Paro

Tiger’s Nest

A prominent Buddhist monastery clinging to the cliffside of Paro valley. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche, credited with bringing Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century, flew to this location from Tibet on the back of a tigress.

We woke up early one morning and started hiking up the mountain in the dark. An hour and a half later we reached the viewpoint and watched the sun rise from behind the temples.

Stay

Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary

Gross National Happiness

As opposed to the monetary measure of Gross Domestic Product, Bhutan developed a philosophy and index that measures the collective happiness of the nation.

There are four pillars to Gross National Happiness:

1. good governance

2. sustainable promotion of socioeconomic development

3. preservation of culture

4. environmental conservation

Punakha

Punakha is the old capital of bhutan. Located at 1,200 metres above sea level, the Punakha valley has a lower altitude and more temperate climate than the other destinations we visited.

We hiked through fields of rice paddies and farmhouses one morning to see the sun rise over Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten.

Stay

Punakha Lodge, Amankora

An old farmhouse built by the former chief abbot of Bhutan and can only be reached by crossing a suspension bridge over the Mo Chhu river.

Dzongs are traditional Bhutanese fortresses. the dzong in Punakha is one of the most important and impressive dzongs in the country.