Holidays - Bhutan

Bhutan is a small country in the Himalayas between the Tibet Autonomous Region of China and India. Bhutan is a Mahayana Buddhist Kingdom. Buddhism was brought to the country from northern India in the 8th Century by Guru Padma Sambhava. Hinduism is the second largest religion. The country’s administration, legal system and defence were unified in the mid-17th Century by the Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, a prominent monk from Tibet.The cultural diversity and its richness are profound. As such strong emphasis is laid on the promotion and preservation of its rich cultural diversity. It is believed that ensuring protection and preservation of our unique culture would assist in protecting the sovereignty of the nation. Bhutan is linguistically rich with over eighteen dialects being spoken in the country. The national language is Dzongkha, which is the native language of the Ngalops of western Bhutan. Dzogkha literally means the language spoken in the Dzongs and administrative centers of Bhutan. Each of Bhutan’s National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries is an essential part of the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex – a system of national parks, protected areas and forest corridors covering 35 percent of the country. Each of these parks and sanctuaries has its own special character and are homes to endangered animals, birds and plants and also Bhutan’s Crown Jewel, the Manas National Park represents the largest example of tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems in Bhutan. With its thousands of animal and plant species, many globally endangered, it is not only the most diverse protected area in the Kingdom but also one of the world’s biologically outstanding sites.