Beyond the Sky and the Earth - Jamie Zeppa

Several people have told me they were originally inspired to visit Bhutan after reading Jamie Zeppa's engaging account of spending two years there as an English teacher.  It's a beautifully written tale that brings to life the personality of the country.  Unfortunately this book appears to be out of print at the moment, but there are some good used copies available on Amazon.

Foreign office advice on travelling to Bhutan

Bhutan's a really safe place to travel, but if you want the official view, take a look at the Foreign Office guidance on Bhutan.

The main restriction is imposed by Bhutan itself, as they want to control the amount of tourism within their country (we were told this is because they've seen the damage done to neighbouring Nepal, and they don't want to see the same thing happening to them).  So the Bhutanese government require you to travel with an authorized travel agent, and there's a minimum spend of $200 per day you're in the country.  The lack of other tourists is one of the things that makes a trip to Bhutan feel so special.

A overview of Bhutan

The BBC keep a helpful profile of Bhutan up to date.

Pictures of the coronation

Bhutan's new king has been crowned, and here are some places you'll find nice pictures: 

• BBC
• Leonardo G Ponce on Flickr
• wjankowsky on Flickr
• Boston.com

Bhutan elections

In March, the Bhutanese people had their first taste of election fever when the country held its first ever elections. The result was a landslide for the Harmony party, who took all but 3 of the seats in the National Assembly.

See more on the BBC web site.

Bhutan on BBC World programme about happiness

The BBC visits Bhutan to investigate how the government rates happiness above purely economic measures.

Bhutan Wilderness Travels

I just heard that our excellent guide for the trip, Sonam Wangchen, has joined forces with a friend to set up his own tour company, called Bhutan Wilderness Travels. Very best of luck with this venture, Sonam! And for anyone considering a trip to Bhutan, I'd certainly recommend getting in touch with him.

Update: I believe the company is now called Bhutan Excursions.