Nowhere in the Himalayas the natural heritage is more rich and varied than in Bhutan. In historical records, the Kingdom was called the valley of Medicinal Herbs, a name that still applies even today. The country’s rich flora and fauna is the result of its unique geographic location in the eastern Himalayas, within an area that extends through both Indo-Himalayan (oriental ) and the Pale-arctic biographic regions ; its annual rainfall, which is significantly higher than in the central and western Himalayas, and its considerable attitudinal variation, from 200 meters in the south to over 7,000 meters in the north, which is accompanied by dramatic climatic changes because of deep traditional reverence which the Bhutanese have for nature, the Kingdom is one of the leading countries in environmental preservation. More than 70% of the area is under forest cover. Many parts of the country which have been declared as wildlife reserves are the natural habitats of rare species of both flora and fauna. Opened for tourism in 1974, after the Royal coronation of the fourth King, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, Bhutan is perhaps the world’s most exclusive tourist destination. The country manages to retain all the charm of the old world. Like timeless images of the past, travelers encounter the full glory of the ancient land through its strategic monastic fortresses known as dzongs, numerous ancient temples, monasteries and stupas which dot the countryside, prayer flags which flutter along the high ridges, wild animals which abound in dense forests, foamy white waterfalls which are ethereal showers, and above all the warm smile of the people. Each moment is special as one discovers a country which people have chosen to preserve in its magical purity.