Summer festivals in Bhutan are rare, but an important one is held at Kurjey in the beautiful Bumthang valley of central Bhutan. During the balmy and wet days of the early summer, explore the high mountain valleys of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Wangduephodrang and Gangtey in western Bhutan, and Trongsa and Bumthang on the eastern side of the Black Mountains. The Bumthang valleys are noted for their beauty and long history, and are the cultural heart of the Dragon Kingdom. Rich in art and tradition and filled with magnificent temples dedicated to Himalayan Buddhism. Take time to walk, explore, and absorb the mystical atmosphere of this unique and peaceful kingdom which has captured the imagination of so many visitors. This is the time when majestic Dzongs peer out of mythical clouds in the most surrealistic ways. Everything is washed clean: Luxuriant, lush and saturated with life. MSNBC says of Bhutan, “It has all the ingredients of a tourist paradise; misty mountains, mysterious monasteries, emerald green paddy fields and tales of yaks and yetis. Yet, each year, barely 10,000 foreign tourists walk through the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan’s spectacular forests covered with conifers, rhododendrons and prayer flags fluttering in the wind.” This is summer in Bhutan, sometimes rainy, sometimes balmy, eternally enchanting, and almost empty of tourists– but always beautiful and interesting !
