This is the most mysterious place we've ever
visited. Sitting on the western side of the Himalayas, Bhutan is a Buddhist Kingdom that famously
prioritizes the happiness of its citizens over national wealth. We were lucky enough to be
invited by the tourism board to explore this unique country
steeped in history and culture. Where a traditional way of life reigns supreme and we were given access to film
places cameras have never been before. Join us as we explore our remote mountain village, meditate with monks, and are welcomed into the homes of locals After flying into one of the most
dangerous landings in the world, we were picked up by our local guide, Pelden. Who soon proved to be an absolute legend. It is still a requirement to have
a tour guide when visiting Bhutan, but Pelden elevated our experience. We headed into the capital Thimphu, where they have people dancing
instead of traffic lights. It was a different world. So we've made it to Bhutan and we are
so excited and so happy to be here. Just immediately... this is day one
and we're just engulfed in the culture and it's just been beautiful
and it's a cinematic feast. Yeah, we absolutely love it and I cannot
wait for what this week has in store for us. Yeah we've got so many exciting
things coming up so..,. Bhutan... I love it already! We soaked in the colours and smells of the market before hitting the road the next day
to explore this mysterious kingdom. Our first stop was Punakha
to visit the little monks and witness some of their daily school life. One of the things that travel
does is put you face-to-face with people who have a life
that is so different from yours, it's hard to imagine their experience. Another demonstration of the vast
diversity on our tiny planet. This is an absolute privilege
to be here at this temple. We've come to see the kids learn to become monks. So we're seeing all these little young monks
at school and it's just really cool, isn't it? Yeah they have English classes and they're praying and we see them writing in
their notebooks, reflecting. And they're just... ah there's
just something about them. They are just kids... [Adam]: Yeah. [Tania]: But they're also like really wise. [Adam]: Yeah, well I don't know if we think
they are wise because they're dressed as monks and learning to become monks, but it's just really cool to see
them all just be kids and playing, but in this like really interesting environment there's nothing like what we can
relate to from our childhood. So it's just really interesting to see
them here learning the ways of Buddhism. Hey! Thank you! Thank you. [Tania]: Oh yes. [Adam]: Long day and it was really
nice to be back at our hotel and it looks like an absolutely beautiful hotel. [Tania]: Long day ahead of us. Check out this view. We had a big breakfast to fuel ourselves for
a long journey. [Adam]: Thank you. Five hours of driving and
five hours of hiking away was a remote village in the
mountains, waiting to be explored. Watching outside the window
as the landscape passed by, we had the thrill of being somewhere new, heading towards the unknown. Switcheroo is in progress. So this here is our 4x4 and
it is what's going to be doing the tough part of the journey, but look at it what a beast! [Tania] And a beauty. [Adam] Absolute beauty. [Pelden] Well, the roads are very
bumpy, very big cliffs there. [Tania]: Adventure! [Pelden] Now we will be
starting our real adventure. And so we got into an old 4x4 with no
seatbelts for two hours of offroading on some of the sketchiest
roads we've ever been on. It's remarkable how capable these old 4x4s are. Along the way, we picked up a few Laya
residents hitchhiking their way home. We're driving for so long through this like
barren landscape off into the mountains knowing that we then have a
five-hour hike to get to the village. It's kind of mind-blowing to know that
there are people that live out here and it's so hard to get to
but there's a whole village. It's amazing. This is it. The end of our road
trip and the beginning of our trek. The trek began, but not before a lunch break. [Adam] Perfect lunch spot! So, a snack that we've brought along with us
first time ever whilst hiking is boiled potatoes. There's some roast potatoes as well, but I particularly think the boiled
potato just wrapped up in foil... great hiking hack! If you have seen our films in Wales, you will
see that we went hiking with a watermelon. Maybe not quite as practical
as the small carb-heavy potato which will just get you through any hike. [Tania] Lads on the move. [Adam] Let's do it! The walk was comfortable, but we took it slow. We bumped into a wild yak along the way. He had to be shooed away because they can be
dangerous. We also met a less dangerous friendly baby yak. [Adam]: Oh yeah, oh yeah. [Tania]: We named her Jackie. One of the things that we really
appreciate having just finished Mount Rinjani in Indonesia about a week ago, is the fact that here the landscape
even though you're in mountains, there's always these clearings. [Adam] Flatbeds basically, so we're not
constantly going up a hill like this. And it's so beautiful because he
can really appreciate the landscape and then now, we've just
come across a prayer wheel! [Adam]: So beautiful. [Tania]: So beautiful. [Tania]: Why don't you go in and spin the wheel? [Adam]: So cool. After a steady five hours of hiking, we
made it to the indigenous Village of Laya. Situated at 3,800 meters above sea level with a population of approximately three thousand. Because it takes such effort to get here, I thought maybe it was going to
be more huts or things like this, but no... [Adam]: It's so much
infrastructure. It's incredible. And there's such a life in the village. People going about their days, doing
their chores, the kids playing. [Adam] And just lovely friendly people everywhere. [Tania] Yeah. [Adam] It's our accommodation! [Tania] I know, I can't believe it! This is otherworldly, so authentic. I didn't know what to expect and now we're gonna be staying
here for the next two nights. It's just like... Oh I love it. It just makes me emotional. I just feel like happy-sad. [Adam]: Happy-sad. You know when you feel so happy,
you feel a little bit sad? [Adam]: Awww.
