Bhutan Tour
Phuentsholing - Thimphu - Paro tour
About Bhutan
A serene place which has holy monasteries, lush valleys, rocky mountains and pristine rivers holds a lot more than what meets the eye. Bhutan Culture fascinates every person who comes across it. And even the better part is the people and the government's determination to preserve and promote their cultural values. This is why we can still see its essence in every nook and corner of the country.
The predominant religion in Bhutan is Buddhism, followed by Hinduism. As a result, Bhutanese culture is very much influenced by sacred Buddhist values. Bhutanese live by their religious values and respect their gods and deities a lot. Hence, there is no dearth of monasteries, chortens, lhakhangs etc in the country. There are colourful prayer flags on hillsides, at the entrance of monasteries etc, which are considered sacred. The Dzong, a unique combination of a fortress and a monastery is present in every district or Dzongkhag of the country.
#1 Ema Datshi - Stew made of Chillies and Cheese
'Datshi' in the Bhutanese language of Dzongkha means 'cheese', which is what they use in a number of dishes, the most popular being Ema Datshi which is like a stew made from chillies and cheese ('Ema' means chillies) and might prove to be too spicy for some. Being the national dish of Bhutan, it is unarguably the most popular dish in the country, and any discussion about Bhutanese food cannot go without the mention of Ema Datshi.
#2 Red Rice - Staple Food of Bhutan
Except for the Bumthang region where buckwheat food items are more popular, red rice is one of the staple foods of the Bhutanese people. It is a medium-grain variety of rice that is grown in the Kingdom in the Eastern Himalayas. It has been grown for a number of years in the fertile soil of the Paro Valley which receives the benefit of mineral-rich glacier water. It cooks faster than other rice varieties because it is only partially milled, i.e. some of the bran is left on the rice and after being cooked acquires a reddish-brown tinge.
#3 Jasha Maroo or Maru - Spicy Chicken Stew or Curry
Another dish worth tasting would be the Jasha Maroo which is like a spicy stew or curry which is made with diced chicken, onion, garlic, chillies, tomato, ginger and coriander leaves. Ginger gives this dish its essence. It may be served with a generous portion of chicken broth. Beef may also be used in place of chicken. This is usually served with red rice as it is in case of most Bhutanese dishes.
#4 Phaksha Paa - Pork with Red Chilies
Paa is a curry with gravy or a meaty stew. Phaksha Paa highlights another favourite item of the Bhutanese people - pork. This dish is made of pork slices stir-fried with whole red dry chillies (yet another spicy dish), ginger and Bok Choy. Bok Choy is also known as White Mustard Cabbage or Pak Choy and is peppery to taste and has a celery-like stalk with dark leaves. It is used not only in stews like this but also in fresh salads. Mountain vegetables such as radishes and spinach may also be added in Phaksha Paa. This is often eaten along with rice and Datshi dishes.
#5 Suja - Bhutanese Butter Tea
Tea is frequently consumed in Bhutan but is a little different. What the locals mostly indulge in is butter tea, also known as Suja or Po Cha or Goor Goor which is usually served after meals and is found to be quite comforting in the cold weather. Fermented yak butter is made from fresh yak milk. This butter is then boiled along with tea leaves and water. It is a frothy drink that tastes more like butter than tea, and its salty taste might surprise some. Butter tea is also relished in Tibet and parts of Nepal as well. Suja can also be made with cow's butter.
#6 Ara - Traditional Alcoholic Beverage
Ara (or Arag) is the traditional alcoholic beverage in Bhutan. It is made by fermenting or distilling rice, wheat, maize, millet, barley or buckwheat and is usually creamy, whitish or clear in appearance. It has a very strong smell and taste. Sometimes Ara is also heated with butter and eggs to make it a more wholesome beverage. There are also other drinks like Banchang and Sinchang which are made by fermenting grains with homemade yeast. Sinchang is a cool drink whereas Banchang is a hot drink.
#7 Zow Shungo - Veggie Dish
As the term, Zow - which means splendid suggests, this dish is a popular favourite among the Bhutanese cuisine. It is made from leftover vegetables and red rice and can be prepared quickly and easily. It is a healthy option and one which ensures that you do not have to throw away any leftover veggies.
