Experts in Bhutan Travel

Founded by Brent Olson, ETHOS Bhutan works with a wide variety of tour operators and hotels to help you find the perfect fit for your travel dreams. By not being tied solely to one company, ETHOS Bhutan acts as your travel concierge by sorting through the thousands of travel options to assure you end up with the best trip possible.

Brent has been traveling to Bhutan for the past 34 years and is deeply passionate about the culture, environment and people of the Kingdom. He was formerly the Managing Director of Business Development at GeoEx, a pioneering San Francisco based travel company that he worked with from 1987 to 2020.

In Ura village with Gadhen Lam, Thinley Chophel (now Lam Thinley) and his son, Rigzin in 1992.

In Ura village with Gadhen Lam, Thinley Chophel (now Lam Thinley) and his son, Rigzin in 1992.

His personal connection with Bhutan and decades of living and traveling there have won him the hearts of the locals, as well as a spot (for the past 21 years in a row) on Condé Nast Traveler's Top Travel Specialist list as one of the United States' ranking experts on the Land of the Thunder Dragon.

Brent is one of the few lucky Americans to have lived in Bhutan, having worked with its government in the creation of a photographic archive of the country's rich artistic heritage. A veteran of 50 (and counting) trips to the remote Himalayan kingdom he has assisted a variety of local organizations and non-profit groups in Bhutan.

At 16,000’ on the Bhonte La (pass) with our trekking crew and fellow trip leader, Fay Thompson.

At 16,000’ on the Bhonte La (pass) with our trekking crew and fellow trip leader, Fay Thompson.

From small projects like helping to restore an old manor house to organizing fundraising trips for WWF and RSPN, he has done his best to help the people of Bhutan. One of his greatest accomplishments has been to work closely with H.H. Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche and the nuns at the Pemacholing Nunnery in Tang as they work to build an institution that will benefit women and further their studies of Buddhism.

With the nuns of Pemacholing and a group of donors including Dr. Robert Thurman of Tibet House, NYC.

With the nuns of Pemacholing and a group of donors including Dr. Robert Thurman of Tibet House, NYC.

Since 1986, Brent has created and led treks and tours all over the kingdom, and forged close friendships with Bhutanese from many walks of life. His devotion to Bhutan has been mirrored in the unique quality of his itineraries, which are designed to highlight and support the country's determination to maintain its proud culture.

In Trongsa Dzong with the Governor (Dzongda) of the region in 2019.

In Trongsa Dzong with the Governor (Dzongda) of the region in 2019.

He has planned and operated trips to Bhutan for such prestigious organizations as The Asia Society, The Textile Museum of Washington, DC, Dr. Robert Thurman and Tibet House, The California Academy of Sciences, The Society for Asian Art, The Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, The World Wildlife Fund, The Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, The National and Pacific Crest Outward Bound organizations and the American Museum of Natural History to name a few. Since leaving GeoEx, Brent looks forward to consulting with travelers bound for Bhutan, working on his travel memoir and devoting more time to the goals of The Bhutan Foundation.