Where to go in Bhutan

If you’re lucky enough to know a thing or two about Bhutan, it’s probably something along the lines of the Tiger’s Nest. Officially known as the Taktsang Dzong, it’s one of the most sacred monasteries in Buddhist culture and the image of the turreted buildings clutching precariously to a cliff-side of the Paro Valley is one of the most iconic of the Kingdom by a good trekking mile. But this is just one of around 150 temples and monasteries in the town and surrounding valley; two favourites include the fortress-like Paro Dzong on the valley floor, or the mountain-side Rinpung Dzong for panoramic views of the luscious lands below. Completing the Bhutanese frieze is the charming town of Paro with its colourful wooden shopfronts and restaurants, certainly worthy of an afternoon stroll.

Many parts of Bhutan feel like an otherwordly, glorious paradox, and perhaps none more so than the capital city, Thimphu. Surrounded by forested mountains and spread out along the Raidāk River, it was barely more than a village when the King declared it the face of ‘new’ Bhutan in 1961 and it exploded into life. Today, it’s slowly modernising and you’ll spot the famous ‘traffic light’ policeman alongside cool cafes and restaurants, shops selling handmade paper and traditional arrows alongside cellphone credit, and red-robed monks sipping lattes. We recommend wandering the crooked streets to the Textile Museum, Folk Heritage Museum and the National Library, before heading to the Tashichho Dzong, the seat of Bhutan’s government and royal offices – and completely nail-free! Then, hike to Cheri Goemba, the first monastery in the country, to complete a rather eccentric but lovely stay.

Home to some of the most sacred and religious sites in the country, Bumthang is often referred to as the cultural heartland of Bhutan. It was here that Buddhism was first introduced (quite a claim!) and the area is steeped in folklore, monasteries clinging to forested hillsides and grand palaces residing in splendour. The area is divided into four sweeping valleys – Chokhor, Tang, Chumey and Ura – dotted with red rice paddies, apple fields and golden wheat and offering up all manner of gasp-worthy landscapes. In the Chokhor Valley, hike to the elegant hilltop monastery, Jakar Dzong, to see the valleys in all their glory, and listen to the fascinating stories of the Kurjet Lhakhang complex. In next door Ura Valley, it’s all about the trekking. Head through pretty villages with their cobbled streets and traditional houses, and then down to the hallowed Burning Lake, hidden at the bottom of a deep gorge and beguiling in its beauty.

Remember when we mentioned those trembling mountain passes that your nerves won’t thank us for? We were referring to the Punakha Valley. A mere 50 miles from Thimphu, the journey takes a twisting, turning three hours across glacial valleys and patchwork rice paddies. The highlight is the Dochula Pass, bedecked in fluttering prayer flags and worth stopping at for the staggering vistas and shaggy yaks. Once recovered from the journey, it’s time to gawp at Punakha Dzong which, with its golden domes and multiple storeys, is considered one of Bhutan’s most beautiful. A day trek to Khamsum Chorten will give you the best views, but the valley is even more spectacular up close. Mountain biking and river rafting will appeal to thrill-seekers or, if something more laidback is on the cards, how about a visit to a fertility temple or session with an incense-maker for a fragrant aromatherapy lesson?

Stealing top prize for Bhutan’s most picturesque region, Gangtey, or the Phobjikha Valley, is the Bhutan of postcards (if there were any). Flanked by the towering Black Mountains, the enormous glacial valley is completely free of trees and is instead, a quilt of bucolic fields, farmed by rosy-cheeked villagers and criss-crossed by epic hiking trails. Surveying the scene is the Gangtey Monastery. Perched high up in hills, it’s an important outpost for Nyingma Buddhism, the oldest of all the Tibetan schools, and a dawn visit in summer will reveal the monks chanting their morning prayers and playing marbles. In winter, it’s all about the black-necked cranes. Celebrated across the country as symbols of peace and longevity, the birds migrate to the valley to escape the Tibetan chill and their arrival is said to announce a good harvest. The best perch to spot them is probably the Gangtey Nature Trail (pack your walking boots) but the RSPN Crane Centre has a good selection of telescopes for a closer look.