Summer of Discovery - Bhutan (16-23 September)

A long journey to get here from Ho Chi Minh City to Kathmandu (where we stayed overnight) and then finally to Bhutan, arriving just after 10am the day after we left.  Weirdly, Bhutan is 15 minutes ahead of Nepal and you can only fly in using Bhutan airlines, Drukair (Dragon Air), from ~6 cities mostly in India and Nepal.

We arrived into Paro at 2,200m, in awe of the beauty and cleanliness of the airport, the over-riding feeling is calm.  We literally flew between the mountains to land here and it was very beautiful.

We were met by our guide Tashi and driver Cardo.  In Bhutanese custom we were welcomed with white silk scarves and after loading the car we set off towards Thimphu at 2,400m.

There were so many sites in Bhutan in what is an incredibly peaceful, calm and serene setting.  We've broken our trip down into the places we visited and the highlights of each.  It’s worth noting up front there are no photos allowed in any of the religious buildings and other key sites.  We have loads more info if anyone is interested in visiting.

Thimphu (Capital)

Paro Tachog Monastery - on the way set alongside the river it's Stupa is surrounded by prayer wheels and something we haven't seen before, which are the tiny stupa with the cremated remains of the deceased enclosed.  There are 108 per person in total and they generally get left at various religious sites across the country.  108 being a significant number in Buddhism.

Alongside was one of many photos we saw in the country of His Majesty, The Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck the Fifth (Reigning King of Bhutan) and his family, although a princess has also been born recently.

Thimphu has a population of 100,000 and is the most densely populated city in the country, although still no traffic lights. 

National Memorial Chhorten (Stupa) of the third King Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1928-1972) - the Memorial Stupa was erected by his mother after his passing.   This Stupa was impressive from the outside but equally as complex and beautiful on the inside.  We climbed and viewed its interior from three different levels.  It was pretty impressive and uniquely different from the Tibetan and Nepalese stupas we have seen before.

Tashichho Dzong - a renovated 17th century fortress (built for the same reason as European castles), and a Buddhist monastery.  Timing was a bonus as we got to see the guard march in and lower the flag before marching out again.  It’s beautiful and so peaceful, not too many tourists and everyone is quiet and just taking it in. We are allowed into the monastery which is also sensational and a real treasure.  So many memorable images.

Kuensel Phodrang - Buddha Point (built over 10 years from 2005).  Already at 2,700m the Buddha is 52 metres tall and in front of him the Bajra, symbolising the indestructibility of a diamond and the irresistible force of the thunderbolt.  The left hand holds the begging bowl whilst the fingers of the right reach down touching the earth to enlighten and energise it.  It is a very special and impressive site.  We also got a great view of this from a distance on our drive back to Paro several days later.

Inside another impressive collection of statues and paintings including 100,000 eight inch and 25,000 twelve inch Buddha statues that line the walls.  The inside of these places is incredibly detailed, intricate and beautifully colourful.  Even if we could take photos, I'm not sure it would do the space justice, nor portray the feeling of serenity.

Birthday of Machines - we left town passing lots of decorated vehicles on the road (think balloons and streamers).  The Indian birthday of Machines is being celebrated, or as Tashi says today is party day and tomorrow hangover day.

Pass #1 - Dochula pass 3,080m where we took a break from the winding roads.  On a clear day you can see the Himalaya ranges, however not today.  The winding roads took us through pretty valleys and insane greenery and hills/mountains.

At the lowest point and on the bend of the river we stopped for photos of the Wangdi Phodrang Dzong, originally built in 1638 it burnt down in 2012, so what to see today is the restored Dzong. 

Pass #2 - Lawala at 3,340m (the highest point on our visit), then onto an even more narrow road we descended to the surprisingly wide mountain Phobjikha Valley (Gangtey Valley) at 2,875m.  We captured a couple of pics of the pass on the return journey.

Gangtey Valley - a mostly untouched little part of the world

Open countryside, beautiful people, traditional homes and nature... perfect.  It was here we learned that cows rule the world!

Punakha Festival at Gangtey Monastery – as luck would have it, we arrived during a three day festival and upon entering you cannot help but be awestruck by the colourful scene.  The costumes are extremely colourful and the masks intricate; the festival is in honour of the arrival of Buddhism in Bhutan. The locals are all in their best traditional outfits and many have come for the entire day, with their version of picnic blankets and packed lunches. 

The Masked Dance alone lasted for an hour in the heat.  It was amazing to witness and very sacred for the people.

We popped back in the following day to view the huge Tapestry hanging off the monastery wall.  A 'Thangka' visually allows the imparting of enlightenment and the instant receiving of a blessing just by sight.  It was quite stunning.

Black Necked Crane Visitor Centre - home to a couple of rescue birds. The entire lower valley is reserved for these birds that migrate from Tibet annually, so apart from a few grazing animals it effectively is fully reserved land, and there is a lot of it.

