Colorful prayer flags mark the sacred heights of road and tail passes in Bhutan.
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Try to schedule your trip to include a "Tsechu", or Buddhist Temple festsival.
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The road to Punakha passes over Dorchu La (Pass), from which you may have a great view of the mountains.
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Another view from near Dorchu La.
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Every Buddhist Temple in Bhutan is painted with colorful images illustrating scenes from the life of Buddha and famous Buddhist disciples.
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Monks gather for the annual unveiling of an enormous religious painting.
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Each temple and monastery holds an annual festival. Dancing and special ceremonies offer great photographic opportunities.
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Running through fire purges pilgrims of their sins.
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Tsechu Festivals are occasions to wear your finest clothes.
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A dancing Monk performs spectacular whirling choreography while in a trance.
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The short trek to Tatsang Monastery (Tiger's Nest) passes by this beautiful chorten surrounded by prayer flags. Most JOURNEYS trips to Bhutan visit this location.
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Trekking from Chomolhari in October always holds the chance of a shower, but the beautiful scenery outshines the raindrops!
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The Chomolhari trek offers great views of snowy Himalayan peaks, when the weather cooperates.
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Chomolohari peak looms above a Buddhist chorten near the convergence of two trekking trails in eastern Bhutan.
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The forests of Bhutan are wonderfully rich and unspoiled. They play host to a huge variety of plants and animals.
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Mules are used to transport loads on trekking paths in Bhutan. The lead animal often wears a colorful headress and a resonant bell making him easy to locate in the thick forest.
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The rivers of Bhutan are fast flowing and mostly very clean. The forest resources are well managed, and many areas are strictly protected from uses which create erosion or pollution.
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If you trek in Bhutan with JOURNEYS, your gear will travel from camp to camp on the backs of ponies or mules, supervised by local muleteers.
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JOURNEYS guide Karma Dorje leads many of our Bhutan treks. He has more than 20 years of experience as a guide in Bhutan. He has hiked every trekking trail open to foreign visitors.
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Morning in the trekking camp is activity filled. Horseman prep and feed the stock while your cooks prepare a hot breakfast for you.
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Horses await their loads in the chilly morning air.
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Every JOURNEYS Bhutan trip includes a visit to the Tiger's Nest (Tatsang Monastery). Often we can obtain special permission to attend the ceremonies inside.
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A typical JOURNEYS Bhutan trek campsite at about 10,000' elevation near Chomolhari Peak.
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Stop and talk with the people working in the fields. They'll wonder where you are from. You can ask them how the rice or barley are doing this year.
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So what is this Gorp stuff? A trekker shares a bit of trail mix with a Bhutanese farmer.
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Trekking routes in Bhutan cross and re-cross rushing rivers. Usually, the bridges are sturdy and well-maintained.
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A shot from the JOURNEYS October 2004 Chomolhari Trek group.
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This is the view of our destination peak, Chomolhari, from the start of the trek at the ancient fortress of Drugyel Dzong, near Paro, Bhutan.
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A masked dancer practices outside of the Bhutan National Theater.
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In the fall, golden fields of ripening rice are the terraced treasure of the Paro Valley. The Paro Dzong is in the background.
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Bhutan has taken steps to protect the natural environment of the Himalayas. Much of the Chomolhari trek occurs within the Jigme Dorji National Park.
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Expect to get your feet wet on a Fall trek in Bhutan.
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The owner of this ancient farmhouse invited us in for tea to wait out the snow shower.
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We awoke to snow almost down to our campsite near Chomolhari Basecamp.
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The bright red native berries brightens the misty landscape and serves as food for migrant birds.
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The high reaches of the Paro River descend from permanent glaciers and eventually drain into the Ganges.
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