In this episode, I take you along for one unforgettable day in Bhutan that perfectly captures the country’s culture, spirituality, and everyday life.
The day begins dressed in a traditional gho before heading high into the Himalayas for the Druk Wangyel Festival at Dochula Pass. With clear skies, snow-capped peaks in the background, and vibrant performances by the Royal Bhutan Army, this festival is one of Bhutan’s most visually striking and patriotic celebrations.
After the festival, we descend into the Punakha Valley, stopping for lunch before setting off on a walk through authentic Bhutanese countryside. This walk takes us through Sopsokha Village and Teopronghu Village, passing rice paddies, prayer flags, family homes, and locals going about their daily lives — offering a real glimpse into rural Bhutan away from the usual tourist trail.
🎧 If Bhutan has ever been on your travel radar, this series will show you why it deserves to be.
This entire journey through Bhutan was made possible by Breathe Bhutan, who created an incredible, deeply immersive itinerary that allowed me to experience the country far beyond the surface. From meeting local families to having honest conversations like this one, their focus on authentic, responsible, and meaningful travel is something I’ll be showcasing throughout this series.
Thanks & Credits
Huge thanks to Breathe Bhutan for creating an authentic, culture-focused itinerary and making experiences like this possible. Also, thanks to Tourism Bhutan for hosting me on this trip and making this series possible.
The walk ends at Chimi Lhakhang, also known as the Fertility Temple, dedicated to the legendary Drukpa Kunley, the “Divine Madman.” While often misunderstood for its playful symbolism, this sacred site is deeply spiritual and an important place of faith for Bhutanese people, set against stunning views of the Punakha Valley.
To end the day, I arrive at a hilltop hotel overlooking the Punakha Dzong, watching it transition from daylight to night — a quiet, reflective moment after a day full of colour, culture, and connection.
This episode blends immersive sounds, personal reflections, and on-the-ground experiences to give you a true sense of what a day in Bhutan feels like — from high-altitude festivals to peaceful village life.
Transcripts
James Hammond (:
Hello and welcome to this episode, which is day four in Bhutan. And this is a mix of a classic solo episode with me speaking into the mic as I am now and an immersive episode where I in some sounds too. This episode for this day in Bhutan is concentrating on a couple of cool activities that I did whilst I was there. Welcome.
To the Winging It Travel Podcast, your weekly ticket to the world. Dropping every Monday and hosted by me, James Hammond, proudly part of the Voy Escape Network. This is a travel podcast that throws out the itinerary and dove straight into the raw, real and unpredictable essence of global exploration. Chasing moments over milestones, the spontaneous encounters, immersive sounds and unforgettable stories. Whether I'm hiking up volcanoes in Guatemala,
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or camping under the stars in British Columbia.
met incredible people, seen breath taking places and collected unforgettable stories. I now get to share them with you, alongside some of the most diverse and well travelled guests from around the world. Expect engaging conversations that bring fresh perspectives and inspiring travel tales. There are also raw, reflective solo episodes where I share personal insights, practical tips and honest stories from the road. This is a podcast for travellers, dreamers, backpackers and anyone who's ever thought, what if I just went for it and travelled. If you're looking for stories to tell, tips to share,
and experiences to inspire, then you're in the right place. There's so much travel content coming your way, it might just spark that trip you've been dreaming about for years. You can find Winging It, a more fantastic travel podcast from around the world at voyescape.com. The link is in the show notes. Let's go and explore the world. So I got dressed up in the morning in a go, a traditional boutonniere outfit and headed to a festival before having lunch and then walking through
some traditional villages to a temple with a lookout point over the Punaka Valley before ending up at a hotel on top of a hill overlooking the Punaka Zong. And my word, what a day this was. So I'll kick off with the go. Now a traditional go is something that the Bhutanese wear on a day-to-day basis for formal occasions. Could be hosting a guest on their tour company, could be going for a meeting, a breakfast, et cetera. So I was tasked with getting dressed in a go and the driver, who I call God in my group.
