Jambay Lhachang Drup Festival

Every year at the end of October, large numbers of Bhutanese and most foreign tourists gather to Bumthang valley, the cultural and religious heart of the country, for the Jambay Lhachang Drup Festival. From Paro (where we landed) to Bumthang it’s over 300 km (almost 200 miles). The road, only 3-4 m wide, has an average of 20 curves per km; it hugs every twist and turn of the breathtaking topography, so the going is very, very slow, no more than 25 km/h (15mph) on average.

Along the way, we stopped for a night in Trongsa, one of the most spectacular towns in Bhutan, with its dzong suspended on a rock above a deep ravine. Because of its strategic location, in the center of Bhutan, through history whoever held Trongsa controlled the trade routes of Bhutan.

The festival includes three days of festivities, starting with a purification ceremony on the first night (with hundreds running under a burning arch) and continuing with dancing and religious services for two more days. The highlight is the midnight “treasure” dance – twelve completely naked and masked men dancing for an hour - photographing is completely forbidden though.