Resources on the Web

As there is already a lot information on the web I have taken the lazy way of providing general information on Bhutan by putting links on this page. Instead of re-writing all the information myself, I will point you to differrent websites on Bhutan that i have visited and think are worthy of a visit.

Due to the frequent questions that I used to receive, I have added some additional information on how you might go about visiting Bhutan. You can also browse the gallery where most of the images are accompanied by my ramblings.

External sites will be opened in a new browser window. If you find any dead links, or if you want a link added here please let me know. Thank you.

Portals

• Bhutan.gov.bt Official Website of the Royal Government.
• Druknet Bhutan's Internet Service Provider. Directory of websites links only to sites hosted at Druknet.

News

• Kuensel Bhutan's National Newspaper.
• Bhutan Broadcasting Corporation: Bhutan TV and Radio.
• Bhutan Times: Hourly News Feeds about Bhutan and discussion forums.

Sites with useful information & documents

• Center for Bhutan Studies National research institution for all things bhutanese. Download academic publications as well as copies of the Journal of Bhutan Studies. CBS us also the ISBN Center for Bhutan. If you are looking for information about "Gross National Happiness" this is the site to visit.
• National Environment Commission: Several environmental policy publications
• Dept of Planning: Official Development Policies and Statistics.
• www.bhutan.at A website companion to an exhibition on Bhutan in Austria some years ago. Good information and pictures on history and culture.

Environment and Natural Resources

• Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation First of its kind in the world. This trust fund was set up to ensure the sustainability of conservation activities in Bhutan. Good overview of the biodiversity and protected areas system in Bhutan.
• Ministry of Agriculture: Informaiton on agriculture and renewable natural resources management. Seems to be down most of the time.

Misc Stuff

• Bhutanese Recipes Feeling adventurous? Come on in. An old part of this site that was never completed but from where the recipes have been copied into other Asian cooking websites (including credits to some names I had made up).
• Bhutan Online Store. Need some Bhutanese items? Buy handicrafts and items from Bhutan at this online store.

Personal Websites

The following are some of the earliest (1998) Personal Websites on Bhutan I've seen. Not sure if they are active.

• Land of...Kuzuzangpola Bhutan page maintained by another Bhutanese. With a virtual visit of places.
• T.C. Dorji's Homepage" Homepage maintained by another bhutanese.
• Ugyens Homepage Another Bhutanese page with some wacky links.
• Thunder Dragon... Webpage dedicated to Bhutan. Maintined by a Japanese who worked in Bhutan. Mostly in English with pictures and useful information.
• Tashi Delek Another website from Japan with lot's of pictures, links and travel information. Mostly in English.
• Folk music Bhutanese music. A page by Johan Westman, a ethnomusicologist in Norway.

International Development Agencies in Bhutan

Despite the absence of abject poverty in the kingdom and a relatively good quality of life, Bhutan is still classified as a "Least Developed Country". Due to this economic development status, Bhutan receives a lot of international development aid. The following international development agencies are currently involved in Bhutan. I pulled the list out of the phone book and made a search on the web for their websites, so I have no idea about their mandates or policies;

1. Austrian Development Cooperation Bureau
2. Canadian Cooperation Office
       CIDA homepage
3. DANIDA Danish International Aid Agency
4. German-Bhutan Health Friends Association
5. Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)
       GTZ Bhutan profile
6. Helvetas/SDC Program (Switzerland)
       Helvetas/SDC bhutan profile
7. Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV)
8. Norwegian Santal Mission
9. Save the Children Federation
       Save the Children : Regional Profile including Bhutan
10. United Nations Organisations in Bhutan
    1. FAO
    2. UNCDF
    3. UNDP
    4. UNFPA
    5. UNICEF
    6. WFP
    7. WHO International HQ website
11. World Wildlife Fund - Bhutan Program

Some noteworthy Books & Movies to check out.

Travellers and Magicians: The first internationally released Dzongkha movie shot in Bhutan. By the director of "The Cup", His Holiness Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

"Beyond the Earth and Sky" Excellent book by Jamie Zeppa, based the time she spent as a volunteer teaher in eastern Bhutan.

Bhutan the last shangrila: exellent documentary about the country, its environment and culture. Living Edens Series by PBS and Readers Digest.