helped me get dressed in the go. Now this thing is a bit like a kilt if you think of a Scottish kilt but it's not just the bottom down, it's also from the top to the bottom. So it's a big, almost like a dressing gown wrapped quite tightly around my midriff. No pockets. So this is like a knee length robe. It's like wrapped around the body and folded inward. So a bit like a dressing gown and then secured at the waist with a woven belt called a carer. So it's like a mix between a gown and a kilt. And when it's tied properly,
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It does create like a large pouch at the front. So it's quite practical because you can put your wallet and your phone in there. And it's very iconic in the Bhutanese society because anything that's slightly formal, they wear it day to day. So my guides wore it every day because they're hosting me as part of their tour group. The only times I saw my guides not wear a go was at the home stay in someone's home. That's when it went a bit casual, but it's used to carry everything from money to phones to documents and occasionally snacks. Very practical and iconic.
So some key details about Go is usually made from hand woven fabric with bold patterns and rich colors. Mine was a bit like a kilt like pattern and the length and fabric can signal formality. There's different colors for different types of people in society. You wear long black socks with it and traditional shoes. I just wore my normal shoes, but I did have long black thin socks and it's required, as I said earlier, for government offices, schools, temples, work, official events, et cetera in Bhutan.
But it represents Bhutanese identity, equality, cultural pride, your status in society. So you'll see different types of colors of goes when you're in Bhutan. So I got dressed up, got ready for the day and headed off to a festival. Now on my itinerary, one of the things I really wanted to do was go to a Bhutanese festival. And luckily for the time of year I went, which was in December, there is the Druk Wangyal Festival, which is one of Bhutan's most visually striking and meaningful celebrations.
in Bhutan. It was created in:
southern Bhutan in the early:
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So expect him very colorful masks. I'm expecting to see the Royal Bhutan Army because it's a specifically dedicated festival to the army and the armed forces. Vibrant costumes, the backdrop. But unlike other festivals that you might research for Bhutan, this isn't rooted in ancient religious rituals. This is more patriotic and reflective on Bhutan's journey as a nation whilst honoring its deep cultural roots. So I was really excited to get there with a journey after breakfast in the van.
and we arrived. So here is the festival as I saw it through my own eyes when I was there for a couple of hours.
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I'm at the Dolce La Paz. Stunning views here, clear sky. And Bhutan actually has the highest unclined mountain in the world. And I'm actually at the festival here. There's a festival going on today, which is one of Bhutan's most iconic things to see and do. I'm really excited for that. It's the Royal Military Festival. So I'm to go up to that in a minute. But first, I'm going to take a look at the Himalayan Range. And then I'm going to walk around, get some photos, get some videos and stunning views this morning, my word. This is so cool. All right, let's have a little look.
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There is a festival which is around 2-3 minutes walk from here. Yeah. From this parking. It was started back in the year of around 2011. Yeah, yeah. But they are against their government. okay. Okay.
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Got to improve those.
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This is the Druk Wangyo Sitju Festival. Look at this. Wow, look at the colors. Himalayas in the background. Very busy, very popular. There's a lot of dancers going on. This defines culture. one moment. So cool.
commemorate the military. In:
those guys who fought for the country. And here we are Paying Respects, lots of tourists here as well checking out which is good to see, Paying Respects, of course lots of locals as well.
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Yeah, sure sure. Yeah, okay. Yeah, I'll walk around Yeah, yeah
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Ah, I see. Yeah. That's cool. I can go round the right-hand side.
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You can
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Yes. Yeah. So you can walk around there to that place? Okay. Okay. Yes, agree.
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you
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colours, the flags, the dancers. It's been an awesome time so far. What a cool event. You have to go to a festival in Bhutan, it's a must. So when you plan your trip, look at the calendar. There's plenty throughout the year. And I got lucky with this one with my timings. Book my flights first, then book my trip. But there's more to come. Love in the background, look at that. Speaker of the National Assembly. There he is. Doing the rounds, some TV about. It's pretty cool, very popular.
