The Last Authentic Travel Experience on Earth Bhutan Meditating with Monks Indigenous Villages

This is the most mysterious place we've ever visited. Sitting on the western side of the Himalayas, Bhutan is a Buddhist kingdom that famously prioritizes the happiness of its citizens over national wealth. We were lucky enough to be invited by the tourism board to explore this unique country steeped in history and culture where our traditional way of life reigns supreme and we were given access to film places cameras have never been before. Join us as we explore our remote mountain village meditate with monks and are welcomed into the homes of locals. After flying into one of the most dangerous landings in the world we were picked up by our local guide Peldin who soon proved to be an absolute legend. It's still a requirement to have a tour guide when visiting Bhutan but Peldin elevated our experience. We headed into the capital Thimphu where they have people dancing instead of traffic lights. It was a different world. So we've made it to Bhutan and we are so excited and so happy to be here. Just immediately this is day one and we're just engulfed in the culture and it's just been beautiful and it's a cinematic feast. Yeah we absolutely love it and I cannot wait what this week has in store for us. Yeah we've got so many exciting things coming up so love it already. We soaked in the colours and smells of the market before hitting the road the next day to explore this mysterious kingdom. Our first stop was Punaka to visit the little monks and witness some of their daily school life. One of the things that travel does is put you face to face with people who have a life that is so different from yours it's hard to imagine their experience. Another demonstration of the vast diversity on our tiny planet. This is an absolute privilege to be here at this temple. We've come to see the kids learn to become monks so we're seeing all these little young monks in school and it's just really cool isn't it? Yeah they have English classes and they're praying and we see them like writing in their notebooks reflecting and they're just there's just something about them they are just kids. But they're also like really wise? Yeah well I don't know if we just think they're wise because they're dressed as monks and learning to become monks but it's just really cool to see them all just be kids and playing but in this like really interesting environment there's nothing like what we can relate to from our childhood so it's just really interesting to see them here learning the ways of Buddhism and become monks. Thank you, thank you. Long day and it is really nice to be back at our hotel and it looks like an absolutely beautiful hotel. Long day ahead of us. Check out this view. We had a big breakfast to fuel ourselves for a long journey. Thank you. Five hours of driving and five hours of hiking away was a remote village in the mountains waiting to be explored. Watching outside the window as the landscape passed by we had the thrill of being somewhere new heading towards the unknown. The switcheroo in progress. So this here is our 4x4 and it is what's going to be doing the tough part of the journey but look at it what a beast. And a beauty. Absolute beauty. All the roads are very bumpy, very big cliffs. Now we're starting our real adventure. And so we got into an old 4x4 with no seat belts for two hours of off-roading on some of the sketchiest roads we've ever been on. It's remarkable how capable these old 4x4s are. Along the way we picked up a few laya residents hitchhiking their way home. Driving for so long through this like barren landscape off into the mountains knowing that we then have a five hour hike to get to the village. It's kind of mind-blowing to know that there are people that live out here and it's so hard to get to but there's a whole village. It's amazing. This is it, the end of our road trip and the beginning of our trek. The trek began but not before a lunch break. Perfect lunch spot. So a snack that we've brought along with us for the first time ever whilst hiking is boiled potato, there's some roast potatoes as well but I particularly think the boiled potato just wrapped up in foil, great hiking hack. If you've seen our films in Wales you will see that we went hiking with a water melon maybe not quite as practical as the small carb-heavy potato which will just get you through any hike. Lads on the move. Let's do it. The walk was comfortable but we took it slow. We bumped into a wild yak along the way. He had to be shooed away because they can be dangerous. We also met a less dangerous friendly baby yak. Oh yeah, oh yeah, you like that. We named her Jackie. One of the things that we really appreciate having just finished Mount Renjani in Indonesia about a week ago is the fact that here the landscape even though you're in mountains there's always these clearings. Flat bits basically so you're not constantly going up a hill like this. And it's so beautiful