Bhutan’s festivals are joyous expressions of its Buddhist culture. Françoise Pommaret, describing their Chaucerian atmosphere, writes that “the festivals offer Bhutanese an opportunity to become immersed in the meaning of their religion [but] they are also occasions for seeing people and being seen. People bring their finest clothes, their most beautiful jewels; they take out picnics rich with meat and alcohol. Men and women joke and flirt. An atmosphere of convivial, slightly ribald good humor prevails.”

In the spring Sacred Festivals, we attend the Punakha serda or the grand Paro tshechu. In the fall, we visit Wangdiphodrang’s and Thimphu’s equally exuberant tshechus. And this year we’re pleased to again offer a festival trip to the central Bhutanese village of Trongsa over the winter holidays. We join hundreds of villagers as they enjoy a rollicking carnival and watch mystical masked dances. All trips visit the important villages and historic sites of western Bhutan, such as Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha. (Note that Sacred Festivals is a great trip to extend to or from. Angkor beckons, and so do a host of easily accessed Asian destinations.)

Days 1 & 2: USA to Bangkok • Day 3: fly to Paro, drive to Thimphu • Day 4: drive to Wangdiphodrang, attend festival • Day 5: Wangdiphodrang festival or excursion to Phobjikha • Day 6: view thangka, drive to Thimphu via Punakha • Day 7: attend Thimphu festival, return to Paro • Day 8: roaming in the Paro Valley • Day 9: fly to Bangkok • Day 10: return to USA

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