It's amazing.
A fantastic event, really enjoyed myself and then it's time for lunch and heading deeper into the Poonaka Valley because the Docella Pass is almost like a high point here you go over, you go up a bit more and then down into Poonaka Valley and the first thing I realized on this trip and on this journey is
I don't do well in the back of a van when it's going up mountain passes or down and it's windy corners and a fair pace from the van. So I had to ask God to stop the van once just to take some breath and sit in the front because I was getting a bit queasy. But we arrived at lunch. I managed to get through that, have a can of coke and be ready for the next activity, which was to walk from lunch towards Chinmee Lakang temple, which is often called the fertility temple.
and it's one of Bhutan's most fascinating and misunderstood sacred sites. It actually sits on a hilltop, but also the lunch stop was quite high up. So what we're going to do is we're going to walk from the lunch stop down into some villages, get an idea of traditional village life, and then walk up to the temple. So off we went down to the villages. There's two villages down here. One is called Sopchaka village, and the other is called Tiapromhu village, and they are traditional.
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Butanese villages and if you visit in this area, probably would stay here So I'm walk down through rice paddies get a real sense of the Butanese villages and as I was walking through the classic prayer flags flickering in the wind was in the distance and we got to see Locals playing in the fields that have restaurants and shops But all the buildings and shops have a penis on them The penis is very prevalent because obviously the fertility message is going far and people actually make a pilgrimage
down here to visit a temple if they're struggling to conceive a child. So it's a big thing and you're going to see it everywhere on every building so beware of that. temple that we are going to visit right now is mainly associated with this phallus. It is mainly associated with the Divine Madman. The Madman, yeah. It is a Tibetan saint who visited Bhutan in Abhakti around 15th century.
is as I said associated with fertility and all in the summer they do a rice cultivation over this field and in the winter they grow some other crops like wheat or like a mustard and all mustard yes nice
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it's nice and peaceful.
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some rice paddies there they are, yeah.
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But the walk was pretty cool. I mean, I was walking narrow paths down rice paddies, through homes, there's kids playing in the fields, there's prayer flags flicking in the wind on all these random little temples in the middle of nowhere. And it's all part of the experience of walking up to the temple and seeing the local community. So I rather feel like I was walking through a local area rather than a tourist site. And the temple itself is dedicated to Drukpa Kynli, who's also known as the Divine Madman, famous for using humor and shock.
to teach Buddhist truths and challenge social norms. So Chimney La Kang, the temple, is known for its fertility blessings during couples from across Bhutan and visitors from around the world. Despite its playful reputation, the temple is actually a place of faith, protection and compassion. It's deeply woven into the lives of the surrounding villagers. And honestly, the view of the valley in Tipunaka was sensational. So I do have a little bit of information from what my guide shared with me at the temple. So I'll share that now. Right.
Next stop in Punaka, we're at the temple called Chimney Gokkon and this is related to the divine madman or Chakpa Kinley. I've been explained that he is a bit of a ladies man, bit of a funny man, jokey and his teachings do come from Tibet but this temple behind me is in honour of him and honestly what a place to have it. Look at that. The view's behind me there, incredible of the valley. Punaka is a bit warmer actually.
bit lower in altitude, about:
Yeah, an interesting history. I can't believe the view. I mean, that's another stunning view. So we're now going to pop into the temple, have a look. This kind of reminds me a little bit of the Kama Sutra temple in India, which I went to many years ago. But obviously it's different. So I'm looking forward to giving it a go and seeing what it's like. But first, let's check out this view. If you're heading to the Punaka Valley, I would add this temple in to your itinerary. It's a lovely walk. Your guide will explain the relevance of the villages and you can also stay in the village if you're looking to stay the night.
