Beautiful Bhutan - Part 7

On Day 6, we had a light breakfast before going on a short drive towards the starting point of our trek to Tigers Nest. This is one of the most popular activities of tourists visiting Bhutan. We started around 8 a.m. but it might be advisable to start earlier especially for slow climbers. It can get quite warm on the way up if it is sunny. Now for some information on Tigers Nest. 

Tiger’s Nest is the most iconic image of Bhutan. It is a monastery that requires a 5 km. hike through a well laid out trail – Fit people can do this trek in 2-2.5 hours, we took almost 4 hours as we walked slowly and took frequent breaks. Before starting, we had rented a hiking pole for support during the trek – cost Rs. 100 per pole. We also had to purchase entry tickets costing Rs. 1000/- per person for entering the monastery at the top. Tickets can be purchased either before starting the trek or at the top after reaching.

The Monastery is situated at a height of about 3100 meters above sea level and the height gain from the starting point of the trek is about 700 meters. However, as we near the monastery, we need to go down about 15 storeys and climb up again about 20 storeys to reach it. There are actual steps at this point – both for climbing down and for the climb up. This is the most challenging part as once the body gets used to climbing down, it does not want to climb up again.

According to legend, Guru Rinpoche, or Guru Padmasambhava, is said to have reached Bhutan from Tibet by riding on the back of a tigress (hence the name Tiger’s Nest). He explored numerous caves and cliffs, meditating to conquer local demons. Most of his time was dedicated to the mountainside overlooking the Paro Valley, where he blessed the area that eventually evolved into one of Bhutan’s most sacred monasteries—Paro Taktsang, also known as Tiger’s Nest.

There were many tourists trekking that day but most of them were younger and were moving quickly. We took time off to enjoy the scenery, click some pictures etc. Around the half way mark, there is a restaurant and a halting / resting point. This spot also provides a stunning view of the monastery up above. After halting awhile, we moved forward. Our guide, Pema walked slowly along and kept filling us with the stories and titbits about this place as well as Bhutan in general.

When we reached the top, it was an exhilarating feeling. Comprising four temples and residential shelters for monks, the monastery features a unique design that gracefully rests on the mountainside. Wooden bridges and stairs intricately carved into the mountain link the structures, each boasting a balcony offering breathtaking views of the Paro Valley below. We had to leave behind our mobile phones etc. at a safe deposit locker before entering the temples. The temples are small and compact. There are many paintings depicting the history of the temple as well of the deities. One can sit and meditate or walk around and have darshan of the deities. One can also make offerings in cash – local currency or Indian Rupees or even USD.

Then we started on our long walk back to the starting point. On the way, we met our friends from India about whom I had mentioned in the earlier blog. We had a good company as their walking speed matched with ours. By the time we came down, it was nearly dusk. We had become desperate to reach the end as the walk was looking endless.

After reaching down, we got back in our cars that were waiting and returned to our hotels. The after a refreshing bath and little rest we went for a unique experience. On our way down, our Indian couple mentioned that they are going for a hot stone water bath. We hadn’t even heard about this before. Our guide told us that this is a must do experience and will be worth it especially as it will do wonders to our tired muscles after the trek. He arranged with a place in a village situated about 10 kms away.

This bath is like soaking in a hot tub – except that the water is heated in a unique way. What they do is they take stones from the river flowing nearby (each stone about the size of a large coconut with the husk attached). They heat the stones over logs of wood and drop it in the tub which is filled with water. Apparently, these stones have lots of minerals in them which gets released into the water and this has the effect of soothing our tired muscles. The tub is placed in a room with one half jutting outside the room (through an opening in the bottom of the wall) and partitioned in such a way that water is connected. The stones are dropped on the other side whereas the side where you are sitting has a tap to add more water in the tub in case of need. If you feel that the water needs more heating, you must tap on the partition and loudly shout “Hot stones please”. The person outside the room will carry hot stones directly from the fire (holding it in a pair of tongs) and drop it into your tub from the other side. Immediately, you can hear the water boiling / heating up and soon the warmth spreads across your body.

We were advised not to be inside the tub continuously for more that 10 minutes. We were to take short 2-3 minute breaks by coming out of the tub and only soaking the feet at that time. We were provided with water bottle to stay hydrated and were told to keep sipping it. Initially, it felt very hot (just like the hot springs in some hill stations) and after a while the body gets used to it. We were given a room which had 2 tubs. We were also provided with towels to dry up in the end before wearing our clothes again. The whole experience lasted about 45-50 minutes. In the end, when we got out we were feeling a little dizzy and the cold breeze was welcome. Lalitha felt nauseous and vomited whatever little she had in her stomach. The price for this experience was Rs. 1500 per person whereas the same thing is available at double the price depending on the property.

After this, we drove back to our hotel and had a light dinner before crashing in our beds totally exhausted and drained out. That night we slept like a log. This was easily one of the best days of our trip.