Bhutan

The mighty Himalayas protected Bhutan from the rest of the world and left this jewel of a kingdom blissfully untouched. Mahayana Buddhism gave it a rich culture, and the Bhutanese protected that heritage for centuries by choosing a jealously guarded isolation.

This is a country of rolling hills and towering crags: magnificent mountains, dense forests, pure air, inspiring architecture and superb art. Prayer flags flutter along the high ridges and dzongs stand watch over the valleys.

Travel here is slow by nature, Thimphu's fusion of ancient and modern, Paro's terraced paddy fields and farmhouses, and the soft climb through pine forest to Tiger's Nest, clinging to its cliff above the valley.