Bhutan with my 3-year-old

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Inspired

Travelling with Children – Justine shares her insights from Bhutan

Travelling with Children_Justine and Indigo_Bhutan

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to the Kingdom of Bhutan to explore options for some forthcoming trekking and motorbike adventures around this awe-inspiring country.

Always up for a challenge, I decided to take my 3-year-old daughter Indigo with me. Despite her young age, Indigo is no stranger to travel and she has adventure in her genes. However our trip to Bhutan would take us well off the beaten track and into new territory, particularly for me as a mum.

One of the reasons I felt so comfortable about taking Indigo to a destination like Bhutan was that the people are truly amazing. Crime was not an issue as there is very little of it; the country is not polluted and there are no cases of malaria to speak of. All these factors made me feel at ease. The additional bonus was that we could not have been made to feel more welcome and special in this wondrous place.

Wherever I go, I find travelling with my daughter very liberating and enlightening. Unwittingly, she has become my teacher in so many ways. I have to structure things differently for our travels. Gone are the days of endless months backpacking from beach to beach, bar to bar, occasionally glancing at our worn travel guides and whimsically choosing our next destination. Nowadays my travel plans are all about the small person and how best can we experience and travel together in a safe and happy way. It perhaps sounds limiting but in reality, our journey together is limitless.

During the course of our Bhutan adventure, there are two events in particular that stand out for me as great examples of travelling with my daughter. The first began within 24 hours of arrival when Indigo was whisked into the arms of a beautiful young woman called Thinley Moe who worked at the comfortable hotel we were staying at. Thinley Moe had the biggest smile I’ve ever seen and everything about her radiated love. They were instant friends and disappeared to play together before I knew it.

As a single mum who leans towards being over-protective, I’ve travelled a lot in many destinations where I would not have let Indigo disappear from my sight. However, being in Bhutan, I did not give it another thought (although I certainly don’t advocate allowing your child run off with a stranger). Seeing Indigo and Thinley Moe playing together put me at ease the following day when I went riding with the Bhutan Dragons Motorbike Club for a few hours. I felt confident enough to leave Indigo under the careful watch of Thinley Moe and some other equally doting ladies at the hotel. Indigo was also pleased with this arrangement as she had new and exciting friends who showered her with love and attention. When I returned, Indigo had them all wrapped around her little finger having played umpteen rounds of hide ‘n’ seek and a great game of ‘doctors and nurses’. It is incredible to think of the bond my 3-year-old made with her carers when barely an English word was exchanged.

Some people have told me that Indigo will probably not even remember our trip when she is older. This may be true, but I believe adventures in this magnificent and strange destination are formative and will forge a wonderful part of her foundation as a person – priceless!

The second experience was a farm-stay with a rural family in a remote valley far from anywhere. On our way to the valley we encountered a beautifully wise old lady who had never laid eyes on a Western child before – we are talking seriously remote and isolated Bhutan.

We stayed on a farm with a family that comprised of four generations. Their generosity and kindness spoke volumes despite no common language between us. Straightaway, the farmer’s daughter, Tsering, welcomed Indigo. She was 5-years-old and had a baby sister. For me, watching Tsering take Indigo’s hand and run off to pick flowers and roll around in the fields together was heart-warming.

When you are young, language and words don’t matter; communication comes with ease. Our youthful minds are unspoilt; we are not judgmental; we don’t care what others think of us and we are free to be ourselves. Ironically it is only decades later that we appreciate this unspoilt state of nature and many of us desperately seek to attain it again. It is observations like this that makes travelling with a young child so enlightening.

Tsering took Indigo under her wing the whole time we stayed there. She had only one toy to play with. Watching her create a slippery slide for Indigo from a large plank of wood was inspirational. Deftly, Tsering knocked a few sharp nails out of the way and then erected it at just the right angle. Satisfied with her work, she helped Indigo take to her hand-made slide. It was unforgettable. Again, no words required – just love as the overarching mechanism for communication and understanding.

Bhutan is a unique destination – still relatively untouched by tourism. I realise that taking a child on a Bhutanese adventure is not affordable and accessible for everyone. However there is a lot to be said for travelling to somewhere off the beaten track. A holiday without the luxury of a swimming pool or a kids club can be one of the most enriching of experiences for you and your children – especially if there is a new culture to throw into the mix. That said, I do like to balance my travels and indulge in the odd holiday with a swimming pool and kids club.

Bhutan is a hard destination to beat, and Indigo got to experience at just 3 years of age. When we travel, we often stumble upon places and wish we had travelled there 10 or 20 years ago. Bhutan is that exactly that sort of place – it remains almost as unspoilt as the innocence of a child. I am eternally grateful to the people of Bhutan for making travels with my 3-year-old a journey that has both inspired me and taught me so much.

A big ‘thank you’ to James and Nicola at Bhutan and Beyond for their support as well as the Bhutan Dragons Motorbike Club for a great adventure.

Justine is the Managing Director of Inspired Adventures. She believes in living life to the full, experiencing the world and encouraging others to make a difference to people’s lives. Her belief in the power of volunteering, community work and supporting others in any form is the cornerstone of her business philosophy.

Read more trip stories or visit the Inspired Adventures Calendar and find a Charity Challenge perfect for you.

