A 177ft gilded Buddha statue looks over Thimphu like a guardian angel. In front of him, a sea of monks dressed in orange, maroon and burgundy robes perform the Drolma Jigchobma Bumtshok, a practice dedicated to goddess Tara, a female deity associated with compassion, protection, and guidance.
Bhikkhunīs (nuns) of all ages make up most of the assembly reciting the mantras 100,000 times while facing the gigantic $47m Buddha Dordenma statue which was built to celebrate the 60th anniversary of fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Enclosed within the statue are an overwhelming 125,000 miniatures of Buddha occupying each corner of every wall.
Buddhism, as a religion and practice, has always piqued my curiosity. Growing up in India – the land where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment and the Dalai Lama lives – its presence has lingered in my life, so when the opportunity arose to visit Bhutan, I took the chance to explore it both as a traveller and to seek knowledge.
I believed that finding peace and solitude would come easily in Bhutan. After all, the calmness from being surrounded by nature, the spirituality, and the simplicity of life have all contributed to it being one of the happiest countries in the world, according to the World Happiness Report. But can my husband and I get a taste of the zen life in ten days?
We start our pursuit for a meaningful life in its capital Thimphu, a metropolis with no high-rise buildings, designer stores, or traffic jams — in fact, there are zero traffic signals in the country. One smartly dressed policeman, donning white hand gloves, directs vehicles around a small roundabout where congestion is seldom an issue.
The Kingdom of Bhutan has embraced modern life but at a considerably slower pace than the rest of the world. It was the last country to legalise television and the internet in 1999, but you would not know that looking at the tech-savvy youth hanging out in karaoke bars and making TikTok videos around Clock Tower Square in the heart of town.
At the National Memorial Chorten, the stupa (similar to an ancient tumulus or burial mound) still embodies the slow way of living. The garden and its compound are a meeting spot for older residents who share their stories and wisdom with anyone who will listen. Moving prayer beads with one hand, they silently recite passages while meandering around the chorten, a three-floored shrine dedicated to the third king, packed full of intricately carved mandalas, statues, and wrathful-looking protective deities.
Bhutan's natural environment is among the most pristine in South Asia, making it home to some of the most luxurious hotels in the world. In Motithang, the upper hills of Thimphu, Amankora (doubles from £1500 per night, aman.com) offers seclusion with a slice of traditional luxury. Constructed in the style of a conventional dzong (a type of fortified monastery) its tall, white-washed walls are hugged by pine trees from all directions.
Wood is the dominant material in its 16 suites and the restaurant, which is a classy affair with beige furnishings, elaborate light fittings and a well-thought-out menu that caters to Western and Bhutanese cuisine. Guests can dine indoors or in the courtyard to the soothing sound of the river and the drangyen (lute) played by a local musician every evening.
Bumthang
The first stop on our road trip is the valley of Choekhor in Bumthang, a seven-hour drive from Thimphu, on narrow, winding roads that cut through lush mountainscapes, passing rivers, fortresses and stupas. The green hues are interrupted by colourful prayer flags fluttering in the wind and crimson-coloured chillies drying on the roofs of most homes. Small wooden stalls crop up in the most unlikely locations, selling fresh fruit and chugo, a hardened cheese made with yak’s milk. A bite-sized portion of chugo takes around 30 minutes to gnaw through.
Dairy is a staple in Bhutanese cuisine. In a small restaurant along the way, we get our first taste of the national dish ema datshi, a stew comprising chillies and cheese consumed with red rice that grows widely in the country. Other iterations are kewa datshi (potatoes with cheese) and shamu datshi (mushroom and cheese). The Kingdom also takes culinary inspiration from its neighbours India and Nepal, with dahl and dumplings widely seen on menus.
The following morning as we drive around, we see a blanket of pink flowers covering the fields in Bumthang, the buckwheat-growing region of the country. Located at 2,842 metres above sea level, Choekhor Valley is higher and broader than Thimphu. Jakar, its main town, is home to ancient and sacred sites like the Jakar Dzong, built around 1549 by Lam Ngagi Wangchuk and Kurjey Lhakhang, one of the most important holy sites where the remains of the third king lie.
An hour from Jakar, we visit the Ogyen Choling Museum and Historic House, a family project designed to preserve the stories of their ancestors and the culture and traditions of a small village. The first private museum in Bhutan is the brainchild of author Kunzang Choden, whose birth home is a treasure trove of expensive textiles, antique furnishing and festive masks.
“This museum came to be because the first years of my life were impressionistic. They made me what I was, so although I was away for a long time, one foot was always here, and I carried Ogyen Choling wherever I went. When things were getting bad with the building structure, the memories of my life stirred something in me: we have to preserve this,” Kunzang explains as we sit in the well-maintained vegetable garden.
