There and back again: Finding joy in Bhutan, one hike at a time

It's a cool, sunny day. I’m at a restaurant, slowly drinking my coffee and eating an apple. I’m exhausted but I still feel good, even though I had just climbed halfway up a mountain in Bhutan.

Sitting on a bench facing the Paro Taktsang (also known as Tiger’s Nest Monastery), I used my phone camera to zoom in to the lookout point about 300m up, to see if I could spot my friends. They’d gone ahead and continued their climb after taking a short break at the restaurant.

This was my second time in Bhutan, a country that completely enraptured me the first time I went; a revisit to celebrate a milestone birthday this year was a no-brainer.

Nevertheless, I knew my (then) “49.75”-year-old body was no longer fit enough to make the full climb up to the monastery – which sits at 3,120m above sea level – for the second time.

The first part of the trail is actually the “easier” part, as the incline is gradual. Most of the steep climbs are in the second part, with visible heart- pounding cliff drops at some sections.

But don’t let this deter you from going all the way to the monastery as you will be awed by the structure. And while you can see the complex from afar, you can’t see what’s inside the cave unless you’re there.

Visitors must dress appropriately to enter the monastery – shoulders and knees need to be covered – and photography is not allowed inside. All electronic devices must be kept in the lockers outside. This is another reason why you have to see the place for yourself as there are no pictures or videos showing what’s inside Paro Taktsang.

It took us close to six hours to complete the whole excursion that day, but if you were fit as a fiddle you could probably do it in four hours.

A view of Paro Taktsang (right) from the restaurant at the halfway point of the trail.

A way of life

Paro Taktsang may be Bhutan’s most well-known spiritual landmark, it’s not really the country’s “best” attraction, at least not for me. My favourite spot is Phobjikha Valley, a vast glacial valley so peaceful that it made me inexplicably happy when I hiked there years ago.

We didn’t get to go there this time around, but we did visit the Royal Takin Preserve in Mothitang, Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital, and largest city.

The takin is the country’s national animal; it isn’t endemic to Bhutan but rather to the eastern Himalayan region.

If you’ve ever seen a picture of a takin, or heard descriptions of it, you’ll most likely be very curious to see it in real life. It’s said to be a massive “goat-antelope” with hooves, horns, and both hair and fur.

According to the information board at the preserve, a male takin can weigh up to 850kg, while a female one up to 500kg. In general, a takin can grow as tall as 140cm!

The takin is classed as an animal under threat, specifically from poaching (for its meat) and communicable diseases. This is one of the reasons why the place was converted from a zoo to a wildlife preserve in 2004. The takin and other rare animals like the sambar deer, barking deer, Himalayan blue sheep, and Himalayan serow – all of which are also housed at the preserve – need to be protected.

The takin is Bhutan's national animal, and boy is it an intriguing creature.

Our guide, Sonam Wangchuk, had earlier briefed us on the places we would visit throughout our four-night trip. He spoke fluent English, while our easygoing driver, whose name was also Sonam, struggled a little when communicating with us.

“It’s OK, you teach me, I learn,” he said smiling, as he casually loaded my heavy luggage on the bus. That’s another thing I like about Bhutan – the people.

The Bhutanese are some of the most humble and soft-spoken people I’d ever met. I figure this is because of their culture and belief that’s deeply rooted in Mahayana Buddhism teachings.

For many in the country, Buddhism is a way of life rather than just a religion. “We don’t just practice it through prayers and rituals, but in our actions and words. Be compassionate, be kind. This is our way of life,” Sonam the guide shared during a visit to the Wangditse Lakhang, one of the oldest temples in Thimphu.

To get there, we had to hike for about 45 minutes through a scenic pine forest. In a typical Bhutan tour itinerary, you would have to do at least one “short” hike prior to the “big one” (Paro Taktsang), as a way to acclimatise yourself.

The Wangditse hike was a good trial for us.

The monastery building itself has been restored, with some parts of the original still intact. Traditional Bhutanese architecture is something to be admired: there are no nails in sight and every wooden decoration you see is carved by hand.

Inside, you will find monks seated all around the room, reciting mantras and scriptures near the altar. Sonam asked one of the senior monks if we could get a blessing – he not only obliged but even gave each of us a lovely bracelet, while another one came around and offered us biscuits and tea.

I don’t know if this is something they do for all visitors, but that gesture certainly made me feel special that day.

History, retold

Another must-visit heritage building is the Punakha Dzong, the second oldest in Bhutan. A dzong is a fortress or fortified monastery built around the 17th century as a way to stave off enemies. Today, they are used as either a monastery or administrative building.

Constructed in 1637 by Ngawang Namgyal, who is also known as the Bearded Lama, the Punakha Dzong is located at the confluence of the Pho Chhu (male) and Mo Chhu (female) glacial rivers.

“This the boy, and that is the girl. They meet, and fall in love,” joked Sonam, pointing to the large body of water. There were cattle drinking on one side while on another, a few people were happily wading in the water.

The Punakha Dzong is also the second largest in the country, and earlier served as the capital and seat of the government until the mid-1950s.

