This photo journey brings you through the small Himalayan kingdoms Bhutan and Sikkim with their unspoiled culture and nature.



During Autumn 2008, Cecile and Jochem made a one month trip to two Himalayan kingdoms: Bhutan and Sikkim. Bhutan, sometimes considered as the last Shangri-la, is famous for its gross national happiness: the importance of happiness over wealth. Bhutan attaches great importance to keeping its culture, which is clearly visible throughout the country as people wear the traditional gho and kira and land and city are dominated by Buddhist sites. With two third of the country covered with forest, Bhutan can be considered to have the most unspoiled nature in the world. Sikkim used to be a small Buddhist kingdom just like Bhutan, but is now part of India. However, Sikkim has managed to keep its culture and is totally different from the rest of India: the hills of this quiet state are covered with tropical forests and the people are of Nepalese, Bhutanese, Tibetan and Lepcha origin. Sikkim is famous for its treks in the Himalayas and is home to the 3rd highest mountain in the world, the Kangchenjunga. Additionally the famous hill station Darjeeling, the plains and wildlife of Jadalpara national park and India's busy capital New Delhi were visited.