Bhutan

Dzongs, Monasteries and the Art of Slowing Down

The fortress-monasteries known as dzongs are the beating heart of Bhutanese civic and religious life, anchoring every district capital with their whitewashed ramparts and golden rooftops. Punakha Dzong, wedged at the confluence of two glacial rivers, is among the most photogenic buildings in Asia. The hike to the Tiger's Nest monastery at Paro Taktsang, clinging impossibly to a clifftop 900 metres above the valley floor, rewards every steep step. The country follows the Vajrayana school of Tibetan Buddhism, and its festivals, called tshechus, fill courtyards with masked dances and the scent of incense.

Trails Through Some of Asia's Last Wild Landscapes

Bhutan is a trekker's destination of rare seriousness. The Snowman Trek traverses the high north for nearly a month through remote passes and yak pastures, earning its reputation as one of the toughest long-distance routes in the world. Shorter circuits through the Bumthang valley visit ancient temples and farmhouses fragrant with buckwheat and red rice, two crops that have been grown here for centuries. The network of traditional trails connecting villages is gradually being mapped as the Trans Bhutan Trail, a 400-kilometre walking route from the border to the eastern highlands.

Food, Craft and the Philosophy of Gross National Happiness

Ema datshi, a fiery stew of chillies and soft cheese, appears on almost every table in Bhutan and is eaten with the local red rice, which has a slightly nutty flavour unlike anything found in neighbouring countries. Thimphu's weekend market draws farmers from across the western valleys selling dried yak meat, cordyceps fungus, and handwoven kishuthara silk. The national philosophy of Gross National Happiness shapes policy in unusual ways, from caps on television channels to strict limits on tobacco, producing a country that feels genuinely different from anywhere else in the region.