We wake up this morning at the Eco Lodge by Paro to a stupendous view from our room. Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for.
Today we achieve a bucket list item for everyone who knows where Bhutan is on the map, and fans of Nolan’s Batman as it was the inspiration for Ra’s Al Ghul’s lair in Batman Begins.
The legend of Tiger’s Nest comes from the monk Padmasmabhava when he transformed one of his concubines into a tigress who flew up to the top of the cliff. After they had each meditated for 3 months they started building the first temple. And then another, until we get the Tiger’s Nest we have today.
To get there today, however, can feel equally legendary for the individual. Although the hike from the parking lot is measured to be only 6km in total distance, it’s also 6km of steep inclines that usually takes 5 hours there and back or even a whole day for some people. As to settle the debate on what footwear is appropriate, I’d say I did just fine with hiking socks and my Doc Marten’s Chelsea slip-on ankle-high boots, but I feel you may fare a tiny bit better with proper trail shoes or hiking boots. I also recommend renting walking sticks as soon as you get there (100 BTN each for one day rentals); they make a huge difference.
If you didn’t get a walking stick from the families renting them at the trailhead and later regret your decision, you can hope to maybe find one along the way. Sameer not only had rented a walking stick, he then found an even better one that he etched “MONSOON” into once we reached Tiger’s Nest.
The trailhead begins immediately at the parking lot. Once you get your bearings, stretch your legs, and pick your walking sticks to be your best friend for the day, take a breath and start climbing 400m to the midpoint.
The trail can get crowded at times due to the shifting expectations and abilities of all the climbers and pilgrims who come here. You also have an option of riding a donkey up instead for the first part, but that’ll take you on a different path to drop you off at the midpoint (where from there it’s still all walking).
It can take even the most agile hiker 45 total minutes of nonstop climbing before you get to the 400m high midpoint (I’d say for most people, give yourself at least an hour of climbing).
Either choose to continue onwards to Tiger’s Nest, or stop at the Taktshang Café here for a cup of coffee by epic mountain views:
We obviously chose to recharge at the café for half an hour.
The café also happens to be where you might get your first glimpse of Tiger’s Nest behind the clouds:
After 30-40 minutes at the café we then continued climbing another 500m upwards to reach the highest viewpoint of Tiger’s Nest:
This sign and a cave monastery next to it bodes that the end of your climb is near:
I was drawn to a closer look to the one here after noticing that the individual born in this cave was born in the Year of the Tiger, like me!
And then, once the clouds part and you reach the viewpoint…
It’s truly majestic. Jaw-dropping. Eye opening. Life affirming. Shot to the top of the charts. I already could feel how my entire life would bring me here for this moment.
The money shot. Click on it to really make out the details.
After the obligatory photos to last us a lifetime, we then climbed 200m back down these steps (that have been carved into the cliffside!). There are about 750 steps total downwards.
Then you cross over a bridge underneath a raging waterfall, literally as if it were from a movie, or… an amusement park based on a movie.
From the other side of the bridge you can either immediately continue onwards to Tiger’s Nest ahead, or take a detour to climb up a separate set of steps again where you’ll be underneath a mini-monastery that represents everything you’ll see inside the main Tiger’s Nest monastery.
Mel and I were immediately drawn to climb up the detour monastery.
And. we. .. are… so glad we did. We felt everything here. My past, my future, and most importantly, the eternity present.
I also surprised myself here. For all my life raised as a Christian, I always had struggled with a gnawing shame or anxiety holding me back whenever I prayed or asked for help from above. I still did it, but there was always this… thing that made me feel awkward and uncomfortable — That same anxiety did not appear here. I immediately prayed and got on my knees here in a way felt effortless, warm, and intuitive. Mel said she felt the same way from me.
I remember when I was standing inside the middle of the Golden Temple in Amritsar where everyone got on their knees around me to pray, paying me — the standing, awkward foreigner — no mind as they carried on with their pilgrimage, I had wanted to feel whatever everyone around me was feeling. I was bearing witness at the time 14 years ago and I knew one day I could maybe, hopefully, understand not just by knowing, but also by feeling. What I may not have known at the time was that I was planting a spiritual seed.
All seeds take their necessary time to water, nurture, grow, and eventually bloom. Today, that very seed has begun to stir from its hibernation.
The monk there blessed me with sacred water after my prayer. I prayed again. And then this powerful, natural, inner force guided me back out to Tiger’s Nest.
