The Heart of Bhutan

The lush greenery of forest cover, juxtaposed with the starkness of high mountain ridges and snow-capped peaks; gentle, rolling slopes and gurgling streams, the fresh scent of pine, quaint villages, apple groves, and pastures with grazing sheep…

Comprising four breathtakingly scenic valleys — Chokhor, Tang, Chhume and Ura — Bumthang is known as the spiritual and cultural heart of Bhutan, the birthplace of Buddhism in Bhutan and home to some of Bhutan’s oldest monasteries. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche cured a king in this region of a mysterious illness believed to be induced by a spirit. This led the king and the entire kingdom to embrace Buddhism. The Flaming Lake, or the Mebartsho Gorge, is said to be where Pema Lingpa found the treasures that Guru Rinpoche had hidden.  Today, this mystical region is renowned for beauty, its hiking trails and primary exports of locally brewed Red Panda beer, cheese, honey, and apple juice.