After traveling to over 40 countries, I got used to experiencing different sides of the world, learning about cultures and traditions, and seeing extremes that become normal after a while. Since I have been to Afghanistan, I have not experienced the "wow" effect since last year. But this has changed with my short visit to the Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan.

Bhutan is the country that I believe is the most authentic in the world. It is probably the only country prioritizing "High Value, Low Volume" tourism. "High Value" relates to targeting mindful and responsible visitors, ensuring high revenue per visitor, and supporting a quality tourism infrastructure. Bhutan aims to avoid hypertourism and its damaging effect on the environment. The country currently allows only 300,000 visitors per year, which was much less in the past years.

After stepping into Bhutan, let me say I have been officially in every South Asian country. There are so many unique things about Bhutan that are very surprising to the rest of the world:

1. "Bhutan" translates to "Land of the Thunder Dragon."
2. Thimpu is one of only two capital cities in Asia without a single traffic light. (The other is Pyongyang, North Korea.)
3. Bhutan is one of the last countries to introduce television to its people. The government lifted a TV and Internet ban only 25 years ago.
4. National dress is compulsory for Bhutanese citizens.
5. Bhutan has never been conquered.
6. Bhutanese people love chillies.
7. Mountaineering is now banned, as the highest peaks are considered sacred.
8. All tourists must pay a 200 USD fee per day just to be in the country.
9. Bhutan is the ONLY carbonnegative country in the world.
10. Bhutan is known for its unique Gross National Happiness (GNH) philosophy.
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0:00 Roadside Tea House;
8:29 Inside Bhutanese Home;
15:43 Interaction With Young Locals;
28:25 Local All You Can Eat Lunch;
33:46 Preparation For The Festival;
40:50 Inside The Fortress(Rinpung Dzong);
49:03 First Impressions Of The Festival;
55:57 Colorful Festival Performances;
1:00:20 Interactions With The Locals;
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Bhutan Raven Tours: https://raventoursandtreks.com/
Thumbnail Mask Photo Credits: https://andrewstuder.com/
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Quit my corporate job in September 2021 to chase new destinations and document my life. I am following my passion for creating experiencedriven travel videos with a human touch.

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