Bewitching Bhutan! Day Six: Conquering the Hike to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Bhutanese Lunch, Shopping in Paro, Hot Stones Bath.

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Bewitching Bhutan!

Day Six: Conquering the Hike to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Bhutanese Lunch, Shopping in Paro, Hot Stones Bath.

Today was the most significant day in our travels in Bhutan. A lot of people consider this day to be a test of their endurance. It is the day we were to scale the heights of the mountain that lead to the most famous temple-monastery in all of Bhutan, Takshen Lakhang (The Tiger’s Nest Monastery). How did we do? Read to find out…

But to begin at the beginning: we awoke excitedly in the Shomo Chuki Resort, showered, dressed comfortably for a tiring hike, prepared for it by keeping the load in our backpacks to the very minimum and went downstairs and into the neighboring building for breakfast. We joined the others at a corner table and settled down at 8.00 am to eat omlettes with toast, butter and jam, an Indian breakfast dish (puri bhaji), fresh fruit, tea and coffee. It was a hearty breakfast and we felt fortified for the exhaustion of the day ahead. At 9.00 am, our guide Dil and driver Chilay arrived to take us to the base of the mountain that we would need to climb to see the Tiger’s Nest Monastery.

Drive to Takshen Lakhang (the Tiger’s Nest Monastery):

The drive to the site was no more than ten minutes, past the rural rice paddies of the outskirts of Paro. On our right was the bank of mountains, nestled in which was the goal point. Most climbers start really early in the morning as the temperature is at its best for an energetic hike. We arrived with other groups of tourists in large vans or small coaches a little after 9.30 am.

As Blossom has difficulty climbing, she had decided to sit this one out. Marisa, who was keen to climb with us, had a setback yesterday (her fall at the Museum) and since her knee was aching, she too decided to give it a miss. I was uncertain, until the very last minute, about whether or not I would climb. I rather doubted my physical stamina to climb to that height and for such a long gradient. But Llew, although recovering from a recent hernia surgery, was always gung-ho about it. So was Menaka—she was very certain she would undertake the hike. I thought I would wait till the eleventh hour to decide. And indeed, when we parked our van, and I saw large groups of people get ready for the climb, I felt motivated to join in. We made our way to the two Bhutanese ladies who were selling climbing poles nearby and at Rs 100 per pole, we rented two each (Llew took just one) and paid Rs. 200 to hire the pair. It was probably the best purchase I have ever made in my life as those polsx offered me the kind of support I cannot even begin to describe, both ways—up and down. In fact, as each step in a really high one, I used them to haul me to the next step. Believe me when I tell you that they were truly invaluable—and I cannot recommend them enough. Yes, I did have hiking boots—they protected my ankles beautifully and, as I had used them as sneakers throughout my trip, I was very grateful for them. They were sturdy, protective, gripped fabulously, offered great traction (especially along slippery muddy portions) and saw me depend enormously on them.

Undertaking a Daunting Hike to the Tiger’s Nest:

And so our hike began. It was hard to believe that Dil, our guide, would go along with us all the way to the top. But before I go any further I should explain: there are two levels to which one can climb—what is known as the Café level (a height of 3000 meters or 10,000 feet) and then a further climb to the actual monastery itself. This, apparently, involves a descent into a deep gorge for about 300 steps and then a climb on the other side for about 800 steps. We had all decided to undertake the former. I simply did not think I had the physical stamina to go all the way to the monastery. Llew, too, declined going that high as he was afraid he would trigger a physical reaction at the site of his operation that he did not want to handle. And for Menaka too, the café level was adequate. And so, the three of us set out.

Initially, one walked along fairly flat land, over large stones that offered traction. But soon the climbing began…and once the slope appeared, it was simply uphill from there all the way. Steps are hewn into the mountain and constructed with rounded logs of wood at their edges to provide traction. There are also mules that a person can hire to climb to the Café Level. They stop a little ahead of the café itself—so there is a little bit of climbing involved if you wish to have a drink in the café and catch a glimpse of the monastery, still perched way up high on the mountain opposite. Yes, there were dozens of people who hired the mules with their attendants (Rs. 2000 per mule) and for a while, they follow the same pathway as human climbers. After a while, however, maybe halfway up, the routes bifurcate and the mules have their own path so that humans are not stalled in their efforts to go higher by passing mules

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As we went higher, we passed by the most beautiful Himalayan vegetation—remember, you are climbing in a forest, completely enveloped by trees. We saw apple blossom still clinging to the low trees in an orchard at the base and loads of flowering bushes such as viburnum with its frothy fronds of white flowers. Everywhere, there were bushes of wild red Himalayan hibiscus clinging to the mountain’s sides and we were followed and accompanied by bird song, although the new spring foliage made it hard for us to spot any birds. Even had we not reached the summit, we’d have been stirred by this exceedingly natural loveliness that enveloped us on all sides.

