American student Liam Kelly spent last summer in Himachal Pradesh, India on a study abroad program administered by Tulane University, New Orleans. He completed his final semester in Thimphu, Bhutan. In order to inspire others to travel and study in the Himalayas, we asked Liam some questions about his experiences.

Cycling is my favourite way to explore a new city or country. Bike riding tours in Bhutan are still in their infancy, and cycling in this mountainous country is not for the faint-hearted. My partner and I, both competent cyclists who’ve done a few biking holidays, signed up for a

We hiked for five days in Bhutan and didn’t see another tourist. We had the mountains, the walking trails, the camp sites, the lakes, to ourselves. In a world where over-tourism is becoming a major concern for some countries, this was utter bliss. I’d wanted to visit Bhutan for many

Our trip around the Kingdom of Bhutan was marked by unusual cultural experiences, best described as ‘authentic’, despite this word being overused in the travel industry. The obscure, little-explored Kingdom nestled in the heart of the Himalayas, famous for giving priority to Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product, is

In her native Tibetan language, Her Eminence Jetsun Kushok Chimey Luding guided us to become the goddess at the ‘Uncommon White Tara Initiation’ taking place at the Ewan Choden Buddhist Center in California. With Lama Jay Goldberg translating for us, I envisioned the White Tara thangka painting I had acquired

The Himalayas are an enormous mountain chain that spread from Pakistan in the west, to Bhutan in the east, as well as encompassing Nepal, parts of Tibet and several states of India. So while there is some cultural similarity between the peoples living in this region, there are also lots

We were short on time. “It says here that most people do the Druk Path in six days.” “Well, in four days I have to leave the country. In three days, you have to leave the country. So we better do it in two.” It was reluctantly decided. My friends

While most travelers to Bhutan visit the capital city Thimpu and Paro (known for the Tiger’s Nest monastery), Bhutan offers much more if you have a bit longer. Many travelers skip Central Bhutan (either due to lack of time or because of the poor road conditions), but this is a

Perched in the hills to the north of Paro in Bhutan is a complex of white, fortress-like walls topped by wide, flat roofs that look like fans spread out to hold everything steady. Through the morning mist it seems as if it can only be magic preventing the whole structure

Some of the most remote villages in Bhutan are found on the far eastern side of the country. It is the land of the Brokpa people. According to their oral history, the Brokpa originate from Tibet and came to Bhutan after they beheaded a tyrannical king in their ancestral village.