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AT#968 – Travel to Bhutan

  1. AT#968 - Travel to Bhutan Chris Christensen 53:36

Hear about travel to Bhutan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dorji Dhratyul, the former head of Tourism for the Kingdom of Bhutan.

This week’s show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel ⁠⁠⁠here.

Why should you go to Bhutan?

Doji says, “I think when you’re talking about globally in terms of tourism, we are talking about over-tourism. The tourism destinations are getting crowded, but as of now, Bhutan is still a very pristine, quiet, and silent place. Bhutan is that place where a visitor comes here, not just on a journey, but basically they come here as an inward journey.”

Bhutan is one of the few countries in the world that measures its success not by GDP but by Gross National Happiness. The small Himalayan kingdom regulates visitor numbers intentionally, following its “High Value, Low Volume” tourism policy. That means fewer crowds, pristine landscapes, and a deeply authentic experience.

Dorji recommends beginning with the western region, home to the country’s only international airport and some of its most iconic sites.

https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-bhutan-2/

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Chris is the creator of AmateurTraveler.com. Amateur Traveler is a popular online travel podcast and blog that focuses primarily on travel destinations. The Amateur Traveler podcast was downloaded over 2 million times in 2023.

The Amateur Traveler is 18+ years old and they use Amateur Traveler to teach English at Oxford University and to test English proficiency for employment with the Thailand Foreign Ministry.

Chris has won a Lowell Thomas Award, 5 NATJA awards, and a SMITTY Award from Travel+Leisure as the "best independent travel journalist."