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.
Chorten Kora stupa in Trashiyangtse is a significant sacred pilgrimage site in eastern Bhutan. Built over a period of 12 years around 1740 by Lama Ngawang Loday, it is said to be modeled after the Boudhanath stupa in Nepal. It is also believed that a Dakini girl was sealed alive of her own free will inside the stupa as an offering from the Dakpa people of Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.
Crossing the Chele La Pass at an elevation of 3, 988 meters above sea level (from where we get to enjoy excellent views of Mount.
At Tachog Lhakhang you will be crossing a six hundred year old bridge built by the renowned iron bridge builder Drubthob (or the Realized and Accomplished One) Thangtong Gyelpo, a fourteenth century saint who built over fifty eight iron bridges throughout Tibet and Bhutan, mainly with the intent of helping pilgrims get to holy places.
Haa, one of the most beautiful valleys in Bhutan, was only opened to tourists as late as 2001. The sacred worth of the valley is complemented by the two sacred temples – Lhakhang Karpo and the Lhakhang Nagpo.
Kila Nunnery, popularly referred to as Chele La Gompa straddles the cliff facing Paro, with great views of Paro valley and Jele Dzong.
Gangtey is one of the most beautiful destinations in Bhutan. It is a wide glacial valley with a central stream meandering through the open grassland and thickets of dwarf bamboo.
Tashichho Dzong has been the seat of the government since 1952 and presently houses the throne room and offices of the King, the Secretariat and the Ministries of Home Affairs and Finance. Other government departments are housed in buildings nearby.
Behind the Punakha Dzong stretches the Punakha Suspension Bridge, the second longest of its kind in Bhutan. Connecting the Punakha Dzong with the Punakha town, the suspension bridge spans over 350 meters and dangles above the meandering Pho Chhu river.
The bazaar was initiated in 2011 to provide Bhutanese artisans a platform to display and sell their products. It showcases a wide range of authentic made-in-Bhutan arts and craft products.
Weaving is an integral component of the culture and tradition of Bhutan. With the aim to preserve and promote this living art, the Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan was instituted in May 2005 under the patronage of Her Majesty Gyalyum (Queen Mother) Sangay Choden Wangchuck as a non-government, non-profit organization.
We Bhutanese treasure our traditional art forms and deem it crucial to preserve them as part of our cultural and religious heritage. It is what gives us our unique identity.
The Takin, which the locals refer to as ‘Drong Gyemtsi’ is the National Animal of Bhutan. It has the face of a goat and the body of a cow. The unique looking animal is associated with Drukpa Kunley, a fifteenth century saint, commonly referred to by Westerners as the ‘Divine Madman,’ and sometimes even as ‘The Original Gangsta of Tantra’ due to his unorthodox ways of teaching.
Crossing a small cantilever bridge over the Wang Chhu it is a steady climb up hill. People maintain that Zhabdrung spent upto three years in retreat at Cheri.
This nice offbeat hike will take about two hours, depending on your stamina. There is a well-laid path and the climb isn’t very steep as well. The pathway to the monastery is lined with pine and rhododendron trees, colorful prayer-flags, cute resting spots, prayer wheels, Chortens and meditation huts.
Built sometime in the seventh century by the Tibetan Buddhist King SongstenGyempo, KyichuLhakhang is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan and is of prime interest for art connoisseurs, historians, pilgrims and visitors alike.
Originally, the Dzong was referred to as ‘Rinche Pung Dzong,’ or ‘Rinpung Dzong,’ which translates as ‘Fortress on a Heap of Jewels.’ Over time it came to be known as Paro Dzong.
Though it originally used to be called Jakar Yugyal Dzong, over time, it has come to be known as Jakar Dzong, which translates as ‘White Bird Dzong,’ and owes its origins to the legend of how a white bird dramatically perched on that very spot where the Dzong was built and how it came to be interpreted as a good omen.
The micro-brewery as well as the Swiss Farm was started in 1996 Fritz Maurer, a Swiss national who got married to a Bhutanese and went on to set up a brewery, and a Swiss Farm.
Jampey Lhakhang is said to be one of the 108 temples built by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo in 659 AD. This temple is believed to have been built in a single day in order to pin down a giant female ogress obstructing the spread of Buddhism.
The museum was established with artifacts found in the manor that had been handed down from generation to generation through the ages.
It is one of the most important sites related to Pema Lingpa the renowned Terton (Treasure Discoverer) who is attributed to have founded the monastery.
Though the valley of Tang is the most remote of Bumthang’s valleys, the Arcadian scenes are truly picture perfect. It is the most off-the-beaten track destinations around Bumthang, and is known for its sheep and buckwheat.
Perched on a small hillock that rises from the valley floor, Gangtey Monastery is a very important monastery of the Nyingmapa school of Buddhism – the main seat of the Pema Lingpa tradition.
The village of Gaselo is an ideal location for day excursions and picnics. The region is primarily agrarian and the entire landscape is characterized by the most beautiful rice fields.
Adjacent to the 108 Chortens is a memorial in honor of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Singye Wangchuck and in commemoration of the hundred years of monarchy in Bhutan.
Mojo Park is a live music venue and is a very popular weekend hangout for locals and travelers. You will get to try out local brews and interact with locals.
While on this trek, besides the scenic beauty of Himalayan ranges you will be visiting the two most revered Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Bhutan, Bumdra and Taktshang Monastery. Bumdra means ‘Rock of One Hundred Thousand Foot Prints’. The legends say that a hundred thousand Dakinis (angels) descended here and left their footprints on the rock […]
The king of Bumthang region in the 8th century fell terribly ill after falling out with the local guardian deity. Desperate to recover from the curse, he invited Guru Rinpoche to Bumthang to help the King regain his health.
Taktsang translates to The Tiger’s Nest. The monastery is situated 900 meters above the Paro valley precariously perched on a cliff. It has an equally fascinating history.
Taktsang translates to The Tiger’s Nest. The monastery is situated 900 meters above the Paro valley precariously perched on a cliff. It has an equally fascinating history.
The memorial chorten in Thimphu was built in the honor of the Third King of Bhutan. The Tibetan style white washed stupa is crowned with a golden crescent moon and the sun.
The 51 meter statue of Buddha Shakyamuni sits atop a hill overlooking the Thimphu valley. Buddha Dordenma statue is one of the most prominent landmarks of Thimphu city.