Special and Unique Travel Adventures and Experiences in Bhutan: Hot Roasted Stone Bath In Bhutan
For our guests who are spiritually inclined, Breathe Bhutan can arrange for monks to host you in their monastery for a night or two. While you get to interact with our maroon robed friends, you will also be privy to their way of life and routine. What’s more, you will be sharing meals prepared by them, too.
Some things in life are worth having a go at. A hot stone bath is one such indulgence. There is no greater satisfaction than soaking your tired self after a long, hard day. And most of our guests will, without so much as a blink of an eyelid, vouch for it.
In fact, for some of our guests, we reckon the hot stone bath is the real draw card; they visit with the implicit hope of experiencing a piece of this ancient Bhutanese culture.
Bhutan’s hot stone baths draw from both Indian Ayurvedic and the traditional 7th century Tibetan medicinal practices. Traditionally, these baths served as a source of relaxation for the family after a hard day’s work. It helped them recuperate faster. Some families would even consult their astrologer to identify an auspicious day for the bath, as the prevalent belief was that the auspiciousness of the day would lead to the beneficial effects being boosted.
Bhutanese hot stone baths are a form of traditional Bhutanese medicine where water is heated by depositing fire-roasted river stones into a chamber of a large wooden tub. The bath is normally sprinkled with pink Himalayan salt flakes and a variety of colorful wildflowers along with herby green Artemisia leaves. The tub itself is commonly made of oak as it is said to hold the water’s heat better than most other commonly found wood like pine.
Besides healing joint pains, hypertension, stomach disorders and arthritis, the release of high concentration of minerals into the water from the stones, combined with the meditative effect triggered by the Artemisia leaves, certainly does result in setting the tone of your trip to deeply relaxed and tranquil. Sipping on the generously served homebrewed Ara – a light pinkish Shochu like spirit made from millet and strawberries, while you soak your joint aches away, only adds to the sublimity of the experience. Versions of these baths exist all over Bhutan, from luxurious five-star resorts to charming rustic farmhouses.
But it needs to be noted that prior appointments are necessary, so that the organizers have adequate time to take care of the logistics, hence the need to inform your guide in advance if you decide to have a go at a dip.
If you’re fatigued after a long arduous trek, you will be happy to know that the bath may also be followed by a salt scrub to remove dead skin cells and an oil massage to relieve tired muscles.
Note: All of our specials and unique travel adventures \s are not mentioned here on the website. Do get in touch with us and we’ll let you know of all the unique things that you can do while in Bhutan.