Punakha

Why Punakha works

Punakha Dzong occupies the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers, roughly three hours' drive over the Dochula Pass from Thimphu, and is widely considered Bhutan's most beautiful fortress-monastery — a title it earns through setting as much as architecture. Built in 1637 to serve as the seat of Bhutan's government before Thimphu took over that role, the dzong remains the winter residence of the country's central monastic body and hosts the annual Punakha Drubchen and Tshechu festivals, when monks perform masked dances re-enacting a 17th-century Tibetan invasion repelled from these very walls. A cantilevered wooden bridge crosses the Mo Chhu to the dzong's entrance, and in spring the approach is framed by blooming jacaranda trees against the whitewashed fortress walls. Beyond the dzong, the Punakha valley itself is one of Bhutan's most fertile, its terraced rice paddies giving way to red rice cultivation at lower, warmer elevations than most of the country allows. The suspension bridge near Punakha town, one of Bhutan's longest, offers valley views and access to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, a hilltop temple reached by a walk through rice fields. Punakha's lower altitude than Thimphu or Paro makes it noticeably warmer, and its combination of dzong, river and farmland scenery makes it a natural two-night stop on any Bhutan itinerary.

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