Bhutan, nestled amidst the world’s tallest mountain range, serves as a dreamscape for outdoor enthusiasts. Her towering Himalayan peaks, rapidous whitewater rivers, pristine forests and jungles and ubiquitous wildlife create a setting for countless recreational opportunities and the chance to viscerally connect with nature. Hiking, trekking, mountain biking, white-water rafting, kayaking, golfing, and motorcycling are all common outdoor endeavors in this modern-day Shangri-La and are enjoyed by Bhutanese and international visitors alike.
- Bryant Dunn
Travels in Kurtoe, Lhuentse
Of the 20 dzongkhags that makes up present day Bhutan, my maternal ancestral village of Thuenpay in the far north-eastern corner of Lhuentse dzongkhag remains isolated and unknown.
To sign off the year 2024 on an adventurous note, my husband Sangay and I decided to make a short trip there. This would be his first visit and mine in 40 years. We did not know what we would find on our arrival but the excitement of the moment and planning for the trip took away all doubts and misgivings.
- Kezang Uden Penjor
I had never been to Asia when I decided to move to Bhutan. In all of my young wisdom, I thought it most logical to experience a new continent starting with one of its most mysterious destinations. As I read over the pages of my Lonely Planet guidebook, my eyes glazed over, envisioning smiling monks, stunning temples, and peaks covered in a fur of forest. Spicy chili dishes and ancient rituals pranced across my mind. Even the experience of landing in Bhutan inspires a sense of otherworldliness; tossed out of the clouds on Himalayan tailwinds, spiraling like a snowflake in a heart-stopping descent down past the maws of green mountains to Paro airport.
- Cate Kelly
Travel Guide Passang Tshering randomly picks seven places in Bhutan you must visit
local chanterelle mushroom
Juma (sausage) is a Bhutanese delicacy made using a spicy mixture of minced meat (beef or pork), animal blood,
Guru Rinpoche was an 8th century master of tantra. Among his many accolades, he is credited with establishing the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet and introducing the Dharma to Bhutan. In a lineage of formidable Buddhist practitioners and scholars, he was a giant among giants. As a master of such vast spiritual attainment, he conducted innumerable extraordinary feats to subdue forces hostile to the Dharma, enabling the sacred teachings to take root in the Himalayan region, where it molded the culture and established a system that can swiftly lead beings to awaken to reality.
- Shenphen Zangpo
What is sound?
In science, sound is a form of energy that travels as mechanical waves through matter by vibration, detected by our ears and interpreted by our brain as audible sensations.
In Buddhism, sound is seen as one of the six sense objects (shabda) – a temporary, impermanent phenomenon that arises and passes away, teaching us about impermanence (anicca).
