Tag Archives: Bhutan

National Geographic Traveller – April 2024

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National Geographic Traveller Magazine (March 8, 2024): The latest issue features the Greek Islands. Plus, embark on a walking safari in Zambia, chase the midnight sun on a train trip in Norway and discover the German flavours of Cincinnati.

Also inside this issue:

Zambia: Become one with the landscape on a walking safari in South Luangwa National Park.

Norway: Black coffee and crystalline fjords on a multi-day train tour beneath the midnight sun.

Bhutan: In this tiny Himalayan nation, valleys plunge, mountains soar and traditions bind.

Philippines: Plan the ultimate island-hopping adventure to the pearl of the Western Pacific.

São Paulo: In Brazil’s most populous city, every gig and gallery reflects the diversity of its people.

Ghent: With its innovative art spaces and left-field restaurants, this city’s rebel spirit lives on.

Kosovo: Explore the Balkan nation’s deep-forested hills, gushing waterfalls and fresco-adorned monasteries.

Cincinnati: German flavours abound in the bakeries and breweries of this Ohio city.

Vienna: From jazz age revamps to culinary havens, these hotels embrace the sound and flavour of the city.

Plus,picks from the 60th Venice Biennale; tours and tastings in England’s vineyards; the flavours of Provence; the best music hotspots in Bristol; where to stay in Denver; a family getaway in Sicily; a city break in Gdansk; a coastal escape in Northumberland; the best food and travel reads; and kit for campervanning.

We talk with author Adam Alexander and the hunt for Rajasthan’s lost chilli, and Simon Reeve on his latest TV series, the beauty of the wild and more. In our Ask the Experts section, the experts give advice advice on driving from London to Lake Garda, treehouse stays for UK bluebell season and family adventures in Sri Lanka. The Info delves into Walpurgis Night, while Hot Topic explores the end of the 100ml liquid rule in UK airports and the Report asks whether the voluntourism industry can truly help those in need.

Travel Tour: The People And Cultures Of Bhutan

Jits into the Sunset Films (August 6, 2023) – Sitting on the western side of the Himalayas, Bhutan is a Buddhist Kingdom that famously prioritises the happiness of its citizens over national wealth. It is also famous for prioritising its citizens’ happiness over national wealth (GDP).

We were lucky enough to be invited to explore this unique country steeped in history and culture, where a traditional way of life reigns supreme and we were given access to film places cameras have never been before. Join us as we explore a remote indigenous mountain village, meditate with monks, and are welcomed into the homes of locals.

Travel: The Historic Trans-Bhutan Trail Is Reopened

BBC News (March 14, 2023) – Once the lifeline of Bhutan, the 403km Trans-Bhutan Trail connected the affluent western districts of Haa to the remote far eastern Trashigang. The trail dates back to the 16th Century, and was used by monarchs, traders, pilgrims and messengers for hundreds of years, but fell into disuse soon after Bhutan developed its highway in the 1960s. Now, more than 60 years later, the historic trail has reopened.

Trans Bhutan Trail
A local walks in a field in Paro; 70 percent of the kingdom is covered with greenery.

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Travel Views: Bhutan In The Eastern Himalayas

Bhutan, a Buddhist kingdom on the Himalayas’ eastern edge, is known for its monasteries, fortresses (or dzongs) and dramatic landscapes that range from subtropical plains to steep mountains and valleys. In the High Himalayas, peaks such as 7,326m Jomolhari are popular trekking destinations. Paro Taktsang monastery (also known as Tiger’s Nest) clings to cliffs above the forested Paro Valley. 

Travel Tour: Thimphu – Capital Of Bhutan (4K)

Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital, occupies a valley in the country’s western interior. In addition to being the government seat, the city is known for its Buddhist sites. The massive Tashichho Dzong is a fortified monastery and government palace with gold-leaf roofs. The Memorial Chorten, a whitewashed structure with a gold spire, is a revered Buddhist shrine dedicated to Bhutan’s third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. 

Travel: ‘Exploring Seven Of The World’s Most Beautiful Temples’ (Video)

Potala Palace, Tibet – A Masterpiece of Tibetan Art and Architecture, at 12,139 Feet Above Sea Level, Potala is the Highest Palace in the World. The 1,300-year-old Structure Was Originally Built as a Gesture of Love, Commissioned by Tibetan King Songtsen Gambo for His Marriage to Princess Wencheng of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Eventually Monks Came to Rule Tibet and the Palace Was Expanded and Converted Into the Winter Residence for the Dalai Lama.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Angkor Wat is a Hindu Temple Complex in Cambodia and is the Largest Religious Monument in the World, on a Site Measuring 162.6 Hectares. Originally Constructed as a Hindu Temple Dedicated to the God Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, It Was Gradually Transformed Into a Buddhist Temple Towards the End of the 12th Century, Angkor Wat is the Prime Example of the Classical Style of Khmer Architecture, the Temple Attains a Classic Perfection by the Restrained Monumentality of Its Finely Balanced Elements and the Precise Arrangement of Its Proportions.

