When people asked me where I was off to last month and I said Bhutan, the next comment was usually “What’s Bhutan?” or “Where’s that?” Not surprisingly, this landlocked country tucked between India and China isn’t on many people’s bucket lists…yet.

I’ve been mesmerized by Bhutan’s landscapes and curious about their Gross National Happiness philosophy (GNH instead of GDP) since I first heard about it six years ago. I’d seen the iconic images of Tiger’s Nest Monastery perched impossibly on a cliffside at over 10,000 feet and vowed to hike to it. I actually wanted to celebrate my 50th birthday there, but the timing was never right, until now. This was the year I was going to make the trip happen and not even the escalating tensions from the Iran war were going to stop me.

While you may think of Bhutan as monks and monasteries, that’s not all this beautiful country has to offer. It is the first carbon-negative country on the planet (read that again) with a constitutional commitment to keep at least 60% of its land forested. It’s currently 72% forested, so the air is pure and the rivers run clean. It’s ideal for hiking, biking, bird watching (black-necked cranes migrate to Gangtey Valley between fall and spring), fishing, white water rafting, and so many other outdoor adventures. You can also explore the culture, arts, and textiles, and yes, also learn about Buddhism and spirituality if it interests you.