The hard part was over. The rest is easy. I looked up at the final set of stairs to take me up to Tiger’s Nest.
Once I arrived, logistics and formalities kicked in: our official Bhutanese tour guides Mohan and Kuenza accompanying us first registered our group as we arrived, after which we were directed to a single large locker to store all our bags, cameras and phones inside. In other words: No bags or cameras are allowed inside the Tiger’s Nest monastery complex, and you’ll be patted down by a Bhutanese government security personnel before being allowed in just for good measure. They even make you leave your walking sticks outside.
Restrooms are around the corner as you ponder this not so difficult decision.
We spent about another 45 minutes inside Tiger’s Nest exploring all the temples within. There are about 7 total, including a butter lamp room, and the true hardcore “Tiger’s Nest” which requires each individual to climb down 3 sets of wooden ladders down into an abyss, aka within a crawlspace cave under the monastery, where there is a site at the end marked by 2 butter lamps (where you can then stop to pray) can fit only one person at a time.
The climb down and back up the tiny cavern can be pretty intense, and feels like it lives on a level beyond simple spelunking. Most people in our group skipped this, whereas Mel, Sujay, Melinda, Sampson and I dived in for this surreal, intense, spiritual experience. Energy carried the day, and after numerous offerings, blessings, drinking sacred water, and just feeling …it… knowing I am exactly where I need to be and to not only trust, live, but also become the process…I let go and I am let go.
Once we began to leave, there was no sorrow or desire to stay longer. You just could feel it knowing your time is spent here and it’s time to live on to the purpose you’re meant to have on this space rock called Earth. We then took one final photo together in an off ramp on the return home down and up again:
A tradition now that Sampson and I have become travel buddies:
Returning is easier but not by much; there’s another 200m ascent before you reach the high point for the last time. And then it’s downhill all the way back to the café where we recharged with their buffet lunch.
After half an hour of eating, Corinna made an announcement she was excited to try archery in Bhutan, which is their national sport. We just had to get down quickly within an hour back to the trailhead by 3pm so the buses could take us there.
Mission accomplished! Returning our walking sticks, we took one final photo of the final group to have returned from Tiger’s Nest.
Driving over to a family-owned farmhouse home to a hot stone bath facility. We waited our turns with a game of archery in their backyard. Nobody hit their targets and after 3 rounds, the group slowly lost interested and peeled off one by one to check if any of the hot stone bath springs were available.
Once they were ready, we saw how they prepared the waters with boiling hot stones placed in a trough outside:
Then you enter by couple, get undressed, and dip in!
There are cold water spigots to adjust the water temperature in case the hot stones have made the water too hot to handle:
After 17,000 steps up and down 6km of mountains, we finally rested our weary legs in the water, each taking about 20-30 minutes before we had enough. After waiting for Ainsley who formidably outlasted us all, we drove into Paro to explore the town and for last minute shopping.
All Sampson and I had interest for was the Bubble Tea shop that served cordyceps (yes, the fungus from Last of Us) melon bubble tea:
After about 40 minutes having our fill of Paro, we hopped back on our bus and returned to our hotel for a cultural dance around the hotel’s backyard bonfire:
And with our 3 days in Bhutan we celebrate not only one but two birthdays, both named Martins’ who never met each other before on this trip!
After cutting a cake and having dessert for dinner, our group began to peel off one by one to begin packing for our early flights home the next morning. We had a big group returning on a 7:10am flight back to Kathmandu, 4 of us (Melinda, Sampson, Sujay, and myself) on a 9:40am flight, and then Letti and her friend on a 10:10am flight to Kolkota.
The adventure continues for some of us on those layovers…
4 days in Bhutan behind us, our respective groups bid farewell at the hotel. While most of them returned on a morning 7:10am flight to Kathmandu, Melinda, Sampson, Sujay and I paid about $250 extra for an onward flight from Paro to Delhi at 9:40am.
We picked up our tickets at check-in and proceeded through security, which was a breeze. I then headed upstairs to check out the lounges.
Aside from the main business class lounge which inspects your ticket, there are multiple unguarded lounge rooms you can just take for yourself without anyone saying no:
We then proceeded to board, bumping in Letti on the way as she was about to board for her flight to Kolkata.
- At time of posting in Paro Taktsang, it was 14 °C - Humidity: 90% | Wind Speed: 8km/hr | Cloud Cover: drizzly morning, clear afternoon