Bhutan, Day VI: Uncovering The Legendary Tiger’s Nest
[Post-Edit Note: All pictures and written content in this post was originally created in 2018, unless otherwise credited.]
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For obvious reasons, I now realize that doing a candid day-by-day run of a trip presents its own set of obstacles… and that I am not exactly cut out for this. For one, you’ll most likely notice a gaping hole where food, accommodation, and the customary OOTD pictures should have been documented; and two, well, two I realized that I kind of worked myself into a corner where Day 6 -the Final Day- is about to culminate in what can be best described as a most unfortunate, anti-climatic, and disappointing end to a mediocre travelogue.
Before I lose your attention though…
One day, I will receive the applause for courage that I rightfully deserve for admitting this so publicly; but for now, I will simply accept that most of you will just be wildly disturbed or even offended that I came to Bhutan without knowing about the Tiger’s Nest. I’m not even talking about the history or significance or simply just the tl;drs of the place. I’m referring to the most basic, fundamental knowledge of the existence of this place.
When I started posting photos of Bhutan on my IG from Day 2, I immediately received a flood of messages from my friends and sister asking if I would be visiting the Tiger’s Nest and so naturally, my instant reaction was to think, ‘What’s that?’ while frantically Googling ‘Tiger’s Nest Bhutan’ so I could pretend that I knew what in God’s name they were talking about.
Of course, being such great friends and family, no one left out any detail about how arduous it was going to be – a five to six hour trek, I was told. A few even pointed me to the direction of @heyrozz, who’d apparently done the same thing some time back. And all I could think was, Wait whaaaaaaaaaat I didn’t sign up for no five-hr trek THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A HOLIDAY.
But there was no way out of this. As flexible as Druk Asia is about customizing their itinerary to your comfort and preference, I can imagine how sacrilegious it’d be to say that, ‘No, I don’t think I want to do the Tiger’s Nest today’. After having gone around the country visiting Dzhongs and monasteries and temples that are significantly less than, I can only imagine the silent judgmental horror that would incur from that declaration. A quote even floats online that “If you haven’t been to Tiger’s Nest, you haven’t been to Bhutan” – which sounds a bit condescending to me but okay, I get the point.
For the sake of everyone’s poor eyes, I will leave out the highly meticulous morsels of a play-by-play recount; and perhaps focus on some understated things to note instead, if you’re also attempting the Tiger’s Nest any time soon.
1. Start Early.
You really don’t want to have to fight it out with literally hundreds of others who make the same trek on a daily basis; and b) the morning dew makes the ground really muddy and gunky- so the later you set out and the more people you let trod before you, the ‘soggier’ your trail becomes. A good time to set out is 6am.
2. Do Not Go On the 15th of Any Lunar Month.
The local Buddhists make a pilgrimage to the Tiger’s Nest on this day; and the queue can sometimes start as early as 4am (the temple only opens at 8). It is not uncommon for people to make the hike and not make it in at the end of the day.
3. S-H-O-E-S
This is not something you want to attempt with uncomfortable shoes, worn out soles, or just footwear that doesn’t give you good grip. The going down will kill you. I highly recommend Timberland, but I suppose any good pair of trekking boots will do too.
4. Do Not Rent the Horse (Or Any Animal).
They are trained to walk very closely to the edge of the cliff and I don’t know about you but that just really spells death for me.
5. Bring Lots of Water, and Prepare Yourself Mentally.
This trek won’t exactly break your back, but it’s no walk in the park either. Go slow, take stops whenever you think you need any. Unless your guide is a dick, they will understand. Also do not pit yourself against any set timing; this is not a marathon and no one really cares how long you took at the end of it all (if you do, you’re missing the point and shame on you). Stop for photos. Stop for tea. Stop for anything along the way that piques your curiosity.
