If you're like me and you're a bit of a nerd for architectural oddities and windy mountain roads less traveled, Bhutan's been on your must-see list for some time now. Villages with houses covered in phallic imagery aren't a typical destination for a family of four on spring break, but they are for me. If you're not like me, that's fine, you can still go to Bhutan for the food, the landscape or the uniquely ornate buildings that aren't phallus-laden. Having not been though, I can't say for sure whether it's family-friendly or not, as the fertility symbol decorated facades and the barren ones might be neighbors.
Bhutan is a notoriously strict country to traipse around as a tourist in. The country values preserving cultural integrity and has no interest in being as overrun as, say, Thailand. This is, of course, a huge selling point for your insufferably hipster author here, who is constantly on the search for "authenticity" and what have you. To encourage selective tourism, foster interest in the country's unique culture, and create employment, the Kingdom of Bhutan has halved its daily $200 Sustainable Development Fee. The barrier to entry remains fairly high, but is still slightly more accessible if visiting places like this matter to you more than money… maybe.
The government of Bhutan has a unique measurement for national development, Gross National Happiness. The kingdom is the happiest in Asia, maybe there's something to this limited tourism and abundance of male appendage paintings. Time to investigate!
