanterelle mushrooms, apricots, asparagus, a wide variety of chillis and a host of spices grow in abundance in Bhutan’s valleys.

These spices, fruits and vegetables are prepared with beef, chicken, pork, and dried yak or with each other to make dishes that resemble elements of both Chinese and Indian cuisine. Bhutanese dishes are traditionally served with ample portions of indigenous red rice. The food prepared for tourists is tempered to western taste. The tourism authority imported the knowledge of selected European hotel experts to improve the quality of food and beverage.