St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City – The Most Famous Roman Catholic Church in the World. Dating Back to Roman Architecture of the Early Christian Art Period. The Basilica, Was Built Above the Burial Site of St. Peter, One of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus and the First Bishop of Rome Construction Began in 1506 and It Took 120 Years Before the Church Could Be Consecrated. To This Day Saint Peter’s Remains One of the Largest Churches in the World.

Taktsang Monastery (Tiger Nest), Bhutan – Paro Taktsang Monastery is One of the Most Important Symbols of Culture and Religion in the Kingdom of Bhutan, Located High in the Himalaya Mountains. Like Many Prominent Buildings in Bhutan, Paro Taktsang Features Stark White Exterior Walls and Red Shingled Roofs as Well as Golden Roofs. Temples in Bhutan Are Typically Constructed of Stone and Rammed Mud. The Interior of Paro Taktsang Features Golden Ceilings, Golden Idols and the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas, Where a Statue of a Large Tiger Can Be Found.

Bagan, Myanmar – Also Known as the Land of a Thousand Temples, the Ancient Kingdom of Bagan in Myanmar is Symbol of Burmese Religion, History and Culture, Once a Major Power in Southeast Asia, Bagan is Home to Over Two Thousand Buddhist Temples Standing as Symbols of Burmese History and Culture, Bagan Temples Are Unique Among Southeast Asian Architectural Styles. They Are Characterized by Central, Square Structures Built Around Shrines, With Interior Passages Supported by Vaulted Arches Radiating Outward.

Borobudur, Indonesia – This 9th Century Buddhist Construction in Central Java is Indonesia’s Greatest Tourist Attraction, the Temple Design Follows Javanese Buddhist Architecture, Which Blends the Indonesian Indigenous Cult of Ancestor Worship and the Buddhist Concept of Attaining Nirvana. The Temple Demonstrates the Influences of Gupta Art That Reflects India’s Influence on the Region, Yet There Are Enough Indigenous Scenes and Elements Incorporated to Make Borobudur Uniquely Indonesian.

Karnak, Egypt – Karnak is the Largest Ancient Religious Site in the World, a Complex Made Up of Three Main Temples. One of Its Most Famous Features is the Hypostyle Hall, Which Has 134 Massive Columns That Rise Up to 60 Feet in Height, and Ten Feet Across. Karnak Was Not a Quick Build. It Took Fifteen Hundred Years to Complete.

New Travel Videos: ‘The Kingdom Of Bhutan’ (2020)

Photography by Adam Sienkiewicz
Editing by Panos Fotiou

A travel film about the Incentive trip to the Kingdom of Bhutan for Von Quintus Luxury Travel.

Bhutan, a Buddhist kingdom on the Himalayas’ eastern edge, is known for its monasteries, fortresses (or dzongs) and dramatic landscapes that range from subtropical plains to steep mountains and valleys. In the High Himalayas, peaks such as 7,326m Jomolhari are popular trekking destinations. Paro Taktsang monastery (also known as Tiger’s Nest) clings to cliffs above the forested Paro Valley.

Travel & Sports: “Madman Trails Of Bhutan” – Short Film By Scott Secco (2020)

Director/Cinematographer/Editor: Scott Secco

The kingdom of Bhutan — wedged like a hanging Garden of Babylon in the mighty eastern Himalayas — is the new frontier in the world of Enduro mountain biking. The arrival of the sport has been late but timely, as it enables riders to traverse the numerous ancient trails that make up an intricate web of pathways and dirt paths that dot and connect the kingdom’s diverse twenty districts, providing a backdrop for a ride in what is easily one of the world’s most pristine landscapes.

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New Travel Videos: “Out in the World – Nepal-Tibet-Bhutan” (Carsan Choong)

Filmed and Edited by: Carsan Choong

Music: Reid Willis – Overflow – Thirst EP (Used with permission)
Mark Petrie – Cerulean (Licensed from Audionetwork.com)

Sound Design : Creativehunters and Carsan Choong

Voice Over: Dea Strica (Fiverr.com)

Out In The World Nepal - Tibet - Bhutan Travel Film by Carsan Choong February 2020

Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan are all shrouded in mystery and magic, featuring in Himalayan landscape where snow-capped peaks soar highly and thick temple and Monastery fragrances are given off from the spectacular architectures and pious pilgrims.

The vertically raising layers of mountains and series of valleys appear as giant staircase leading to sky touching snow peaks. Nepal was refuge for spiritual masters and political mavericks from both India and Tibet for a long time. Rare teachings were passed down and prospered undisturbed by outside world until recently. In the citadel of the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan persisted with the original form of Tibetan Buddhism and its unique civilisation. As a medieval country with its featured customs, Bhutan never seeks for the speedy modernisation at the expense of its original charm. Attaching great importance to environmental protection and cultural preservation, undoubtedly it gets a reputation of the Last Shangri-La.

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