Two weeks. One incredible journey. Tav's Bhutan adventure had it all. Having recently returned from exploring Bhutan's magic - from the vibrant Thimphu festival to the Tiger's Nest and 5-day Druk Path Trek, she has shared some of her highlights of her unique experience below.

"Sometimes, I really, truly love my job. There’s a reason I work in adventure travel - it’s because I’m completely hooked on adventure travel itself. Funny that, right? So, when the opportunity came up to join a group trekking the legendary Druk Path in Bhutan, my response went something like this:

“Wait… really? Me? In Bhutan? Oh my gosh — YES, PLEASE!”

Having spent years writing about Bhutan for our marketing materials, I thought I already had a pretty good sense of what to expect. After all, I’d travelled through India and Nepal, trekked to Everest Base Camp and explored plenty of Buddhist and Hindu regions before. But nothing quite prepared me for the sense of calm that washed over me the moment I landed at Paro Airport in Bhutan. It’s something you can’t write about — you have to feel it.

These are some of my favourite highlights from my trip below.

There’s a quiet sincerity in the way a Bhutanese person greets you. It’s not loud or hurried, it’s felt. From the moment I arrived at Paro Airport, I was humbly welcomed with a gentle bow and a “Kuzuzangpo La” (“Hello” in Dzongkha), by a line of impeccably dressed men wearing the traditional Gho (Bhutan’s national attire for men). I felt as though I had stepped into another world.

Their warmth felt effortless, not forced or formal. I felt honoured and respected, valued and calm. I quickly learned that this is just how the Bhutanese people are. In this Buddhist kingdom, welcoming guests is more than a formality. You are not just a visitor, you are a guest of the land and its people. I can quite honestly say, they are some of the happiest, kindest, humble and most helpful people I have ever met.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say that one of my highlights had been to trek to the Tiger's Nest Monastery. This iconic landmark had fascinated me ever since joining KE 12 years ago, so I was very excited that this was part of my Bhutan itinerary. The Tiger's Nest (also known as Paro Takstang) was built in 1962 around the cave that Guru Rinpoche (the saint who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan) is said to have meditated in for 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days and 3 hours.

This incredible building clings to the rockface and sits 900m above the Paro valley (2,300m). I trekked there and back in around 6 hours with a café stop on route, a lunch stop on return and lots and lots of steps. 1,400 to be precise. The hike up is quite challenging so you do need to be fairly fit but the reward is worth it. It really is a magnificent building. We explored 2 of the 4 temples which are connected by steep staircases and corridors and our guide told us a lot about its history. If you are going to Bhutan you simply have to include a trek up to visit this amazing monastery. It’s spectacular and the views over Paro are just beautiful.

It’s fair to say that grand views of towering peaks are one of the main reasons we trek in the Himalayas and I was over the moon that this trip offered plenty of opportunities to see them, even when we weren’t on foot. One of my favourite panoramas came unexpectedly: we had driven back from Punakha over the Dochu La Pass (3,100 m) and stopped for a Masala Chai in the cafe at the top. The first few days had been clouded by bad weather, so when the skies suddenly cleared at the top of the pass, there they were in all their glory: Gangkhar Puensum (7,570 m), Bhutan’s highest peak and the world’s tallest unclimbed mountain, Masangang (7,194 m), Kangphu (7,204 m), Table Mountain (7,040 m) and Tsendagang (6,960 m). Jomolhari is Bhutan's second highest peak and although I couldn't see it from the Dochu La, on our trek we glimpsed it several times — its distinctive snow-covered peak is unforgettable.

During my time in Bhutan, I visited numerous temples, museums and dzongs, including the Punakha Dzong, which is truly magnificent. But the cultural highlight of the trip for me had to be attending the Thimphu Festival which is included in the September/October Druk Path itinerary. It was a very unique experience. It was held at the Tashichho Dzong, which was a huge fortress in Thimphu and is one of Bhutan’s most vibrant and significant religious events. We attended twice, once in the evening on arrival and again the next day for a few hours. The festival felt as much a social gathering as a spiritual ceremony, with families coming from across the country, dressed in traditional attire (Gho for men, Kira for women). It’s hard to put into words, the masked dances performed by monks were both entertaining and profoundly spiritual and the rhythmic drums and sacred chants seemed to sink deep into your soul. It really did give a rare glimpse into Bhutanese spiritual and cultural traditions.

I always think there are a few moments that stick with you when you have an adventure. This was one of them. It had chilled down the night before so the tent was crispy and fresh when I woke up. Not to the point that my water had frozen, but enough to cover the landscape in white crystals as I peered out my tent to see a gorgeous landscape of mist mixed with the leftover smoke from the fire from the night before. The ponies were wandering all around quietly grazing away as the trek crew got busy preparing our bed tea and breakfast. It was fresh, peaceful and just beautiful. The camping on this trek was really superb. We had big spacious tents, a comfy thick mattress to sleep on and even a pillow to snuggle into at night. I highly recommend taking advantage of the sleeping bag hire, they felt brand new and were toasty warm and cosy all night. We didn't see any other groups while we were trekking at all, it felt like the mountains were just ours.

Before I travelled to Bhutan, I read that the country is covered in forest and that it is one of the rare nations where over 70% of the land remains forested. But when I got there, the sheer density of the greenery was breathtaking and I found myself imagining how people used to travel between the towns and villages before the roads were built. The Druk Path is actually one of these old routes that connected Paro to Thimphu and is still to this day, thick with forest and scrubland. We trekked through spruce, hemlock and fir forests, stood among junipers, wandered through rhododendron scrub and finally emerged onto the Alpine Steppe at 4,200m. For any dendrophile, it’s an absolute dream. I’d love to do the trek again in the spring when the Rhododendrons are blooming. I can only imagine the colour that would carpet the mountainsides.

In Bhutan, the Bhutanese have been using hot stone baths (known locally as "Dotsho") for centuries to relieve joint pain, arthritis and muscle soreness. I'd been hoping we'd be able to squeeze one of these traditional baths in during our Druk path itinerary and we did. Our leader Yeshi arranged for us to take a bath at a local farmhouse after our Tiger's Nest trek. It involved a wooden tub filled with fresh spring water and Artemisia leaves (a medicinal herb) and heated (in a partitioned section of the tub) by red hot large river stones that have been heated until they glow red. As the stones heat the water they release minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron which help soothe your aches and pains. After the challenging trek up to the Tiger's nest, this hot stone bath was an absolute treat - and the next day, no aches and pains! Superb!

Archery is Bhutan’s national sport so of course we had to give it a go! Turns out, it’s more than a game, it’s centuries-old tradition, a social spectacle and a test of focus, vision and determination.

Traditionally, men competed while the women cheered, sang and did their best to distract their opponents. We had a go with the classic bamboo bows (modern ones are made from compound materials) and let’s just say we didn’t exactly hit the target! It's quite unbelievable that the locals effortlessly shoot arrows over 140m and actually hit a tiny target. Watching (and failing) gave us a whole new appreciation for this incredible Bhutanese tradition."

Tav from the KE office travelled on the Druk Path Trek, a 12 day trip that visits key iconic sites like the Tiger's Nest, Punakha Dzong and the world's largest seated golden Buddha. This trip also spends 5 days trekking along the ancient route "The Druk Path", which connects the valleys of Paro to Thimphu. It's a superb short but challenging trek and camps beside mountain lakes with views of the mighty Himalaya.