THERE'S no lack of mystic appeal in Bhutan, a Tantric Buddhist kingdom of unspoiled natural beauty and fascinating culture wedged in the Himalayas between Tibet and India.
Known to the locals as Druk Yul - or Land of the Thunder Dragon - Bhutan and its ancient ways was an inaccessible destination in an increasingly high-tech world.
In an effort to retain its unique cultural identity, the kingdom, with a native population of about 600,000 distributed unevenly over a mountainous area of 47,000 sq km, took a strict isolationist approach to its existence.
As recently as 1992, the annual government quota for visitors was just 3,000, although by the end of last year, that figure had swelled to a relatively large 22,000.
In recent years, Bhutan has adopted a (by its standards) radically different route to economic growth, hoping to take a tightly controlled and more gradual path to development. In addition to opening its borders to more visitors
- limited to those willing to pay a few hundred dollars a day for the privilege - the country became a constitutional monarchy and held its first elections earlier this year.
The much-revered king also abdicated in favour of his Western-educated son, whose coronation will take place this September.
Its many colourful religious festivals and centuries-old temples and monasteries remain the principal draw for visitors, but the great outdoors also beckons in Bhutan.
First-time visitors will perhaps head initially for the cultural sights around Paro Valley, where the only airport is located. The number one attraction is the nearby Taksang, or Tiger's Nest Monastery, impossibly perched on a vertical rock face about 800 metres above the valley floor.
Getting there already involves a trek, but there are many other options for outdoor enthusiasts, ranging from an easy afternoon hike around Paro Valley to week-long expeditions through remote sections of the country and high-altitude mountain biking along pristine off-road trails. Along the way, breathtaking vistas of snowcapped mountains and high-country lakes and forests will be on offer.
There will also be opportunities to visit local dzongs - a combination of monastery and administrative and cultural centre - that are invariably the most impressive buildings in the area, and get an up-close and personal view of rural life and Bhutanese culture, unadorned and unadulterated for centuries.
Perhaps the most accessible of Bhutan's outdoor options - at least the one that doesn't require months of intensive training to enjoy - is the gentle walk along the pine-tree-covered ridges above Paro Valley.
If you happen to be staying at Uma Paro, the Singapore-owned hotel that specializes in health-conscious itineraries for its guests, all you need to do is head up the hill behind the hotel, and work your way along a narrow but well-defined path that eventually winds its way down to Paro town.
Along the way, you will encounter some of the more interesting architectural sites in the area, including the remote and near-deserted Zurig Dzong, a former fortress hidden in the hills above Paro. The atmosphere here is quiet, peaceful and fully conducive to soaking up the panoramic views. From here, it is possible to see distinctive buildings such as Ta Dzong, the circular building which houses the country's national museum, and Rinpung Dzong,the impressive 17th-century fort built to defend the valley against Tibetan invaders.
If a sense of adventure strikes you - and it will - you will be imbued with a desire to explore Bhutan by anything other than four-wheeled vehicle. The bumpy, winding roads and long transit times may have something to do with it, but the chance to freewheel down a high mountain road on a bicycle might also have something to do with it.
It's not exactly like being a competitor in the Tour de France, but it also isn't everyday you get to pedal (or more accurately, coast) down a winding, car-free road for 25 km or so.
That's exactly what you do when you ride the Chelela Pass down to the Haa Valley, which is about 35 km and a few valleys removed from Paro but much less visited.
One reason is that the Haa Valley has only been open to chilips (foreigners) since 2002. Access was restricted for security reasons - it serves as a buffer valley as it is close to the Western border with Sikkim. And because of Bhutan's close ties with India, an Indian army contingent has been based at Haa for the last 30 years.
Chelela happens to be the highest road pass in Bhutan and at around 3,900 metres at the top, none-biking types will be pleased to know that it is entirely possible to drive up there in an SUV with your mountain bikes in the back, assemble the bikes at the top and then ride down the rest of the way to Haa town, passing fields of rhododendron and blue poppy, forests of spruce and blue pine, not to mention a yak or two - these animals can only be spotted above a certain altitude.
After reaching Haa, stop at the first open field, where an archery contest will inevitably be taking place, and get acquainted with Bhutan's national pastime. Every town in Bhutan will have an archery field, where locals compete
for bragging rights and display their awesome prowess at the sport by hitting tiny targets that are some 150 metres away.
"Rather than seeing the country from the back of a car, the idea is to get you out of the car as much as possible," says Philip Bowen, activities director for the Como Group, which owns Uma Paro. "You jump on a bike and do as much or as little as you like, sightseeing on two wheels and linking up with villages and hamlets - through biking, you get to do the culture as well."
Cycling high: You can coast down a winding, car-free road for 25 km or so on the Chelela Pass (highest road pass in Bhutan), or do sightseeing on two wheels.
While mountain biking will never overtake archery, it has become popular enough that the Bhutan Mountain Biking Club (www.bhutanmtb.com) has been around for some time and started, of course, by a chilip. There is even a designated mountain bike trail in the Punakha Valley, which is a three-hour drive from Paro.
According to Mr Bowen, there are an average of 17 bends per km of road in Bhutan. "For serious bikers, there are some incredible off-road single track trails - they are pretty full-on."
While a bike ride in the Haa Valley allows for a gentle introduction to hidden Bhutan, there are also signs that change - however slowly it arrives - is inevitable. Mr Bowen says he's taken many hard-core bikers to the area, but "we've also arranged a fashion shoot up there for Vogue magazine". Nothing is sacred these days - not even a remote mountain road in Bhutan.
This article was first published in The Business Times Weekend on July 5, 2008.