Aside from these natural elements, there were also man-made ones. Lower down the mountain, there were a set of three red-banded stupas that had a mountain river rushing through them. The movement of the water turned the prayer wheel inside one of them and, rhythmically, we could hear the lovely soothing sound of the temple bell as the falling foamy water provided its own music. Further ahead, there was a small temple with a large prayer wheel. People stopped at this point to turn the wheel and get some much-needed respite. There were also benches and ledges at various points so that exhausted climbers could rest their bodies for a few seconds before setting off again, Dil had warned us not to sit for more than 3 minutes at a time as it would be hard to muster up the motivation to get up again.

So how did I fare? Well, suffice it to say that it was one of the most grueling physical feats I have ever undertaken in my life. Had I been ten years younger, I could have done it without batting an eyelid—but no longer being a spring chicken, it was challenging in the extreme and, at one point (about 40 minutes into the climb), I seriously thought of giving up and making my way down again. I certainly needed to stop and rest more than Llew and Menaka did and, finally, I told them to go ahead of me as I did not want to hold them back. Dil stayed with me and was extremely patient, telling me to go only as fast as my capacity would allow. I did stop occasionally to click pictures of the flowers and the natural scene of the valley spread before us because as we climbed higher, we could see how far below was the car park. I took advantage of all the rest stops, sipped water from my bottle quite frequently as my throat and mouth grew parched by the effort of climbing and then, as if the conditions were not daunting enough, it started raining. Luckily, we had all carried our rain ponchos with us—so we stopped to put them on, raised up the hoods and continued. The path did become more slippery as a result of the rain, but it was short lived and soon, we could take off our rain ponchos and continue. So let me put it this way: we had every challenge thrown at us as we scaled those heights…but still we soldiered on. A word, at this stage, about the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, would be in order.

What is the Tiger’s Nest Monastery?

The site on which the Tiger’s Nest Monastery is constructed in Bhutan is a sacred one. It represents the spot (the cave) where Guru Rimpoche (who brought Buddhism to Bhutan from Tibet) meditated for three months. A series of seven lakhangs (or small temples) comprise the entire site and, as with all temple-monasteries, no photographs are allowed inside. If you do make it to the top, you need to take off footwear, headgear and leave cameras in a small locker. You then tour the various temples taking in the sites of gigantic (and very beautiful) images of the Guru, of the Buddha and other Buddhist deities, all very lavishly decorated in stylized fashion. Many of the Buddhist faithful undertake this severe task of human endurance to pray for the gift of a child. There is a viewpoint, close to the Monastery, that offers wonderful photo ops and most visitors who are able to get that far, pose there for pictrues. It is a bit like the famous spot at Machu Pichu in the Incas where all visitors who get to the summit of the Andes’ mountains at this spot, in Peru, will pose (as our family had done too).

Back to the Hike and a Long Rest in the Cafe:

And so…we moved on. Climbing ever higher. Llew and Menaka reached the summit about twenty minutes before I did. They took exactly two hours to get to the top; I took 2 hours and 20 minutes. At this level, there is a gate that announces the Takshen Café and the pair of them and I too, took pictures at this spot, It is a short flat walk to the café terrace where most people were enjoying the sun and the grand view of the seven temples clinging to the side of the mountain in most precarious fashion as they sipped on refreshing beverages. We had a lovely fond reunion (I think Menaka doubted I would make it although Llew was pretty certain I would) and then decided to have a much-needed cold Coke and a cereal bar to replenish the calories we had lost on the exhausting hike up. After we’d refreshed ourselves enough, we posed on the terrace overlooking the monastery and took many pictures, as individuals and groups. It was truly a heartening achievement, and we all felt very proud of ourselves. However, the great descent still lay ahead of us and we needed to prepare ourselves for what lay ahead. Suffice it to say that the muscles of our legs, our shoulders, our back, even our wrists, were fully exercised in the massive climb we had accomplished and, no doubt, we would feel the after effects of this physical exertion, the next day.

Getting Down the Mountain:

The three of us and Dil stayed together as we made our descent towards the base of the mountain. For me, the going down was far far easier than the going up as climbing is not my strong point—I can walk for miles, quite effortlessly, on flat terrain (touch wood!). Menaka found the climb easier than the descent and Llew found both ways equally demanding. Yes, on the way down too, we stopped to rest but not as frequently. We did chat with groups of people along the way and it is a nice way to break the monotony and pure silence of the mountains.

I also foraged for pine cones to take home as souvenirs—as there are two types of pine trees that grow here: the blue pine which has long conical pine cones that give off a lot of resin and the chir pin which has fatter, rounded cones (with less resin). It was hard to find the chir pine cones—although there were many blue pine ones. Dil also helped me find good specimens that had not deteriorated with the damp or the rain and armed with a few of them, I came down the mountain. Mission Successfully Accomplished! We all felt a great sense of triumph at what we had achieved. It had not been easy and I probably will never be able to do this again…but it has convinced me that walking the 500 miles (approx. 1000 kms) of the Camino de Santiago (which is also on my Buckley List) will be a piece of cake (and it is mainly done on flat ground—except for a short stint while crossing the Pyrenees between France and Spain) after this venture.

