According to Bhutanese lore, Guru Rinpoche came to Paro flying on the back of a tigress, where he subdued the local demons and meditated in cave perched high on a cliff. It was in that improbable and impractical spot that a monastery was built. The Taktsang Lahkang, also known the Tiger’s Nest, is one of…
At the Kurjey Lakhang, a monastery in Buthang, I am literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. Well, just two rocks. If I can squeeze through the small opening between them, it means I have a purer soul than those who cannot pass. I feel like I am in an Indiana Jones film…
The tour van I’ve called home for the last week comes to a stop and its passengers spill out, thankful to be able to stretch and breathe in the fresh mountain air. After an agressive schedule of traveling from village to village over the last few days, we looked forward to reaching new heights at…
Bhutan is known for its cultural festivals. The Paro Teschu, by far, is the most popular, but there are others that take place throughout the country. We timed our visit around the Ura Yakchoe festival, which can be best described as a church bazaar meets small-town fair, except everyone dresses in their finest threads. We…
My morning started with Sheila singing “Happy Birthday” at 3 a.m. We were both wide awake, listening to the rain fall outside. By the morning light, we could see freshly fallen snow in the mountains outside our window and soon we’d be right in the midst of it all — or so we think. Once…
Most visitors to Bhutan don’t venture beyond Punakha, the Divine Madman’s stronghold, but on ward we go, climbing higher and higher into the Himalayas toward the Phobjikha Valley, which Lotay of Bridge to Bhutan describes as one of his favorite places to hike. The immense valley is home to black-necked cranes that winter here. The large birds…
The same man that wrote the lyrics “I’m a lumber jack and I’m okay” introduced me to Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan country the size of Iowa. Comedian Michael Palin of Monty Python fame has gone on to a successful career as a travel presenter for the BBC. The 2004 series “Himalaya with Michael Palin” charted…
Royal wedding fever led to tourism increases in 2011, but not just in the U.K. The Kingdom of Bhutan recorded a an almost 57 percent increase — the highest in the history of the remote Himalayan country — which can be partly attributed to the nuptials between King Jigme Khesar and commoner Jetsun Pema. “The…
