Haa

Haa is what many travellers imagine Bhutan to be before they arrive — a high valley of scattered farmhouses, wooden temples and yaks grazing on the hillsides, with hardly a tour bus in sight. It stayed closed to visitors until 2002, and life here still follows the farming calendar.

The drive itself is part of the experience. From Paro the road climbs through rhododendron and fir forest to Chele La, where thousands of prayer flags stream in the wind and, on a clear morning, the snow pyramid of Jomolhari fills the horizon. Then it drops into the valley in long, lazy curves.

We recommend staying in a homestay here. Evenings around the kitchen stove, sharing butter tea, red rice and hoentay dumplings with a Haa family, are often the moments guests remember most.