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right deep down in the valley. But for us, that was the second activity and now it's further on into Poonukka Valley because we're going to stay at hotel on top of a very big hill overlooking the Poonukka Zong. So we traveled up the roads to the next village and into the main part of the Poonukka Valley and headed to the hotel. And to end the day, it was spectacular really because it was an absolute nightmare to get to this hotel. The roads weren't very good and there's a lot of waiting for cars to go past. They're doing road works, et cetera.
but we finally made it to the hotel at the dusk of sunset and we sat there with a cup of tea admiring the views of the Punuka Zong. I'll explain more about the Punuka Zong in the next episode but it's a main building for the royal family of Bhutan and there's big significance for it in the society of Bhutan. But for this moment right now it's all about getting to the hotel, dumping the bags off, having a tea, getting warm and overlooking the Zong as it changes from daytime.
to nighttime and honestly the lights and the colors are absolutely sensational. I what a view for a cup of tea. The hotel we stayed at was called Dharmacidi Prunakha and I would highly recommend staying here for the views. We got there very comfortable villas that you can stay in with heaters so if you're there in the winter it's got to warm the room up. Let me describe what I had in my room. My doors that opened out into the patio opened out onto the viewpoint.
of the Punaka Dzong. I couldn't believe the view. Absolutely sensational. Plenty of rooms and it's equipped to hold big families and also big groups of people. The tea was fantastic. The dinner was amazing. We had so many different types of dishes and hospitality was second to none. So Dharmicidi Punaka is the place to go. If you're organizing your Bhutan trip in Punaka, please stay there for a night. You will absolutely love the views. And for me on this day, it's long day and after dinner is pretty much an early night, but I couldn't wait to get up in the morning.
and see the sunrise over the Punukah Zong. What a moment, what a place. For me, this was a classic day in Bhutan. It started off with breakfast at a lovely hotel in Thimphu. I got dressed up in a local dress, headed to one of their world famous festivals, had a big lunch, got a little bit travel sick when I was going up and down in the valley to Punukah, walked through some traditional villages, spoke to local people, went to a brilliant temple with an amazing lookout point.
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lots of stories attached to that and the guides giving me information all throughout the day which is so cool. A great vibe. At this point this is almost halfway through my journey in Bhutan. There's always a new adventure or experience after every corner, every day. It's bam bam bam. Experiences, knowledge, seeing something new, learning, meeting people. It really is a truly majestic trip and Brie Bhutan who are organizing this itinerary are really putting out all the stops.
for the most authentic type of experiences. And I truly value that as a travel podcaster with wing in it, but also as a traveler myself. So, Bhutan are absolutely awesome. Please make sure you head to the show notes and check out their website for more information about their type of tours. And to finish on this day, I've got to see one of the top three things I want to see, which is the festival, great views of the Himalayas, great information, great food, great vibes, and what a day in Bhutan. Please don't forget to rate and review the podcast.
on the podcast app that you use. Five Stars is greatly appreciated. And if you'd to buy me a coffee to support the podcast from a money point of view, you can buy me one for $5. If you head to buymeacoffee.com forward slash winging it. That is greatly appreciated too. And lastly, just share the podcast word of mouth with your friends. I've got a huge series on Bhutan for January and February. So if they're interested in traveling to Bhutan, they can check out all the episodes that's coming out for Jan and Feb. You can also head to the show notes for more information about
the tour company that I collaborated with on this episode. And also thanks to Tourism Bhutan for hosting me on this trip. Really appreciated and I'm really excited to share more of you in the next couple of episodes as I wrap up the whole trip. And I'll see you in the next episode where I get to stay at Homestay, which is also in the top three things to do for me alongside Tiger's Nest and the festival and experience real traditional Bhutanese life. I can't wait to share that with you and I'll see you in the next episode.
And that's it for this episode on Winging It. I hope you took something from this episode where it sparked a new idea, offered a different perspective or simply let you feel part of the journey. If you enjoyed it, leaving a quick rating or review on your podcast app really helps the show reach new listeners. And if you know someone who might connect with this episode, share it by word of mouth or social media. It makes a huge difference. Head to voyascape.com for more amazing travel podcasts as well. And thanks so much for listening and I'll see you in the next episode. Until then, keep winging it.