Nature Walk Gangtey Valley - starting point back at the monastery the glacial valley is home to some 5000 residents.  A 3.8km walk through some farmland and then into the forest.  It's a pleasant, easy walk, the forest is quiet, and along with the spattering of rural homes, is quite picturesque. 

We arrived at the viewpoint just in time to take some valley photos before the rain set in.  With our newly acquired Vietnam ponchos it was a quick final leg down to the waiting car, the walk taking around 90 minutes.

Leaving the Phobjikha Valley (Gangtey Valley) the following day was a little sad.  In its simplicity it has an incredible sense of peace which we have really enjoyed.

Punakha

15th century Chimi Lhakhang, the 'Fertility Temple', which is one of the oldest standing buildings in Bhutan.  Many couples from all around the world come here to pray for help in conceiving and there is an album inside of those that later sent back photos of their newborns.

Phallic Village - surrounding the temple they make and sell all the forms of phallic symbols you can imagine (and some you can't).  Many of the buildings have huge penises painted on their front wall or carved onto the four corners of the roof to ward off the evil eye and evil spirits.

Punakha Dzong - built in 1637, is the second oldest and second largest Dzong in Bhutan and suggested to be the most beautiful.  The building is unique in that it has three courtyards (1 more than normal), and it really is stunning with the centre building absolutely huge. 

At the centre of the first courtyard is a Bodhi Tree.  According to Buddhist traditions, the first human being achieved enlightenment (became Buddha) underneath a Bodhi Tree.  Bodhi tree translates directly to English as 'the tree of enlightenment.' 

Of note here are the three huge and impressive statues of the 8th century Lotus born Master 'Padmasambhava', the Founder of Buddhism (2,500 years ago) 'Siddhartha Gautama' and the 17th century unifier of Bhutan 'ZhabdrungNgawang Namgyal'.  Three very important figures in Bhutan’s history and religion.

Punakha suspension bridge - 210m long and the second longest in Bhutan.

Namgyal Chorten - we walked the 1.5km (185 vertical metres) to Khamsum Yuelley.  The Chorten (Stupa) is picturesque and is dedicated to the Kings safety and wellbeing.  We climbed the four flights of stairs to the roof top and wow; the views were amazing. We took our time enjoying the tranquility before walking back down.

Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery - there are 120 nuns living here, outside a nice Nepalese Stupa.  Inside were some of the most sensational Buddha statues we have seen, including the impressive 4.25m bronze Avalokiteshvara, with its 1000 hands and 1000 eyes.

Paro - our final destination.

Simtokha Dzong - is the oldest of the Dzongs, built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the 17th century unifier of Bhutan.  The Dzong is the smallest we visited, however it has the oldest statue of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in existence.  The paintings are of a simpler nature and less colourful, but this takes nothing away from the beauty and sense of calm.  170 monks live here and while we were there a good number of them were reciting Tantra and Sutra inside the Temple.  Their dedication is quite powerful.

Chhuzom Gate, where the rivers Pa Chhu (flowing from Paro) and Wang Chhu (flowing from Thimphu) converge.  Once merged it becomes the Wang Chhu that flows to India.  At this point there are three different styles of stupa, left to right Nepalese, Tibetan and Bhutanese, all uniquely different but now for us quite distinctive.

National Museum of Bhutan - housed in the 1649 Ta Dzong (Watch Tower of the Dzong), a beautiful round structure.  We explored the six floors of interesting exhibits, artefacts and relics and although an amazing maze inside there were still no photos allowed.  On the top floor was the impressive 4-sided 3D Tshogzhina Mandela with its 78 statues.  Effectively a physical reflection of what is normally a round painting.

Paro Taktsang (Tigers Nest Monastery) - the pinnacle of our Bhutan trip was to trek to Tigers Nest.  Originally built in 1694 it was severely damaged by fire in 1998, amazingly it is effectively built on a rock face some ~3,000m above sea level.

The walk up was mainly through forest with the odd glimpse of the carpark below or town in the distance.  Continuing our climb to the main view point the site of Tigers Nest is quite something, just wow.  Even from here it looks almost impossible to access as it literally sits on the edge/side of a rock face.

At its highest point we were at 3,223m on the side of the gorge opposite Tigers Nest, then dropped 100m to the base of the waterfall, before climbing back up to our destination.

This site was chosen due to a prophecy by Lotus Born Master (Padmasambhava) and is one of thirteen Tigers Nest caves where teachings were given and the only one outside of Tibet.  As the site is sacred it was time to lock the backpack, camera, phone, sunglasses and caps away and change into full arm and leg coverings.  We then visited each of the seven temples including the Temple of Guru Rinpochei Drubkhang, the only one not impacted by the 1998 fire.