because you can really appreciate the landscape and then now we've just come across a prayer wheel. So beautiful. Why don't you go and spin the wheel? So cool, I like it. After a steady five hours of hiking we made it to the indigenous village of Laya. Situated at 3,800 meters above sea level with a population of approximately 3,000. Because it takes such effort to get here I thought maybe it was going to be more huts or things like this. But no, it's so much infrastructure, it's incredible. And there's such a life in the village. People going about their days, doing their chores, the kids play. And just lovely friendly people everywhere. Hello. It's our accommodation. I know, I can't believe it. This is otherworldly. So authentic. I didn't know what to expect. And now we're going to be staying here for the next two nights. It's just like... Oh, I love it. It just makes me emotional because it's so nice. I just feel like happy sad. Happy sad. You know when you feel so happy that you feel a little bit sad? Oh, yeah. Oh, thank you. You're welcome. So this is the kitchen of our host. What's your name? This is Tiledim, our host. And this is her kitchen. And we've just arrived and we just feel so happy to be here. And it's just beautiful. And it's not what we expected. But it's just... So much better. So much better than I expected. It was cold up in the mountains and the offer of tea was music to our ears. Peldin had a local favorite. Dried rice that tasted exactly like Rice Krispies in a butter tea. What's this, cup number four? Cup number four. He is addicted. Number five. This is five. This is Peldin asking if Tiledim would rather fight 10 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck. She chose the tiny horses. Small. The 10 duck-sized horses. We were shown to a room which had more blankets than we could count. So our bed is being set up. And look at the enormous amount of blankets. This is going to be the most comfortable bed ever, I think. This is quality control. Is the pillow okay? Oh no, this is perfect. There are also lots of pictures here of their king. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight pictures. Eight pictures of the king there and about eight blankets there. It took me some time to adjust to the altitude. It made me quite ill. I took some aspirin, ate a small supper and had to sleep it off. It's just, yeah, there's just the headache. It's just not nice. I just need to rest and hopefully, hopefully I wake up tomorrow and I'll be okay. Yeah, sleep, hydrate and you'll be okay. Well done. Yeah. Did I have a headache? So this is our breakfast. Some fried rice with coriander and chilli sauce. And I love it because I just love anything with chilli and I love coriander. It's so spicy. It's so spicy. I love it. We learned that Bhutan is one of the most isolated countries in the world. It was only in the 1970s that it first allowed foreigners to enter. And it's famous for being the first carbon negative nation. As we were exploring, we heard some chanting coming from a nearby home. And as we went to investigate, we were invited into a private temple to witness a family ceremony performed once a year. We walked in, had a ceremony and now we've been welcomed with hot drinks and also popcorn, more rice krispies and just a warm room with company. It's amazing. So kind. We were just surprised guests. Yeah. So one of the things that we've learned, obviously here, Laya people are very generous. They also love to have gatherings and they like to party, which means that they have these massive pots. Massive pots. Look at that. All the better for hosting with. They're just expert hosts. I love it. Hello mate. Hello. Run, run, run, run. So we're on our way to watch an archery match and I've just noticed that they're shooting from there. All the way there. And you can hear them cheering. Archery is Bhutan's national sport. The bow and arrow were once an important means of survival in the highlands during war and on hunts. So this is honestly so impressive to watch. The distance in which they are shooting is incredible. I can't even see the target and yes, not at all what I expected. Very impressive to watch. Archery in Bhutan is not only a sport, but a cultural expression that fosters community, camaraderie and celebration. It continues to thrive as a cherished tradition in the kingdom. Being welcomed into the homes of the Bhutanese people and experiencing their way of life was truly eye-opening and heartwarming. It got us thinking about the importance of protecting culture and tradition. We spoke with former Prime Minister Charing Topge for our podcast Adventure Mindset and he reflected on the role culture plays in Bhutan. Culture is related to values. So if you lose your culture, it means that you've moved on from your values. If you adopt another culture, assuming you know that you're adopting another culture, it means that you've accepted foreign values or new values for better or for worse. So that makes culture, I think, that