Once-isolated Bhutan welcomes duke and duchess

The descent into Paro by plane, which has to navigate a mountainside, is not for the faint-hearted.

William and Kate are entering a once-isolated land.

Tourists could only visit from the 1970s; TV was introduced in the 1990s; and this former absolute monarchy became a constitutional one with an elected government in 2008.

Bhutan is a Buddhist country with an emphasis on gross national happiness rather than its gross domestic product.

However, the country's prime minister has acknowledged that this much-lauded concept can be overused, and can mask the kingdom's problems with debt, unemployment and poverty.

For two days the Cambridges will be guests of a young king and queen that are held in high regard by its subjects.

They'll learn how Bhutan - which once revelled in its remoteness - is now facing the challenge of how to retain its Buddhist traditions while also embracing the modern world.