TANG VALLEY
One of the most pristine valleys, it is located around 11 km from Bumthang. Tang valley is the birthplace of Terton (treasure discoverer) Pema Lingpa. It is believed that Pema Lingpa discovered many treasures which Guru Rinpoche had hidden in the Burning Lake. While in Tang Valley, do not miss visiting Mebar Tsho - the Burning Lake near the Tang Village.
Insider Tip: Enjoy an experiential stay at Ogyen Cholling Palace - A 14th century palace that was rebuilt in 1853. It was converted as the first private museum of Bhutan. The noble family still lives in the palace where one can have a chance to meet them with prior arrangement.
URA
Another beautiful valley around Bumthang, Ura, has a medieval ambience. One of the most striking features of Ura is the cluster of houses which is not usual in Bhutan. While here, visit the Ura Lhakhang, which depicts paintings to represent various teachings of Guru Rinpoche.
Insider Tip: While your mind soaks up the beauty of Bumthang, enjoy a beer at Swiss Brewery and farm. Fritz Maurer, a Swiss gentleman, married a Bhutanese girl and settled in Bhutan 45 years ago. Being a trained cheesemaker, he established a Swiss Farm which produces cheese and honey. Mr. Maurer also founded a state-of-the-art microbrewery that produces Swiss-style unfiltered Weiss beer locally famous as "Red Panda Beer". Apart from this, he was instrumental in introducing modern equipment for farming and fuel-efficient smokeless wood stove (Bukhari) widely used in Bhutan. View the entire process of making unfiltered Weiss beer at the brewery and enjoy tasting the Red Panda Beer. At the adjacent Swiss Farm, one can get an insight into the cheese-making process as well.
MONGAR
Welcome to eastern Bhutan! This second most significant town in eastern Bhutan is perched on a hill in contrast to other towns that are located on valley floors. The fascinating journey from Bumthang to Mongar is a treat for the senses.
Here, one should not miss a visit to Drametse Lhakhang, which translates to "peak without enemy". Founded by the granddaughter of Terton Pema Lingpa, this monastery is associated with the Peling tradition of Buddhism. The visit will give an insight into the spiritual treasures and other sacred objects of this tradition.
Handicrafts are a speciality of this region. The containers (Johandom), wooden bowls and cups (Duppa) and wooden musical instruments like Jaling and Dung that are created in this region will all blow one away with their beauty and craftsmanship.
Insider Tip: Mongar is a well-known destination among avid birdwatchers. The quaint ambience of Mongar, its semi-tropical climate and the broadleaved forests make it an ideal space for birds to thrive. Birding in this region is easy, and photographing birds does not take too much effort. While driving between Mongar and Trashigang, one will cross Korilla pass. The area between the Korilla region and the Ngatsang village is a leading birding site where one can spot several bird species.
LHUNTSE
The paradisiacal landscape of Lhuntse will amaze you. One has to drive for 03 hours from Mongar to reach Lhuntse. Earlier known as Kurtoes, this region is wildly acclaimed for Kishuthara (silk weaving), an elegant hand-woven textile.
This textile is considered to be the best in the country and is much appreciated by foreigners as well. Visit the Khoma Village and meet women weavers weaving intricate designs and patterns. Lhuntse is an ancestral home of the Royal Family.
TRASHIGANG
Perched on a cliff overlooking Dangme Chuu (river), it is amongst the most important eastern town of the kingdom of Bhutan. It serves as a base for exploring nearby places like Trashiyangtse, Merak and Sakteng.
Visit the Trashigang Dzong or 'The Fortress of the Auspicious Hill', the idea of which was conceived by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. Enjoy an excursion to Gom Kora temple. It is one of the most famous places where Guru Rinpoche meditated to subdue a demon that dwelt in a vast black rock here.
Visit the "Rice Bowl of the East" in the kingdom of Bhutan, 'Radhi Village'. The village, with its fertile land, produces rice and supplies it to the entire eastern Bhutan.
The village is also famous for its delicate raw silk fabrics, or bura textiles weaved using traditional looms. Ranjung Woesel Choeling monastery, which is home to Buddhist nuns engaged in religious practices, is also worth visiting here.
VISIT TRASHIYANGTSE
Trashiyangtse is a treasure trove of natural, historical, and cultural resources. It is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. The inhabitants of the place are experts at woodworking and papermaking.
On an excursion to Trashiyangtse, visit Chorten Kora, the magnificent white Stupa, built in the same style as Boudhnath Stupa of Nepal with eyes painted at four cardinal points. The Stupa was built in 1740 by Lama Ngawang Loday to subdue the local demons.
Drop by Zorig Chusum and get a chance to appreciate various art forms being taught to the students here like Thangka painting, pottery, wood sculpture, wood-turning, lacquer-work, embroidery etc. It is a sister concern of the school of traditional arts located in Thimphu.
Explore the market for local handicrafts like beautiful cups and bowls made from maple or avocado wood and the traditional Bhutanese paper Desho.
With some more time in hand, one can also explore the Bumdeling Sanctuary, another winter habitat for the endangered Black-necked cranes in Bhutan.
VISIT MERAK AND SAKTENG VILLAGES – THE LAND OF BROKPAS
Take an excursion to the villages of Merak and Sakteng to experience the semi-nomadic lifestyle of the local people known as 'The Brokpas'. Their houses are mainly one-storied and built of stones with tiny windows. They keep on migrating along with their yaks with the change in seasons. Believed to have migrated from Tibet to Bhutan, the Brokpas still engage in the barter system, trading cheese, butter and dried meat for grains and other goods that are not readily available to them.
Both Merak and Sakteng valleys fall within the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, which was primarily set up to protect the elusive Migoi, or yeti, which is historically rooted in the belief system of the Brokpas and an intrinsic part of their worship and ritual practices. The wildlife in Merak-Sakteng forests includes snow leopard, red panda, Himalayan black bear, barking deer, Himalayan red fox and the hoary-bellied Himalayan squirrel. The Merak and Sakteng highlands also possess a wide variety of bird species.
Fun Fact: Trashigang is the trading hub for people from Merak and Sakteng. They come here to exchange yak products for rice and other goods. One can easily spot Brokpas due to the distinction in their costumes as compared to the rest of the Bhutanese people. The most distinct feature is a black felt hat with five fringes protruding from it, known as tsipee cham. It is woven from yak hair. In Merak, the custom of polyandry is practiced, and it is always the identical brothers who share the wife.
Lying deep in the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan is an otherworldly experience. Come and unravel the secrets of mysterious land with us! We, at Indo Asia Tours, are all about the handcrafted tours, memories, and moments you take out of your trip, and believe us, this escapade will be a life-changing one!