[Tania]: Yeah. Oh hello lovely.
Oh thank you. [Adam]: It's a welcome. So this is the kitchen of our host. What's your name? Sorry? [Pelden] {Translating in Bhutanese}
[Adam]: Tillidem This is Tillidem, our host,
and this is her kitchen and we've just arrived and we just feel so
happy to be here and it's just beautiful, And it's not what we expected, but it's just... [Tania]: So much better, so
much better than I expected. Oh yes, some tea! It was cold up in the mountains and
the offer of tea was music to our ears. Pelden had a local favorite; Dried rice that tasted exactly
like Rice Krispies in a butter tea. [Adam] What's this? Cup number four number four? He is addicted. [Tania] Number five. [Pelden] This is five. This is Pelden asking if Tillidem
would rather fight 10 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck. She chose the tiny horses. We were shown to a room which had more blankets than we could count. So our bed is being set up and look
at the enormous amount of blankets. This is going to be the most
comfortable bed ever I think. [Tania]: I'm testing. This is quality control. [Pelden]: Is the pillow okay? You want more? [Tania]: Oh no, this is perfect. There are also lots of
pictures here of their king. One two three four five six seven eight pictures. Eight pictures of the king there and about eight blankets that Tania is under. It took me some time to adjust to the altitude. It made me quite ill. I took some Aspirin, ate a small
supper, and had to sleep it off. It's just yeah, there's just
a headache. It's just... [Adam]: ...it's not nice. I just need to rest and hopefully, hopefully,
I wake up tomorrow and it'll be okay. Yeah, sleep, hydrate and
you'll be okay well done. Yeah. [Adam]: Do you have a headache? [Tania]: Yeah. So this is our breakfast. Some fried rice with coriander
and chilli-like sauce and I love it because I just love
anything with chilli and I love coriander. [Adam]: So spicy. So spicy. I love it. We learned that Buhtan is one of the
most isolated countries in the world. It was only in the 1970s that it
first allowed foreigners to enter and it's famous for being the
first carbon-negative nation. As we were exploring, we heard some
chanting coming from a nearby home and as we went to investigate, we
were invited into a private Temple to witness a family ceremony
performed once a year. We've walked in. Had a ceremony. And now we've been welcomed with
hot drinks and also popcorn, more rice krispies, and just
a warm room with company. It's amazing. So kind. We were just surprise guests. So one of the things that we've learned... obviously here the Laya people are very generous. They also love to have
gatherings and they like to party which means that they have these massive pots. [Adam]: Massive pots! [Adam] All the better for hosting with. They're just expert hosts. I love it. [Adam]: Hello mate. Hello. So we're on our way to watch an archery match, and I've just noticed that they're
shooting from there all the way over there, and you can hear them cheering. They're absolutely delighted with themselves Archery is Bhutan's national sport. The bow and arrow were once an important means of
survival in the highlands during war and on hunts. So this is honestly so impressive to watch. The distance in which they
are shooting is incredible. I can't even see the target! and yes not at all what I
expected. Very impressive to watch. Archery in Bhutan is not only a sport but a cultural expression that fosters
community, camaraderie, and celebration. It continues to thrive as a
cherished tradition in the kingdom. Being welcomed into the homes of the Bhutanese
people and experiencing their way of life, was truly eye-opening and heartwarming. It got us thinking about the importance
of protecting culture and tradition. We spoke with former Prime Minister, Tshering
Tobgay, for our podcast 'Adventure Mindset', and he reflected on the role
culture plays in Bhutan. Culture is related to values, so if you lose your culture it means
that you've moved on from your values. If you adopt another culture, assuming you know that you
are adopting another culture, it means that you've accepted
foreign values or new values, for better or for worse. So that makes culture I think
that much more interesting, and in Bhutan's case, that was more critical. So this is the soup that Tania
keeps specifically requesting, well not requesting but Tania fell in love
with the soup the first time she had it, and now they keep making
it for us which is so good. [Tania]: I'm so lucky. It's a beautiful lentil soup. [Pelden]: Yeah, lentil soup. [Tania]: See you at six.
