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“Ladakhis have little to do with the rest of India,” whispers Tom. Our guide – a young local, and a skilled motorbiker – drives us across Leh. “We are more Tibetan than Indian,” he says, “We are in a Buddhist region, within a majority- Hindu country; For a thousand of years, our Kingdom was an independent monarchy.”
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Approaching the Himalayas by air, the anticipation is like that on no other journey. Giant empty mountains framed by a bright blue sky under our noses. It’s a scenic 40 minutes flight until we have a dramatic landing in the most dangerous airport on earth. We arrive in Lukla – Eastern Nepal – in the shadow of Mount Everest.
I had long wanted to visit Bhutan. A country that stands apart in the Himalayas as it has been saved from the damaging effects of tourism that have affected the rest of Asia for the past 20 years. The rising of the popularity of Bhutan, however, cannot be denied. Slowly the country is throwing open its doors and coming out with new hotels, airports and flight connections. The high prices, on the other hand, will still keep the mass market at bay for a long time.
