After a quick breakfast we met our guide and driver and headed out. Today we would hike up to the biggest tourist attraction in Bhutan, The Tiger’s Nest. It’s a monastery situated on a steep mountain cliff. The hike up and back is about six kilometers round trip with just under 2,000 feet of elevation gain (to 10,200 feet). When we arrived at the car park at 8:30, there were already many cars, vans and tour buses so many folks were already on their way up. We began our walk and we had it in our minds not to be in a hurry. We didn’t have much else on our itinerary today. We still passed many people on our way up the steep ascent. There’s actually a high point that is reached before you go down some stairs and then back up to the “Taktstang” (Tiger’s Nest).
There’s a tall waterfall that you come to before you make the staircase ascent to the monastery.
When we arrived at the monastery, we had to check our phones and remove our shoes before entering. The place was indeed quite fascinating. We toured the various rooms for about 30-40 minutes. Our feet got really cold. Then we headed back down.
While on the way down, our guide took a side trip to the midpoint rest room while we continued slowly down.
We ended up taking a side path that was a bit steeper and a bit of a shortcut. We landed back at the car park long before our guide. We were apprehensive about what our lunch plan would be. As we started our car ride down the mountain, we were given a surprise as we would be taken to The Taktsang Restaurant. We had looked at this place online and it looked really nice but it said it would be closed today. But as it turned out, Lhab, our guide, had met the owner previously and called him and he said he would open today! What a surprise and nice treat. The restaurant was fairly new and quite modern.
Much different than anywhere else we had eaten in Bhutan. We had a delicious meal starting with a very fresh cucumber salad followed by a couple of beautifully prepared Bhutanese chicken dishes. We were going to pass on dessert but the owner said they had a brownie and ice cream that was totally made in-house. We relented. We shared one and it was small, but a perfect portion and finish to a fine meal. We spent some time chatting with the personable owner and then before leaving Joan discovered that they were selling some authentic woven blankets, rugs and other items made by Bhutanese women.
There was an interesting story behind them as the restaurant owner’s mother had a hand in their production. We had wanted to find something authentic to take home and we found it here. After our visit, we headed up the road to visit the 17th century Drugyel Dzong. The old fort has been damaged by fire and has been undergoing years of restoration but it was cool to get glimpse, even if it was just from the outside.
After that, we were pretty much done. We returned to our hotel and prepared for our departure tomorrow. We’ve had a great adventure and we’ll write more about it later. But now it’s time to make our way back home. First stop, Delhi!
Ed & Joan Walk in Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon 
Leave a comment