Tiger's Nest Monastery, Bhutan

Situated almost 10,000 feet above sea level, The Tiger’s Nest Monastery or Taktsang Monastery, is one of the most beautiful monuments built in Bhutan. It was built in 1692, mainly for the purpose of meditation and worked as a network of caves for monks. The actual structure was burnt down back in 1998, however it was restored and rebuilt in 2004.

I was overjoyed when I got to know that we were going to Bhutan after my term exams were over, it was April 2018. Located in the eastern Himalayan range, Bhutan is known for its beautiful landscape and geography. The first 5 days of our trip were mainly sightseeing and enjoying the Bhutanese atmosphere and dzongs (fortresses). It was mesmerizing and the people were so welcoming. The cuisine was absolutely delicious, it was a mix of Indian spices and North-East Indian delicacies. After a few days of acclimatizing to the weather I fell in love with Bhutan and it is definitely on my "To-Do-Again" list.

We had reserved the second last day of our trip for the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, which is a pretty difficult trek for people who have no experience in trekking. Back then, my best trek was a 20 minute mountain climb, I was also afraid that I would lose my balance on the steep slopes and hurt myself. But I knew there was no turning back as there are people who go to Bhutan solely for the purpose of doing this trek. It would be like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower.

The day finally came. It was the trek day. Annndd well guess what! I succumbed to a slight cold. It wasn’t very bad, however it did demotivate me a little. I was scared that I would not be able to complete the trek and even if I did it would hamper my health. After a few minutes of convincing myself that I wouldn’t die (hopefully), I got in the car at 5 am ready to go to the starting point. It was very cold, I could feel the cool breeze on my skin, sending a chill down my spine. The air was misty and for a while I found myself completely immersed in the beauty around.

After about 15 minutes we reached the starting point. I saw a lot of trekkers and Bhutanese guides starting their journey. There were a few people who were renting walking sticks made up of Bamboo. We decided to take two, one for me and my mom and started the trek. There was a guide who accompanied us the entire time, and talking to him made me realize that it wouldn’t be that bad. The first hour was pretty ok, but as we started gaining altitude, we found ourselves gasping for breath. My cold wasn’t bothering me as I was distracted by the presence of cute dogs and birds.

Usually, the climb up any mountain or hill isn’t the hard part, and thus as said the climb to the Monastery although it took us 3 hours wasn’t that horrifying. After climbing for hours, we finally reached the point from which we could take beautiful pictures of the monastery and appreciate the amazingly built structure. We took a small break, clicked pictures and then started again. After reaching the viewpoint there is a small descend, where I started getting the cramps in my legs. It was only a few meters descend so it didn’t affect my legs too much.

FINALLY. We reached the Monastery, it was a sight to behold, but taking pictures inside was not allowed. So we took a small breather and started heading back. Taking a few record shorts of us, and forgetting that there is a whole world that I live in (the city), I wish I could never leave. While descending I could feel that my legs had become sore, and were starting to shake a little. I even slipped and fell in between due to the slippery mud formation. I didn’t mind it as I had mentally prepared myself for this and of course not to mention, was immersed in the beauty around me. We took a small coffee break. There is a decent facility of coffee and crackers with washrooms in between the trek and mostly everyone takes a stop in that restaurant to rejuvenate themselves. We even met a elderly Swedish couple who had been trekking a lot and I was awestruck by their strong spirit.

Taktsang Monastery

After about 6 and a half hours we finally reached the base and ended our trek. It was my first ever big trek and it made me fall in love with trekking even more. I highly recommend everyone reading this blog that if you ever decide to go to Bhutan, please do consider doing the Taktsang Monastery trek, no matter even if you are a novice at trekking. Happy adventuring :)

Thank you,

Love,

Tanisha.