Can I learn the secrets to finding joy on a journey through Bhutan, one of the world's happiest nations?

A 177ft gilded Buddha statue looks implicit Thimphu similar a guardian angel. In beforehand of him, a oversea of monks dressed successful orange, maroon and burgundy robes execute the Drolma Jigchobma Bumtshok, a signifier dedicated to goddess Tara, a pistillate deity associated with compassion, protection, and guidance.

Bhikkhunīs (nuns) of each ages marque up astir of the assembly reciting the mantras 100,000 times portion facing the gigantic $47m Buddha Dordenma statue which was built to observe the 60th day of 4th king Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Enclosed wrong the statue are an overwhelming 125,000 miniatures of Buddha occupying each country of each wall.

Buddhism, arsenic a religion and practice, has ever piqued my curiosity. Growing up successful India – the onshore wherever Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment and the Dalai Lama lives – its beingness has lingered successful my life, truthful erstwhile the accidental arose to sojourn Bhutan, I took the accidental to research it some arsenic a traveller and to question knowledge.

I believed that uncovering bid and solitude would travel easy successful Bhutan. After all, the calmness from being surrounded by nature, the spirituality, and the simplicity of beingness person each contributed to it being 1 of the happiest countries successful the world, according to the World Happiness Report. But tin my hubby and I get a sensation of the zen beingness successful 10 days?

We commencement our pursuit for a meaningful beingness successful its superior Thimphu, a metropolis with nary high-rise buildings, decorator stores, oregon postulation jams — successful fact, determination are zero postulation signals successful the country. One smartly dressed policeman, donning achromatic manus gloves, directs vehicles astir a tiny roundabout wherever congestion is seldom an issue.

The Kingdom of Bhutan has embraced modern beingness but astatine a considerably slower gait than the remainder of the world. It was the past state to legalise tv and the net successful 1999, but you would not cognize that looking astatine the tech-savvy younker hanging retired successful karaoke bars and making TikTok videos astir Clock Tower Square successful the bosom of town.

At the National Memorial Chorten, the stupa (similar to an past tumulus oregon burial mound) inactive embodies the dilatory mode of living. The plot and its compound are a gathering spot for older residents who stock their stories and contented with anyone who volition listen. Moving supplication beads with 1 hand, they silently recite passages portion meandering astir the chorten, a three-floored shrine dedicated to the 3rd king, packed afloat of intricately carved mandalas, statues, and wrathful-looking protective deities.

Bhutan's earthy situation is among the astir pristine successful South Asia, making it location to immoderate of the astir luxurious hotels successful the world. In Motithang, the precocious hills of Thimphu, Amankora (doubles from £1500 per night, aman.com) offers seclusion with a portion of accepted luxury. Constructed successful the benignant of a accepted dzong (a benignant of fortified monastery) its tall, white-washed walls are hugged by conifer trees from each directions.

Wood is the ascendant worldly successful its 16 suites and the restaurant, which is simply a classy matter with beige furnishings, elaborate airy fittings and a well-thought-out paper that caters to Western and Bhutanese cuisine. Guests tin dine indoors oregon successful the courtyard to the soothing dependable of the stream and the drangyen (lute) played by a section instrumentalist each evening.

The archetypal halt connected our roadworthy travel is the vale of Choekhor successful Bumthang, a seven-hour thrust from Thimphu, connected narrow, winding roads that chopped done lush mountainscapes, passing rivers, fortresses and stupas. The greenish hues are interrupted by colourful supplication flags fluttering successful the upwind and crimson-coloured chillies drying connected the roofs of astir homes. Small woody stalls harvest up successful the astir improbable locations, selling caller effect and chugo, a hardened food made with yak’s milk. A bite-sized information of chugo takes astir 30 minutes to gnaw through.

Dairy is simply a staple successful Bhutanese cuisine. In a tiny edifice on the way, we get our archetypal sensation of the nationalist crockery ema datshi, a stew comprising chillies and food consumed with reddish atom that grows wide successful the country. Other iterations are kewa datshi (potatoes with cheese) and shamu datshi (mushroom and cheese). The Kingdom besides takes culinary inspiration from its neighbours India and Nepal, with dahl and dumplings wide seen connected menus.  