Delicious Lunch of Bhutanese Specialities:

And then, with all of us safely ensconced in the van, we drove off to our hotel to pick up Blossom and Marisa who had spent the morning at leisure enjoying the resort and its many offerings. No, we were none the worse for our exertions and were ready to sink into a large and very delicious lunch. I told Dil that we did not want to eat any more Indian food but would prefer to have typically Bhutanese items such as momos—which we had yet to try on this trip. Dil was more than willing to take us to a place right in the heart of Paro—the sweetest, neatest, prettiest city. In a place called ‘Momo Corner’ which was full of local Bhutanese people (a sure sign that the food is authentic and good), we parked our car.

‘Momo Corner’ turned out to be a little hole in the wall kind of place with one waitress and a clerk at the counter who shouted out orders to the kitchen as soon as they were placed. We settled down in a corner and were delighted to find Thupka (the traditional Bhutanese Chicken Noodle Soup) on the menu. There were also a variety of momos, although none of beef today. We opted for a variety of chicken and pork ones—steamed and deep fried and one with a delicious chill sauce. When our thupka bowls arrived, we found them to be filled with noodles that were delicious and hearty. With vegetables and shredded chicken, they made a hearty meal—in fact, with the momos, it was a bit of overkill. But we all enjoyed the food enormously with the spicy chilli sauce that was provided as an accompaniment. Also, the meal was very economical indeed and easily fell within our budget although we did order drinks (butter tea for me, mango lassi and fresh lime sodas for others). It was definitely one of the best meals we ate in Bhutan.

Shopping for Handicrafts in the Paro Shops:

As we had a bit of time to kill, this was a great afternoon for exploring the shops of Paro and finding the little souvenirs we hoped to take back home for family members and friends. As we walked into the shops on the main street, we realized that they pretty much carried the same merchandise, namely thangka paintings, sculpture of Buddhist deities in varied metals, lacquered and painted phalluses (apparently a popular souvenir of Bhutan where phallic-worship is wide-spread and fertility rites take place in many temples), jewelry in precious and semi-precious stones, beaded jewelry, fabrics fashioned into utilitarian items such as cross-body bags, purses, shawls, mats, caps, hats, scarves, etc. trinkets such as pocket mirrors, magnets, key chains, wood carvings, wall hangings, etc. A few of us did buy a couple of small items, but having bought a wood carving from Pema Tshering, I felt that our souvenir from Bhutan was already in the bag.

With our shopping done, we got back into our van and headed off to what would be a real treat—a hot soak in a novel bath tub.

Soaking in the Hot Stones Bath:

Lonely Planet tells visitors that they must not leave Bhutan without taking advantage of a rather unique soaking experience: the hot stones bath. As we had found Dorji, a native Bhutanese man, who offers the service in his Alpine River Front Restaurant (where we’d lunched yesterday), we asked Dil to make appointments for us for a relaxing soak in the evening, Those of us who had hiked up the mountain and back down in the morning were sure that the soak would be therapeutic. For the other two, it would be a great opportunity to simply enjoy a luxurious experience that does not occur every day.

Well, the hot stones bath was truly a novel experience. Two bath tubs are located in each cabin—Llew and I shared one; Blossom and Menaka shored another and Marisa had her own. Hot stones are added to the wooden bath tubs and as we attempted to enter, we found our’s was really and truly hot—it was steaming, We had to add a whole lot of cold water to the baths before Llew or I could get in. For the next hour, we thoroughly enjoyed the fragrant water—the artemisia fronds were delightful and we rubbed them to release their oils and aroma. The poultice bag containing the root callum was also beneficial and as we closed our eyes, we found ourselves truly transported to a spot where aches and pains were but a distant memory. We did not have to ask for more stones as our tubs remained really hot throughout the one hour. In fact, we had to often get out of the tub and sit on the edge as we were beginning to feel dehydrated (cold bottles of water were provided and we were told to sip from them), and even a bit light-headed (Llew) after a while. After an hour, we reconnected and talked about our experiences. Each one had a unique experience—no two people felt the same way. But, in general, we all enjoyed the soak immensely and I have to say that I did feel as if my back pain had subsided very much.

Dinner at the Shomo Chukki Hotel:

Still flushed with this delightful experience, we returned to our hotel for drinks in our room (that peach one had been replenished and another bottle bought for our tasting pleasure) followed by dinner in the restaurant. This turned out to be the worst of the meals we would eat in Bhutan. The food was tasteless—everything from the soup to the dessert was extremely blah and we actually heard other patrons complain noisily about the poor quality. I merely took a small helping of soup, green salad, papad and dessert and really did not even bother to taste anything else. The poor waiter felt really bad and tried hard to make up for our disappointment. But, by this time, we were pretty tired and decided to return to our rooms for a good night’s sleep.

Until tomorrow, keep smiling…