Bumthang Valley

Bhutan

Best for: Spiritual, History, Mountains, Peaceful, Authentic, Photography

Bumthang, Bhutan — the country's spiritual heartland, four broad glacial valleys scattered with some of the oldest temples in the Himalayas and dairy farms started by Swiss settlers.

Visit Jambay Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in the kingdom, and Kurjey Lhakhang where Guru Rinpoche is said to have left a body imprint in rock. Bumthang cheese and honey — a legacy of 1960s Swiss development aid — are local specialties worth seeking out, and the valley's autumn Jambay Lhakhang Drup festival features masked dances and a midnight fire ceremony.