The pursuing greeting arsenic we thrust around, we spot a broad of pinkish flowers covering the fields successful Bumthang, the buckwheat-growing portion of the country. Located astatine 2,842 metres supra oversea level, Choekhor Valley is higher and broader than Thimphu. Jakar, its main town, is location to past and ineffable sites similar the Jakar Dzong, built astir 1549 by Lam Ngagi Wangchuk and Kurjey Lhakhang, 1 of the astir important beatified sites wherever the remains of the 3rd king lie.

An hr from Jakar, we sojourn the Ogyen Choling Museum and Historic House, a household task designed to sphere the stories of their ancestors and the civilization and traditions of a tiny village. The archetypal backstage depository successful Bhutan is the brainchild of writer Kunzang Choden, whose commencement location is simply a treasure trove of costly textiles, antique furnishing and festive masks.

“This depository came to beryllium due to the fact that the archetypal years of my beingness were impressionistic. They made maine what I was, truthful though I was distant for a agelong time, 1 ft was ever here, and I carried Ogyen Choling wherever I went. When things were getting atrocious with the gathering structure, the memories of my beingness stirred thing successful me: we person to sphere this,” Kunzang explains arsenic we beryllium successful the well-maintained rootlike garden.

That evening, a monk joins america for dinner. We are the lone guests staying astatine the Six Senses successful Bumthang (doubles from £1814, sixsenses.com) The man, successful his 60s and dressed successful a robe, sits astatine the adjacent array and says helium has travelled from Paro, wherever helium lives, to probe his caller book. I inquire him a fewer questions astir the bhikkunis and however 1 tin signifier being arsenic contented arsenic a nun oregon monk. “Start by being mindful,” helium says.  

Like everything successful Bhutan, the Six Senses besides immerses itself successful nature, surrounded by a calming conifer forest. The 8 spacious chalet-type rooms person ample balconies that look retired to the Chamkhar Chhu River. The presumption appears adjacent much soothing portion enjoying a blistery chromatic bath successful their spa, a contented that involves heating rocks from the river. The rocks ace and steam, releasing minerals into the h2o that assistance aches and pains.  

The streets of Phobjikha Valley successful Gangtey, 4 hours from Bumthang, person much cows than cars and lone a fistful of discreet stores hidden betwixt scattered houses. In the wintertime season, the vale fills with the show and sounds of the rare, black-necked cranes that migrate from Tibet for a fewer months. Legend has it that the birds loop implicit the Gangtey Goenpa Monastery 3 times, some erstwhile they get and arsenic they leave. The spectacle attracts birders from each implicit the world, and locals observe the homecoming of the majestic vertebrate with a three-day festival of song, play and masked dance.

Most farmhouses successful Phobjikha person been converted to homestays, giving travellers a sensation of Bhutanese living. Passang Zam (costs £24 per night), a two-floor accepted abode successful the astir idyllic mounting with sweeping views of rolling hills, is our furniture and meal connected time 1 of our two-night enactment successful Gangtey. There is small to disturb the pin-drop soundlessness but for a mooing cattle successful the courtyard and the croaking of large-billed crows.

Just arsenic we settee in, the astir unexpected happening happens. A radical of 10 monks and lamas (gurus) participate the surviving country with the broadest smiles, 1 of whom is the member of the proprietor of the home. They are each connected a interruption from the prestigious monastery pursuing the completion of Tsechu, an yearly spiritual festival held successful important monasteries crossed Bhutan.

Among the 10 are the learned and the learning: the principal, a fewer teachers, and a five-year-old tulku, a Tibetan word meaning precious 1 oregon reincarnation. Over the two-hour meal session, we talk astir Nyingma Pa, a signifier of Tibetan Buddhism practised astatine the monastery. Around 120 monks and lamas unrecorded and larn the signifier astatine the monastery, which dates backmost to the 17th century. Over 3 floors of the main gathering are statues of Buddha, noble sons, shrine rooms and a treasury.

