The Laya Trek and Thimpu Festival
- Inspirational trekking in the Eastern Himalaya
- Cross the 4900 metre Shinge La
- The charming people of Laya
- Descent of the Punakha Gorge
- Visit the spectacular Thimpu Festival
This classic Bhutan trek, from Paro to Thimpu via the village of Laya and the Punakha Valley, is acknowledged to be one of the world's great treks. It has everything; from picturesque farmland and ancient forest, to alpine pasture and quite challenging high mountain passes. Spectacular campsites beneath some of Bhutan's most impressive peaks, including Chomolhari and Jitchu Drake, are amongst the many highlights of this trekking circuit. Whilst a number of strategically located fortress-monasteries (dzongs) and scattered settlements including Laya Village, close to the Tibetan border, provide a full measure of cultural interest. The magical descent of the Punakha Gorge, via the imposing dzong and refreshing hot springs at Gasa, is a fitting climax to the trek. With time for sightseeing in the Paro Valley and at the winter and summer capitals of Thimpu and Punakha, this is a superlative 3 week trekking holiday.
The Thimpu Tsechu (Festival):
Religious festivals are taken very seriously by the Bhutanese, who have an unquestioning faith in their religion. However, in addition to gaining a great deal of religious merit from attending a festival, the Bhutanese also derive much enjoyment. They dress in their best clothes and jewellery, make an effort to mix with their friends and acquaintances, eat and drink to excess, and generally have a good time. One of the most important festivals in the Bhutanese calendar is the Thimpu Tsechu which takes place each autumn. We have arranged for our Autumn Laya trek to coincide with this festival. We will have plenty of opportunity to watch the colourful masked dancers whirling and leaping, and also the equally colourful audience dressed in their finest Khos and Khias. Within the festival ground are many stalls, selling everything from cooking utensils to exotic jewellery and you will also find stalls offering strange and delicious food, and there's even a beer tent.
Is this holiday for you?
Trekking conditions on this circuit are nowhere particularly difficult, since the trail has been well prepared for the ponies or yaks which are traditionally used to carry supplies on the route. In general this trek offers easy walking conditions, as there are no glaciers to negotiate and the passes that we cross should not be heavily snow covered. However, the trekking is quite sustained and does involve some long days and the crossing of four passes over 4500 metres (14,760 feet), including the Shinge La at 4900 metres (16,076 feet). There are some quite strenuous trekking days and a good degree of fitness is a necessity. This route presents a great variety of landscape types; ranging from fertile and intensively terraced farmland, through some of the finest mixed forest in the world, to open, alpine pastureland and high mountain valleys and passes.
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