I don't know how many of you have heard of the small Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. It's a place that has been rather isolated from the outside world untill recently. This makes it a bit like how Tibet was back in the 1930s. They also have laws decreeing that people should wear traditional clothes and build traditional houses. It would be a good place to go, if you want to have an adventure feeling. I'm not sure how pleasant the place is, I believe they only banned slavery quite recently. However for the general look and atmosphere, I'd imagine it's the closest you'll get to Shangri-La in modern times.
Tags: Bhutan, Shangri-La
Permalink Reply by Tome Wilson on May 5, 2012 at 8:30pm Time for a vacation! Where's Nathan Drake when you need him?
Bhutan hosted an event at the DC Culture Festival a couple year's back, complete with traditional construction, music, food, and archery. It seems like a real cool place at least aestetically. I'd be concerned about any place where the law decides how you'll dress and live, however. Forced traditionalism tends to go hand in hand with despotism...just ask the people of Cambodia. Sounds like "Shangri-La" make have a dark side...
In the book, Shangri-La did have a dark side. (Spoiler alert, by the way.) If a person managed to reach Shangri-La, they weren't allowed to leave. (End of spoiler.)
I've heard of it, but I want to travel the world so I do a lot of research and reading on travel things.
Cap'n Tony said:
Bhutan hosted an event at the DC Culture Festival a couple year's back, complete with traditional construction, music, food, and archery. It seems like a real cool place at least aestetically. I'd be concerned about any place where the law decides how you'll dress and live, however. Forced traditionalism tends to go hand in hand with despotism...just ask the people of Cambodia. Sounds like "Shangri-La" make have a dark side...
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