Gangtey is simply a hikers paradise. On time six we determine to instrumentality a four-hour hike to Rukubji colony adjacent the Palala pass. The astir 10km locomotion forms a abbreviated conception of the 403km agelong Trans Bhutan Trail, which starts from Haa successful the westbound and stretches to Trashigang successful the east. A constrictive way leads america down the forest, wherever ample rocks regenerate muddy roads. Eventually, a lush greenish abstraction appears, wherever the overgrown writer is damp from the rainfall the erstwhile day. To 1 broadside is the stream, which we tin perceive but not see, and the different is laden with groundsel and pearly everlasting flowers, successful pastel shades of pink, achromatic and purple.

Along the way, we walk grazing cows and tiny shepherd huts, travel face-to-face with lone 2 funny locals, and locomotion connected respective woody planks implicit a gushing stream. Rukubji is simply a sleepy colony astatine the bottommost of the valley, with cemented alleys, decorated homes, a tiny monastery and bemused locals enjoying a sojourn from sweaty non-Bhutanese. 

What makes Gangtey unsocial is however heavy you tin look into the vale wherever mountains overlap arsenic acold arsenic the oculus tin see. Views from Gangtey Lodge (doubles from £540, gangteylodge.com), a tiny luxury edifice adjacent the celebrated monastery, are otherworldly. We are staying successful 1 of their 12 rooms, each facing the postcard-like landscapes of Phobjikha Valley, with achromatic homes speckling the farmland. A generous-sized room, dominated by a ample woody model that looks aged beyond its years, looks retired to bluish conifer trees that springiness mode to the valley. You tin easiness into the presumption by lying successful a bathtub successful beforehand of it. A cosy fireplace, a moody vanity area, and a comfy lounge marque for a homely setting. 

Gangtey Lodge’s beating bosom is caput cook Sho, who has worked determination for 7 years. In the kitchen, her squad produces flavoursome cuisine with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The luncheon and meal menus are different, seasonal, and mindfully portioned to suit higher altitudes.

The adjacent time we thrust to the vale of Punakha, wherever our archetypal halt is Chimi Lhakhang. The ineffable fertility temple was built successful honour of Drukpa Kunley, known with admiration arsenic the "Divine Madman" and depicted crossed the state with the awesome of a phallus. Passageways surrounded by atom paddies and mustard fields pb to a hillock wherever the monastery and chorten are situated. Along the way, souvenir stores merchantability models of antheral genitalia successful each sizes, shapes and colours successful honour of the free-spirited Vajrayana maestro who broke escaped from the conformity of accepted teachings by indulging successful opus and dance, women and alcohol.

The statue of Drukpa Kunley, dressed successful a robe, is astatine the centre of the Lhakhang (temple) successful beforehand of which devout lamas springiness blessings to attendees – joined couples, singletons and families – with 2 woody phalluses and a bow and arrow.

Every vale successful Bhutan has a chiseled charm. Rice fields implicit respective tiers predominate the scenery successful Punakha, called the wintertime capital, due to the fact that of its year-round lukewarm temperatures. It has the bustle of a tiny municipality but Bhutanese-style. As we thrust past, we spot a radical of men successful ghos (traditional dress) competing successful a crippled of archery, the nationalist sport. Eagle-eyed and determined, they instrumentality turns to deed the people acceptable astatine astir 140 metres, to the inheritance of songs and cheers. Behind them, noisy young men are playing khuru, a squad athletics wherever members purpose darts astatine a people 15 to 20 metres away.

The sporting activities are happening connected the banks of Puna Tsang Chhu, a confluence of 2 rivers Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu, originating from the borderline with Tibet and ending its travel successful the Brahmaputra. Bright reddish vests bobble connected inflatable rafts trying, successful sync, to navigate its waves. The adventurous tackle the antheral stream portion the amateurs settee for Mo Chhu.

Between these 2 rivers is Punakha Dzong, the 2nd oldest fortress successful the state and 1 of the 16 dzongs built by the Zhabdrung during his regularisation from 1594 to 1651. Little remains of the archetypal operation aft respective floods, fires and earthquakes destroyed the six-storied fortress. The reconstructed fortress, its immaculately painted courtyards and the utse (a cardinal operation temple), stay to archer the communicative of the Drukpa lineage of the Kagyu schoolhouse of Tibetan Buddhism.

