Jun 3, 2026 · 1 hr · 23 segments
A brief historical and cultural recap of Bhutan for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this fascinating and unique country. For additional resources, head to Patreon, where you…
Allie RoperHost
It's about the size of Switzerland, roughly the size of Indiana in the United States.
What makes Bhutan especially interesting is that the entire country changed dramatically or changes dramatically as you travel from north to south.
So in the north, you find the great Himalayas, huge towering peaks, glaciers, high alpine valleys where yaks spend their summers grazing.
Bhutan's highest mountain is Gangkar Puensum, and it's 7,500 meters, around 24,800 feet above sea level.
Bhutan has never allowed anyone to summit it, partly because the mountain is considered sacred and partly because the government simply decided that some places should be left alone.
If you move south, you reach the Lesser Himalayas, where most Bhutanese people live.
Nearly every valley seems to have a zong, which is a massive fortress monastery watching over it from a hilltop or riverside.
And it's very lush and green, very different from those Himalayan peaks in the north.
Bhutan's population is really, really small, just under 800,000 people, roughly the same as San Francisco.
But everyone who travels there says it feels remarkably relaxed compared to most national capitals.
It's about the size of Switzerland, roughly the size of Indiana in the United States.
What makes Bhutan especially interesting is that the entire country changed dramatically or changes dramatically as you travel from north to south.
So in the north, you find the great Himalayas, huge towering peaks, glaciers, high alpine valleys where yaks spend their summers grazing.
Bhutan's highest mountain is Gangkar Puensum, and it's 7,500 meters, around 24,800 feet above sea level.
Bhutan has never allowed anyone to summit it, partly because the mountain is considered sacred and partly because the government simply decided that some places should be left alone.
If you move south, you reach the Lesser Himalayas, where most Bhutanese people live.
Nearly every valley seems to have a zong, which is a massive fortress monastery watching over it from a hilltop or riverside.
And it's very lush and green, very different from those Himalayan peaks in the north.
Bhutan's population is really, really small, just under 800,000 people, roughly the same as San Francisco.
But everyone who travels there says it feels remarkably relaxed compared to most national capitals.
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