It’s the end of the day and a cold and sleety rain is falling. Gusts of icy wind leave you chilled to the bone and underfoot the trail is turning into a muddy and slippery quagmire. At times such as this you might start to question why you signed up to do the Trans Bhutan Trail. After all, this is supposed to be a holiday and a moment to be pampered, not shivering on the side of a Himalayan mountain peak. But then, just when you’re ready to admit defeat, you notice lights shining out of the gloom ahead. They can only mean one thing. Warmth, comfort and that much desired bit of holiday pampering.
By its very nature hiking is rarely an activity associated with indulgence, but build some of the following experiences into your itinerary and the Trans Bhutan Trail can indeed be a path to a pampered life.
In this article we explain how you can enjoy the good life with the hiking life on the Trans Bhutan Trail.
Live the high life in a luxury lodge
If hiking hardship blues are beginning to wear you down, then a sure-fire way of revitalising is by indulging in a couple of nights in a luxury hotel. Bhutan has a lot of very good hotels and boutique guesthouses, including some close to the Trans Bhutan Trail. But, for the ultimate in extravagance, check in for a night at one its world class, highly exclusive luxury lodges such as those operated by Six Senses, Amankora or Como. A night or two at one of these lodges will quickly have you feeling regenerated and ready to take on the challenge of the trail again.
Lodges such as those operated by Six Senses (who have lodges in the Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Bumthang and Phobjikha valleys), always offer eagle-eye views over their respective valley, but are designed so they blend into the countryside. From the welcoming detox drinks created by a mixology master when you arrive, to the haute cuisine meals, steam rooms and, in the case of the Thimphu and Punakha lodges, swimming pools, these are places for a mind, soul and blistered foot pampering.
Most of these very high-end lodges are situated in the more touristed western and central valleys of the country, which means it would be impossible to hike the entirety of the Trans Bhutan Trail staying in luxury lodges the whole way. Feasibly though you could, with careful planning and a vehicle to pick you up at the end of each days walk, hike from the Haa valley to Punakha and stay in luxury lodges the whole way. (You can see the full list of hotels in Bhutan at our Tourism Services Portal).
Hot Stone Baths
Okay so can’t afford one of these ‘live like the other half’ lodges but still need a bit of pampering to rekindle energy levels? Enter Bhutan’s hot stone baths! These are exactly what they sound like. Large, flat rocks are heated on an open fire for a minimum of two hours before being gently placed into a cage-like structure at the end of a big wooden bath full of water and handfuls of medicinal herbs. As soon as the rock touches the water it sizzles, hisses and super charges the bath water with heat. This action helps release the healing properties of the medicinal herbs. To further aid with relaxation, the bath is normally situated in a darkened room lit only by candles. A hot stone bath is a Bhutanese cultural institution in the same way as a sauna is to Finland (though in Bhutan you’re – sensibly we think – not expected to leap into a half-frozen lake afterwards…) and they are enjoyed by the whole cross section of society, from royalty to farmers. Many hotels, guesthouses and even homestays have hot stone baths available for guest usage and there are even bath complexes open to the public. Because someone will be adding more hot rocks to the bath while you’re in it, it’s normal to wear a swimming costume while indulging in this most relaxing of Bhutanese traditions. One thing that is certain is that after a hot stone bath your walk weary muscles will feel like new again.
Yoga and Massages
One of the best ways to click and kneed sore muscles back to health is through a massage or yoga session. Neighbouring India is the birthplace of yoga, but in Bhutan yoga studios open to the public are a new concept and outside of the luxury hotels you’re only likely to come across a yoga studio in Thimphu (try Yoga Yangchen: www.yogayangchen.com) or Paro. Many of the hotels that do offer yoga sessions will also allow non-guests to join in (for a fee). Massage studios are also thin on the ground in Bhutan outside of the spa centres at top end hotels (and again these are normally open to non-guests for a fee), but there are a few massage studios with solid reputations in Thimphu and Paro. A good bet in Paro is Tshetob Ying Yum Spa (parospa.com).
Meditation
There can be nowhere else on Earth where mediation is taken quite so seriously as it is in Bhutan. As you walk the Trans Bhutan Trail you will pass by areas where meditation caves and retreats can be found. These are not places meant for tourists – or even most Bhutanese. Instead, these are where Buddhist monks and nuns (and occasionally lay monks) conduct intensive, long-term meditation retreats. It’s common for people to spend an auspicious three years, three months, three weeks and three days in these retreats in solitary mediation. Some people devote even longer. If you do pass close to these kind of mediation retreats, then do not approach and do not do anything that might disturb the people meditating.
For those people not up for abandoning all earthly goods and spending years in mediation, then the rhythmic, calming motion of walking could be seen as a form of mediation on its own and for many visitors, simply being in Bhutan itself is a form of inner serenity. A very large percentage of Bhutanese do spend time mediating and will often be happy to guide someone on their first attempts at mediating. Some of the top end hotels also offer morning mediation (often combined with yoga) sessions and Yoga Yangchen (yogayangchen.com) also offers courses for tourists.
