Bhutan: Sacred Valleys and Spicy Flavors in Gangtey Valley

Laurie Hull
Apr 23
2 min read

Updated: Jun 1

This lady was selling woven scarves and giving away dried yak cheese along the hike - no, it was not too tasty, and almost impossible to chew, but worth trying.

We next headed to the Gangtey Valley, winter home of the endangered black-necked crane. At the Gangtey Goempa Monastery, we were surrounded by rolling hills and ancient temples. The first night, we had the fun of a cooking demo and traditional meal in a local farmhouse where I got to try “ema datshi” (chili cheese), Bhutan’s national dish. Spicy, simple, and delicious! ABC Lodge was my favorite of all the places we stayed, tucked into a small rural village in the Gangtey Valley with views of a monastery on the hill overlooking the village. It was authentically rustic and charming. The villagers were so warm—they even invited Janice and me to a little festival in their home while waiting for our hot mineral stone bath. We ate, danced, and laughed as they sang with genuine joy, their teeth stained red from betel nut.

The hot stone bath was another very unique experience. Janice and I were each in our own deep wooden tubs, set inside a rugged wooden shed. Floating around us were lemony herbs, which made us feel like we were about to be slow-cooked! From outside, someone would toss fire-heated stones into a chamber at one end of the tub to warm the water. The stones came straight from the campfire: scary and exhilarating at the same time. A true “only in Bhutan” moment.

Gangtey Goempa Monastery