Bhutan - Where Happiness is Measurable – Part 1

Being unusual is always an unjustified prejudice, because for each of us, anything that we do not understand as ordinary is unusual, and therefore Bhutan is of course a completely ordinary country for the inhabitants living there, who are officially the happiest nation in the world. However, Bhutan certainly has many peculiarities that are not found anywhere else.

In Bhutan, you will not find cemeteries, international fast food restaurants, traffic lights, pesticides, alpinism, slaughterhouses, ski resorts and many other things that are found in Europe, Americas, Africa, or other Asian countries. Mountaineering has been banned since 2003 out of respect for the sacred mountains. However, hiking is still allowed, offering visitors a chance to admire the untouched landscape. From a distance, you can see the Gangkhar Puensum peak, which stands at 7,570 metres. It’s the highest peak in Bhutan and also the highest unclimbed mountain in the world.

Gross national happiness

Bhutan’s most unique feature is the measurement of Gross National Happiness (GNH). This concept was introduced by the fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in the early 1970s. He doubted that gross domestic product (GDP) alone could bring happiness and prosperity to a society. Four decades later, in 2008, when Bhutan became a parliamentary democracy, Article 9 of the Constitution further ensured the inclusion and continuity of GNH values by stating: "The State shall strive to promote those conditions that will enable the pursuit of Gross National Happiness." Therefore, Bhutan ensures that conditions are in place that make happiness the sole purpose of its development. Over the years, GNH has evolved from a noble aspiration into a more measurable tool, partly in response to the unexpected global attention it has attracted.

GNH is a way of developing that balances material well-being with people’s spiritual, emotional, and cultural needs. The key words are harmonious balance, which can be achieved by balancing the needs of the body with the needs of the mind. Scientifically, GNH is based on four pillars, which are:

• Promoting sustainable development,
• Preserving and promoting cultural values,
• Preserving the natural environment,
• Establishing good governance.

These pillars are then divided into nine areas that cover different aspects of well-being. These are measured by using 33 indicators. In 2022, the results showed that that 9.5% of people were extremely happy, 38.6% were very happy, 45.5% were happy and 6.4% were unhappy.

The Sustainable Development Fee as one of the conditions for entry into Bhutan

The road to happiness is always winding, and so is the road to being the happiest country in the world, as Bhutan does not allow independent visits. In addition to the visa and tourist package, there is also a sustainable development fee, which is 100 US dollars per day for everyone except Indians, who are charged only about 14 US dollars. This large discount for Indians is of course logical, since Bhutan, although a sovereign country, is under the protectorate of India and it is the Indian army that would help the small and poorly equipped Bhutanese army in the event of war, which is very unlikely, since it borders only India and China.

The visa, which is the cheapest part of the trip, costs 40 US dollars. The most expensive part is air travel, as a return ticket for a one-hour flight from Kathmandu costs from 450 euros, similar from Bangladesh, slightly less from India and much more from Thailand. Bhutan does not have direct air connections with any other countries. When we add the costs of a Bhutanese travel agency, such as guides, accommodation and food, we can estimate a visit to Bhutan from nearby Nepal, India or Bangladesh to be at least 1,500 euros for 3 to 6 days, depending on the size of the group, the category of accommodation and of course the agency you choose. Prof. Dr. Bogomil Ferfil and I chose the agency Yak Holidays International, with which we were very satisfied. In any case I advise choosing a local Bhutanese agency and not an Indian, Bangladeshi or Nepalese one, even if they would be cheaper. Local agencies are allowed to adapt the programme to your wishes much more than foreign ones.

The most unusual airport in the world

One of the reasons why the airline ticket prices are so high is certainly that only specially trained pilots of only two Bhutanese airlines are allowed to fly there. The landing maneuver at the only international airport in the city of Paro is a very special experience that passengers are warned about beforehand. The geography of Bhutan did not allow for the only international airport to be in the immediate vicinity of the capital Thimphu, as there is not a sufficiently long and accessible valley in the area. That's why they built an airport in the town of Paro, 50 kilometres away. But even there, it's a lot different from other airports. While it is common for pilots to see the airport runway about twenty kilometres before landing, in Paro they only see it about two kilometres before, which is why only seventeen pilots have permission to take off and land in Paro.

The airport is located at an altitude of 2,235 metres above sea level, and is surrounded by 5,500 metres high mountains. They are not in a straight line, which is why the pilot warns passengers about a very unusual landing maneuver. It lasts about 5 minutes, while the plane turns almost 90 degrees several times during its rapid descent from over 6,000 metres to 2,235 metres. To make things even more complicated, the pilots must perform this maneuver without any technical assistance, and they must not make a single mistake during the landing, as they have only one attempt to land, with no second chances.

This is why the airport in Paro is considered the most challenging international airport in the world. In terms of difficulty, it is surpassed only by the airport for Nepalese domestic traffic in the city of Lukla at an altitude of 3,000 metres and surrounded by eight-thousanders, including Mt. Everest.

But it is precisely these strict conditions that make it possible to visit Bhutan safely, as, apart from a few slightly rough landings, not a single plane crash has been recorded at this airport.

With all this information, I expected the landing to be a bit more adrenaline-filled, but the pilot executed the landing maneuver so well that warnings were almost unnecessary. The journey is just as fascinating as the landing, as we can observe the mighty Himalayas and the highest peak in the world, Mt. Everest, during the flight.

To wrap up the first part, here’s a bit about Bhutan.

Bhutan, which covers an area of only 38,394 square kilometres, has been an independent country since December 17, 1907. On August 8, 1949, a friendship treaty was signed with India, whereby India committed itself to protecting its independence. In Bhutan, approximately 85% of the population is Buddhist, while the rest are mostly Hindu. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the king.

It is a constitutional monarchy, with a bicameral parliament consisting of a National Council with 20 independent representatives and 5 appointed by the king, and a National Assembly, to which 47 representatives of political parties are elected under a two-round system, so that only the two parties with the best results in the first round of elections compete in the second round. The Prime Minister is also the president of the party that won the election, although he is officially appointed by the king, who also appoints the ministers in the government after consulting with the Prime Minister. But even the king, although the position is hereditary, is not untouchable, as he can be removed by the parliament with a two-thirds majority. Bhutan is administratively divided into 20 districts, and the capital is Thimphu, which is home to 200,000 of a total population of just under 900,000.

In the next part you will be able to read all about a short but intense visit to this extremely interesting country, where the phallus is a symbol of good luck because it drives away evil spirits, where the mythological animal Takin, a cross between a cow and a goat, can be encountered in nature, and where guests in a pub stand up as a sign of respect when a religious dignitary enters.