Bhutan

Cultural ImmersionAsia
Written By Norman Howe

The Land of the Dragon

Experience the mesmerizing Shangri-la of Bhutan, where the culture runs pure, the wilderness remains pristine, and the people remain among the most spiritual and unspoiled on earth. Join us on a magical guided journey as we travel from remote cliff side monasteries and dizzying snow-capped peaks to lush river valleys and vibrant medieval villages.

Personal Epiphanies: Cleanse your spirit with a hike up to Taktsang Monastery (Tigers Nest), perched miraculously on the side of a sheer 900m cliff looking over Paro.

Details: 10 days/9 nights; available Oct-May; from $8,995usd/person

Itinerary: Thimpu | Gangtey | Trekking | Punakah | Paro

 

Trip Ingredients

 
 

Favourite Hotel: COMO Uma Paro

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Norman Howe

Norman is an Oxford-educated lawyer and itinerant wordsmith who stuck with law long enough to prove that he was tough enough to handle the pressure, but not long enough to be stupid about it (about 3 years, for the record).

He then made the fatal mistake of guiding for Butterfield & Robinson (B&R), the world’s best luxury travel company, during the supposedly brief interregnum prior to taking up a career in academia. Shortly thereafter, he abandoned all pretence of responsibility and embraced the peripatetic pursuit of pleasure on behalf of B&R.

After a decade of nomadic explorations and travel innovation, having exhausted the possibilities for trying out new roles within B&R, he took a seven-year sabbatical during which time he bought, reinvented and sold Horizon & Co, one of Canada’s oldest and most storied travel companies. Along the way, he also managed to marry an awesome wife (Emily) and produce three delightful offspring – Grace, Max & Oscar.

Norman eventually returned to B&R as President & CEO, where he found the company in a downward spiral and was able to turn it around, doubling revenue and travellers and returning it to profitability. Most importantly, he did it without sacrificing the culture of creativity or the commitment to excellence (NPS increased by 20% and B&R won the coveted #1 spot on the T+L list of world’s best travel outfitters).

After a successful 8-year run, the inevitability of a founder-driven, family-business dynamic kicked in and Norman left B&R in 2019. He now spends his time advising and working with entrepreneurs and luxury travel brands to help them grow and innovate.

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