First up was a short drive to the Dzong for Bumthang- Jakar Dzong. It is located on a ridge high above Jakartown in the Chamkhar valley of Bumthang. It is built on the site of an earlier temple established by the Ralung hierarch Yongzin Ngagi Wangchuk (1517–1554) when he came to Bhutan. Jakar Dzong may be the largest dzong in Bhutan, with a circumference of more than 1,500 metres (4,900 ft).

The name Jakar is derived from the word bjakhab, meaning "white bird", in reference to Jakar's foundation myth, according to which a roosting white bird signaled the proper and auspicious location to found a monastery. It is also referred to as the ''castle of the white bird',' it was constructed in 1549, by the Tibetan lama Ngagi Wangchuk, who came to Bhutan to spread the Drukpa Kagyu teaching, the dzong played an important role as the fortress of defense for the whole eastern dzongkhags. It also became the seat of the first king of Bhutan in 1646, after the Zhabdrung had firmly established his power.

It was a drizzly, foggy day so our first glimpse of it was across the valley, high above with clouds above it. Very mystical and lovely.

We enjoyed the place pretty much to ourselves and a few monks. The temple itself wasn’t too big but we enjoyed how each temple is a bit different. Wonderful photos were taken within and of the surrounding valley and mountains.

Next was a visit to Wangduechhoeling Palace. Built in 1858 by Jigme Namgyel, the father of Bhutan's first king, Wangduechhoeling Palace holds a significant place in the nation’s history. It was here that Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck, Bhutan’s first monarch, was born. The palace is an exemplar of Bhutanese architectural excellence, designed in traditional Bhutanese style with intricate woodwork, religious paintings, and exquisite carvings. Jigme Namgyel, a national hero, is credited with unifying Bhutan and laying the foundation for the Wangchuck monarchy. From a young age, he fought in multiple conflicts, including battles against the British and other feudal lords, eventually rising to become a provincial governor. Wangduechhoeling Palace was built on the site of one of his key victories over another province’s governor. The name "Wangdue" means "victory," while "Chhoeling" refers to "a place rich in Buddhism."

The palace had fallen into disrepair and a restoration began in 2012, and was finished in 2024 under the sponsorship of The Queen Mother. It is now a beautifully restored, colourful, cultural museum with items well displayed. Here we learned more about the history and the religion of the country.

This was followed by a visit to two important temples.

The Jampa Temple or Temple of Maitreya is said to be one of the 108 temples built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in 659 CE on a single day, to pin down an ogress to earth forever. This makes this the oldest temple in Bhutan having been constructed before Buddhism had spread to Bhutan.

It is a smaller, darker space. Here we found about fifteen monks sitting cross legged on the floor chanting. We were told this was to pray for someone that recently died. Inside we found the walls lined with small cakes in the form of a stupa, an offering related to the recently deceased.

Kurjey Lhakhang also known as the Kurjey Monastery, is the final resting place of the remains of the first three Kings of Bhutan. It is considered to be one of the most holy and sacred sites in Bhutan. Nestled on the side of a hill, surrounded by 108 chorten walls, the complex houses three revered temples, namely: Guru Lhakhang, Sampa Lhundrup Lhakhang and Ka Gon Phor Sum Lhakhang.

During the 8th Century, Sendhu Raja, the king of Bumthang at that time, fell ill. He invited Guru Rinpoche who brought Buddhism to Bhutan to cure him. Guru Rinpoche found out that the king’s illness was caused by the malevolent actions of the local deities including the powerful Shelging Karpo. Having found the cause of the illness, Guru Rinpoche chased the deities into a cave, and meditated inside for three months. Guru Rinpoche then subdued the deities including the powerful Shelging Karpo and left his body imprint inside the cave, thus, giving the name Kurjey (Body Imprint). Kur means body, Jey is imprint while lhakhang means temple.

We climbed multiple steep staircases up to the most oldest and most auspicious. Here our guide, driver and the two of us lit butter candles and made our prayers.

The oldest temple, Guru Khakhang, was built by king Sindhu Raja against a cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated and subdued the local deity, Shelging Karoo. It is believed that he left a mark where he rested as the rock formation is a perfect shapes for a head. A statue nicely fits into the space now.

After lunch we drove to the mini Tiger’s Nest of Bumthang.

Zhungdra Lhakhang is built high on the hill meaning we had a 30 minute climb pretty much straight up across mud paths, which was further complicated by the drizzle.

After successfully reaching the temple we saw how it had been built into the cliff, and it too had a rock formation where the head of the Guru left his mark.

It’s a small, quiet place and we also enjoyed the views from above.

A small drama as the small airport here had its flights cancelled which had the knock on affect of cancelling our flight for the next day at 630 am. Later we learned it should leave at 1050 am assuming the weather improves. Time will tell if the 35 minute flight materialises or we have an arduous 8 hour drive back to Paro.