A SMILE IN THE HEART

Well known for its Happiness Index, Bhutan has a tranquil spirit that also works wonders on the harried soul.

- Karen Tee

With bundles of dried pine needles thrice their size strapped like oversized backpacks on their shoulders, the two diminutive Bhutanese women are dwarfed by the loads they are carrying. Are they thatching a roof or collecting kindling for fire? Curiosity piqued, we greet them with with a cheery “Kuzuzangpola”, a respectful hello in Dzongkha, the country’s official language.

Bright smiles light up their tanned, rosy faces and we strike up a conversation with our guide Ugyen as the translator. It turns out these fragrant leaves, which they raked from the floor of the nearby blue pine forest in the Phobjikha Valley in central Bhutan, are used as cattle bedding. By sundown, the sisters would have completed about five round trips.

It is obviously backbreaking work and I am touched they have time for a group of inquisitive travellers. I think about my bustling city lifestyle where we barely even make eye contact with each other and savour this moment of genuine human connection.

HAPPINESS IS A PLACE

I first travelled to Bhutan in 2012 for a yoga retreat and was profoundly struck by the sense of wellbeing and joy I felt during my stay in this serene destination. So when travel guide Lonely Planet named Bhutan the top country to visit on its Best in Travel 2020 list for its commitment to cultural and environmental sustainability, I knew I had to make my way back. After all, tiny Bhutan’s famed concept of Gross National Happiness has to be experienced to be understood.

While there is one thing that is unfortunately dreary – the bureaucratic hassle of visa application and figuring out what is included in the minimum daily fee of US$200 (S$270) – luxury amenities will cost a lot more – these measures help maintain the country’s low-impact, high-value tourism ethos. To bypass this annoyance, I engage travel agent Druk Asia (www.drukasia.com) to sort out the paperwork.