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Bhutan Dzong

Zen Travel: Getting To Tiger's Nest Monestary

August 22, 2006 at 1:59 PM | 0 Comments

What:
::Taktshang Goemba Monestary::
The Dzong is also a major place of pilgrimage as it is here that Guru Rinpoche - a founder of Buddhism in Bhutan - flew to the on the back of a tigress -hence the name 'tigers nest'. The Dzong is perched on the side of a cliff 900m above the Paro Valley floor.

Where
The Paro Valley in Bhutan, located somewhere around here.

Getting There:
Since Bhutan has no air service to speak of, (Druk Air only seems to operate international flights in and out of Paro) has no helicopters, and is without railroads, the only way to get to Taktshang Goemba is to hike, or bike. Even then, special permission is required for non-Bhutanese to visit the monastery, usually granted only to practicing Buddhists, and no, we are fairly sure listening to a Dali Lama book on tape doesn't count.

There is a viewpoint across the valley where you can get excellent photos. Your best bet is to set up a trip to Tiger's Nest Monestary with a tour operator, New Zealand's Adventure Consultants offer a 14 day Bhutan biking journey (think Backroads) that should get you up close and personal with the Dzong.

Related Stories:
· Taktshang Goemba [Flickr]
· Boutique Bhutan [HotelChatter]