- I'm going to fly Bhutan Airline 8319
flight to Paro one hour 15 minute flight.
If you don't know where Bhutan is,
it's a landlocked country in the Himalayas
between China, India and Nepal.
- Hello, welcome aboard, Sam.
My name is Chenga,
and I'm the chief pilot of Bhutan Airlines.
You can see a pointed peak there
with some snow getting blown off.
That is the Everest.
That is the highest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest.
Mount Lhotse, and the height
of Mount Lhotse is 8,516 metres.
The last one that you see is Mount Makalu.
That is number five, fifth highest mountain in the world.
So the airport is just here, behind this.
Just behind this cloud.
So what you're doing is we're landing (mumbles).
Only at the last leg you're able to see
it because of the hills.
And I'm a Buddhist so I have to pray to God.
(aeroplane whooshing)
- [Computer] 200.
(aeroplane whooshing)
50, 40, 30, 20, retard, retard, retard, retard.
(plane bangs)
(air whooshing)
- Oh my god this is so beautiful, so amazing.
(Bhutanese music)
This is my friend Sonam.
He's actually organised my whole trip.
Yeah, he's a really good guy, he's into aviation.
So if you guys like to come to Bhutan contact Sonam.
- Please.
- It was my biggest dream to land
in the cockpits in to Paro.
It was amazing.
Thank you, thank you.
(speaking in foreign language)
Oh it has my name, Sam.
It's an honour, thank you so much.
- You're welcome.
- Welcome to Bhutan.
The country was closed to the world until the 1970s.
Tourist numbers are limited as the visa costs $250 per day
per person but that include your guide,
transfer, sightseeing, food,
and up to three star accommodation.
Bhutan is a very peaceful and spiritual country.
In Bhutan, people prefer happiness over wealth.
You forget all your trouble when you arrive in Bhutan,
just beautiful, it's taking my breath away.
- [Sonam] And the ones that you see
over to that side are the miniature stupas.
- [Sam] Yeah, lots of little stupa.
- Yes.
You can see the mantras, these are the mantras.
So if you rotate you get a thousand (mumbles)
of mantras at once.
- [Sam] All right you get more mantras.
- [Sonam] Yeah.
- The drive from Paro to capital Thimphu
took one and a half hours.
I chose to stay at Le Meridien Thimphu
because of my Marriott Bonvoy membership.
- Welcome to Le Meridien Thimphu.
- [Sam] The Tsa Tsa suite.
- It's Tsa Tsa.
- Tsa Tsa suite.
Wow, look at this!
(upbeat music)
All right, while we're in Bhutan
I have to try their traditional costume.
Look at this.
So hopefully they can change
and then I will look like them very soon.
And many people think this a bathrobe actually.
This is like a robe.
(upbeat music)
I look like really Bhutanese.
Thank you so much.
- We have the biggest pocket in the world.
- Biggest pocket in the world here.
- Biggest pocket.
- Oh yeah.
Whoa!
- [Sonam] This is like our local food
and so this is the spinach fried one.
- [Sam] Spinach fried.
- [Sonam] And this is the beef, and this is the pork,
and this is the vegetable with (says foreign words) beans
and this is like spinach with cheese.
- Excellent, I like spinach with cheese.
Well I guess I really do look like a Bhutan guy.
Bon appetit.
This dish is called chilli and cheese
and it's actually almost like the Bhutan national dish.
No comment on the chilli but the cheese sauce is yummy.
Bhutan has a lot of mountains
therefore the roads are never straight
and it felt like a turn every nine seconds.
Driving is challenging as you might get car sick.
I'm heading to the beautiful Punakha Valley today.
- So in every Bhutanese car
you will find something like this ones
they will have either the pictures of the god
or their (speaks foreign language)
in a way to keep themselves, you know,
have to believe that they are being protected
when going on a long journey drive and all this.
And these are some of things given to me
by my (speaks foreign language)
to protect me from the, you know, evil forces
from the accidents or anything like that.
(engines revving)
(calm music)
(air whooshing)
(bubble pops)
- [Sam] Look at this, right on top of the mountain.
It's really beautiful here.