While salient monks telephone the fortress their home, the bhikkhunis signifier their religion a abbreviated region distant connected a elevation overlooking 3 valleys. The Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery is dressed successful red, yellow, blue, greenish and achromatic flags – colours of the 5 earthly elements – erstwhile we visit. Young nuns decorate the entranceway with caller flowers, portion others hole nutrient for the accomplishment of a learned maestro the pursuing day.

A tiny radical of giggling nuns are sitting connected the staircase of the main temple wherever a 4.2m bronze statue of Avalokiteśvara, a compassionate bodhisattva successful Mahayana Buddhism, resides. "I joined the nunnery astatine 18," says 24-year-old Sangay Zam with a cheeky smile. "I told my parent I wanted to beryllium a nun astatine 16, but she deterred maine from joining, saying the beingness of a nun is hard. I persisted and yet joined the nunnery aft a fewer years."

Most of the 120 nuns who reside and survey present are betwixt the ages of 16 to 30. Aside from spiritual training, the nunnery provides vocational grooming specified arsenic tailoring, embroidery, and thangka painting, a signifier of Buddhist creation usually depicting a deity, scene, oregon mandala.

"There is truthful overmuch suffering successful the existent world: marriages breaking down, kids and successful immoderate cases dealing with an abusive relationship. I americium escaped from each that; I unrecorded successful bid surrounded by this beauteous view," Sangay Zam laughs arsenic she says this. When asked if each beings should flight hardships, she says, "No, not astatine all. We indispensable look the suffering, too." Her guiltless contradiction prompts maine to inquire her if she volition ever leave. "I bash not deliberation so," she says confidently.

Nestled betwixt eastbound achromatic conifer on a calm agelong of the chalk-coloured Mo Chuu is Pemako (doubles from £1300, pemakohotels.com), a precocious opened luxury hotel.

A suspension span laden with supplication flags transports you to the 60-acre wood wrong which 22 tented villas hide. The communal areas boast the grandeur and intricacy of Bhutanese dzongs (fortresses) and lhakhang (temples), constructed utilizing wood and decorated with supplication wheels and guardian animals.

Much of the interiors wrong the highland-style tents are successful tones of achromatic to lucifer firewood fume with subtle hints of orange, a homage to the colour of the flag. Copper is the ascendant metallic successful the bathroom, a motion to past luxury. Each villa has a temperature-controlled swimming pool, an outdoor shower, daybeds and a relaxing country nether the shadiness of conifer trees.

Small colony settlements go predominant arsenic we thrust towards Paro, the second-largest metropolis and location to the lone planetary airport. Paro is besides the basal campy for the astir photographed monastery successful Bhutan, Taktsang oregon Tiger's Nest.

The heavens unfastened arsenic we statesman the four-mile hike to the temple, navigating slippery clay-like mud and bedewed staircases. After a crippled of peekaboo, clouds drift to uncover the aureate domes of the achromatic and reddish façade clinging to a cliff astatine 3,120 metres.

Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), who founded the monastery successful the eighth century, did not person to endure the climb. According to the namthar (hagiography) of the lhakhang, helium flew to the determination connected the backmost of a tigress and meditated successful a cave for 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, and 3 hours. Butter lamps flicker successful beforehand of dozens of images of bodhisattvas and idols crossed 4 temples with magnificent views of the valley.

Leaning connected a stone by the temple, I look astatine the mountains supra and way the fast-moving clouds to the dependable of raindrops. I deliberation of each the takeaways from my interactions with the world’s happiest radical and the learned ones I had a accidental brushwood with. “Being mindful,” I think, is simply a bully spot to start.

Radhika was a impermanent of the Department of Tourism of Bhutan.

In Paro, she stayed astatine COMO Uma Paro (rates commencement from £430, comohotels.com)

Drukair run flights from Delhi to Paro. Book done drukair@flightdirectors.com

For much accusation connected visiting Bhutan, sojourn this website.