Taktshang Goemba (Tiger's Nest Monastery) in the Kingdom of Bhutan is another one for my bucket list. It's a small nation (roughly the size of Switzerland) and is squished between China and India with natural barriers of mountains and forests. In the 1960s the king began the process of modernisation with paved roads, electricity and phones, quite refreshingly TV only arrived in 1999. The fourth King was famously quoted as saying "Gross National Happiness is far more important than Gross National Product." You've got to love a country where plastic bags and tobacco are both illegal and banned. The country opened to international tourism in 1974 with still to this date fewer than 30,000 visit this amazing part of the world per year, with Taktshang Goemba the country's most sacred site to visit, positioned at the gateway to Bhutan, this amazing temple was built in 1962, it's about a 2 hour trek from base and sits some 3000m up a sheer mountain rock face. It's one of the last sacred Buddhist Kingdoms in the world.
AmanKora resort (below) http://www.amanresorts.com/amankora/home.aspx over the last 6 years has opened small lodge-style accommodation in five valleys across Bhutan. The name of the lodges "Amankora" comes from Aman the Sanskrit €word for "peace" and kora the local word for "sacred circular pilgrimage". The properties are high end and have been built with respect to local people and the environment. Guests are invited to join in discussions about peace and happiness and hopefully gain an insight into the buddhist culture and beliefs.
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