Walking With The Thunder Dragon

The flight into Bhutan is a magical one, as you descend through the mountains and wind your way into the Paro valley. Our guide and driver for the trip will be there to meet us at the airport. From here we will transfer to Thimphu, Bhutan's capital city, where we can explore the main downtown area.

Overnight in Thimphu. Altitude: 2,350 metres. 

Today we stretch our legs with a couple of lovely walks. After a short drive north of the city we will take the path up to Cheri monastery, through the pine forest, gaining views of Thimphu as we ascend. If there is time before lunch we will also take the nearby walk to Tango monastery, now a Buddhist studies university.

In the afternoon we will drive to Buddha Point, a 51.5-metre tall golden statue of Buddha. From here we will walk to Changgangkha monastery, a 2-hour easy walk with stunning views of the city.

Overnight in Thimphu. Altitude: 2,350 metres.

Today we will acclimatise a little more with a walk to the Phajoding temple complex, located at 3,650 metres. Phajoding has a number of buildings spread across the mountainside, including temples, monks quarters and meditation retreat and is an interesting place to explore. This is also the final section of the Druk Path trek.

Overnight in Thimphu. Altitude: 2,350 metres.

Today we will travel east to the Punakha valley but our first stop will be at the Dochula, a high pass located at 3,150 metres. Like all high passes in Bhutan it is bedecked with an impressive number of prayer flags. The highlight here is the sight of 108 chortens that were bulit in 2008 to honour soldiers killed in border skirmishes. On clear days it is possible to see a panoramic view of the mountains. There is also a cafe and a small handicrafts shop here. Just down the road from the Dochula we can take the 3 to 4-hour Lungchu Tsey Pilgrimage walk uphill to a small monastery and temple, located at almost 3,600 metres. The moss covered forest here is very beautiful and the many prayer flags add to the magic.

In the afternoon we plan to visit Punakha Dzong, said to be Bhutan's most beautiful fortress. It is stunningy located at the confluence of two large rivers and is reached by crossing a wooden bridge from which large trout can be seen in the river below. The dzong was originally built in 1637 and then rebuilt several times after being damaged by floods and fires. It is the second oldest dzong (behind Simtoka Dzong) and the second biggest (behind Trongsa) in Bhutan and was the seat of government until the 1950s. It has many temples and courtyards to explore. There is great beauty in the carved and elaborately painted architecture and Buddhist artwork of the inner courtyards.

Overnight in Punakha. Altitude: 1,310 metres.

Today we take on the strenuous uphill trail to Giligang via the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. It starts with a lovely walk through the rice paddies to reach this relatively new temple, built in 2004. The panoramic views over the Punakha valley from the top of the chorten are quite spectacular. After this we continue further uphill to reach the small privately owned 300-year-old monastery at Giligang. From here it's all downhill to reach the bridge at Punakha dzong. Walking time is 5 hours.

After lunch we will take another short easy walk to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Divine Madman, Drukpa Kunley. Chimi Lhakhang was built in 1499 in honour of Bhutan's most unorthodox saint, who is said to have subdued a demoness with his 'magic thunderbolt of wisdom'. The numerous images of phalluses painted on houses as well as the phallic souvenirs available to buy attest to the reverence for the divine madman's thunderbolt. This surprisingly small and modest temple is now a symbol of fertility and many couples come here to be blessed with children. 

Overnight in Punakha. Altitude: 1,310 metres.

Today we head back to Paro via the Dochula once more. The Paro valley has several dzongs, including the Jele Dzong, where we plan to hike to today. The walk is the first day of the Druk Path trek and is a sustained uphill effort to the dzong, located at 3,436 metres. The dzong has old and new sections, with the old parts being quite dilapidated. The temple itself is still intact and can be visited if one of the monks is on hand to unlock the door.

Overnight in Paro. Altitude:  2,250 metres.

Today we take you to yet another interesting and beautiful valley, the Haa valley. En route we will fit in a hike from Kila nunnery to the Cheli La, yet another of Bhutan fabulous high passes at an altitude of almost 4,000 metres. If the weather is clear we may have views of Mount Jomolhari, Bhutan's second highest mountain at 7,314 metres. Once in Haa there are some great trails around the valley to be walked.

Overnight in Haa. Altitude: 2,670 metres.

Today is the longest walk of our trip, some 8 hours of walking. The distance is only 13 kilometres but it will be either uphill or downhill and not much in the way of flat walking but the rewards are immense: pristine forest of pine and spectacular views from the top. There is also a chance of spotting some of Bhutan's most colourful birds, the Himalayan monal or the blood pheasant. 

Overnight in Paro. Altitude: 2,250 metres.

Now that we are fit and acclimatised we can tackle the 2-day trek to Bumdrak, with a stay overnight in a permanent campsite at 3,900 metres. Our first day's walk is 7 kilometres, almost all uphill. About halfway up we'll reach Choechotse Lhakhang, a small temple with great views of the Paro valley. From here we keep climbing until we reach Bumdrak Lhakhang and the nearby campsite, complete with sun lounges, gas heaters and wooden beds. If anyone is still feeling energetic there is another climb to Namgo La, a high pass at 4,100 metres.

Overnight in Bumdrak. Altitude: 3,900 metres. 

Today is Day 2 of the Bumdrak trek: 7 kilometres of downhill walking. This will be our final hike for the trip. There are a number of small temples on the way back down to Paro but the big focus will be on the iconic Tiger's Nest. Bhutan's most famous monastery is spectacular. The site of the Tiger's Nest, on a small ledge on the side of a steep mountain, is built over a cave where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated. It has several temples that we can explore and the views over the valley are fantastic.

Back in Paro we'll have a last night celebration dinner.

Overnight in Paro. Altitude: 2,250 metres.

Our wonderful guide and driver will take us to the airport for our last goodbyes. Hopefully we are all feeling fit and well from the marvelous array of walks on our trip. There will be time to reflect on our time spent in what is one of the most interesting and beautiful countries in the world.

The 2-day Bumdrak trek takes us high up on the slopes above the Paro valley, with a stay overnight at a permanent campsite. Day two of the trek takes us to the iconic Tiger's Nest monastery.

The scenic Haa valley sees far fewer visitors but has a number of excellent walking trails and is home to hoentey, the local buckwheat dumplings.

The short 1-hour hike up to this temple has extensive views of the valley, the river and green fields of rice but the view from the rooftop is even more magnificent.

Experience beautiful forest walking on this trail to a small monastery, located at almost 3,600 metres.

The pretty valley of Punakha is reached by a scenic drive over the Dochula, a high pass marked by an impressive 108 chortens. The dzong (fortress) in Punakha is considered the most beautiful in Bhutan. There are also a number of enjoyable walking trails here.

The Sagala trek is often walked in two days but we do it in one. It will take us about eight hours to walk the 13-kilometre trail but it is Himalayan walking at its best.

The Tiger's Nest is a a wonder to behold, built on the side of a vertical cliff. It is made up of several small temples, built on a cave said to be where Padmasambhava flew to on the back of a tigress. We take the scenic route to get there, via the Bumdra trek.

The capital of Bhutan is one of the smallest in the world. The best way to see Thimphu is to take one of the excellent hiking trails above the city with fine views of the valley. The downtown area offers some good bookshops, some interesting souvenir shops and the odd coffee shop. The best places for people watching are the excellent weekend market and the Changlimithang Archery Ground.

We take you high up on the mountains around Paro, Thimphu, Haa and Punakha on walks that offer spectacular views. The walking is challenging at times but hugely satisfying, as we incorporate two short treks into our Walking With The Thunder Dragon trip