Bhutan: The Ultimate Inspired Adventure

Posted on June 24, 2012 by kyle

Bhutan Blog 6: Why Bhutan is the ultimate Inspired Adventure…

Here we sit just minutes from boarding our plane back to the rest of the world and all I can think is, “do we really have to go?” The last ten days have been full of enough first-time experiences to last a lifetime and yet it feels as if there is so much more to discover. “Bhutan gets under your skin,” a new friend told us, “and once you’ve been you just can’t seem to stay away.”

At the same time, however, it is impossible to pinpoint what, exactly, fuels that feeling. Like so many Inspired Adventures trips there is a certain “thing” that separates the experience from any other trip abroad. Usually, it is everything else that comes with an Inspired Adventure. There is the 12 months of fundraising and getting fit, the charity-focused purpose, and perhaps a much deeper personal goal. Those elements turn the trip from just an adventure into an Inspired one.

Here in Bhutan the same pervasive feeling lingers even without those elements. Maybe it is the warmth and genuineness of the people. Maybe it is the mind-boggling natural beauty. Maybe it is the air of peace and happiness tha seems to permeate the air.

In just ten days we have followed trails crossing the depths of valley floors and climbed to the highest pass in the country at 4,000 metres. We have played archery with classic bows and arrows and enjoyed a 5-star resort that helps fund universal healthcare. We have milked cows, churned butter, and creamed cheese just as naturally as we have dined with relatives of royalty. The whole time, however, nothing felt like it didn’t fit. Nothing felt out of place. The entire nation, no doubt through hard work and a commitment to preserving a unique national identity, is at ease with itself in a way I have never experienced.

So then, what happens when you dare to combine this innate purity of heart with a commitment to a charity you feel deeply about? I believe you just might create the Ultimate Inspired Adventure. I know what you are thinking: Who, what, and when? All I can say is, stay tuned. For now, enjoy a few more spectacular pictures of this incredible place.

More from Bhutan 2012

Blog 1: Seeing is Believing
Blog 2: Becoming honorary Dragon Riders for a day
Blog 3: Bhutan: At the edge of the Earth
Blog 4: A Very Bhutanese Birthday
Blog 5: Bhutan: Genuinely Genuine
Blog 6: Bhutan: The Ultimate Inspired Adventure

Read more trip stories from Bhutan or visit the Inspired Adventures Calendar and find a Charity Challenge perfect for you. Subscribe to our eNews to find out about upcoming adventures to Bhutan.

Bhutan: Genuinely Genuine

Posted on June 23, 2012 by kyle

Bhutan Blog 5: Every site, sound, and experience is genuine…

We’ve all been there. You are a tourist somewhere and your guide describes something as “authentic” or “traditional.” Oh yes, this is “an authentic dancing exhibition” or “traditional dress of the blah blah blah people.” You are invited to try it on, take pictures, and “go native” for a few moments to feel as if you have become one with the local people and their culture. The whole experience is entirely contrived and while we can debate the idea of authenticity and whether or not anything is ever truly “authentic,” it’s often glaringly obvious when an experience is entirely artificial. And then you come to Bhutan.

From 5-star resorts to ancient temples to monasteries hanging from the edge of a cliff, every site, sound, and experience feels natural, normal, and as if it would be happening whether or not you were there. Over the past few days we have visited historical sites, eaten slightly less historical food, and at times found ourselves interacting with the Bhutanese in conversations that were entirely bizarre and often quite comical yet entirely unprovoked and unrehearsed.

In most places you visit an “ancient site” and there is some excessive tourist-only entrance price that allows you access to something historic that is now a giant handicraft mass-produced shopping hall. In Bhutan, you visit Punahka Dzong, built in the 16th Century, and discover it is still used as the main offices of the municipal government and the centre of regional Buddhism where 600 monks converge each year. There is no entry fee and you are the odd man out, not the locals.

In most places you stop at designated tourist restaurants that serve mediocre food without a smile (usually a frown). In Bhutan, the restaurant delivers dinner to your room that is specially prepared for a three-year-old then offers to sit in your hotel room for three hours and babysit for free while you go to the restaurant and have some grown-up time. If you do not take them up on their offer they get rather upset, as they have been looking forward to spending time with the “pretty white baby” all day.

In most places, you trek up the side of a mountain to some holy religious site and are chased by people who want you to ride their horse or buy their cheap crappy jewelry for an inflated price, arguing that it is “real jade.” In Bhutan, you wind slowly along a cliff edge completely unbothered and reach the holy site – in our case the mesmerizing Tiger’s Nest temple - to discover that it houses full-time monks and has been in continuous operation for over 600 years.

Finally, in most places you stay at a fancy hotel and what you’ve paid goes directly into the hotel chain coffers and the bribes paid to officials to avoid paying tax. In Bhutan, you know exactly how much of your room cost goes directly to funding universal healthcare and free education for the entire population.

Bhutan is not just some place and, as the manager of our hotel so eloquently put it, “the whole world has changed to cater to tourists except Bhutan. In Bhutan, the tourists are fundamentally changed to adapt to this magnificent magical land.” To say it is surreal doesn’t go far enough. To say it is otherworldly makes it sound too ethereal. It seems that there are no words to accurately describe this beautiful yet understated, charming yet mesmerizing, perfect yet unpretentious land. Perhaps you’ll just need to come and adapt yourself. I promise you won’t regret it.