much more interesting and in Bhutan's case, that much more critical. So this is the soup that Tanya keeps specifically requesting. Well, not requesting, but Tanya fell in love with the soup the first time she had it and now they keep making it for us, which is so good. I'm so lucky. It's beautiful. Lentil soup. Yeah, lentil soup. See you at six. Yeah, see you at six a.m. Good night. Okay, sleep well. Good night. Okay, bye. Good night. Take care. You have your own. Two blankets. I'm so hungry. Three blankets. We had an early start with some more delicious lentil soup for breakfast and said our goodbyes before hiking back down to catch our lift. Quick side note, this isn't graffiti. It's actually a good luck symbol for fertility. Bhutan's deep connection with Buddhism is a defining characteristic of its culture and identity. The country's commitment to Buddhist principles, spiritual practices, and the preservation of its heritage contributes to the unique and enchanting charm of Bhutan. We were offered the rare opportunity to sit in on a meditation inside a monastery where cameras are usually forbidden. The atmosphere was a strange mix of electric serenity. The monks acted as one as they performed their daily practice like a well-rehearsed dance. So familiar to them and unfamiliar to us. Such a cute little room. And where we're staying is a place that does traditional hot stone baths. Hot stone baths. We're going to get the full authentic treatment. That's exactly what I need. It's been a very long day and I'm very excited to experience the hot stone bath. Yeah, let's go, let's go. Hot stone baths have been a traditional practice in Bhutan for centuries. Large stones are placed on a fire until red hot before being added to water along with minerals and herbs. The baths are believed to have therapeutic and healing properties for physical ailments, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Just as it started cooling down, they added another stone. Lovely. The village woke slowly and we had time to reflect on our experience with the monks. Good morning. We both slept so, so well last night. This is honestly one of the coziest beds that we've ever slept in. I actually just think that the Bhutanese people know how to be really cozy because they love the blankets and I love to be warm and I was warm. It's always been good beds here. But yeah, we woke up just thinking about last night and our time with the monks and just how amazing it was. And I think the best words to kind of sum it up is just how authentic all the experiences feel here. We loved the way the meals were shared in the kitchen. Everyone sat around the stove on floor cushions. We said goodbye and made our way to the tiger's nest hike but not before stopping for a roadside snack of corn on the cob. We are about to embark on the hike up to the tiger's nest which is the most popular tourist destination in Bhutan. It's iconic but you can really see it's the first time we felt like wow there's loads of tourists around. Up until now we've been the only people. We're getting there. I can see it up on the hill in the distance and it really does look beautiful. We've got a quick stop at a cafe that's just around the corner there, like a halfway stop. So we're going to take a rest, enjoy the view and then crack on. So it's worth noting that in order to move on further and to be respectful of the monastery you need to change to make sure that you're covering your legs and everything. So we've got our trousers in here. These steps are difficult. It's a lot harder than it looks. It's a lot further away than it looks. Only a few steps to go in there. Only a few steps. Evil laugh. So one thing to bear in mind is that when you're inside the monastery you're not allowed to film. You are not allowed to show the world. The only way that you can discover inside is by coming here yourself. So we have to get rid of our bags, put away our cameras. Leave our cameras and everything in the lockers in here. Yeah. Felden is waiting to put it somewhere safe. Reflections. Adam, how would you describe it? I think it was very beautiful. It was kind of like humble and grand at the same time which is an interesting combination. Even though it's touristy, it's kind of touristy for a reason because it's so nice. But I would say other places we've been to are equally if not more impressive. So it's not to say that this is all Bhutan has got to offer. So look around and look at all the amazing places that there are beyond this as well. We had a truly unique experience in a country that appears to be the last of its kind. The warm people, traditional way of life and rich culture. There is no other place quite like Bhutan. If you've enjoyed this film, please subscribe and follow along as we document our journey exploring this magnificent world. Coming up, we trek Nepal, return to van life in Iceland and Adam takes on his first ever solo hike. As always, a special thanks to our patrons for making our films possible.