Introducing Bhutan- The Land of Thunder Dragon.

Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, is no ordinary place. This is a country where buying cigarettes is illegal, where the rice is red and where chillies aren’t just a seasoning but the entire dish. It’s also a deeply Buddhist land, where men wear a tunic to work, where giant protective penises are painted on the walls of most houses, and where Gross National Happiness is deemed more important than Gross National Product. Tourism in Bhutan is also unique. Visitors famously have to pay a minimum of US$200 per day, making it one of the world’s most expensive countries to visit, but this fee is all-inclusive, you don’t have to travel in a group and you can arrange your own itinerary. What you won’t find in Bhutan is backpacker-style independent travel. This is Nepal for the jet set. Read More..

Gasa Dzong- the Remote Dzongkhag

Legend has it that when Zhabdrung was making his way to Bhutan, the deity of Gasa traveled to Tsari Kibuthang in Tibet to greet him. The Zhabdrung blessed the deity with the new name of “Trashi Thongmoen”. Thus, the Dzong was also given the same name in 1648, since the deity was its protector.

The local residents say that Terkhungpa, who was skilled in iron works, lived and worked in the area. Thus the name of the area is called Garsa, which literally means ‘the land of black Smith’. The Dzong is also known as Garsa Dzong. The name is suitable as it is also said that the principal occupations of the people in the early days was blacksmithing. It takes nine hours on foot to arrive at the famous hot spring, which lies at the bottom of the slope after leaving the last road head at Trashithang.