November 10, 2016
Visiting Bhutan wouldn't be complete without a hike to Tiger's Nest. This Buddhist monastery considered to be one of the most important in Bhutan, hangs on at the cliff's edge more than 3000m above sea level.
The temple was first built in 1692 and believed to be where Guru Padmasambhava meditated for three years, three months, three days, three hours in the 6th century. Guru Padmasambhava is a real historical figure said to have brought Buddhism to Bhutan from Tibet and believed to be the second reincarnation of Buddha.
It was a slow and steady start up the trail but we were treated to different views of Tiger's Nest and prayer flag filled trees along the way. We also enjoyed views over the adjacent valley filled with rice and wheat paddies.
As we reached closer to the temple, we noticed small stupas made of compressed sand left as offerings along the way. The view of Tiger's Nest from the viewpoints opposite were very impressive. Simply incredible that such a temple could be built upon a cliff. We'll let the photos speak for themselves.