Bhutan

This is the Central Bhutan chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bhutan guidebook.

Central Bhutan’s fertile and neatly cultivated valleys fringed by evergreen mountains paint a picture of rural near-perfection. This postcard landscape is also Bhutan’s cultural heartland, ac-cented by several of the country’s oldest and most significant temples and monasteries.

• explorw the dramatic dzong and Royal Heritage Museum at Trongsa
• maps
• take on one of the many excellent hikes in the Bumthang valleys
• transport
• raft to see river otters, water birds and hornbills in Royal Manas National Park
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Trongsa Dzongkhag, Trongsa & Around, Bumthang Dzongkhag, Jakar & Around, Chokhor Valley, Tang Valley, Ura Valley, Southern Dzongkhags, Zhemgang & Around, Gelephu & Around, Royal Manas National Park.

This is the Eastern Bhutan chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bhutan guidebook.

Intrepid travellers venturing to the rugged east of Bhutan are rewarded with fascinating vil-lages and towns little influenced by tourism, group-free dzongs and temples, beautiful silks and amazing embroidery. Many are lured by the magnificent bird-filled forests – wilderness havens for unique wildlife.

• wander the narrow streets of Trashigang, one of Bhutan’s most attractive and lively towns
• maps
• watch and listen for the rare and colourful birdlife for which Bhutan is famous around Yong Khola
• transport
• detour to the 45m-high statue of Guru Rinpoche at Taki La, on the way to Lhuentse
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Mongar Dzongkhag, Mongar & Around, Lhuentse Dzongkhag, Lhuentse & Around, Trashigang Dzongkhag, Trashigang & Around, Merak & Around, Trashi Yangtse Dzongkhag, Trashi Yangtse & Around, Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag, Samdrup Jongkhar & Around.

This chapter contains the Welcome to Bhutan, Bhutan’s Top 17, Need to Know, If You Like..., Month by Month, Itineraries, Festivals, Booking Your Trip, Planning Your Trek, and Regions at a Glance chapters from Lonely Planet’s Bhutan guidebook.

Your journey to Bhutan starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on festivals.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• everything you need to know about choosing and planning your trek
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Bhutan, Bhutan’s Top 17, Need to Know, If You Like: Fitting in Like a Local, Himalayan Treks, Pampering Yourself, Wildlife & Wildflowers, Day Walks, Sacred Sites, Festivals, Arts & Crafts, Avoiding the Crowds, Month by Month, Itinerar-ies, Festivals, Booking Your Trip, Planning Your Trek, and Regions at a Glance.

This is the Thimphu chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bhutan guidebook.

Strung out along the Wang Chhu, Thimphu is Bhutan’s own mini-metropolis, an expanding bubble of shopping complexes, monasteries and chalet-like apartment buildings that reverts quickly to blue-pine forest at the city limits.

• marvel at the scale of the grand and serene fortress of Trashi Chho Dzong
• maps
• plunge into Thimphu’s pungent Weekend Market for incense, local foodstuffs and arte-facts
• transport
• join the morning pilgrims circumambulating around Changangkha Lhakhang, Thimphu’s liveliest temple
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sights, Activities, Festivals & Events, Sleeping, Eat-ing, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Around Thimphu.

This is the Treks chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bhutan guidebook.

Bhutan offers a wide range of treks, from tough high­altitude expeditions to the base camps of snowcapped Himalayan giants to relaxing community-based village trails linked by subtropical forest. With walks ranging from two days to one month, there’s a trek for everyone.

• climb past remote lakes and mountain monasteries on the Druk Path trek
• maps
• take a peaceful five-day walk near Thimphu on the Dagala Thousand Lakes trek
• transport
• see monasteries, villages and superb views of Jhomolhari on the easy Saga La trek

Coverage includes: Trek Routes, Route Descriptions, Directions & Place Names, Health & Safety, Rescue, Druk Path Trek, Dagala Thousand Lakes Trek, Bumdrak Trek, Saga La Trek, Jhomolhari Trek, Jhomolhari Loop (Soi Yaksa) Trek, Laya Trek, Snowman Trek, Owl Trek, Nabji Trek, Merak–Sakteng Trek.

This chapter contains the Bhutan Today, History, The Bhutanese Way of Life, Buddhism in Bhutan, Arts & Architecture, The Natural World, The Bhutanese Table, Directory A–Z, Transport, Health, and Language chapters from Lonely Planet’s Bhutan guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history, wildlife and Buddhism to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get tips for women travellers, gay and les-bian travellers, travellers with disabilities, and travellers with kids. And get the most out of your conversations with a handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on tradition, the modern world and Bhutan today
• info on Buddhism, which permeates everyday life in Bhutan
• full coverage of myth, miracles and all of the country’s history
• details on the wildlife in one the most diverse and pristine pockets of the Himalaya

Coverage includes: Bhutan Today, History, The Bhutanese Way of Life, Buddhism in Bhutan, Arts & Architecture, The Natural World, The Bhutanese Table, Directory A–Z, Transport, Health, and Language.

This is the Western Bhutan chapter from Lonely Planet’s Bhutan guidebook.

Whether you arrive by air at the dramatic, mountain-bound Paro valley or by road at steamy Phuentsholing, it soon becomes clear that you have arrived at an otherworldly destination. Prayer flags flutter from nearly every rooftop and fortress-like monasteries command mountaintops.

• explore Bhutan’s most picturesque fortress, Punakha Dzong – the capital of Bhutan from the 17th to the 19th centuries
• maps
• hike to Bhutan’s most famous sight, Taktshang Goemba – the Tiger’s Nest Monastery – hanging miraculously from the cliff face
• transport
• visit the courtyards of hulking Paro Dzong, home to the valley’s main tsechu festival
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Paro Dzongkhag, Paro & Around, Upper Paro Valley, Bondey & Around, Haa Dzongkhag, Cheli La, Haa & Around, Chhuzom, Punakha Dzongkhag, Punakha & Around, Khuruthang, Upper Punakha Valley, Wangdue Phodrang Dzongkhag, Wangdue Phodrang & Around, Pele La, Phobjikha Valley, Chhukha Dzongkhag, Phuentsholing & Around.