Paro Through a Local's Eyes: A Bhutanese Guide Shares Her Favorite Places
Dorji Wangmo has been a licensed guide in Paro for 11 years. She's climbed to Tiger's Nest Monastery over 200 times, watched thousands of tourists attempt the same hike, and has opinions about every single restaurant in the valley. She grew up in a farmhouse 20 minutes from Paro town and has no plans to live anywhere else.
We met at a cafe overlooking the Paro Chhu river, drank sweet butter tea, and talked for two hours about what travelers get right, what they get wrong, and why Bhutan is worth the investment.
Q: The Sustainable Development Fee is $100/day. Tourists often balk at that. What would you say to them?
I'd say: look at what it funds. Every Bhutanese citizen has free healthcare. Free education through university. Our forests cover 72% of the country — we're one of the only carbon-negative nations on Earth. The roads, the bridges, the rural clinics — the SDF pays for all of it.
And honestly? I've seen what mass tourism does. I've visited Kathmandu and Bali. Beautiful places, but the pressure of millions of budget tourists has changed them. Bhutan chose a different path — fewer visitors, higher value, lower environmental impact.
Does $100/day sound like a lot? Compare it to what a day in Switzerland or Norway costs. Except here, the money directly builds the country you're visiting. I think that's a fair trade.
Q: What's the most common mistake tourists make in Paro?
Not taking the first day easy. Paro sits at 2,280 meters. Tiger's Nest reaches 3,120 meters. Chelela Pass hits nearly 4,000 meters. I've had guests arrive from sea level and try to hike Tiger's Nest on day one. By the halfway point, they're dizzy, nauseous, and miserable.
Spend your first day in the valley. Walk slowly. Drink water. Visit Rinpung Dzong, cycle along the river, eat lunch in town. Let your body adjust. Then do Tiger's Nest on day two or three. You'll enjoy it ten times more.
Q: Speaking of Tiger's Nest — what don't the guidebooks tell you?
That the cafeteria at the halfway point has the best view of the monastery. Seriously. The angle from there — across the valley, framed by pine trees — is better than the view from the monastery itself. Have tea (they serve excellent butter tea and biscuits), catch your breath, and take your photos.
Also: the hike is hard. Tourists underestimate it. It's 2-3 hours up, at altitude, on a steep trail. I've seen marathon runners struggle. Bring water, wear proper shoes (not sandals — I've seen that too), and start early. By 10AM the trail gets hot and crowded.
Inside the monastery, no cameras. That rule is absolute. But honestly, the experience of being inside — the smell of butter lamps, the sound of monks chanting, the feeling of standing on a cliff that drops 900 meters — is better without a camera in your hands anyway.
Q: What are your personal favorite spots that tourists often miss?
Chelela Pass. It's the highest motorable road in Bhutan at 3,988 meters. On a clear day, you can see Mount Jomolhari — 7,326 meters, Bhutan's most sacred peak — and Jichu Drake. The prayer flags at the pass are incredible. Yak herders camp nearby in summer.
The drive through blue pine forest takes about 1.5 hours from Paro, and most tourists don't bother because Tiger's Nest takes all their energy. But if you have a third day, go to Chelela.
Also: the farmhouses around Paro valley. My parents' house is a traditional Bhutanese farmhouse with painted wooden window frames and a prayer room on the top floor. Some families offer farmhouse lunches for tourists — you sit on the floor, eat ema datshi and red rice, and hear stories about life in the valley. Ask your guide to arrange this. It won't be in any guidebook.
Q: Tell us about ema datshi.
(Laughs) Ema datshi is who we are. It's chili and cheese. That's it. Fresh green or red chilies cooked in a cheese sauce — sometimes with potato (kewa datshi), sometimes with mushroom (shamu datshi), sometimes just the chilies themselves.
Tourists always ask: "Is it spicy?" Yes. It's very spicy. We eat chilies like Americans eat ketchup — it goes on everything. If you can't handle heat, say "tsheymey" (without chili), and the kitchen will make a milder version. But try the real thing at least once.
Red rice is Bhutan's staple. It's grown in high-altitude paddies and has a nutty, earthy flavor. With ema datshi, red rice, and maybe some momos (dumplings), that's a Bhutanese meal. It costs 200-500 BTN ($2.50-6) at local restaurants.
Q: What about the archery?
Archery is our national sport. Not the Olympic kind — our bows are bamboo (traditional) or compound (modern), and the target is 145 meters away. That's far. Really far. When someone hits the target, the whole team does a celebratory dance.
There's an archery ground near Paro town where locals practice on weekends. Just show up and watch. People are friendly and will explain the rules. If you want to try, ask your guide to arrange a lesson — about 500-800 BTN for an hour. You'll miss the target. Everyone does at first. But the experience of trying is wonderful.
Q: What customs should visitors know about?
Walk clockwise around religious monuments — stupas, mani walls, prayer wheels. Always clockwise. It follows the direction of the prayers.
Remove your hat inside temples and dzongs. No pointing at religious images. No sitting with your feet directed toward a Buddha statue or a monk.
Bhutanese people are modest. Paro isn't conservative in a restrictive sense, but we value modesty. Cover your shoulders and legs when visiting temples or dzongs. And please don't bargain aggressively at shops — it's considered rude here. Prices are usually fair.
Photography outside temples is almost always fine. Inside prayer halls, never. Ask before photographing monks — most will say yes with a smile, but asking shows respect.
Q: What do tourists get wrong about Bhutan?
Two things. First, they think Bhutan is expensive because of the SDF. But the SDF doesn't cover your hotel, food, guide, or transport — those are additional costs. A realistic budget for mid-range travel is $200-350/day total. That's SDF + 3-star hotel + guide + meals + transport. It's not a backpacker destination, but it's not as expensive as people assume once you understand the cost structure.
Second, they think Gross National Happiness means everyone is happy all the time. That's a misunderstanding. GNH is a development philosophy — it means the government measures progress by wellbeing indicators (health, education, ecology, culture) rather than just GDP. Bhutanese people have problems, frustrations, and bad days like everyone else. We're just measured differently.
Q: If someone has only 2 days in Paro, what should they do?
Day 1: Arrive, rest, adjust to altitude. Walk through Paro town. Visit Rinpung Dzong (the fortress-monastery — stunning architecture, free entry). Cross the old cantilever bridge for photos. Lunch at a local restaurant — try ema datshi. Afternoon at the National Museum (Ta Dzong) above the dzong — 300 BTN, fascinating thangka paintings and textiles. Evening: walk along the river and watch the valley turn gold.
Day 2: Tiger's Nest. Start at 7AM. Budget 5-6 hours including tea at the cafeteria. The hike is 2-3 hours up, 1.5-2 hours down. Afternoon: if you still have energy, drive to Drukgyel Dzong ruins for mountain views, or visit Kyichu Lhakhang — one of Bhutan's oldest temples (7th century).
With three days, add Chelela Pass and a farmhouse lunch.
Q: What keeps you here?
The valley. I've traveled — Thailand, India, Nepal, Singapore. Beautiful places. But Paro valley in spring, when the apple trees bloom and the prayer flags catch the wind, and the only sounds are the river and the chanting from Rinpung Dzong... For a different perspective, consider Kathmandu as well. Travelers who enjoy this often also love Shimla.
There's a Bhutanese concept: "soo gyay" — a deep satisfaction that comes from being exactly where you're meant to be. I feel that here. If you're exploring the region, Darjeeling offers a compelling comparison. For a different perspective, consider Leh-Ladakh as well.