#8 Jaju Soup - Traditional Bhutanese Soup
Jaju is a traditional Bhutanese soup, generally served along with other dishes as a side. It is made up of green leafy vegetables like local spinach, or even turnips. The broth is prepared with milk and butter. Sometimes, cheese is also added to the preparation to make it heartier, and tastier.
| Thimphu Tshechu | September 14 – 16 |
| Paro Tshechu | March 23 – 27 |
| Jambay Lhakhang Drup | October 18 – 22 |
| Punakha Drubchen | February 15-19 |
| Haa Summer Festival | July 6-8 |
#1 Hike up to Tiger’s Nest
The Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Paro Takstang) is one of Bhutan’s most iconic landmarks and its image is probably the one most associated with the country. The monastery is located at the side of a steep cliff wall in the Paro valley and legend has it that this location was chosen by a tigress who brought Guru Rinpoche (an important figure in the Buddhist religion) to the site to subdue a local demon. It is a steep two hours’ hike up to the monastery, during which you can stop for a tea break at a little cafe with wonderful views of the monastery on the way up. You can also hire a horse to take you up the hill but you still need to do some walking so be sure to wear comfy shoes anyway!
#2 Visit the Temple of The Divine Madman
Does being hit on the head by a wooden penis sound like a blessing to you? Well it is in Bhutan! The Temple of The Divine Madman (yes really) is a pilgrimage site for childless couples who are blessed in the temple in the hope of becoming fertile. I wasn’t 100% aware of this at the time the monk was performing the blessing on me, and listened in horror as I was afterwards told that I would most likely now fall pregnant. And who is the Divine Madman you may ask? Drupa Kunley was a monk who wanted to show that it is possible to become enlightened without giving up on earthly pleasures, so his methods included “blessing” women with sex (again, yes really).
#3 Experience a Homestay
One of the experiences we enjoyed most in Bhutan was spending some time with a local family on their farm in the Paro valley. Our bed was a hard mattress on the floor covered in pink blankets and dinner was rice flavoured with pork fat and butter tea (that’s tea churned with actual butter, in case you’re wondering). The kind owners prepared a traditional hot stone bath in an outhouse consisting of rickety wooden bath, filled with water from a nearby stream reputed to have medicinal properties, heated by placing in it large stones which had been thrown into a fire. Despite not having any noticeable effects on our health, the long relaxing soak ensured that we spent that night blissfully snoring away until we were rudely woken up by the farm animals in the early morning.
#4 See the Takin
You may not have heard of takin before. We hadn’t either before we travelled to Bhutan! The takin is the national animal of Bhutan which can be found in forested valleys, however there’s no need to go on a trek in order to catch a glimpse of animal; you can see plenty at the Motithang Takin Preserve in Thimpu. Although the facility was previously a mini-zoo, the Fourth King of Bhutan had proclaimed that keeping animals captive was against Bhutan’s environmental principles whereupon all the takin had been set free. However, the animals refused to leave the city and spent their time roaming around Thimpu’s streets looking for food. The only solution to this problem was to take them back into the enclosure. Indeed the animals look very content and well-fed and seem to spend most of their time lazing about in the facility.
#5 Visit the Punakha Dzong
Dzongs are fort-monasteries found throughout Bhutan, significant not only because of their particular structure, but also because they are the administrative and religious centres of Bhutanese communities. The most beautiful of these is the Punakha Dzong, otherwise known as the “Palace of Great Happiness”. The dzong stands at the point where the rivers Po chhu and Mo chhu converge and is one of the the most picturesque structures in the entire country. Additionally, the dzong itself features typical detailed Buddhist symbols and murals some of which depict the life of Buddha. You can also experience rafting on the rivers like we did, although it is not something we would really recommend to adrenaline seekers!
#1 Request permission before taking photographs of people, events or objects.
Inside the premises of temples, dzongs or monastery, taking photographs is not permitted.Taking photographs is only permitted in the court yard area.
#2 Religious Artifact / Antique
Please do not climb on or do anything that would show lack of respect to Buddhist artifacts or antiques, large or small, ruined or not, they are regarded as sacred.
#3 Communication
Before entering a dzong, temple, monastery, please switch off all mobile phones or keep in the silent/vibrating mode.
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Jhon Doe
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