Since the pandemic travel trends have drastically changed, especially in Bhutan. There’s been a growing interest in experiencing the culture of a place more authentically, one home at a time. In Saudi Arabia, inviting guests to a local’s home is popular, which is similar to a homestay experience in Bhutan. Homestays have been booming in...Read More
Last Saturday, the official Facebook page for Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), Bhutan’s future sustainable city, announced that British singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran will be performing in Bhutan. He is set to perform in Thimphu, the capital, on January 24, 2025, kicking off his tour. The announcement quickly gained attention, with some concerns raised about...Read More
Last Friday, I attended an exhibition in River City Bangkok, an iconic building by the Chao Phraya River. The exhibition showcased pieces from the collaboration between fashion brand Chuni Dorji Prive, from Bhutan and Sarran, a Thai jewellery line. Both brands bear the names of their respective designers. The exhibition was held at Sarran’s flagship...Read More
Day 1: Picked up guests from the airport for the Royal Highland Festival tour. Day 2: After arriving in Punakha the night before, we made our 7-hour drive to Taktsimakhang above Gasa, the last point for driving before you reach the festival location in Laya. Day 3: At 3820 meters above sea level, we thoroughly...Read More
In September, I traveled with Little Bhutan to Haa, the last district in western Bhutan to open to tourists. Haa lies just a 90-minute drive from Paro International Airport but sees fewer visitors. Most people know little about the district beyond its guardian deity, Chhundu, who reportedly rivals Gyenyen, Thimphu’s local deity. On our three-hour...Read More
In 2008, Tshering Dorji won Bhutan’s first bodybuilding competition, making him the first person to hold the title of Mr. Bhutan. He won the title again, in 2010, and 2011. Fourteen years later, he’s raising three children, living in a new country, and pursuing a different career. He lives in Geneva with his family, but...Read More
Carissa Nimah is the Chief Marketing Officer at the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Bhutan. She is also a member of the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) working team, for which she was part of the historic Australia visit by His Majesty the King. She is Australian. Before moving to Bhutan, she spent the majority of...Read More
The CSI market (Cottage and Small Industries market in Paro) is a first-of-its-kind-initiative, selling all things made and manufactured in Bhutan. There are two locations. One in Paro and another in Thimphu. While both sells similar products, the Paro store has a unique appeal due to its location and building style. Paro is more rural...Read More
Dungar Dzong, Pangbisa, Paro From October 1-3 the Bhutan Innovation Forum took place at Dungkar Dzong (fortress) in Pangbisa, Paro. Dungkar Dzong is the largest and the first dzong to be built in the 21st century, by His Majesty the King. “Dungkar” refers to a conch, a ritual object used in Buddhist ceremonies. It is...Read More
Last week, I visited the famous Lungtenzampa bridge, a 170 meter-long bridge constructed in 1995. I wanted to visit the bridge after I learnt about a lore tied to the two chortens (shrines) below it. I had visited one of the chortens, circumambulating it like so many others who spend their afternoons and mornings there,...Read More