[Adam]: Yeah, see you at 6 a.m. Good night, sleep well everybody! [Pelden]: Goodnight, take care. [Adam]: Which is my..... What did you do with the blankets? [Tania]: So you have your own. Two blankets. [Adam]: Oh yeah, okay. So that will cover me up. So many blankets. We had an early start with some more
delicious lentil soup for breakfast, and said our goodbyes before
hiking back down to catch our lift. [Tania]: Oh I have to be careful. [Adam]: Mind your head. Mind your head. Quick side note: this isn't graffiti. It's actually a good look symbol for fertility. Bhutan's deep connection
with Buddhism is a defining characteristic of its culture and identity. The country's commitment to Buddhist
principles, spiritual practices, and the preservation of its
heritage contributes to the unique and enchanting charm of Bhutan. We were offered the rare opportunity to sit in on a meditation
inside a monastery, where cameras are usually forbidden. The atmosphere was a strange
mix of electric serenity. The monks acted as one as they performed their
daily practice like a well-rehearsed dance. So familiar to them and unfamiliar to us. Such a cute little room and
where we're staying is a place that does traditional stone... hot stone baths. Hot stone baths. So we're going to get the
full authentic treatment. It's exactly what I need it's been a very long day and I'm very excited to
experience the hot stone bath. [Tania] Yay!! Let's go! Hot stone baths have been a traditional
practice in Bhutan for centuries. Large stones are placed on a fire until red hot before being added to water
along with minerals and herbs. The baths are believed to have
therapeutic and healing properties for physical ailments,
relaxation, and rejuvenation. Just as it started cooling
down, they added another stone. Loudly! [Tania]: It scared me. The Village woke slowly and we had time to
reflect on our experience with the monks. Good morning. We both slept so so well last night this was honestly one of the coziest
beds that we've ever slept in. I actually just think that the Bhutanese
people know how to be really cozy because they love the blankets and
I love to be warm and I was warm. It's always been good beds here. But yeah we woke up just thinking about last night and our time with the monks
and just how amazing it was and I think the best words to kind of sum it up is just how authentic all
the experiences feel here. We love the way the meals
were shared in the kitchen. Everyone sat around the stove on floor cushions. We said goodbye and made our
way to the Tiger's Nest hike, but not before stopping for a
roadside snack of corn on the cob. We are about to embark on the
hike up to the Tiger's Nest which is the most popular
tourist destination in Bhutan. It's iconic but you can really
see this is the first time we felt like wow there's loads of tourists around. Up until now, we've been the only people. We're getting there. I can see it
up on the hill in the distance, and it really does look beautiful. We've got a quick stop at a cafe
that's just around the corner there. Like a halfway stop so we're gonna take a
rest enjoy the view, and then crack on. So it's worth noting that in order to move on further and to be
respectful of the monastery, you need to change to make sure
that you're covering your legs and everything, so we've got our trousers in here. These steps are difficult. It's
a lot further away than it looks. Only a few steps to go inside from here. [Tania]: Only a few steps. Evil laugh. So one thing to bear in mind is that
when you're inside the monastery, you're not allowed to film you
are not allowed to show the world. The only way that you can discover
inside is by coming here yourself. So we have to get rid of our
bags and put away our cameras. Leave our cameras and everything
in the lockers in here. Yeah, Pelden is waiting to put it somewhere safe. Reflections? Adam, how would you describe it? I think it was very beautiful. It was kind
of like humble and grand at the same time which is an interesting combination. Even though it's touristy, it's touristy for
a reason because it's so nice. But I would say other places we've been
to are equally if not more impressive, so it's not to say that this
is all Bhutan has got to offer. So look around and look at all the amazing
places that there are beyond this as well. We had a truly unique experience in a country
that appears to be the last of its kind. The warm people, traditional
way of life, and rich culture. There is no other place quite like Bhutan. If you've enjoyed this film,
please SUBSCRIBE and follow along as we document our journey
exploring this magnificent world. Coming up, we trek Nepal,
return to van life in Iceland, and Adam takes on his first-ever solo hike. As always a special thanks to our Patreons
for making our films possible.
