Bumthang

Bumthang is the spiritual heartland of Bhutan — the district where the kingdom's Buddhist history runs deepest. Its four broad, beautiful valleys (Chokhor, Tang, Ura and Chhume) are scattered with the most sacred and ancient temples in the country, founded by the great saints who brought Buddhism to Bhutan. To travel in Bumthang is to move through the kingdom's religious origins.

The valleys are gentle and lovely, set at around 2,600 to 4,000 metres, a country of pastures, buckwheat fields, apple orchards and pine-clad slopes. The district town, Jakar, is overlooked by Jakar Dzong, and within easy reach lie Jambay Lhakhang and Kurjey Lhakhang — temples of the very first rank in Bhutanese sanctity — the meditation sites of Tamshing, and the sacred Membartsho, the "Burning Lake", where a celebrated treasure-revealer recovered hidden teachings.

Bumthang suits every traveller who reaches central Bhutan: it is the historic and spiritual climax of the journey, dense with temples, festivals and meaning.

Bumthang sits high, and the best seasons are spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) — spring brings wildflowers and apple blossom, autumn the clearest skies, the buckwheat harvest, and the major festivals.

Winter (December–February) is cold, with hard frosts and the chance of snow, but crisp, clear and quiet; the temples remain accessible. Summer (June–August) is the monsoon — green and lush but often cloudy and wet. Bumthang's festivals are exceptional and worth planning around: the autumn Jambay Lhakhang Drup, famous for its midnight "fire dance" (mewang) and the naked dance performed to bless the community; the Jakar Tshechu; the Ura Yakchoe; and the Tamshing Phala Chhoepa — a remarkably rich calendar for one district.

Bumthang lies at the eastern end of Bhutan's central region, reached by road along the lateral highway from Trongsa, over the Yotong La pass. It is the usual eastern limit of a standard central-Bhutan tour, and a turning point for those continuing into the far east.

The district also has a domestic airport at Bathpalathang, near Jakar, with flights from Paro — a valuable option for shortening the long drive across the country. Travel within Bumthang is by vehicle along the valley roads, with most visitors moving by their tour operator's driver and guide. The four valleys are linked by road, and the gentle terrain of the Chokhor valley around Jakar is excellent for walking — many of the temples can be linked on foot, and the easy valley trails are a highlight.

• Jakar — the district town, overlooked by Jakar Dzong, "the castle of the white bird".
• Jambay Lhakhang — one of Bhutan's oldest temples, said to date from the 7th century.
• Kurjey Lhakhang — a deeply sacred temple complex marking a meditation site of Guru Rinpoche.
• Tamshing Lhakhang — an important temple founded by the treasure-revealer Pema Lingpa.
• Membartsho (Burning Lake) — a sacred pool in the Tang valley, wrapped in legend.
• Ura Valley — the highest of Bumthang's valleys, a beautiful pastoral landscape.
• Jakar Dzong — the district's hilltop fortress-monastery.

Bumthang has a food culture distinct enough to be a destination in itself. The cool, high valleys are buckwheat country, and buckwheat is the district's signature grain — eaten as puta (buckwheat noodles) and khuli (buckwheat pancakes), often with the ubiquitous ema datshi (chillies and cheese) or local dairy.

The district is also famous for its apples and apple products, and for a notable Swiss-influenced food tradition: a Swiss development worker established cheese-making and brewing in Bumthang decades ago, and the area is known for its cheese and for Red Panda, a Bhutanese wheat beer brewed locally. Honey is another Bumthang product. Together with the national dishes — red rice, datshi, phaksha paa — these specialties make eating in Bumthang a genuine pleasure. Suja (butter tea) and ara are the traditional drinks.

Bumthang is the cradle of Bhutanese Buddhism. Its temples are associated with Guru Rinpoche, who is said to have meditated and subdued local spirits here, and with Pema Lingpa, the great 15th-century treasure-revealer (terton) and saint who was born in the district — his lineage and legacy are central to Bumthang's identity, and many royal and aristocratic families trace descent from him.

The district's festival calendar is among the richest in Bhutan. The Jambay Lhakhang Drup is the most famous, featuring the dramatic mewang fire ceremony, in which crowds pass through a flaming gateway for blessing, and the tercham, a sacred naked dance performed at midnight. The Ura Yakchoe, Jakar Tshechu and Tamshing Phala Chhoepa each bring masked dance and pilgrimage. Traditional weaving, the yathra woollen textiles of the Chhume valley, and pastoral and farming life remain strong throughout the district.

• Visit the great temples — Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang and Tamshing, the heart of Bhutanese Buddhism.
• Attend the Jambay Lhakhang Drup — the fire ceremony and midnight sacred dance of Bumthang's famous festival.
• Walk the Chokhor valley — link temples and villages on the gentle valley trails.
• Taste Bumthang's specialties — buckwheat noodles, local cheese, apples, honey and Red Panda beer.
• Visit Membartsho — the sacred "Burning Lake" in the Tang valley.