Table of Contents

The last day was a pinnacle of the trip with a hike to the breathtaking Tiger Nest Monastery. I read a few posts about how difficult the hike is; some people mentioned the hardest hike they’ve done in their lives. It’s easy to believe when you are looking at the monastery, which looks like a part of a rock.

Links to the next parts

• Bhutan, Day 1: Arrival
• Bhutan, Day 2: Thimphu City and Fertility temple
• Bhutan, Day 3: Punakha
• Bhutan, Day 4: Phobjikha valley
• Bhutan, Day 5: Festival in the Phunaka fortress

Hike to the Tiger Nest Monastery

We deliberately started the hike early in the morning, around 8 AM, to avoid midday heat, but the weather was on our side the whole day. Clouds blanketed the sky, soft and low like a ceiling about to burst. The starting point was crowded with other tourists and their guide. We realised that it’s possible to reach the midpoint of the journey, a lovely, scenic cafe, on a mule. Also, our guide shared that not everyone hiked to the monastery, but only had a quick look at it.

Our gentle driver passed us two walking sticks made out of bamboo, and our hike started. In general, I say the hike wasn’t easy, but not impossible. I think if you focus on the hike, you can conquer the whole distance in one and a half hours. For us, it took about an hour to reach the midpoint of the journey - a scenic cafe with a magnificent view of the Tiger Nest. We admired the view, took a couple of photos, sipped a glass of tea, and resumed the hike.

The second part of the journey was far easier than the first one. It was a relatively short, about half an hour, hike up. After that, we mainly walked down or straight. On the way to the monastery, we walked by a few stunning observation points. To completely overwhelm a visitor, there is a breathtaking waterfall just before the monastery.

After a final hike, we have to hand over all our stuff, take off our shoes, and enter the monastery.

[!WARNING] Important note: wear warm socks! The monastery floor is made of stone, and it may be quite freezing if you aren’t used to this condition. I didn’t feel my feet after an hour of walking inside the monastery walls.

During the excursion, we learnt a lot about the place’s history, about a fight between Guru Rampichi and Naga, and various temples in the monastery. It’s not a single monastery, but 7 different, tiny temples that spread across a small area.

The way down was far easier, and we managed to go down in probably hours in a very relaxed fashion with a nice tea break.

I finally managed to put my calisthenics skills to the test and make a flying crow in front of Tiger Nest.

After the hike, we went to a local souvineer shop to get a tibetan tiger rug, which I saw once on my friend’s photo. They aren’t cheap, but for sure very authentic.

Archery

At the end of our journey, we went back to the hotel, where our guides kindly showed us how to play archery. The game looks relatively easy from the side, but it’s quite complex once you try it. As a beginner, it feels like archery requires a lot of coordination between your body, hands, and, obviously, eyes. My wife and I gave up after a few shots, but the guides showed us mastery by hitting the mark a couple of times.

Way back home

The next morning, we had a heartwarming farewell with our amazing guides and their beautiful country. Once we boarded the plane, a flight assistant approached us and told us that the Queen of Bhutan was sharing the same flight with us back to Singapore. What? Not a private jet or even a dedicated plane? We witness your highness approaching and boarding the plane. At that time, we knew nothing was going to happen to us on the way back home. And, as expected, the return was very smooth and easy.

A few final words

It’s common to see hypocrisy in Asian countries toward certain values, e.g., a luxury hotel may be vocal about its stance towards zero net efforts, sustainability, or ecology. But once you step out of the hotel’s premises, you can see garbage and pollution around. It feels different in Bhutan. Indeed, people here aren’t rich, but they look really happy in Bhutan, a country with wonderful landscapes, beautiful air, and fantastic food.