Climb the Takstsang Monastery in Bhutan

“We were actually very tired at one point but still continued after short breaks. We reached the second viewpoint and it began to rain cats and dogs. So, we decided to relax a bit over there and waited for the rain to stop. Also, there was the most difficult path to tread in front of us – one last brutal flight of stairs which were blanketed in clouds [...] Within 15 minutes, we were there at the monastery, though our legs felt like jellies by then. Our determination didn’t deter and we finally were upfront with the beauty. And trust me, no matter how many times you might have seen and appreciated the beauty of Tiger’s Nest Bhutan monastery in pictures, but the feeling of being up close and personal with it is so different.”

“Although we were nowhere near the Tiger’s Nest at this point, I was excited about the trek ahead. We entered the wooded area that covers the side of the cliff. As it turns out, the main part of the Tiger’s Nest hike is not particularly difficult. It mainly consists of following a gradual incline up the side of the cliff. For me, the trek was more of an endurance test. Having lived in the UK for most of my life, I was not used to the altitude. I found myself short of breath much quicker than usual.”

“I want to be honest with you: Climbing the Tiger’s Nest held many surprises in store for me – both positive and negative ones. I didn’t imagine it to be quite that beautiful and I also didn’t know the hike would be that long and strenuous, but more about that later.”