The site is beautiful and peaceful, even with so many visitors.  It's certainly a treasure of Bhutan and well worth the ~9km walk and 689m vertical gain to get here.  What an amazing visit and very special.

Drukgyel Dzong - currently being rebuilt and near completion.  It was destroyed by fire in 1958 and lay abandoned for 58 years before a rebuild was planned and funded in 2016.  It seems fire is a bit of a common theme.  We took a walk around its outer walls and peaceful grounds with the only sound being children playing.

7th century Kyichu Lhakhang - built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo.  The building of this temple marked the introduction of Buddhism in Bhutan.  We spent 35 minutes here admiring the temples, the 20th century on the left and the 7th century on the right.  The ancient temples are quite different inside in terms of their paintings, which are much more subdued and faded in colour.

Driving around to get from place to place is an experience in itself, seeing the beautiful valleys and mountains from all sorts of directions gives you a special insight into what Bhutan is all about.

Hot Stone Bath and final dinner - we arrived just after 6pm and waited for the Hot Stone Bath trying the local Butter Tea and Puffed rice (both Bhutanese staples and pretty good).

The baths ready (one each but in a joint private room) we managed a 25 minute soak in warm water filled with medicinal plants and herbs to soothe any aching parts.  Whilst there we ordered two additional hot rocks each (‘one more rock please’), which are added one by one (about 10 minutes apart) straight out of a fire where they have been heating for ~5 hours.  The warmth seeps into the bath and the increase in temperature is quite manageable.  It's a traditional Bhutanese mineral bath and was super relaxing (and worked as we had no sore bits the next day!).

Dinner was a local meal including rice wine with Tashi and Cardo at Ugyen Homestay.  After lots of chit chat and a couple of photos the night came to an end.  These two guys really are so nice and respectful.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped to get night photos of the 1647 Rinpung Dzong (Paro Dzong).  Tashi had shown us what it looked like at night, and it didn't disappoint.

A very special, memorable and absolutely wonderful day as well as a 25,000+ step day done and dusted.  We sadly said goodbye to Tashi and Cardo at 5.30am the following morning (early flight).

If we were blessed leaving Bhutan our flight out was it. The sky was so clear and you could see mountains for miles, not only the tops but also visibility down into the valleys below.  We saw three of the highest mountains in the world including a great view of Everest standing proudly above everything else.  Quite a sensational finish to a beautiful country, that is well worth the time and effort.

Bhutan Facts:

The Bhutanese name for Bhutan, Druk Yul, means 'Land of the Thunder Dragon' and it only began to open up to outsiders in the 1970s

Druk translates to Dragon

The Lotus symbolises Purity 

National bird is the Raven

They measure the country's success via GNH (Gross National Happiness) as opposed to GDP

Bhutan is the only carbon neutral country in the world.  Sandwiched between India and China that is nothing short of sensational.
- population (2024) is ~792,000

~75% are Buddhist, with majority of remainder Hindu

72% of the country is covered in natural forest and vegetation verses minimum required by Bhutanese law of 60% (in perpetuity)

Currently receiving 100,000 tourists a year with the majority of those Indian (~70%)

Only 8% of the country is flat land

Between 2010 and 2021 it was illegal to sell Cigarettes in Bhutan - currently the sales tax on Cigarettes is 100%. 

Until 1999, Bhutan officially had no televisions, no satellite TV, no Internet and no television stations.

Since 1999 plastic bags have been banned but as this is not being policed plastic bags are still being used

School children all learn English at school and once they hit senior schooling all subjects except the Bhutanese language (Dzongkha) are taught in English

No photos inside any religious buildings whatsoever

Bhutan is a democratic, constitutional monarchy with a King (the 5th), who is the head of state, and executive power is vested in the cabinet, headed by a Prime Minister

Buddha's 8 way path to Enlightenment (to end suffering):
Right View, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Action/Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration

Paro Airport 3rd most dangerous in the world - considered so because of the size and complexity of the mountains that surround it.  It’s said there are only ~24 pilots who are specially certified to make the manual, by-daylight-only approach between 5,500m peaks, through a long, winding valley, and onto a runway only 2,250m long and visible only moments before landing (without radar technology)


Bhutanese words:

Hello/greetings - KuzuZangpo (pronounced Cuozoo Zampoh)
Thank you - Kadinchey la (kar din shay la).  La is added to the end as a sign of respect
Good bye/blessings to you - Tashi Delek (Tashi delay)

Things we will remember about Bhutan

The quiet
Serenity and calm
Gentleness
Beautiful people
Buddhism 
Mountains and valleys
The high passes 
The greenery
The altitude 
Traditional dress - male ‘Gho’ and female ‘Kira’ 
Chilli drying on the house roofs
Terraced rice fields
The Ravens 
Glacial Rivers
Cows rule the roads
Chilled out dogs
Dzong and Temples
Coral trees

Our guide Tashi and driver Cardo