In Bhutan, the taxi drivers are honest, the air is clean, and all the bright flags flapping along roadsides are prayers for peace and not advertisements for used cars. This fascinating Himalayan kingdom is about the furthest one can get from the frantic hum of the outside world, but it’s also a totally safe and relatively comfortable place to travel. Few countries can boast such stunning natural beauty, and even fewer have protected their culture so well. Most Bhutanese remain subsistence farmers, but it would be impossible to call them poor, especially when the government measures progress in terms of Gross National Happiness. It’s truly eye opening to visit a country so determined to remain a land apart and assess the flashy Wonders of the West on its own terms.