Saturday, May 19, 2007

Not in Bhutan

So, where the hell is Matt Lauer?
(Literary.)

If you've been reading articles related to travel issues...I guess you would have chanced upon this series of programme that can be viewed from MSNBC.com entitled 'Where in the World is Matt Lauer?'. One of his earlier stops around the world was the mysterious 'Land of Thunder Dragon', or, as they called it the last shangrila on earth - Bhutan.

My curiosity with this country was sparked off during one of the tourism dev lectures we had with Mr Yong, rather surprisingly. Before that I once read from Time Mag during my JC days that the Bhutanese consider themselves the happiest people on earth. What was it that's sustaining their happiness, to which I got that answer from Mr Yong during my last capstone module. The Bhutanese government had this standard of measure for happiness called the Gross National Happiness and tourism was one key sector they regulated heavily to preserve that sanctity and happiness index of their country. They only allow a certain number of visas to be issued every year to ensure that mass tourism does not destroy their land and culture - the exact paradoxical euphemism for what the Carribean was facing back in the 1970s-1980s. Surprisingly though, Bhutan does have golf courses! So it's not that ulu ulu lah... From what we heard from Mr Yong, you've to be part of an organised tour group to visit Bhutan but I guess, they're slowly opening up and luxury hotel labels such as Uma Paro can help to arrange transportation and visa applications. Ya Bhutan may be one of the poorest countries in the world but travelling there ain't that cheap either. For a 10-day group tour by Wilderness Travel, starts with US$3,395 per person...

Ok now that you've having 2nd thoughts... haha *yawnZ* what was I saying then? Gotta head for my tuition session with my little Angeline.

Posted by Atlantic Amethyst at 9:04 AM

Comments: Post a Comment