By Syed Zarir Hussain. Thimphu, Bhutan, 10:00 AM IST

Seated on a settee in the hotel lounge and quietly sipping Bhutan Mist, a pure malt whisky, burly and white-bearded Michael Johns and his demure wife Emma from New York seem chirpy. The two, in their mid-50s, have just returned from an arduous six-day trek and were relaxing in the sleepy but resplendent capital city of Bhutan.

The Druk Path Trek is one of the most popular treks in the Land of the Thunder Dragon. The scenic trek has some great views and beautiful lakes en route and involves a climb to an altitude of about 4,200 metres, flanked by the historic Phadjoding monastery. Just a week in Bhutan, and the American couple has been mesmerized by the mystical charm of this isolated Himalayan kingdom.

'This is an awesome nook in the world with the locals known for warmth and simplicity. The scenic beauty simply mind boggling,' architect Johns told IANS in between his drinks. Emma, an interior designer, said it was a 'life time trek'.

Sitting beside the couple were two young New Zealanders, keen to share their experiences of the famous Snowman Trek.

'We gave up the trek after 10 days due to adverse weather conditions. But the trip was one of our most memorable treks ever,' said Mark Tuffy, an automobile technician from Auckland.

The Snowman Trek passes through the most remote areas up to very high altitudes of over 5,000 metres - the Lonely Planet describes it as one of the world's most difficult treks. Many groups that attempt this tough trek do not actually finish it due to high altitude problems or snow blocked passes.

Sandwiched between India and Tibet, Bhutan has been dubbed the last 'Shangri-La', the mystical paradise of James Hilton's book 'The Lost Horizon' where he used Bhutan as a model for the utopian land.

Tourists were first allowed to this predominantly Buddhist nation only in 1974 - the year the former king Jigme Singye Wangchuck was enthroned as a monarch.

Bhutan privatised its tourism industry only in 1991 although the nation still regulates the flow of tourists by adhering to the policy of 'high value, low volume' tourism.

The tourism industry in Bhutan is founded on the principle of sustainability. Tourism must be environmentally and ecologically friendly, socially and culturally acceptable, and economically viable.

'We regulate tourist flow to preserve our exclusivity,' said Thuji Dorji Nadik, joint director of the Department of Tourism.

'People we tell about Bhutan ask: Where is Bhutan? And that is just the way we like it. It is this anonymity that Bhutan has preserved so well, for so many years, that makes it so special,' said tour operator Tshering Wangyal.

Travellers from world over, including celebrity guests like Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore and Uma Thurman, flock to this unexplored country of 700,000 people permeated with dzongs or fortresses and exotic monasteries besides opportunities for mountain biking, rafting and trekking.

Mountaineering is banned in Bhutan due to a general belief that the peaks are the abodes of gods and Bhutanese feel they need to preserve the pristine beauty and maintain the ecological balance.

The country is also attracting a lot of westerners who are inclined towards spirituality as Bhutan is the last bastion of the Vajrayana school of Mahayana Buddhism, which provides the essence of a unique identity to the kingdom.

'This is a mystical land where you get total peace of mind amid the monasteries and red-robed Lamas chanting hymns,' said Andy Greene, a British tourist from Lancashire.

Last year, more than 17,000 tourists visited Bhutan, generating an estimated $24 million as revenue. In 2005, Bhutan earned $18.5 million from tourism with nearly 13,600 visitors.

By Syed Zarir Hussain (Staff Writer, © IANS)