Bhutan is a destination unlike any other, and there is plenty to do, no matter what your activity level. As a mom of three kids, I’d recommend traveling to Bhutan when the kids are a little older, probably starting from age 10 and up. A trip to Bhutan can be physically taxing, and the spiritual and cultural lessons to be had may not be appreciated.

There are many ways to start and finish your trip in Bhutan, depending on how many nights you have and how much you want to see. I began with two nights in Paro, mainly due to Dubai’s flight schedule. This allowed some time for acclimating before starting off on the rest of my journey through Bhutan. Alternatively, many people skip Paro in the beginning to spend more time there at the end.

I stayed at Zhiwaling Heritage Hotel, a certified National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. It’s a very peaceful property located just 10 minutes outside of downtown Paro and synergizes the traditional with modern touches. After arriving midday, my guide allowed me some time to rest, have lunch and refresh, and then drove me to Paro as we walked around town and talked. It doesn’t take long – maybe 30 minutes to walk from one side of town to the other. Paro is home to Tiger’s Nest monastery, or Paro Taktsang, which I will go into detail at the end of this article.

On our way to Punakha valley, we stopped in a village called Sopsokha, best known as The Phallus Village. The phallus is a symbol of fertility, but is also rooted in the story of Drukpa Kunley, AKA the “divine madman,” a Buddhist saint who dates back to the 15th century. A lesson learned from this trip: every town in Bhutan is unique, so if you see something that you’d like to take home, don’t second guess yourself and just buy it because you likely won’t see the same thing twice. These little (and rather large) handicrafts were exclusive to this town, so I missed out on the opportunity for some epic Christmas gifts.

Punakha is a peaceful valley and famous for the Punakha Dzong temple, the second largest and also oldest temple in Bhutan. At this temple, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the founder of Bhutan, is entombed in the Machen Lhakhang temple within the Punakha Dzong. I mentioned our guide’s golden key. With that, we received the exclusive opportunity for a blessing by the Machey Lam, a lama whose sole role for the entirety of his life is to watch over the tomb of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. Leave it to me to blow this sacred moment by drinking from a water bottle during the ceremony. I learned the hard way that you’re not supposed to do that.

After my botched blessing, we headed over to the Punakha suspension bridge, which magnificently connects two towns. During our walk, we could peek down into a Buddhist seminary, witnessing young monks-in- training playing soccer and basketball. Bhutanese boys may enter the monastery as young as 6-years-old, and it’s typically the first-born in the family to go. Imagine delivering your young son to a lifelong commitment to preserving and practicing the doctrine of Buddhism. As an American I found this so heartbreaking, but in Bhutan, the practice and sacrifice is deeply honored and respected. Eventually, the Buddhist monk is allowed to occasionally return home for visits, but they are largely part of the monk sangha and will remain so for the remainder of his life. The suspension bridge is also amazing, and I wish I could say that I crossed it with confidence and bravery. I was about 15 steps in when my fear of heights kicked in and I retreated back like a total coward. Heights and I don’t mix well, but for any normal person, I would highly recommend the experience of crossing the suspension bridge in Punakha.

Next we traveled to Thimpu, which is a beautiful lush valley with a river that runs through it. Between Thimpu and Punakha lies 108 stupas at Dochu La, which is a must-see. Built in 2006, Buddha Point is a giant statue that sits atop a mountain and rises high over the city. It was a gift from other countries to the Bhutanese king for his 60th birthday, and presently remains one of the most important landmarks in Bhutan. During our time in Thimpu, a festival for Buddhist monks was taking place at Buddha Point. Again, the golden key gave us the opportunity to visit this conference. It required a 3 AM wakeup call, but it was well worth the extra effort and something few people will ever experience and I certainly will never experience again. We were literally the only tourists there amongst thousands of attendees, which felt a bit intrusive but also gave me an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

Our journey continued up the winding roads of Bhutan, up and up to Haa, a small town in northern Bhutan with 13,000 people and 11,000 farmers. It is the least populated district of Bhutan but we came here for a good reason, which I’ll get to in a second. First, we stopped for lunch at an exclusive homestead along the way, which again opened to us with that golden key. Lunch was an authentic Bhutanese meal of chili cheese and hoentay, prepared by a mother and her daughter and served as we sat around in a circle on floor cushions.

Following lunch, we drove to the metaphorical and literal end of the road, where we unpacked our bags to trek into territory that belongs to the elusive red panda, snow leopard, pheasants, foxes, small cats, wild boar, the bengal tiger, and the Himalayan black bear found at higher altitudes. Now, to set the stage: I am not a hiker nor an outdoorsman. I was wearing Golden Goose sneakers, of all the shoes! But don’t you worry, I will be sending you a proper packing list. After a brief rain, we ventured through a path of thick mud toward the mysterious Sangwa Camp, a site that I Googled in vain to try to find out more information. Organized by the one and only MyBhutan, the experience involves an entire village taking two weeks to assemble a remote camp site, complete with temporary plumbing and electricity. The luxury traveler, like myself, need not sacrifice an actual toilet, a real bed, furnishings, incredible dining with an on-site chef, and even a spa tent set up especially for a massage in the middle of the woods. It would be a disservice to yourself to experience Bhutan without experiencing Sangwa Camp, and I cannot recommend it enough. It was the highlight of my trip, and something I will never forget. I’m going to leave it at that because the element of surprise is half the fun, but it was truly one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life.

While I didn’t get to reach Laya on this trip, it intrigues me enough for a return visit to Bhutan as soon as I am able. The indigenous Layaps live 12,533 feet above sea level in the highest village of Bhutan, and are most famous for harvesting cordyceps, a caterpillar fungus that look as disgusting as they sound. This highly sought after medicinal fountain of youth goes for $15,000 for 3.5 ounces. Yes, read that again slowly. Cordyceps boost your immune system, increase athletic and sexual performance, and slows the aging process. Who wouldn’t want all of that? While I didn’t try any, apparently it’s quite effective as there is a huge market for them and as a result, the Layaps are loaded.

Maybe less interesting to some, but more interesting to me, are the exquisitely beautiful genes of the Laya, the hats and garments that they wear, and their status symbol of wealth. The pots stacked in their kitchen are the status symbol – a fully loaded kitchen is like the Birkin bag of Laya. Unfortunately, there are only two men who know how to make the Layap hats, so a part of MyBhutan’s mission is to preserve these ancient traditions. Through their Soul Projects, an apprenticeship program will be funded to ensure the next generation is taught the beautiful craft of this hat making tradition.