(VOVWORLD) - At the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2025 in Hanoi last month, one of the most unexpected crowd-pullers was the Bhutan booth, drawing in curious exhibition-goers, especially young people, intrigued by a land often seen as distant, yet surprisingly connected to Vietnam in spirit. In this week’s edition of Cultural Rendezvous, we’ll meet Bhutanese Kinzang Coth, who will share a personal glimpse into his country, regarded as the happiest in the world.
 Bhutan lies at an average elevation of 3280 m above sea level and is therefore one of the highest countries in the world. (Photo credit: Sacred Kingdom Travel) |
Bao Tram: Welcome, Kinzang Coth, to VOV24/7’s Cultural Rendezvous! Please tell our audience a bit about yourself.
Kinzang Coth: Thank you very much. My name is Kinzang Coth and I’m the CEO of Sacred Kingdom Travel. It's a private tour company from Bhutan and it’s an honor to be here, and I should say, Vietnam is so beautiful.
Bao Tram: What would you tell me about Bhutan if I went there someday?
Kinzang Coth: Regarding my country, Bhutan, it is a very small country in the Himalayan ranges. We have a total population of only 780,000 people. It is known as one of the last Shangri-La’s on the planet and also, we say, Bhutan is the happiest place.Bhutan is the only carbon-negative country in the world, where we produce less pollution than the environment can absorb. Visiting Bhutan is a lifetime experience. People in Bhutan are happy under the leadership of our great King and we worship our King as a living Buddha. That's why Bhutan is one of the must-visit places to visit once in your life.
 Kinzang Coth (second from left) takes a photo with the Chairman and coordinator of the Vietnam International Travel Mart 2025 in Hanoi. (Photo credit: Sacred Kingdom Travel) |
Bao Tram: So what are the must-visit places there?
Kinzang Coth: I would say almost every place in Bhutan is beautiful, but it depends on your time. If you don't have much time to explore all of Bhutan, I would recommend you visit a few places. First, I should say Paoro, where you will see one of the iconic landmarks, called the Tak Sang or the Tiger's Nest Monastery. And then the second place would be a temple, which is the capital city of Bhutan. And third, the Punaka. It used to be the oldest capital. And those three places are the most stunning places with landscape, culture, tradition, and nature, for those who don't have much time.
Bao Tram: What is the best time to visit Bhutan?
Kinzang Coth: Bhutan is open to tourists all year round, which means we welcome tourists 365 days a year. But we have many colorful, beautiful festivals, which take place in different months. If you love flowers, then I suggest you visit Bhutan in March, April, or May. If you want more greenery, then June, July, or August. September, October, and November are the festival months. That’s a good time to visit Bhutan. If you want to experience cold weather, snow, and blue skies, then you should visit Bhutan in December, January, or February.
Bao Tram: Is there anything specific travelers should pay attention to when planning a visit to Bhutan?
Kinzang Coth: It’s not necessary to pay too much attention because when you visit Bhutan you just come there to see the beauty of Bhutan. For those who love to explore the culture, the best time to visit is during the festivals, when you can sit down with local people and interact, where you can experience the tradition of Bhutan.
Bao Tram: As Bhutan is predominantly Buddhist, are there any religious or cultural issues that visitors of different faiths should be aware of?
Kinzang Coth: Not really. You don’t have to worship any particular way, because we welcome every kind of people with different religions. We don't mind at all unless someone is disrespectful. For example, some people who are not Buddhists sometimes feel that visiting a temple is kind of against their religion. We don't really care unless they’re disrespectful. It’s not compulsory to visit a temple if you’re of a different religion.Of course, you should wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants when you visit temples, monasteries, and religious monuments. Otherwise, you’re more than welcome to wear any kind of casual clothing.
 Bhutan is a festive country. (Photo credit: Sacred Kingdom Travel) |
Bao Tram: Bhutan is known as “the kingdom of happiness” because of its focus on measuring gross national happiness (GNH). Can you explain more about it?
Kinzang Coth: In Bhutan, we measure happiness and we place more importance on happiness than on GDP. We have government agencies who survey people throughout the country. We have certain indexes to measure happiness. The development of Bhutan is aligned with GNH – Gross National Happiness. In the perception of Bhutanese people, if you live a good life today, when you go to bed, you pray for tomorrow. If it doesn't happen, it's your thing.
Bao Tram: What’s it like living in a country regarded as the happiest in the world?
Kinzang Coth: I feel happy everyday living in the happiest country in the world because we don't feel much pressure. We have freedom of speech, and we don't have any kind of restriction by the government. We live a simple life.
Bao Tram: Thank you, Kinzang Coth, for spending this time with Cultural Rendez-vous. I hope my once-in-a-lifetime visit to Bhutan will be soon!
Kinzang Coth: Thank you for having me, and welcome to Bhutan soon!