Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a fabulous structure: the long thatched trunk
extends down to the entrance, while the softly lit
wooden interior is decorated with cartwheels on
the walls and cushioned benches.
The lodge sleeps ten, but to ensure exclusivity
on the estate, it's only ever let to one group at
a time. Delicious Sri Lankan dishes are cooked
up and served by members of the local farming
village - the very members who built and run
this unique hotel as an alternative to poaching
and illegal logging. Should you tire of lounging
by the pool, there's organized trekking and
wildlife-spotting in nearby Yala National Park -
where you might catch a glimpse of an elephant
of the non-thatched kind.
Tourists are welcome as part of groups (or
escorted individuals) and account for its second-
largest industry - but they are still few and
far between. The government mandates that
all trips charge a minimum cost equivalent
to US$165 per person daily in the low season
(more for individuals and in high season), which
includes all accommodation, food and internal
transport. It's elitist, but at least keeps hordes of
backpackers at bay.
All tourism must be approved by the
government as being environmentally and
socially sustainable, and as such the idyllic
landscape - scattered villages surrounded by
terraced paddy fields, soaring snow-covered
peaks and stone mountain fortresses with
foreboding iron doors - remains almost
untouched by industrialization. The close
familial bonds, religious devotion expressed
publicly in an endless array of colourful
festivals, and the shifting of the seasons all still
define daily life for most of the people you'll
encounter.
Bhutan also has some of the best trekking in
the world, from short visits to the villages in
the sacred Bumthang Valley to the awesome
Lunana Snowman trek - a 28-day high-altitude
trek into the most inaccessible parts of the
country, home to yaks, yeti legends and the
vast mountain of Gangkar Punsum. And as
one of the world's most biodiverse countries,
there's also the chance to see snow leopards,
tigers, elephants and red pandas, and hundreds
of species of birds. The forests they inhabit
are pretty safe, too, as the king has decreed
that the country will never be less than sixty
percent forest - and at present it remains over
75 percent covered. Head off into the beautiful
hills and you'll probably come across more yaks
than fellow walkers.
Need to know KumbukRiver is located 250km
from Colombo and can only be reached by road (car
or taxi). For further info, rates and reservations visit
W www.kumbukriver.com; T +94 (0) 773 632 182.
444 taKe the road least
travelled in Bhutan
If any country in the world can lay claim to
the word unique, it's the Himalayan mountain
kingdom of Bhutan. Where every other
government in the world views economic growth,
measured via Gross Domestic Product (GDP),
as the indicator of its success, this landlocked
region nestled between Tibet, Nepal and the
Indian state of Sikkim has declared that its
yardstick is GNH, or Gross National Happiness.
It's the only country in the world to ban
tobacco; it's compulsory for Bhutanese to wear
the national dress while in public; and television
was only made legal in 1999. After introducing
their first-ever traffic light a few years ago,
they changed their mind, decided it was too
impersonal, and re-employed a smartly dressed
traffic officer to direct what little traffic there is.
If it sounds somewhat undemocratic, that was
also true until 2008, when the king voluntarily
abdicated, changed the monarchy from absolute
to constitutional, and called for Bhutan's first
democratic elections.
Need to know Several tour companies run guided
tours and treks in Bhutan. To take part in the
Snowman, try W www.themountaincompany.co.uk
or the Bhutanese-run W www.bookbhutantours.com.
For all else, the national tourism website of Bhutan
is a good place to start: W www.tourism.gov.bt.
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