How one American became Bhutan’s first post-Covid tourist

Bhutan has long been famous for its tight tourist restrictions. Photo / Adli Wahid, Unsplash

An American woman has been granted the first visitor visa for Bhutan since Covid-19.

Fran Bak, 70, has been travelling around Bali, India and finally, Bhutan, making her the first tourist allowed to visit since the start of the pandemic.

Bak first visited the Himalayan kingdom in late 2019 through the tourism company MyBhutan. At first, she felt out of place, she told CNN Travel, but soon forged deep friendships after falling ill in the remote village of Nagji, where she was cared for by local villagers.

When she left in February 2020, Bak stayed in touch with her two guides Tashi and Gembo via WhatsApp and resolved to return as soon as possible.

Then, the pandemic hit and future plans turned into question marks.

One of Bhutan's many hillside temples. Photo / Pema Gyamtsho, Unsplash

Bhutan has long been known as one of the most tranquil places on earth, developing a “Gross National Happiness Index” soon after welcoming tourists in the 1970s. When government explore changing or adding a new policy or law, the index and the factors it measures (which include health, culture, ecology, education and well-being) must be considered.

As a result, the country has been leagues ahead of western countries when it comes to things like banning tobacco or single-use plastic bags.

In 2019, around 58 per cent of the population in Bhutan lived in rural villages. Photo / Bradford Zak, Unsplash

However, the happy nation is strict when it comes to allowing foreigners to visit, even before the pandemic. So, when they granted the first tourist visa to Bak, it had to be approved by a Covid task force, the tourism council and the Department of Immigration.

Gaining a visa to visit to Bhutan was one thing, getting there is another challenge altogether.

Bak told CNN Travel she experienced several rerouted and cancelled flights, confusion from airport staff about required documentation and many Covid tests.

Upon arrival, she spent 21 days in quarantine at a hotel, which she self-funded.