Unveil the Wonders of Bhutan

Perched at an elevation of 3,000 meters above the acclaimed Dochula Pass, Lungchuzekha Goemba was built by Terton Drukdra Dorji and houses sacred statues like the self-spoken statue of Guru Rinpoche, Terton Drukdra Dorji and the statue of Lama Sonam Zangpo. In front of the Goemba stands a beautiful stupa built by Her Majesty Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck.

The 12th Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot), Lam Kunga Jamtsho, is credited with the birth of one of the most holy and solicited meditation centres in Bhutan, Trashigang Goemba. Trashigang Goemba is a perfect tourist destination not only for the spiritual richness this place exudes but also for the amazing flora and fauna. It can also be the perfect ending to a day hike from Thimphu.

A great Tibetan ruler and lama, or Buddhist teacher, named Songtsan Gampo supposedly started construction of the temple in the 7th century. According to local legend, two birds, one black and one white, emanated from his consciousness and flew from Tibet to this location. The white bird landed on the site of Karpo Lhakhang, hence “white temple.” Locals built Nagpo Lhakhang, the “black temple,” where the black bird landed.

The smoke-smudged walls of Drukgyel Dzong's four-story utse (central tower) still stand intact among the surrounding ruins. Located at the head of the Paro Valley, the once-magnificent Drukgyel Dzong was built in 1649 and stood along a major route into Tibet for three centuries until it burned to the ground in a 1951 fire. The dzong's name, which translates as “Bhutan's Victory,” commemorates a 1644 defeat of Tibetan forces in this region.

Kila Goemba in Paro stands true to its Sanskrit translation, ‘the spiritual dagger that subdues all negativity’ as it stands very calmly on a sheer dizzy cliff face waiting to eliminate any negative elements coming its way. Located below the Chelela Pass and standing at an altitude of about 3,500m, Kila Goemba is one of the oldest nunneries in Bhutan dating back to the 9th century.

Built in the seventeenth century, Rinpung Dzong is visible across the Paro Valley, which it successfully defended against a succession of attacks by Tibetan armies. With its thick buttressed walls and fine woodwork, the dzong offers an excellent example of traditional Bhutanese architecture - befitting the seat of legislative and religious authority in one of Bhutan's wealthiest regions. Each spring, the dzong fills to capacity when it hosts Paro Tsechu, one of Bhutan's liveliest festivals.

The Bhutanese believe that the original construction of Taktsang in 1692 was assisted by dakinis - angels - who transported building materials up the cliff on their backs and lent their hair to hold the structure in place. Sadly the dakini were unable to help when Taktsang was razed in a major fire in April 1998, and the temple took five years to reconstruct with the help of a rudimentary cableway that has since been removed. From a distance, Bhutan's most iconic building seems to float, weightless, halfway up a sheer cliff-face, 900 meters (3,000 feet) above the floor of the Paro Valley.

Gangtey Goemba sits on the crest of a hill, overlooking majestic views of the Phobjikha Valley. Quite appropriately, its name means simply “the temple on the hilltop.” The monastery, one of the largest in Bhutan, contains a monastic school and houses the ninth reincarnation of the Gangtey Tulku.

Built in 1499, Chimi Lhakhang is dedicated to the "Divine Madman," Drukpa Kunley, a sage revered in Bhutan for his unorthodox teachings and his use of a "flaming thunderbolt" to fight evil. While Chimi Lhakhang marks the spot where Drukpa Kunley defeated and buried a much-feared demoness, today the hilltop lhakhang is visited by expectant mothers and families with newborns to pray for their children's health. A blessing from the lhakhang's wooden phallus is also believed to help childless couples conceive; the number of Bhutanese children named Chimi may be testament to this method's success rate!

Follow the Mo Chhu upstream from Punakha Dzong, and the gleaming apex of the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten will soon appear on the opposite bank, a gold-topped beacon guiding you upstream. Seven kilometers (4 miles) northeast of the dzong, the tiered chorten stands 30-metres (100-feet) tall, its three stories covered with a painted pageant of characters from the annals of Vajrayana Buddhism - including one protector deity pictured riding a shaggy brown migoi or yeti.

Standing proudly astride the confluence of the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu (the Female and Male Rivers), Punakha Dzong is one of Bhutan's most beautiful buildings. While the dzong is a handsome sight at any time of year, it is at its best in spring, when lilac jacaranda blossoms soften the stately white walls and fall like snow along the riverbanks. With its construction foretold by Guru Rinpoche and its location decided by the Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the dzong is not only a gem of Bhutanese architecture, but also arguably one of Bhutan's most important buildings, serving as the seat of the national government until the 1950s.

The National Memorial Chorten, with its elaborate golden peak representing the crescent moon and sun, is one of Thimphu's most striking religious landmarks. Constructed in 1974, the Tibetan-style chorten's whitewashed exterior boasts richly decorated chapels - one facing each of the cardinal directions.