Taphey Goemba

Bhutan

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If you have a spare half day in Trongsa or really want to get off the beaten track, consider driving and then hiking up to this meditation retreat high on the hillside north of Trongsa. It was built by the first king of Bhutan around the meditation site of 18th-century practitioner Ngawang Tsamphel. Eight monks live at the drubdey (meditation retreat), whose main chapel houses a two-storey statue of 1001-armed Chenresig.

From Trongsa take the farm road north to Yuling village to visit its surprisingly ornate lhakhang, then backtrack to take the new dirt road up to the car park, 30 minutes' hike below Taphey Goemba.

A further hour's hike uphill from the goemba can take you to Singye Tang on the ridgeline above, for fine Himalayan views north all the way to Gangkhar Puensum (7570m). The path is not easy to find so try to take a local guide.

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