There's 108 stupa here.
(crowd singing in foreign language)
I met these friends from Denmark
and I was curious,
they were singing on top of the hill here
and they just told me it was a good morning song
so you have a good day start after the song, right?
- Yes. - That's right.
- [Sam] And we're going for hiking from here.
- [Sonam] Hiking's about two hours.
(upbeat music)
- Okay, I got changed back to my Bhutan costume
in which I feel like a local here
and feels so comfortable.
I'm going to show you the beautiful, beautiful valley
right behind me here.
You can see a nunnery in very far end here.
Beautiful green sights.
And also there is a monk university in the top of the hill.
(calm music)
(girl laughs)
- [Sam] Hi, how are you?
- I'm fine.
(bubble pops)
(birds singing)
- So this is the tree.
It is not a supported tree
because (birds calling drown out other sounds).
- [Sam] How old is this tree, you think?
- It is almost like 200 years.
So every fortress in the Bhutan
is divided into two section.
One is the monastered section
and one is the administrative section.
(calm music)
- While visiting the monastery here
I met Chris Natan from Kochi--
- Yeah Kochi. - from Kerala.
Mom and son visiting Bhutan together.
Don't they look alike?
Yay!
Many said Bhutan is one of the happiest place on earth.
I felt very happy, very close to nature.
Bhutan is also a deeply superstitious country.
They believe that phalluses protect them from evil.
For Bhutan citizens, it is mandatory
to wear national dress.
The national sport in Bhutan is archery.
(calm music)
This is my second (speaks foreign language).
(Sam laughs)
I need more practise.
Okay, this is another new hobby of mine.
Watch out guys.
(record scratches)
(crowd jeering)
Shorter distance, second try.
It doesn't land the right way,
I better go back flying first class.
Whoa, well done!
That's amazing!
Look at this.
- So this is the hot stone bath
with the tub, wooden tub.
And then this the hot water.
The hot water has been made through the stones
that have been heated up with the wood.
- [Sam] Okay, the stone is underneath inside?
- It's right there on the other chamber, other side.
- [Sam] Oh it's outside, it's outside, where it's heating.
Oh yeah, it's quite nice actually.
It's heated very nice.
- And then even if you want some more hot water,
you can ask them to put some more stones in it.
(water sizzles)
- I'm in the hot stone bath here
which you can see like here there's actually a broken window
this is where they're adding the stone
to heat up the water.
(says foreign words) in Bhutan means one more hot stone.
Ahh, very nice.
(upbeat music)
Guys did you know that there is no traffic lights in Bhutan?
They tried to instal the lights
but it was not popular so they use the traffic police
at the key junctions.
So this is the only country I know,
there's no traffic lights.
(upbeat music)
Buddha meant to be the most handsome guy
in the world with the perfect face, perfect eye,
perfect nose, perfect mouth.
(upbeat music)
On my last day I made a fail attempt
to hike to Tiger Nest.
I only made it to the first viewing point
before I returned back to catch my flight.
This is my least favourite part of Bhutan
as all the tourists are doing the same hike.
Be careful, the hiking path are narrow and crowded.
I suggest you use a horse to hike to the first stop
and walk up afterwards to save some energy.
(upbeat music)
(bell ringing)
This is the way to do it, very strong horse.
(calm music)
(speaks in foreign language)
The world famous Tiger Nest right behind us.
You have to climb all the way there.
This is just number one point here.
Now I have a flight to catch so I can't climb anymore
so I have to go to the airport to fly.
Let's fly together.
This country got so much to offer I've learned,
especially the environment it's so environmentally friendly.
They're very conscious of preserving the culture.
I learned that Bhutan is the only carbon negative country
producing negative carbon emission.
I'm looking forward to come back again to Bhutan.
So (speaks foreign language).
Bhutan is certainly one of the
most interesting country I have visited.
It is very peaceful and spiritual country
that so far no mass tourism has invaded.
It is such a unique place that I can't just
focus on aviation when visiting the country.
There are plenty of natural beauty to see
and interesting lanes to explore in Bhutan.
I hope you like my vlog.
(uplifting music)
(logo dings)
(bubble pops)