The Kingdom of Bhutan, or the “land of the dragon”, is a small, land-locked nation situated in the eastern Himalaya mountains to the south of China. It has a proud ancient Buddhist culture and is home to many myths and mysteries. This intrigue is aided by a majestic landscape with magnificent mountains looking down upon spectacular valleys and rivers. Given that it is in Asia, it is a must-not-miss for Malaysians looking for an adventurous getaway.

There are a number of avenues for Malaysians to reach Bhutan. However, it should be clear that a visit to Bhutan must be arranged beforehand with a tour operator. Packages include a hotel stay, a guide, lads transport and meals. These packages can be purchased starting at $200 US dollars.The first avenue of travel from Malaysia to Bhutan is taking an airplane from Kuala Lumpar to Kathmandu. Many airlines provide this air service, such as Malaysian Airlines and Himalayan Airlines. Once you have arrived in Kathmandu, you will have to stay over for one night and then take a Drukair flight tonParo, Bhutan. This is the perfect introduction to Bhutan itself. Ranging from the Wang Chhu rivers of Chuzom up to Mount Jomolhari, Paro Valley is a lavish region with spectacular rice fields and a beautiful river meandering down the valley. Along with this scenery, Paro houses one of the defining landmarks of Bhutan, the Taktsang Monastery and a unique national museum, an ancient watchtower with hundreds of ancient Bhutanese artefacts and costumes on public display

There are also alternative ways of reaching Paro. There are around 20 daily flights from Kuala Lumpar to Bankok. However, the travel is a little more complicated, as Malaysian travellers can only catch an early morning flight from Bangkok to Bhutan. Another avenue of travel, especially for Malaysians from the southern states, is travelling to Singapore by road and catching one of the two weekly flights from Singapore to Paro. However, the minor catch here is that there’s a stopover in Guwahati, Assam India. But don’t worry, travellers to Paro are not required to hold an Indian transit Visa as they will not have to leave the plane during the course of the stopover.

If you do decide to take the trip to Bhutan, note that Malaysian nationals must gain a visa to enter Bhutan and this must be presented during check-in for the flight to Bhutan. The visa will be for one-entry only for the whole duration. Visas can be gained from authentic travel agencies including Druk Asia.

Once you have sorted everything out, entered Bhutan and discovered Paro Valley, here is what you have to look forward to. The first and most obvious place to travel to should be the capital of Bhutan itself, Thimpu. Interestingly, it is a rarity for a capital city to have no skyscrapers or frustrating traffic. In fact, traffic lights are not even required, as all traffic is regulated by the Bhutan police force. All of this is due to the strict rules of the Bhutanese government, who believe that Bhutanese tradition must be strongly preserved. There is, however, a slight relaxation of these rules in recent times, with a small number of modern buildings starting to appear. The most famous monument of Thimpu is the gigantic Dordenma Buddha statue standing (or sitting) tall at 51.5m high. Another must-visit area of Bhutan is the Punakha District, also known as the heart of Bhutan. The stunning and picturesque scenery of the area can be observed and admired at every turn. But the landmark of the district is the fertility temple of Chimi Lhakhang, visited mainly by women who seek to give birth to children.But the country’s most sacred site, and possibly your highlight of the trip, is the ascent to Taktsang Lhakhang, the Tiger’s Nest. It is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhist saints, monks and an obligatory tourist attraction.

You have all of the information of travel, packages and landmarks for your visit to this compelling tourist destination. Now the next thing for you is to get planning the trip itself. You will certainly not regret it, but will in fact make lifelong memories!