Trashigang

Trashigang is the largest district in Bhutan and the great hub of the country's east — a region of steep, deeply cut valleys, terraced hillsides and traditional villages that sees only a small fraction of the visitors who reach the western circuit. For travellers who make the long journey east, it offers a Bhutan that feels older, quieter and more remote.

The district town gathers below Trashigang Dzong, a fortress dramatically sited on a spur above the Drangme Chhu, long the seat that governed eastern Bhutan. Nearby stands Gom Kora, a much-loved temple wrapped in legend, while in the far east the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary protects high pastures, rare wildlife and the homeland of the Brokpa, a distinctive semi-nomadic herding people with their own dress and customs.

Trashigang suits adventurous travellers exploring eastern Bhutan — those drawn by remoteness, fine weaving, the Brokpa culture and a landscape far from the tourist mainstream.

Eastern Bhutan's lower, deeply cut valleys are warmer than the west, and timing should reflect that. The best seasons are spring (March–April) and autumn (October–November), with mild, settled weather and clear skies.

The valley floors can be hot in late spring and summer, while the high country of the Sakteng area, by contrast, is cold and is a warm-season destination. The monsoon (June–September) brings heavy rain to the east, with a real risk of landslides on the long mountain roads — the season to avoid for a region so dependent on its road links. The cultural highlight is the Trashigang Tshechu, held in the dzong in late autumn/early winter, with masked dances drawing communities from across the eastern valleys.

Trashigang is the road hub of eastern Bhutan. It lies at the eastern end of the lateral highway that crosses the country, and roads radiate from it: south toward Samdrup Jongkhar and the Indian border, and out to the eastern districts. The journey from central Bhutan is long — many hours of winding mountain road.

Air access has improved travel to the east: the small Yongphulla airport, near Trashigang, has flights from Paro, greatly shortening the journey for those who would otherwise face a multi-day drive. Travel within the district is by vehicle on steep, winding roads, with most visitors moving by their tour operator's driver and guide. Reaching the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary and the Brokpa villages of Merak and Sakteng involves a drive to a roadhead and then trekking; permits and guides are required.

• Trashigang Dzong — a fortress on a spur above the Drangme Chhu, the historic seat of eastern Bhutan.
• Gom Kora — a sacred temple beside the river, wrapped in legends of Guru Rinpoche.
• Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary — high pastures and forest in the far east, home of the Brokpa people.
• Merak & Sakteng — remote highland villages of the semi-nomadic Brokpa herders.
• Rangjung — a town with a notable monastery, east of Trashigang.
• Trashigang town — the lively hub of eastern Bhutan, below its dzong.

Trashigang shares the national cuisine of Bhutan, with the character of the eastern valleys. The national dishes are the foundation — ema datshi (chillies cooked with cheese), red rice, kewa datshi (potato and cheese) — but eastern Bhutan has its own staples and emphases.

Maize is a particularly important grain in the east, eaten as kharang (cracked maize, served much as rice is) and used to distil the local spirit. Buckwheat, millet and foraged forest foods feature too. In the high Brokpa country of Sakteng, the food turns to the fare of yak-herders — dairy, dried meat, butter and the products of the high pastures. Visitor dining is in the town's hotels and lodges and in village homestays, where Bhutanese set meals are served; suja (butter tea) and ara are the traditional drinks.

Trashigang is the cultural heart of eastern Bhutan, a region with its own languages — Tshangla (Sharchopkha) is the main eastern language — and a strong identity. The district is renowned for its weaving: eastern Bhutan produces some of the finest handwoven textiles in the country, and the looms of its villages are central to both livelihood and culture.

The most distinctive culture in the district belongs to the Brokpa of Merak and Sakteng — a semi-nomadic, yak- and sheep-herding people with their own dialect, their striking yak-felt hats with curious spider-leg projections to channel rain, and their own customs and festivals, a way of life found nowhere else. The district's great festival is the Trashigang Tshechu, held in the dzong with masked cham dances; the temple of Gom Kora also holds a popular festival. The national dress and national festivals are part of civic life.

• Visit Trashigang Dzong — the spur-top fortress that governed eastern Bhutan.
• Trek to Merak and Sakteng — the remote highland villages of the unique Brokpa herders.
• See Gom Kora — a riverside temple steeped in the legends of Guru Rinpoche.
• Discover eastern weaving — the looms and fine textiles of the district's villages.
• Experience remote eastern Bhutan — a quieter, older face of the kingdom far from the western circuit.