The place is surrounded by lush vegetation, with lavender and pink jacaranda trees as the main feature. We were there in late spring and could still see some of the flowers.

Inside the Punakha Dzong, which was constructed in 1637.

A lot of Bhutan’s history is related to Buddhism, and during your tour you will most likely be told stories of historical figures like Guru Rinpoche and the aforementioned Ngawang.

Guru Rinpoche is credited as the person who brought and spread Tibetan Buddhism to Bhutan, while Ngawang is largely known as the “unifier of Bhutan”; essentially he was responsible for bringing the warring valleys together in 1616 to create a single nation.

At the famous temple Chimi Lakhang in Punakha, you will learn of the other iconic figure: Drukpa Kunley or the Divine Madman, a 15th-century Tibetan monk of sorts.

In the modern world, Drukpa would perhaps be likened to a liberal thinking man, one who uses humour, poetry and even sex to teach spirituality.

He wandered around spreading his teachings, instead of just staying put in a monastery, following the strict rules and lifestyle of a typical monk.

Madman? More like cool ancient rebel.

Tourists love taking pictures and videos of this special traffic police booth at Thimphu.

Chimi Lhakhang, or Temple of the Divine Madman, is dedicated to Drukpa. The Bhutanese believe that Drukpa subdued the demon Loro Duem near the entrance of this building, where a chorten or stupa now stands.

The temple is also famous for being a “fertility temple”, with many couples unable to start a family going there in hopes of conceiving. (Don’t be surprised by the abundance of phallic symbols and sculptures scattered all around this place.)

While some of us would think that this is hogwash, the temple does have a book filled with stories and pictures of happy couples from all over the world who have become parents after receiving blessings from the monks there.

We saw a young woman carrying a heavy load on her back, walking and prostrating around the temple a few times. “She has a wish, and this is her way of showing respect so that her wish comes true,” Sonam explained.

I hope it does.

Feed the belly

Bhutanese food is interesting to say the least. The national dish is ema datshi: stir-fried chillies – dried red ones or fresh green chillies (not the South-East Asian bird’s eye chilli variety) – and datshi or local cottage cheese.

Most Bhutanese love really spicy food, and even put sichuan

peppers in some dishes. “I don’t like spicy food, maybe I am not a real Bhutanese,” Sonam quipped while making momo during our cooking class at Chuniding Food, a family-owned business specialising in heritage food.

“One of the things we focus on here is to revive and preserve Bhutan’s heritage foods, some

of which are lost or ‘changed’ during modernisation.

“I hope one day we are able to revive all the lost recipes, many of which were passed on through word of mouth, rather that

written script,” said Yeshey Choedon, the chef and daughter of the founder of Chuniding, Lt Col (Rtd) Kesang Choedon.

Kesang served in the Royal Bhutan Police for 23 years before retiring and starting Chuniding. “She was one of the first two police women in Bhutan,” Yeshey said proudly.

Our cooking class prepared three dishes, one of which was the momo. We had a contest to see who made the prettiest one – nobody won because crimping that little dumpling was not easy!

For dinner, we had some incredibly tasty dishes like the sikam paa, dried pork belly cooked with white radish and dried chillies, and yaksha shakam, which is dried yak meat cooked with green chillies.

Of course there was also ema datshi, seasonal vegetables, a copious amount of local red rice and khur-le, buckwheat pancakes.

“Eat more Bhutanese food, so you will miss it when you go home and then return to Bhutan again,” said Sonam cheekily.

What a clever way to promote his home country!

 

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TRAVEL NOTES

How to get there: There is no direct flight from Malaysia, so you would have to fly to either Bangkok, Thailand or Singapore first, then fly to Paro International Airport in Bhutan.

There are only two airlines that fly to Bhutan – the state-owned DrukAir (Royal Bhutan Airlines) and Bhutan Airlines. This is because Paro airport is one of the most dangerous and challenging to land.

A new airport at Gelephu is currently under construction; it is expected to start operating in 2029.

The flight to Paro from Bangkok is a little over three hours, and from Singapore, around four hours.

On the way back, there will most likely be a short stopover in Guwahati, India either for refuelling or to drop-opp/pick-up passengers.

Where to stay: Thimphu Deluxe Hotel and Hotel Olathang in Paro.

Visa: Malaysians would need to get an evisa (US$40/RM162), as well as pay for the Sustainable Development Fee (US$100/406 per person, per night).

As of late 2023, visitors are allowed to visit Bhutan independently, but only in Paro and Thimphu. To visit other parts of the country, you must be accompanied by a licensed tour guide and driver.

The easiest way to plan for a holiday here is to actually contact a registered travel agency in Malaysia – some actually specialise in trips to Bhutan.

Currency: The Bhutanese ngultrum may not be available at your local currency exchange counters so it is best to bring either US dollars or euro, and change those at the Paro airport or in town.

The Indian rupee is also legal tender in Bhutan.

Credit cards are accepted in restaurants, souvenir shops and supermarkets, but some smaller stores only accept cash.

Typical home-cooked meals in Bhutan.