Bhutan Yoga and Hiking for Women

The flight into Bhutan is wonderful as you descend into the scenic Paro valley, one of the wide flat valleys that typify the western part of the country. The airport itself is built and decorated in traditional Bhutanese style, ornately carved and painted.

Your Rare Air guide and driver will meet you when you exit the airport, after going through customs. Paro airport is very small and easy to navigate.    

From here we transfer to Thimphu, Bhutan's capital, which is tiny by world standards. It is the only capital city in the world with no traffic lights, relying instead on a white-gloved policeman. The drive will take approximately 1½ hours. 

There will be an evening meditation session for those who would like to attend.

Overnight in Thimphu. Altitude: 2,320 metres.

There will be a gentle morning yoga session before breakfast at 6.30 for those who would like to attend.

This morning we have a short 2-hour easy grade hike planned, beginning from Buddha Dordenma, the 51.5-metre-high seated statue of the Buddha that overlooks the Thimphu Valley. The trail has a short, steep section up before flattening out with some gentle undulations for the rest of the walk. There are excellent views of Thimphu from the trail and the rhododendrons will be out.

Lunch will be at the Folk Heritage Museum, where we can get a glimpse of how the Bhutanese lived in olden times.

After lunch we can visit the Textile Museum, housed in a beautiful new building. There are displays of textiles from all over Bhutan, some quite old, some worn by the royal family. The museum has a good shop. For more handicrafts, there is a nearby market.

There will be an evening meditation session for those who would like to attend.

Overnight in Thimphu. Altitude: 2,320 metres.

There will be a morning yoga session at 6.30 am for those who would like to attend.

Today we drive east to Punakha. To get there we have to cross the Dochu La, a stunning high pass. If the weather is clear, it is possible to see the incredible mountain views from this 3,140 metre pass. Some 108 chortens have been built at Dochu La by the queen mother in 2005 and make an impressive sight. There is a cafe here too. Further up the hill, a short pleasant walk leads to some man-made meditation caves.

Just down the road from the Dochu La, we can pick up a section of the Trans Bhutan Trail. The TBT is a 403-km-long track that stretches across the entire country. A series of ancient pathways have been linked together to from one long trail. Our short, downhill 1-hour walk takes us through pristine forest of oak and pine. As part of its Gross National Happiness charter, Bhutan has pledged to keep the country 60% forested for all time. It is currently around 70% forested.

After lunch in Punakha, we will take another short walk up to the new-ish Khamsum Yulley Namgyel Chorten, built in 2004. The trail takes us through rice paddies, with wonderful views over the valley as we ascend. There are more superb views from the rooftop of the chorten itself. After we descend, we can continue through farmland, alongside the river, until we reach a short suspension bridge where our driver will be waiting. 

Overnight in Punakha Altitude: 1250 metres.

There will be yoga session at 6.30 this morning if the weather is clear, as the class will be conducted outside.

After breakfast we will head out to visit the magnificent Punakha Dzong. Dzongs are fortresses, similar to European castles, built primarily as defensive structures to repel invading armies. In the case of Bhutan, the threat came from the north, with Tibetan armies crossing the Himalayas to do battle. Fortunately, Bhutan was never conquered.

Punakha Dzong is considered the most beautiful in the country. It is also the second oldest dzong and the largest of all. Its location, at the confluence of two rivers, is especially picturesque. Its inner courtyards show the finest examples of traditional Bhutanese architecture, embellished with intricately carved, painted and gilded woodwork.

After visiting the dzong, we can walk to the nearby suspension bridge, one of the longest in Bhutan.

After lunch we'll visit the lovely Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery. This beautifully maintained nunnery comes with panoramic views over the Punakha Valley. It has one of only a handful of Nepalese style stupas found in Bhutan.

From here we will once more drive to the Dochu La, where we will be spending the night.

There will be a meditation session tonight for those who would like to attend.

Overnight at Dochu La. Altitude: 3,140 metres.

There will be a morning yoga session at 6.30 for those who would like to attend.

Today we will be driving west to the Haa Valley. First we have a short, downhill 1-hour walk from the hotel, through beautiful rhododendron forest, along the TBT towards Simtokha. The trail is quite steep in parts, which we take slowly.

Along the way to Haa, we will stop at the weaving centre, where we can see the women at work at their looms. The finest weavers come from eastern Bhutan. They mostly work in silk, sometimes in cotton and their high quality products can fetch thousands of dollars. An intricate kira, the national dress for women, may take two years to complete.

