Monks, monasteries and mountains. It is this marriage of Buddhism and nature that intrigues me in Bhutan. Twisting and turning, snakelike, we drive along heavily forested slopes that plunge straight down to raging rivers below. Mysterious monasteries perched high up on mountaintops only enhance the stunning natural beauty. Curious about a country whose priority is Gross National Happiness instead of Gross National Product, I am eager to learn more.

A sparsely populated country, most of Bhutan's 700,000-plus inhabitants live in large white houses that cling to an impossibly vertical landscape. It looks as though a sculptor has carved the graceful cascading rice terraces in the countryside, while massive monastery fortresses (dzong) dominate the larger communities and towns.

Exhilarated, I stand at altitude 10,000 feet among 108 chorten (square white sculptures that contain relics), whose solidness contrasts sharply with myriad, multi-colored, fluttering strings of prayer flags. It is a crystal clear day and I gaze north toward Tibet, taking in the glory of the greater Himalaya range — snow-capped mountains also called Thrones of the Gods. Few of these peaks have ever been climbed and some are not named; the highest in Bhutan, Gankhar Peunsen, is 24,000 feet.

A LOVE OF NATURE

We are a group of nine (seven from Hawai'i) on a Bhutanese healing adventure tour. I admire miniature Buddha paintings on the chorten and then join our group for a qi gung session on the only flat area. The qi (chi) or surrounding energy in this rarified atmosphere feels powerful. Through breath and exercise, our teacher, Francesco Garripoli of Kaua'i, helps us access the healing powers of nature.

It's not only the Bhutanese people who love nature; strict measures have been taken by their government to preserve and protect the vast forests and rivers and the animals that inhabit them. One day a year is set aside for everyone, including school children, to plant a tree.

Another example is the protection afforded to the black necked crane in Phobjikha Valley. This graceful, long-legged black and white bird winters at the vast marsh and takes flight back over the Himalayas to Tibet by summer. We stay in a guesthouse just above the sanctuary, grateful to coincide with the cranes' yearly arrival. Cherished like children, these cranes will be honored with dances and songs in an annual festival to take place here in a few days.

This valley is the coldest of any spot we spend the night on our Bhutan journey; while hydroelectric is the power source elsewhere, solar power provides limited electricity here. A traditional hot stone bath is a surprise treat that night. Special stones are heated in a fire and transferred to a wooden tub filled with cold water. In addition to the warmth, it is believed that minerals from the stones will permeate the water and bestow a healing effect. The bath is so hot that I pop out like a jack-in-the-box after the first dunk, then add cold water, and finally submerge and relax. After a toasty night snuggled down in my sleeping bag, the next morning I watch cranes standing on a frosty silver marsh — and shiver.

Anyone ever heard of a takin? This unusual looking creature, Bhutan's national animal, appears to be composed of features from different creatures and can weigh up to a ton. Although they are normally found roaming mountain slopes, we watched takin graze in a preserve. Hunting is forbidden, but the takins' food supply is threatened by competition with domestic yak. The origin of this exotic animal is associated with the Divine Madman, an unorthodox 16th century monk who was asked to perform a miracle. The story goes that he stuck a goat skull on the bones of a cow and snapped his fingers. To people's astonishment, the first takin materialized and immediately romped up the mountain to graze.

RITE OF PASSAGE

We visit a magnificent dzong, which dominates the patch of land bridging two rivers, one designated female and the other male. It is the Punakha monastery where our guide, Ugyen, lived as a monk after leaving home at age 14. Dozens of maroon-robed monks of all ages glide through the corridors and courtyards. Some will devote their lives to the monastery, while most of the boys will receive an education and, like Ugyen, will leave to make their way in the world.

About 400 monks, from age 6 to teens, are filing into a gigantic, austere hall when we arrive at Decheng Phodrang Monastic School in Thimphu. The monks, with shaved heads, sit cross-legged in on the floor while food is portioned out to their waiting bowls. We bring juice drinks for each of the young, bright-eyed monks and distribute them ourselves. Monks, no matter how old, are only allowed to eat two times a day.

The head lama, Dorji Rinchen, answers questions and gives us his blessing in a special ceremony. I speak with the young monk translator, Rinchen Wangyel, and learn that he recently received his master's degree at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and has also visited Kaua'i. And to top off the Kaua'i connection, Robin Mazor meets me at my hotel later that evening. We had discovered before leaving Kaua'i that there would be only one night where we would cross paths on our separate Bhutan tours. She and friends from Maui are here to contribute to the well-being of Buddhist nuns.

As I climb the steep mountain behind our hotel in Paro, my neck arches back and I peer up through the thick trees that line the trail. Taktshang Goemba, the Tiger's Nest Monastery, a tiny white speck 2,700 feet above the Paro Valley floor, hangs precariously on the edge of a granite cliff, so improbable and so tenuous-looking that I am compelled to reach it, no matter what the effort. Its founder, the great Guru Rinpoche, the national patron saint, was said to have flown to this site in the 8th century on the back of a tigress.

The strenuous journey is rewarding for its sheer beauty, but as I cross a small wooden bridge that fronts a thundering waterfall, the intense energy feels like a refreshing purification. Reaching the Tiger's Nest at last, a monk invites us into the inner chambers of the temple and also to view the cave where Guru Rimpoche meditated. This inspiring pilgrimage caps off our Bhutanese healing adventure as we prepare, both physically and emotionally, to leave this intriguing country. We have formed close bonds with Jack and Karma, the owners of Snow Leopard Tours, as well as our guide, Yugen, and thank them profusely for a beautifully organized and heartfelt tour of their country.

MEASURING HAPPINESS

Despite the lack of material prosperity as we know it in the U.S., I witness countless examples of how contented people seem in Bhutan. But I am still curious about the slogan, "Gross National Happiness," On what foundation is it built? As luck would have it, while flying out of Bhutan on Druk Airlines, I am seated next to a German headed to an international conference on the Economics of Happiness in Bangkok. He explains that Bhutan is one the few countries in the world where such a development policy is being implemented and where compassion is valued over capitalism. This approach is largely due to the vision of King Jigme Sinye Wangchuck.

After his coronation in 1974, the young king pledged to move the country to economic selfreliance with Gross National Happiness as the guiding path in his plan. Although the king is aware that modernization is necessary to ensure sovereignty and survival, at the same time, he believes that it is crucial to protect both the natural environment and unique culture of Bhutan. As an example, every proposed development project is subject to intense review and may be stopped if it affronts the Buddhist faith or if it negatively impacts the environment. Such projects are evaluated in terms of society's greater good; in addition, more sustainable happiness for individuals is believed to result from such an approach. This view dovetails with Bhutanese Buddhist teaching on compassion, where one's love and prayers are sent out beyond the individual and family, to the country, and to all of humanity.

I am impressed by other edicts of the king's vision. Plastic bags as well as advertising billboards are prohibited. Dental and health services (both traditional and Western medicine) are free to everyone. Bhutan was the first country to ban smoking in public places.

I believe that we in the developed world could learn something from this tiny country that incorporates such a well-planned sustainable vision with happiness as a goal. After all, what does material prosperity achieve if there is only temporary satisfaction and one's deeper needs are not fulfilled? As this enchanted kingdom moves toward an election this year in its first step towards a democratic government, may the wisdom of the past, not the glitz and glamour of the Western world, light the way.

Gabriela Taylor is author of "Geckos & Other Guests: Tales of a Kaua'i Bed & Breakfast," www.napalipress.com.