That evening, a monk joins us for dinner. We are the only guests staying at the Six Senses in Bumthang (doubles from £1814, sixsenses.com) The man, in his 60s and dressed in a robe, sits at the adjacent table and says he has travelled from Paro, where he lives, to research his new book. I ask him a few questions about the bhikkunis and how one can practice being as content as a nun or monk. “Start by being mindful,” he says.
Like everything in Bhutan, the Six Senses also immerses itself in nature, surrounded by a calming pine forest. The eight spacious chalet-type rooms have large balconies that look out to the Chamkhar Chhu River. The view appears even more soothing while enjoying a hot stone bath in their spa, a tradition that involves heating rocks from the river. The rocks crack and steam, releasing minerals into the water that help aches and pains.
Wangdue Phodrang
The streets of Phobjikha Valley in Gangtey, four hours from Bumthang, have more cows than cars and only a handful of discreet stores hidden between scattered houses. In the winter season, the valley fills with the sight and sounds of the rare, black-necked cranes that migrate from Tibet for a few months. Legend has it that the birds loop over the Gangtey Goenpa Monastery three times, both when they arrive and as they leave. The spectacle attracts birders from all over the world, and locals celebrate the homecoming of the majestic bird with a three-day festival of song, drama and masked dance.
Most farmhouses in Phobjikha have been converted to homestays, giving travellers a taste of Bhutanese living. Passang Zam (costs £24 per night), a two-floor traditional abode in the most idyllic setting with sweeping views of rolling hills, is our bed and breakfast on day one of our two-night stay in Gangtey. There is little to disturb the pin-drop silence except for a mooing cow in the courtyard and the croaking of large-billed crows.
Just as we settle in, the most unexpected thing happens. A group of 10 monks and lamas (gurus) enter the living room with the broadest smiles, one of whom is the brother of the owner of the home. They are all on a break from the prestigious monastery following the completion of Tsechu, an annual religious festival held in important monasteries across Bhutan.
Among the 10 are the learned and the learning: the principal, a few teachers, and a five-year-old tulku, a Tibetan term meaning precious one or reincarnation. Over the two-hour dinner session, we speak about Nyingma Pa, a form of Tibetan Buddhism practised at the monastery. Around 120 monks and lamas live and learn the practice at the monastery, which dates back to the 17th century. Over three floors of the main building are statues of Buddha, noble sons, shrine rooms and a treasury.
Gangtey is a hikers paradise. On day six we decide to take a four-hour hike to Rukubji village near the Palala pass. The roughly 10km walk forms a short section of the 403km long Trans Bhutan Trail, which starts from Haa in the west and stretches to Trashigang in the east. A narrow path leads us down the forest, where large rocks replace muddy roads. Eventually, a lush green space appears, where the overgrown grass is damp from the rain the previous day. To one side is the stream, which we can hear but not see, and the other is laden with groundsel and pearly everlasting flowers, in pastel shades of pink, white and purple.
Along the way, we pass grazing cows and small shepherd huts, come face-to-face with only two curious locals, and walk on several wooden planks over a gushing stream. Rukubji is a sleepy village at the bottom of the valley, with cemented alleys, decorated homes, a small monastery and bemused locals enjoying a visit from sweaty non-Bhutanese.
What makes Gangtey unique is how deep you can stare into the valley where mountains overlap as far as the eye can see. Views from Gangtey Lodge (doubles from £540, gangteylodge.com), a small luxury hotel near the famous monastery, are otherworldly. We are staying in one of their 12 rooms, all facing the postcard-like landscapes of Phobjikha Valley, with white homes speckling the farmland. A generous-sized room, dominated by a large wooden window that looks aged beyond its years, looks out to blue pine trees that give way to the valley. You can ease into the view by lying in a bathtub in front of it. A cosy fireplace, a moody vanity area, and a comfortable lounge make for a homely setting.
Gangtey Lodge’s beating heart is head chef Sho, who has worked there for seven years. In the kitchen, her team produces flavoursome cuisine with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The lunch and dinner menus are different, seasonal, and mindfully portioned to suit higher altitudes.
Punakha
The next day we drive to the valley of Punakha, where our first stop is Chimi Lhakhang. The sacred fertility temple was built in honour of Drukpa Kunley, known with admiration as the "Divine Madman" and depicted across the country with the symbol of a phallus. Passageways surrounded by rice paddies and mustard fields lead to a hillock where the monastery and chorten are situated. Along the way, souvenir stores sell models of male genitalia in all sizes, shapes and colours in honour of the free-spirited Vajrayana master who broke free from the conformity of traditional teachings by indulging in song and dance, women and alcohol.