For the record, I experienced none of all that ‘spiritual awakening’ and ‘enlightenment’ and ‘peace’ that people speak about when they think of Bhutan, because I was not looking for it. You don’t find what you don’t look for; and besides, I think the real beauty of Bhutan lies in its esoteric hiddeness and the way it doesn’t impose itself on you. It can be adventurous, it can be dull, it can be spiritual, life-changing, peaceful, bewildering, tense, even; but what it isn’t is insipid – at the end of the day, you’ll learn that its whole raison d’etre isn’t to force any kind of stereotypical touristic ideals on you but rather, to simply malleate into what you want out of it. And if that’s how you evaluate a country for its beauty, I think Bhutan succeeds.
And it succeeds brilliantly.
Comments
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shaf.finah
haha me too.. plus it’s so much more experiential to just do it on your own. 🐎
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Disha Smith
Bhutan has been on my bucket list for so long! Your photos are beautiful. Noted on not renting the horse – that sounds like a terrifying experience.
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shaf.finah
thanks Disha! And yes it is! just doesn’t sound like good idea mount something that you don’t have complete control over, this close to the edge. 😅
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Cristina
This place looks absolutely stunning, I need to add it to my list. Also, I wouldn’t rent a horse at all, it doesn’t sound like a great experience.
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shaf.finah
thank you Cristina! yeah, definitely more memorable to make it up there on your own! ❤️
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Brittany
Wow, these views are incredible! Your photos capture the beauty so well. I would be so afraid of falling off, but this was so interesting to read about!
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shaf.finah
aw thanks Brittany! 💖 yeah i was told of stories of tourists falling off too (but only because they were doing really silly stuff by going out of the way for a photo or selfie) 😱
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Taylor
I’ve always wanted to visit Tiger’s Nest! Bhutan looks amazing.
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shaf.finah
thanks Taylor! Make it there one day, you’ll love it! 😉
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MacKenzie
This place looks absolutely incredible! I haven’t heard of it – but that doesn’t surprise me because I know so little about Bhutan. I love the horse riding tip – sounds so scary!
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shaf.finah
it does! feet does it better! 😛
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Venaugh
It looks for gorgeous! Thanks for sharing the things that people don’t usually tell you. I definitely agree, you won’t find an awakening if you weren’t open to it, everyone experiences things differently
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shaf.finah
You’re welcome Venaugh! 🥰🌻
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shaf.finah
🌼❤️
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Jenni / Out in the Nature
I’ve never heard of Tiger’s Nest. But I also haven’t been to Bhutan, so maybe that doesn’t count, lol.
I really don’t care if I visit the main sights when I go to some location. Okay, I’ve been to many of them, but that’s not the point. I can have a blast chatting with some locals or eating the best food of my life in a tiny restaurant somewhere, while my travel companions queue to some super-crowded must-see manmade place. (To me nature wonders are slightly different and I appriciate those more.) I cannot understand how some people travel with absolutely full itineraries so that they can see EVERYTHING. To me that’s not why I travel. I think everyone should do what they enjoy on their travels, also depending on their current mood and feelings, and not go where everyone else is going.
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shaf.finah
100% agree! ❤️
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Hannah
Don’t worry, I hadn’t heard of Tiger’s Nest either until I read your psot! It looks like a stunning spot though but what a hike! It sounds like an incredible experience though, thanks for sharing it with us! Your photos are as beautiful as ever!
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shaf.finah
thank you for your kind words as always, Hannah! ❤️ it really was much more of a hike than I expected – but definitely in a good way. 😅
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Claire
If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think I knew what it was either! I am definitely always down for a challenging hike though, this would be at the top of my list when visiting Bhutan. But what is there to do when you actually arrive there? Besides being a temple where I suppose people come to pray, is it maybe also a museum with artifacts or something to check out? Or is it mainly about the views?
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shaf.finah
it’s definitely about the views here.. and the general feeling of peace. i wished for a little more local life and rurality though, but only learned in retrospect i should have trekked the inner regions if i wanted that. 😕
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Krista
I have never heard of the Tiger’s Nest either but it looks like a beautiful place to visit with a lot of history behind it!
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shaf.finah
it is! it’s been around for 400 years+ and i still can’t wrap my head around it! 😅
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shafinah.j
thank you sammi! 🥰
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Emma
This looks incredible, definitely something I would want to do. The views look out of this world. Although like you I’m a little nervous of the idea of an animal ride along the edges of the cliff. That would be a no for me