Pilgrimage and spiritual journeys in Bhutan

“I came after losing my father and was worried the journey might feel too focused on grief. It wasn’t. There were conversations that helped, but also hikes, beautiful meals and completely ordinary moments. I think that balance was what I needed most.”

“The afternoon we were given completely to ourselves in Punakha was probably the most important part for me. Nobody was trying to fill the silence. I sat outside for hours and, for once, let myself feel whatever came up.”

“Lighting the butter lamps was incredibly simple, but it affected me more than I expected. There was something comforting about being able to do something physical with all the thoughts I had been carrying around.”

“I did not leave Bhutan having ‘moved on’, and I am glad nobody suggested I should. I left feeling more accepting of what had changed and less afraid of carrying the memory forward. That felt much more real.”

“My divorce has been the hardest thing I have ever lived through. I came to Bhutan feeling angry, exhausted and completely unsure of who I was without the life I had planned. I needed this trip.”

“I had been to Bhutan before and thought I knew the country reasonably well. I was completely wrong. This journey took us into homes, workshops and conversations I would never have known how to access. It felt less like sightseeing and more like being invited in.”

“The afternoon with the Mongpa community was extraordinary. We sat listening to stories about their beliefs and history, watched the weaving and shared lunch together. Nothing felt performed for us. It was one of those rare days when you realise how little you knew before you arrived.”

“I loved that the journey never felt like we were ticking off attractions. We met historians, monks, artisans and conservationists, and every conversation added another layer to what we were seeing. By the end I understood Bhutan in a completely different way.”

“The private camp near Royal Manas was a highlight, but what I remember most are the people. Sitting with a weaver in her home, talking with monks, meeting the family at Ugyen Choling. There was a sense throughout the trip that doors were being opened for us that normally remain closed.”

“I did this trip just after turning fifty and it felt strangely well timed. The trek was challenging enough to make me work for it, but the days at Phajoding gave the whole journey a depth I wasn’t expecting. I came away feeling like I had marked something important.”

“The night beside Jimilangtsho is the one I still think about. No phones, no road noise, just the lake, the mountains and the camp. It was probably the first time in years that I had nowhere else to be.””

“I was worried that the spiritual side might feel a little forced, but it never did. The conversations with the lama were thoughtful and very human. You could take from it what you wanted, which I really appreciated.”

“The combination worked beautifully. You trek hard for several days, then suddenly you are in Haa eating with a family and sitting in a hot stone bath beside a stream. By the time we reached Tiger’s Nest, it felt like the right way to finish.”