United States
Bhutan Travel and Destination Guide
PLACES TO SEE
Bumthang
It sounds like a blues bar in America's deep south, but Bumthang is the spiritual heartland of Bhutan and home to its most ancient and precious Buddhist sites. Bumthang encompasses four major valleys; the main one, Choskhor, is home to the most important dzongs, temples and palaces.
Thimphu
Thimphu lies in a beautiful, wooded valley, sprawling up a hillside on the bank of the Thimphu Chhu river, and it is the only world capital without traffic lights. Despite recent development, Thimphu retains its charming, medieval feel thanks to its brightly painted, elaborately decorated facades.
Dechenphu Lhakhang
To reach Dechenphu Lhakhang involves a short climb up a stone staircase to an elevation of about 2660m (8725ft). The imposing tall, red goenkhang (chapel) is dedicated to the powerful deity Gyenyen and is said to be able to supply weaponry for an endless number of soldiers. Many of the paintings in the adjoining goemba (Buddhist monastery) have been restored.
Trongsa Dzong
This is the most impressive dzong (fort-monastery) in the kingdom, and can be seen from a great distance in its strategic position high above the Mangde Chhu. It is one of the most aesthetic and magnificent works of traditional Bhutanese architecture, a rambling collection of buildings trailing down the ridge. It has a succession of beautiful courtyards.
Taktshang Goemba
Taktshang is the most famous of Bhutan's monasteries, perched on the side of a cliff 900m (2952ft) above the floor of Paro valley, where the only sounds are the murmurs of wind and water and the chanting of monks. The name means 'tiger's nest'; Guru Rinpoche is said to have flown to the site of the monastery on the back of a tigress.
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