Asia – Berkeley Square Barbarian

7 Things that freaked us out about EBC Trek (but turned out to be very different)

May 2, 2022 18 Comments

This article is part of a collaboration between Berkeley Square Barbarian and the tour operator Spiritual Excursion. A couple of months ago, Ellie & I were preparing for our Nepal trip in April. There were seven things that freaked us out about EBC Trek: (1) IS IT GOING TO BE TOUGH COPING WITH THE HIGH ALTITUDE? Everest Base Camp lies at 5,364m above sea level. Kala Patthar, a nearby peak with great views of Everest, is 5,644m. Climbing it is usually included as ‘optional’ in every Trek package. But only one in ten trekkers completes the climb. Most don’t try or make a U-turn half way up. Either way, the trek goes pretty high up. The altitude can affect people. Were we going to see fellow mountain lovers being helicoptered out in emergency evacuations? Trekkers falling seriously ill? Was it going to be hard to sleep because of […]

Asia, Bhutan, Travel

Travel Advice Bhutan

October 6, 2020 6 Comments

For Travel Advice Bhutan, please do not solely rely on this summary. I did make an effort to research everything thoroughly. Still, there is no guarantee that the article is free from mistakes. Besides, the situation changes all the time. This post was last updated on 5 April 2023. I do hope it will get you started and hopefully you’ll enjoy the read. The advice covers mostly the standard route from Paro to Trongsa. The situation in the rest of the country differs. The best news first: Bhutan is quite possibly the most beautiful country you will ever visit. It is also extremely safe. Its hospitality industry, which is exclusively focused on low-impact, high-value tourism, is well-established, highly regulated/supervised, and professional. Welcome to the land of the Thunder Dragon We left very much with the impression that everyone, the government as well as all citizens, have a strong interest in […]

Asia, Bhutan, Travel

One week in Bhutan with Bhutan Norter

May 8, 2020 16 Comments

In early March, Ms B was invited by the brilliant people of Bhutan Norter to spend one week in Bhutan. Well, six days and six nights, to be precise. I joined her on a special rate. What better way to reach a destination than by flying on an airplane past Mount Everest. This post is intended to give you a good feel for what our trip to Bhutan was like. And what yours could be like. We do not try to replicate guide books that have often been written by experts following months of research. Neither does this post include descriptions (or even only mentions) of every temple and sight we visited. We also opted for a lean schedule giving us plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere. To relax, take photos, and enjoy our meals. I had broken my arm in three places while skiing in Austria two […]

Art and Culture, Asia, Bhutan, Travel

Punakha Festival – the mother of all festivals

May 4, 2020 24 Comments

After a hearty breakfast at our hotel overlooking Punakha Valley, we drove down to Punakha Dzong (1,200m ASL) for the Punakha Festival. Completed in 1638, the fortress is the second oldest (after Simtokha) and second largest one (after Trongsa) in the country. The dzong The first Bhutanese dzong-like structure was built in 1153, but Simtokha was the first to combine administrative with monastic capacities) and all of the older dzongs have had their architectural substance largely replaced over the centuries. Without any doubt Punakha Dzong is one of the country’s most magnificent buildings. Until 1955 it was the seat of the national Government, then the capital was moved to Thimphu. Confluence of male and female river You reach the dzong via a wooden bridge over one of the two rivers that surround it. It is the Mo Chhu, the female river, which made its way all the distance from […]

Asia, Bhutan, Hiking, Travel

Tiger’s Nest – the highlight of our trip to Bhutan

April 30, 2020 14 Comments

During our recent trip to Bhutan with the fabulous people from Bhutan Norter, who sponsored us, we did what every visitor to this country does: we visited Paro Taktsang (Paro is the name of this local district, district town, valley, and main river; tak means tiger, tsang means lair in Dzongkha). More commonly known in the West as Tiger’s Nest, it is Bhutan’s unchallenged top cultural icon. Much more importantly, it is an ancient sacred Buddhist site and has been an important place of pilgrimage for more than 1,000 years, long before the first temple was built. Guru Rinpoche The holy site is dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava (“He who came into being in a lotus”), who lived and meditated here in the thirteen caves about 1,250 years ago. This former Brahmin royal from India built the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet and then fled to Bhutan (on a flying tigress […]

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