The statue of Drukpa Kunley, dressed in a robe, is at the centre of the Lhakhang (temple) in front of which devout lamas give blessings to attendees – married couples, singletons and families – with two wooden phalluses and a bow and arrow.
Every valley in Bhutan has a distinct charm. Rice fields over several tiers dominate the landscape in Punakha, called the winter capital, because of its year-round warm temperatures. It has the bustle of a small town but Bhutanese-style. As we drive past, we spot a group of men in ghos (traditional dress) competing in a game of archery, the national sport. Eagle-eyed and determined, they take turns to hit the target set at about 140 metres, to the background of songs and cheers. Behind them, noisy young men are playing khuru, a team sport where members aim darts at a target 15 to 20 metres away.
The sporting activities are happening on the banks of Puna Tsang Chhu, a confluence of two rivers Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu, originating from the border with Tibet and ending its journey in the Brahmaputra. Bright red vests bobble on inflatable rafts trying, in sync, to navigate its waves. The adventurous tackle the male river while the amateurs settle for Mo Chhu.
Between these two rivers is Punakha Dzong, the second oldest fortress in the country and one of the 16 dzongs built by the Zhabdrung during his rule from 1594 to 1651. Little remains of the original structure after several floods, fires and earthquakes destroyed the six-storied fortress. The reconstructed fortress, its immaculately painted courtyards and the utse (a central tower temple), remain to tell the tale of the Drukpa lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
While prominent monks call the fortress their home, the bhikkhunis practice their faith a short distance away on a hill overlooking three valleys. The Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery is dressed in red, yellow, blue, green and white flags – colours of the five earthly elements – when we visit. Young nuns decorate the entrance with fresh flowers, while others prepare food for the arrival of a learned master the following day.
A small group of giggling nuns are sitting on the staircase of the main temple where a 4.2m bronze statue of Avalokiteśvara, a compassionate bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism, resides. "I joined the nunnery at 18," says 24-year-old Sangay Zam with a cheeky smile. "I told my mother I wanted to be a nun at 16, but she deterred me from joining, saying the life of a nun is hard. I persisted and finally joined the nunnery after a few years."
Most of the 120 nuns who reside and study here are between the ages of 16 to 30. Aside from religious training, the nunnery provides vocational training such as tailoring, embroidery, and thangka painting, a form of Buddhist art usually depicting a deity, scene, or mandala.
"There is so much suffering in the real world: marriages breaking down, kids and in some cases dealing with an abusive relationship. I am free from all that; I live in peace surrounded by this beautiful view," Sangay Zam laughs as she says this. When asked if all beings should escape hardships, she says, "No, not at all. We must face the suffering, too." Her innocent contradiction prompts me to ask her if she will ever leave. "I do not think so," she says confidently.
Nestled between eastern white pine along a calm stretch of the chalk-coloured Mo Chuu is Pemako (doubles from £1300, pemakohotels.com), a recently opened luxury hotel.
A suspension bridge laden with prayer flags transports you to the 60-acre forest inside which 22 tented villas hide. The communal areas boast the grandeur and intricacy of Bhutanese dzongs (fortresses) and lhakhang (temples), constructed using wood and decorated with prayer wheels and guardian animals.
Much of the interiors within the highland-style tents are in tones of black to resemble firewood smoke with subtle hints of orange, a homage to the colour of the flag. Copper is the dominant metal in the bathroom, a nod to ancient luxury. Each villa has a temperature-controlled swimming pool, an outdoor shower, daybeds and a relaxing area under the shadow of pine trees.
Paro
Small village settlements become frequent as we drive towards Paro, the second-largest city and home to the only international airport. Paro is also the base camp for the most photographed monastery in Bhutan, Taktsang or Tiger's Nest.
The heavens open as we begin the four-mile hike to the temple, navigating slippery clay-like mud and wet staircases. After a game of peekaboo, clouds drift to reveal the golden domes of the white and red façade clinging to a cliff at 3,120 metres.
Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), who founded the monastery in the eighth century, did not have to endure the climb. According to the namthar (hagiography) of the lhakhang, he flew to the location on the back of a tigress and meditated in a cave for three years, three months, three weeks, three days, and three hours. Butter lamps flicker in front of dozens of images of bodhisattvas and idols across four temples with magnificent views of the valley.
Leaning on a rock by the temple, I stare at the mountains above and track the fast-moving clouds to the sound of raindrops. I think of all the takeaways from my interactions with the world’s happiest people and the learned ones I had a chance encounter with. “Being mindful,” I think, is a good place to start.
The details
Radhika was a guest of the Department of Tourism of Bhutan.
In Paro, she stayed at COMO Uma Paro (rates start from £430, comohotels.com)
Drukair operate flights from Delhi to Paro. Book through drukair@flightdirectors.com
For more information on visiting Bhutan, visit this website.
