Some travel destinations are so tranquil that you can find them far from the clichés of traditional tourism but frequently close to your home country. Here are 5 Travel activities to experience Bhutan as a local.
Villages in Bhutan are remote, rejuvenating, and refreshing. These villages, however, paint a very different picture from the typical village scenery.
From a bird’s point of view, villages in Bhutan are dotted along the valleys, situated off the tourist trail, and continue to practice age-old traditions and ways of life.
Many visitors to Bhutan are unaware of the places to visit in Bhutan that are still untouched by the urban lifestyle.
Explore and experience your trip to Bhutan the way Bhutanese people do only. Connect to the people, traditions, and undiscovered cultures in the Bhutanese way with Norbu Bhutan Travels.
1. Farmhouse visit with Bhutanese feast
Do as the Bhutanese farmers do when in Bhutan. This is a fantastic opportunity to live the life of a farmer, experiencing cultural enrichment from morning to night.
You can appease your will to learn firsthand how Bhutan’s farm life works. Learn how to harvest plants, feed, and herd groups of animals on your trip to Bhutan.
Dressed in traditional farmer attire, you can visit the fields and get a glimpse of the daily routine and what it means to be a Bhutanese farmer.
When you return to the traditional home, you can take a hot stone bath and learn to cook traditional meals with red rice and local spices.
End a productive day in the fields by sharing an authentic Bhutanese farm dinner with the farmers and their families, washed down with Ara, the local wine.
2. Mushroom Foraging
An eco-adventure on your trip to Bhutan’s forested farmlands is a unique and memorable holiday experience for many travelers.
Foraging for mushrooms in the traditional Bhutanese style provides a delightful insight into the people’s culinary heritage here in Bhutan.
It’s one of the great travel activities and a great way to learn the basics of the incredible variety of mushrooms available with an expert tour guide.
It’s even more interesting if the family’s secrets and skills have been passed down from generation to generation.
You can also enjoy the sights and scents of the forest, as Bhutan’s botanical wealth is extraordinary.
At the end of the hunt, choose how you want your prize mushrooms prepared or make them the star of the menu at a cooking class back home the Bhutanese way!
3. Excursion to Traditional Bathhouse
In Bhutan, visiting hot springs (tshachu) has long been a part of the populace’s healthcare practice, attracting a constant stream of travelers.
Among the most popular places to see in Bhutan has been the Gasa hot spring, where tourists can bathe in mineral waters (drubchu) that vary in temperature and have various medicinal properties (semchu).
You can choose which medicinal pool to use because the mineral content of the water is rich in various medicinal properties.
All efforts have been made to keep the springs and facilities clean and sanitary. You also might want to take a dip in the outdoor hot springs while you are there.
Traveling through vast tracts of pine and oak forests, picturesque villages, and mountain streams on the way to Gasa is a treat on your trip to Bhutan.
4. Archery Tournament
An ancient martial tradition in Bhutanese culture, handy in war and competitive sports, archery is a fascinating national sport of Bhutan which requires precision and deep concentration to make your mark.
Archery tournaments in Bhutan feature players in their full national costumes!
The excitement generated by the competition at the Archery Match can be infectious as the richly atmospheric spectacle of color as you watch the edgy sport play itself out.
When you arrive at the archery ground, all bustle and laughter as the lively crowds of spectators in the stands, get ready for the treat afforded by an expert where you can learn the sport and not be just content being a bystander.
Experience the energetic audience as you watch them shout with delight at getting the point, hoot when the opposition misses a target, and dance with delight when they hit the mark.
The mastery of some of the competitors and the speed of the arrows can leave you in awe.
The celebratory victory dance performed by the winning team at the end of the game is the highlight of the performance. Participate in the victory dance and learn some traditional dance steps performed in Bhutanese style only on your trip to Bhutan!
5. Brew Local Ara with Ap Passang (wine)
Local brews always have compelling interest amongst those who enjoy a drink or two, especially when visiting new places.
Here’s a ‘spirited ‘experience to look forward to on your trip to Bhutan! A popular beverage enjoyed on many social occasions; traditionally, most Bhutanese make it in their home.
Bhutan’s Local tipple area has had many takers, and you can learn how to make your stock from the experts such as the local farmer, Ap Passang.
A visit to Ap Passang’s home near Sirignag Village will reveal the secrets of making this heady brew enjoyed by people across Bhutan.
In the process, you will also delve into Ap Passang’s daily life, the stories about art, and how he makes only the most authentic and best-quality version of this traditional alcoholic beverage of Bhutan.
Nature has many faces, and spending time in Bhutan villages will reveal the calmest.
When experiencing and exploring such tranquil places on your trip to Bhutan, you may mistake them for pages from a storybook, but they are all real experiences waiting to be explored.
So, as you plan your trip to Bhutan, take the road less traveled and embark on a journey filled with soul-searching milestones!
Before planning your Bhutan trip, keep up to date on the latest travel information with us.
Villages in Bhutan portray picture-perfect scenery, drenched in happiness, soaked in bliss, and engulfed in high-altitude mist. So, what’s stopping you? Contact Norbu Bhutan Travels for one-stop-shop tourism!
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