“Bhutan is the flea between two elephants: India and China,” says our local tour guide to help us find our bearings – a helpful hint after landing in Paro, the world’s most challenging airport surrounded by peaks as high as 5,500m.[1]
Perched in the Himalayas, Bhutan continues to resist rampant Western influences. Yet, as an Australian tourist, you’ll feel safe in the Buddhist kingdom – thanks to a stable government and friendly people who want to steal your smile not your wallet.[2] That’s right Bhutan has a low crime rate – although it might be harder to commit a road crime in Thimphu as it is the only capital in the World without traffic lights![3]
Saying that I was under-prepared for the trek would be an understatement (don’t worry I have all the right excuses)! But then again, neither was I prepared for the wonders I was about to witness in the Land of Happiness.
The 10-day ACCF VolunTOURing trip was as colourful as the flags waving over the streets and mountains of Bhutan. As we strolled through the local villages and temples, soaking up the Buddhist way of life, I remembered thinking that this trip – everything from meeting the Queen Grandmother dressed in a traditional Kira and visiting local schools, to camping next to yaks at 3,500m and visiting the breathtaking Tiger’s Nest – was nothing like I ever experienced before. Our unexpected meeting with Her Majesty – who advocated for EVERY girl in Bhutan to receive HPV vaccination – combined with the realisation that happiness shines from everything and everyone in Bhutan gave me a new take on what a lucky country truly is.
Whether you’re a culture seeker, an adventurous traveller, a trekker, a nature lover, a philanthropist, a busy professional who wants to switch off the autopilot, or a cervical cancer survivor like me who wants to help women in developing countries, this trip has got it all!
The 13-day ACCF Owl Trek and Bhutan Festival Trek 2016 leaves on 31 October. Registration is open now so my advice is to book your seat as early as you can to give yourself enough time to prep for the trek. When you join, you’ll also become part of a team who will raise funds to vaccinate girls against cervical cancer – one of Bhutan’s biggest cancer killers. Don’t worry; you won’t be left on your own! ACCF and Huma Charity Challenge have amazing teams to help you meet your goal and I promise you’ll feel amazing when you do! I wish you the trip of a lifetime and a lifetime of happiness.
Tashi Delek! (Bhutanese greeting meaning “cheers”)
[1] Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2079836/The-Himalayan-airport-dangerous-pilots-qualified-land-there.html and http://www.wonderslist.com/10-most-dangerous-airport-landings-in-the-world
[2] Source: http://www.bhutan.com.au
[3] Source: https://academicexchange.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/20-interesting-facts-about-bhutan
