Closed to the world until the 1970s, Bhutan is the last Himalayan kingdom, wedged between China and India right in the lap of the world’s highest mountains.

Called Drak Yul, the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’, Bhutan is an utterly unique destination, often called magical, alluring or enigmatic and it’s easy to see why.

The protection of the mountains and its isolation have left Bhutan’s Buddhist culture perfectly intact – even today the government tightly controls tourism, to help preserve it.

As well as pride in their culture, the Bhutanese also take huge pride in the beauty of their surroundings – this is a land of towering mountain peaks, lush valleys and remote fortress monasteries after all.

The preservation of environment and culture are two of the fundamental pillars of the concept of ‘gross national happiness’, which governs Bhutanese society as it slowly continues the process of modernisation and opening up to the world – go now before some of the magic is lost!