Bumdra Camping
Bumdra is a high-altitude area near Paro in Bhutan, known for its scenic beauty and the Bumdra Monastery. Camping in Bumdra is a popular activity for those seeking a unique and immersive experience. The journey to Bumdra involves a trek through lush forests and offers breathtaking views of the Paro Valley. It is a moderate to challenging trek, and camping is typically done near the Bumdra Monastery. One of the highlights of camping in Bumdra is the opportunity to witness spectacular sunrise and sunset views over the Himalayan mountains. The changing colors of the sky and the surrounding landscape create a magical atmosphere.
Trek begins with an Early morning drive to Sang Choekhor, the Buddhist College, with outstanding views of the valley below. Striding out on foot from here, we make the one to two-hour ascent of the ridge, which is steep at times but in cool shade. This brings us to a clearing with prayer flags and views down into the Paro and Do Chhu Valleys. Above us, the Chhoe Tse Lhakhang temple nestles in the mountainside – a further two-hour walk, where we will stop for lunch.
Afternoon
The trail undulates for a while before the a steep pull up. From here, you can soak up the dramatic views south over Paro and north to the snow-capped Himalayas. After a final climb through Monastery fluttering prayer flags, we plunge back into the ancient forest, coming out on a high wide meadow dotted with sacred chorten and white flags. Our wild camp for the night is tucked under Bumdra monastery (Cliff of a Hundred Thousand Prayers) with incredible views of the Himalayan range. If time permits, we can visit the monastery and also climb the peak to the sky burial site (about 4,000m) for even better views, returning in time for a hearty dinner.
Duration: 4 to 6 hours to camp, 2 to 3 hours optional return trek to peak
Difficulty: Moderate to hard (guided with picnic lunch)
Overnight: Bumdra Wilderness Camp (3,800m))
HIKE FROM YAK PASTURE BELOW BUMDRA MONASTERY (3,800M) VIA ZANGTOKPELRI MONASTERIES TO TAKTSANG MONASTERY (2,900M)
Morning
After a filling breakfast, we can either head back into the valley or linger a while to soak up the view and perhaps hang some prayer flags of our own. Eventually we drop back into the ancient pine and rhododendron forest on the zig-zag trail. During our descent, we catch glimpses of temples below. The path snakes across the mountainside between the temples, before reaching the gardens of Zangktopelri, from where we can see straight down onto the ornate rooftops of Taktsang monastery, perched against the cliff-face far below. An hour later and we are at the gates of Taktsang, looking across the gorge; a steep descent to a waterfall then up some steps to pass into Tiger’s Nest itself. Retracing our steps we begin the final descent to reach our vehicle and drive back to Hotel.
Duration: 5 to 7 hours, depending on time taken in monasteries
Difficulty: Moderate (guided with lunch)