Artifacts, bones and remnants of stone structures suggest that Bhutan was settled as early as 2000 BC, although there are no historical records from that time. The earliest transcribed event comes from the Buddhist Saint Padma Sambhava in 747. It is believed that all historical writing was destroyed when the ancient capital Panakha was burned in 1827.
 
After the decline of the Mongols in the region in the 14th century, Bhutan was left divided as small warring kingdoms. In the Early 17th century Bhutan was united by the Tibetan Llama and military leader Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. Fleeing religious persecution in Tibet, Namgyal traveled to Bhutan, set up a code of laws to bring all the lords under control. He built impregnable fortresses called Dzongs, many of which are still in use today as centers of religion and politics.
 
When Namgyal died in 1651, Bhutan entered a civil war. Tibet took advantage of this and attacked but they were not successful in capturing any land. During the 18th century Bhutan took the Kingdom of Cooch Behar (now part of India), but with the help of the British East India Company, the Bhutanese were removed. Fighting with the British continued for 100 years. These skirmishes led to the Duar War (1864-1865). When Bhutan lost this war, the Treaty of Sinchula was signed between British India and Bhutan, ending all hostilities between the two countries.
 
During the 1870’s a power struggle brought Bhutan into a second civil war. Ugyen Wangchuck, the Governor of Tongsa, won the civil war and brought the country together. In 1907, Wangchuck was chosen as the hereditary king of Bhutan by an assembly of leading Buddhist monks.
 
The third King of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wankchuck, established the countries legislature in 1953 to make the country more democratic. After his death, his son Jigme Singye Wangchuk ascended to the throne. Since then the country has become more open to the outside world, especially within the last decade.

Cultural Crossroads Tours of Bhutan at a Glance

• Back Roads of Bhutan
  

  Cultural Crossroads invites you to participate in a special trip to unexplored Bhutan. The country is landlocked between the Himalayas, India and Tibetan. There are few developed Bhutan has been culturally preserved and is unaltered by the modern global culture that most other nations have influencing them. It is one of the most unique places to visit. It is the only country where Buddhism is the state religion and the country does not measure its success by Gross Domestic Product, but by Gross National Happiness. Bhutan is a small country with very fragile environment, so the government is serious and giving first priority to preserve the natural environment. Bhutan is set to become first nation in the world where the citizens have a constitutional obligation to preserve the environment. Bhutan constitution emphasizes the need for every citizen of the country to protect the environment, conserve its rich biodiversity and prevent ecological degradation including noise, visual and physical pollution through the adoption of environment friendly practices and ethos. Bhutan is committed to keep minimum of 60% of its forest cover forever.

  Cultural Crossroads makes sure our travelers carry out what they carry in, and how they can help conserve water and electricity, and other items in their hotel rooms. Combined with a well preserved ancient culture, this country is truly a fascinating and unique place to visit.

  We will visit many villages, meet with local elders/leaders and farmers and learn about the challenges they face, their daily activities, and ways to improve their living conditions. Our travelers will experience the HAA district, not yet explored by other tour operators. Cultural Crossroads participants will enjoy a special permit to enter the Tigers’s Nest monastery (Taktsang). We will also meet and interact with lamas and monks from the various monasteries and temples and have opportunities to meet with local artisans and crafts people. Traditional handicraft makers and artisans form a big bulk of the Bhutanese population. The sale of their products is being encouraged to visitors helping the local people to benefit from the rich. Visitors can also contribute to locals eating their wonderful local food encouraging farmers to produce more agricultural products for the demanding market for better living. Animal husbandry is still a predominant activity amongst rural population. The purchase of fresh dairy products like cheese, butter, milk, and meat to feed the visitors during their travel to Bhutan is another economic net contributing to triple bottom line.

  The tour is for 8-16 travelers only, so you can enjoy the company of others, or fill the trip with your friends and/or family. Our small group size provides you with special opportunities and private access for unique cultural experiences.

  Cultural Crossroads donates the portion of our profits to sustainable community programs in the countries we travel to. In Bhutan we give to the Tarayana Foundation (http://www.tarayanafoundation.org/) a non-profit organization working to reduce poverty and enhance the lives of people in rural communities in Bhutan.