To reach Haa we need to cross another high pass, the Chele La. At almost 4,000 metres, the Chele La is Bhutan's highest pass that can be reached by car. If the weather is clear, views of Mount Jomolhari and Jichu Drake can be seen.  

There will be an evening meditation class for those who would like to attend.

Overnight in Haa. Altitude: 2,670 metres.

There will be a yoga session today at 6.30 for those who would like to attend.

After breakfast, we have an easy 1½-2-hour walk that will take us through farmland, alongside the river and in the small town of Haa itself. 

After lunch in town, we'll head back to our accommodation at Soednam Zingkha. This lovely heritage house is over 150 years old and has the distinction of having been visited by the king and queen of Bhutan. Our host Sonam will conduct a cooking class for us this afternoon, showing us how to make hoentay, the delicious specialty of Haa. Hoentay are buckwheat dumplings, usually filled with a mixture of turnip and cheese, flavoured with onion, garlic and ginger. After they are steamed they are served with a chilli paste called ezay.

There will be a meditation session tonight before bed for those who would like to attend.

Overnight in Haa. Altitude: 2,670 metres.

There will be a yoga session today at 6.30 for those who would like to attend.

Today we head back to Paro, again via the Chele La. When we reach the pass, we can undertake a 1½-2-hour medium-grade walk to Kila Gonpa, a nunnery perched high on the mountainside. The walk is a beautiful one, through gorgeous rhododendron forest. 

Once in Paro, there will be time for a massage, or perhaps some shopping. Please let your guide know. Our accommodation will be at the Tiger's Nest Camp, a glamping experience. All of the tents are quite luxurious and have heaters and ensuite bathrooms. Every tent has a view of the Tiger's Nest monastery. 

There will be a meditation session tonight before bed for those who would like to attend.

Overnight in Paro. Altitude: 2,280 metres.

There will be a short, gentle yoga session today to loosen up for the big hike to the Tiger's Nest monastery - time TBC.

The hike to Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest, has two options: a 2-3 hour, medium-hard grade, 4 km round trip to the cafe, which has great views of the monastery OR a 4-6 hour, medium-hard grade, 9.5 km round trip to the monastery itself. The longer option has several viewing points with outstanding photo opportunities of the monastery. Both options include a steady, uphill climb, with the return back along the same trail. You can decide when you're on the trail whether you feel up to the whole walk.

You may feel the need for a hot stone bath after today's hike. This is a Bhutanese tradition where stones, heated for several hours in a fire, are added to water in wooden tubs, often with artemisia leaves added to help sore muscles. Please speak to your guide if you would like a bath before dinner.

Overnight in Paro. Altitude: 2,280 metres.

The Tiger’s Nest is one of the most beautiful temples in the world because of its incredible location. It is spectacularly perched on the side of a sheer cliff and it’s a solid uphill hike to get there but the views are worth every step. A cafeteria halfway up has excellent, if more distant views of the temple and also makes a good turnaround point for those who can’t face the big climb.

The beautiful dzong at Punakha sits at the confluence of two great rivers and is reached by a wooden cantilevered bridge. This elegant building displays the very best of Bhutanese architecture, embellished with intricately carved, painted and gilded woodwork. The dzong is the site for the coronation of Bhutan's kings and it is the winter residence of the central monk body.

Some of the best views in Bhutan can be seen from the rooftop of this gorgeous temple, set on a ridge high above the Punakha Valley. It was built in 2004 in honour of the current, fifth king. It's a great walk to get there, as the trail winds through the rice paddies then pine forest, with the views becoming more spectacular as you ascend. Further up the hill are the monks’ quarters and beyond that is a royal retreat.

The Haa Valley has only been open to tourists since 2002 and is reached by driving east from Paro on Bhutan's highest motorable road over the Chele La, a high pass that reaches almost 4,000 metres in altitude. In clear weather there are brilliant views of snow-capped Mount Jomolhari and Jichu Drake from the pass. Haa village is unpretentious, uncrowded and charming to walk around. It has for two significant temples, Karpo Lhakhang (known as the White temple) and Nagpo Lhakhang (the Black temple). King Songtsen Gampo is said to have released a black and a white pigeon to select sites to build the temples, which act as sentinels keeping watch over the southern entrance to the valley.

The high passes in Bhutan are places where we usually pause in our journey and stop to take in the magnificent views. The Dochu La not only has great views of the mountains but is an impressive sight in itself, with 108 chortens spread over a small hill at its centre.

The 2-hour hike from the Chele La to Kila Nunnery is a great short walk that passes through lovely rhododendron forest. The nunnery is sited in an incredible location, high up on the mountain. The isolation of the nunnery is said to help spiritual contemplation.