Bhutan

Bhutan rests high in the Himalayas, between Tibet and India. Long secluded from the modern world, its isolation preserved an ancient rhythm of life until the 1970s, when the monarchy opened its doors to a quiet stream of travelers. Over two-thirds of the land is forested—an emerald canopy that makes Bhutan the world’s only carbon-negative nation. Guided by Gross National Happiness, it measures prosperity not in currency but in well-being, ensuring free health care and education. Rooted in twelve centuries of Buddhist tradition, compassion and non-violence remain central to Bhutanese life. In October, I joined Tibetan Buddhist practitioners of Chö—a meditative path of chanting and drumming—on a journey through Bhutan’s luminous forests to remote 17th-century temples and monasteries, alive with color, incense, and the low, resonant chant of monks.