Things to Do in Bhutan in August

It goes beyond well-trodden paths to cliffside monasteries where prayer flags snap in humid wind. It passes through silent valleys where the only sound is a distant temple bell's chime. You will taste the complex heat of traditional ema datshi stew in a farmhouse kitchen. You will feel the cool, still air inside a fortress temple thick with the smell of old wood and butter lamps.

It is for those who want to hear the dawn chant of monks in a temple courtyard. They want to see the intricate details of a thangka painting without a larger group's distraction. You will feel history's weight in the silent corridors of a dzong. You will smell charcoal smoke from a street vendor roasting corn in Thimphu.

It provides a look at into the western valleys. You can witness the morning mist burning off the Paro valley to reveal emerald fields. You can feel the cool, reverent air inside the dimly-lit National Memorial Chorten, thick with the smell of melted wax. The journey's climax is the hike to the Taktsang monastery. You will hear the wind whistle through the cliffs. You will taste the simple, restorative tea offered at the mountain-side cafeteria.

It takes you from the busy craft shops of Thimphu, filled with the scent of sandalwood and silk, to the peaceful Punakha Valley. There you can feel the cool spray from the Mo Chhu river. You might taste sweet, ripe peaches from a roadside stand. You might hear the creak of an ancient wooden bridge over a rushing torrent.

It has a curated path through Bhutan's spiritual heartlands. You will see the intricate dance of a cham performance, its masks swirling in a temple courtyard. You will smell the distinctive, earthy aroma of a traditional hot stone bath infused with Artemisia. You will feel the textured weave of a handmade yak wool blanket. You will hear the polyphonic drone of monks debating philosophy in a monastery garden.