An aura of quiet contemplation envelopes you as you travel through Bhutan. Monasteries (dzongs) are the country’s biggest allure, along with stupendous scenery, and a friendly populace. Looking down on the capital Thimphu, from the 12th-century Changangkha Lhakhang monastery, you realise it’s incredible to be in a Himalayan Buddhist kingdom that measures its development by Gross National Happiness.

Paro has over a hundred temples and monasteries. Its most famous is the iconic Taktsang or Tiger’s Nest monastery, which clings to the mountainside 10,000 feet above sea level. Thick oak and rhododendron forests lead to it, and you have to hike a vertiginous slope to get to the entrance. This monastery’s significance cannot be overstated, for it is here that Buddhism first began in Bhutan.

From Punakha to Bumthang or Mongar, wherever you go, you are greeted by prayer flags fluttering in the breeze, and women and men in brightly colored traditional garb with ever-ready smiles. At Enchanting Travels we’ve taken after the Bhutanese; our Bhutan consultants are always smiling, happy to answer queries and plan your holiday to every last detail.

The most physically fit can go on fully-assisted treks through ancient pine forests, past yak herders and tiny villages. Stupendous views of Himalayan peaks and high-altitude lakes are just some of the pleasures of traversing this country on foot. In the cold mountain air, warming thukpa, the local hot noodle soup, and meat-filled momos are supremely comforting. As is a soothing Bhutanese dotsho, a hot-stone bath.