Bhutan

Bhutan (Country Guide)

Discover Bhutan

Search for fried ferns, jellied cowskins, and dried yak cheese at Thimphu's weekend market.
Be blessed with a 10-inch penis at Chimi Lhakhang, the home of the 'Divine Madman'.
Dance with snowlions and banter with clowns at the pick of Bhutan's colorful festivals.
Hike up to the gavity-defying Tiger's Nest monastery, reputedly held on to the sheer cliff face by the hairs of angels.

In this Guide
Understand murals and monsters with in-depth coverage of Bhutanese Buddhism and culture by our regional expert.
Special trekking chapter brings Himalayan peaks that little bit closer...
Find out more and swap yeti-spotting tips at lonelyplanet.com

Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan

As a teacher of English literature, Jamie Zeppa would understand how the story of her journey into Bhutan could be fit into the convenient box of "coming-of-age romance," a romance with a landscape, a people, a religion, and a dark, irresistible student. An innocent, young Catholic woman from a Canadian mining town who had "never been anywhere," Zeppa signed up for a two-year stint teaching in a remote corner of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Despite the initial shock of material privation and such minor inconveniences as giardia, boils, and leeches, Zeppa felt herself growing into the vast spaces of simplicity that opened up beyond the clutter of modern life. Alongside her burgeoning enchantment, a parallel realization that all was not right in Shangri-La arose, especially after her transfer to a college campus charged with the politics of ethnic division. Still she maintained her center by devouring the library's Buddhist tracts and persevering in an increasingly fruitful meditation practice. When the time came for her to leave, she had undergone a personal transformation and found herself caught between two worlds that were incompatible and mutually incomprehensible. Zeppa's candid, witty account is a spiritual memoir, a travel diary, and, more than anything, a romance that retraces the vicissitudes of ineluctable passion. --Brian Bruya

In the tradition of Iron and Silk and Bicycle Days, comes the story of a young woman's self-discovery in a foreign land.

At the age of twenty-two, Jamie Zeppa, raised in a small Canadian town by her grandparents, engaged to be married, never having left the North American continent, decided to embark on one great adventure before settling down for a happy, if conventional, life. She sought a place at the outer reaches of the globe and the outer limits of her imagination and ended up in Bhutan, a tiny Buddhist kingdom closed to the West for centuries, an unspoiled land of Himalayan peaks and lush valleys.

Jamie Zeppa went to Bhutan as a teacher on a two-year Canadian government contract. During her early weeks of hardship and disorientation, this neophyte traveler was on the verge of packing it in. After a few weeks more, however, the country and its people worked their alchemy on her; she canceled her trip home for Christmas and requested an extension of her contract. In time, she broke off her engagement. After two years, she was not only in love with the country but also with a young Bhutanese man.

From the pristine, heart-crushing beauty of the landscape to the celebrations and sorrows of its people, Zeppa conjures and captures the true spirit of her unforgettable pilgrim experience. Stirring, poignant, funny, and full of joy, Beyond the Earth and the Sky is at once a classic tale of discovery and adventure, and a love story--between a woman and a country, a people, a man.

Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon

Bhutan: Himalayan Mountain Kingdom, Fifth Edition (Odyssey Illustrated Guides)

On the rooftop of the world, shoe-horned into the Grand Himalayas, Bhutan—or Thunder Dragon—is a fiercely independent kingdom. Isolated, charming, peaceful and religious, the Bhutanese are a pragmatic, sensitive people who take from the West what will benefit their country and leave the rest. Only 4,000 tourists will visit the kingdom in any one year and they are strictly monitored by a government that cares deeply for its people, environment and heritage. The countryside is pristine, the lifestyle and culture have been preserved for centuries, and the love of life is abundant among the people. Few outsiders know Bhutan as intimately as Françoise Pommaret; her guidebook takes you on an incredible journey of discovery and adventure; her love of the people and the place shines through; her in-depth knowledge helps aid our understanding of why this unique land has long remained one of Asia's deepest mysteries and best-kept secrets.

• Extensively revised and updated by the world's leading expert on Bhutan who has many years' experience visiting and working in this amazing kingdom • Essential facts for the visitor including what to bring, how to book, visas, customs, climate, health and money • 67 color photographs • 3 maps • In-depth treatment of each region of the kingdom: what to see, its history and significance • Invaluable guide to trekking and mountaineering • Special excerpts include: national symbols of Bhutan, archery and other sports, ceremonial scarves, the Dzongkha language, chortens and mandalas • Literary excerpts add a historical perspective

Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan

Blessings of Bhutan (A Latitude 20 Book)

Buttertea at Sunrise: A Year in the Bhutan Himalaya

Often seen as a magical paradise at the end of the world, Bhutan is inaccessible to most travellers. Set against the dramatic scenery of the Himalaya, this beguiling memoir recalls hardships and happiness in a land almost untouched by the West.

When Britta Das goes to work as a physiotherapist in a remote village hospital, her good intentions are put to the test amid monsoons, fleas, and startling conditions. But as she visits homes in the mountains and learns the mysteries of Tantric Buddhism, the country captivates her very soul. Gaining insights into the traditions of the mystical kingdom, Britta makes friends, falls in love, and battles illness.

Throughout it all, as she writes, she worries about the "destructive nearness of technology" and fears that Bhutan's charm and innocence may soon be lost. Still, Bhutan has endured for centuries, and there is no denying that the country has transformed her life forever.

Bhutan Map by ITMB (Travel Reference Map)

Folded road and travel map. Scale 1:380,000. Legend shows places to stay and places of interest, International/district boundaries, railways, passes, airports, bus stations, gas stations, camping sites, museums, Buddhist temples, Chortens (Buddist monuments), monasteries/churches, Dzongs (Fortress), nature reserves, national parks. Includes inset of Thimphu (national capital), Paro.

Bhutan: A Trekker's Guide (Cicerone Guide)

Himalaya Nelles Map: Tibet Kashmir Nepal Sikim Bhutan (Nelles Maps)

Up-to-date, detailed, highly readable shaded relief map with major roads and point-to-point distances clearly indicated. Locates places of interest to travelers directly on the map. Easy to fold. Scale 1:1,500,000.