– On a motorcycle through Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon

Photo reportage
Text and photos by Villads Kok Mortensen

We turn the keys and listen to the deep sound from our Royal Enfield motorcycles. The sound blends with the wind and distant, tinkling bells from a Buddhist temple. In front of us lies Bhutan, a small kingdom squeezed between the giants of India and China, hidden in the folds of the Himalayas, surrounded by myths and magic. A kingdom surrounded by the white peaks of the Himalayas, covered in eternal snow. Narrowed country roads with countless turns and mountain passes at many thousands of meters of altitude await ahead.

We turn the gas pedals. The road is narrow, the asphalt a little uneven. Every turn reveals new lush valleys, rushing waterfalls, and green mountain slopes. 

Land of the Stormbringer

Bhutan is called Press Yul – The Land of the Thunder Dragon. And that makes sense. The clouds roll low between the mountains, and when the wind takes hold, it feels like a breath from the earliest times. In these almost uninhabited mountains, the imagination can take root and grow wild. As much as 65 percent of Bhutan is covered by forests and jungles.

In the Land of the Stormbringer, wealth is measured not in money but in happiness—in gross national happiness. That sounds like a cliché, but on a motorcycle through Bhutan it suddenly makes sense. No one is in a hurry. No one is being chased. You stop, and you only continue on when the road is cleared of fallen boulders.

We drive along the country’s winding mountain roads. The concentration is total. One wrong gear selection, one moment of inattention… when the rear wheel slips out, one is reminded that fate always has the final say here in the Himalayas. The air is cool and thin, and the engines work hard as we climb higher and higher.

At the Chele La pass, at an altitude of 3,988 meters, we turn off the engines and lower the support legs. The roar of the engines is replaced by the whisper of the wind. And by silence. Jomolhari’s 7,326-meter-high glacier-covered peak rises up into the horizon. It is Bhutan’s third-highest mountain, a sacred mountain believed to be the home of the protective goddess, Jomo.

Magic and dark humor

We stop in a small traditional village. The houses have whitewashed walls and roofs of black slate. A house facade is decorated with … colorful lanterns of all sizes. Do we see correctly? They hang above the doors and, if you wish: ”decorate” the walls.

“In Bhutan, these phallus symbols are auspicious symbols,” says Sonam Dorji, our Bhutanese motorcycle guide. “They protect against evil spirits and bring fertility and good luck.” I have to look like a big question mark. Sonam smiles and explains patiently. 

The story takes us back to the past and the Divine Madman, Drukpa Kunley, A Buddhist monk who preached the seriousness and wisdom of the Buddha with humor, alcohol, and sexual symbols. “It’s both funny and deeply serious at the same time. Exactly like Bhutan itself,” laughs Sonam.

The next stop is the famous fertility stamp, Chimi Lhakhang. Here, many childless couples come to be blessed. One of the rituals against infertility involves the woman being tied to a heavy, auspicious wooden phallus on her back and walking around the temple with it. Yes, it really is quite good!

We see the large phallus sculpture that stands on the floor near an altar. In the temple we are shown a photo album with pictures of the many couples and babies that have been born after being blessed here. So maybe it might work?

The man who came flying on the back of a tiger

The absolute highlight of the journey hangs on a vertical cliff wall: Tiger's Speech, Taktsang Monastery. A small temple that seems to float 1,000 meters above the valley floor and 3,120 meters above the sea surface.

According to legend, Guru Rinpoche arrived flying on the back of a tiger in the 8th century. Guru Rinpoche was an Indian Buddhist master who played a crucial role in the introduction of Buddhism to Bhutan. Being able to fly on a tiger is a symbol of the ability to control powerful forces.

The temple was built in honor of this guru, who according to legend sat here in such deep meditation that the demons and spirits living in the mountains had to submit to him. They went from being aggressive and threatening forces of nature to serving the peaceful Buddhist religion.

We have parked the motorcycles and continue the final stretch up to Tiger's Ridge on foot. The climb is hard, the muscles in our legs tire, and our pulse races. When the temple finally appears clinging to the cliff, we become completely silent.

When the road is the goal

A motorcycle journey through Bhutan is not about reaching a goal, but about the movement. About the rhythm between the throttle and gear changes as you glide through the landscapes.

Bhutan is a country that doesn’t let you rush through it. It has to be experienced slowly – preferably from the saddle of a motorcycle and with plenty of time to stop, turn off the engine and listen to the silence as the flags flutter and the Land of the Thunder Dragon quietly roars around you.

We acknowledge this as we leave Bhutan with Druk Air – as the airline, funnily enough, is called – not on the back of a tiger.

FACTSHEET – MOTORCYCLE EXPEDITION IN BHUTAN

The motorcycles we rode on:

• Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 Cubic

Not the biggest motorcycle, but perfect for Bhutan's winding roads.

Travel organizer:

• Danish travel company: MC ASIEN ApS.
• The trip was a package tour including international flights, food, accommodation, motorcycle rental, petrol, meals, a Danish and local motorcycle guide, a companion for the luggage, a co-traveling mechanic, a visa for Bhutan – and much more.
• The next motorcycle tour through Bhutan will take place in 2027. Members of the MC Touring Club will receive 1,000 kr in discount by providing their membership number when registering. See more at mcasien.com

Practical information about the country, Bhutan:

• That is It is safe to travel in Bhutan, and it is good Infrastructure, considering that the country is a developing country, and good hotels with tourist standards in the cities of Thimpu and Paro. Outside the cities, the accommodations are more basic, but the magnificent natural experiences more than make up for it.
• Size: Bhutan is slightly smaller than Switzerland.
• Population: Bhutan has about 790,000 inhabitants.
• Forest cover: About 65–70 % of the country is covered by forests and jungles.
• In Bhutan, the government uses not only GDP but also Gross national happiness (Gross National Happiness, GNH). It measures a country’s development based on the well-being and quality of life of its citizens, and therefore not just economic growth. GNH is based, among other things, on mental and physical well-being, health and education, the environment and nature, culture, and good governance. The idea is that economic development only makes sense if it makes people happy.
• Bhutan is called “Land of the Stormbringer” (in Dzongkha, which is the official language of Bhutan). The dragon symbolizes strength and protection of the country, a spiritual power linked to Buddhism as well as to the nation’s identity and sovereignty. In Asian legends and myths, dragons are positive and protective beings. They symbolize wisdom and are associated with the forces of nature – especially rain, thunder, and mountains. Dragons are often seen as guardians of land, temples, and people.

Anthony Jones is on a motorcycle expedition in Bhutan in the Himalayas. Here he is sitting on a Royal Enfield Himalayan with a 411 cubic engine. In the background is Trongsa Dzong – an ancient fortress along the historic Silk Road.

Christer Hasse from Denmark is moving around in a swing and is in a good mood. In the background, the impressive Silk Road fortress Paro Dzong can be seen in the Bhutanese landscape.

On Royal Enfield through the Bhutan and Himalayan mountain landscapes. The white flags in the background are made by a local family as a memorial to a deceased family member. It is tradition in Bhutan to travel with 108 white flags, adorned with Buddhist prayers that flutter in the wind and help the deceased's soul move on to the next life.

Two young Buddhist monks are preparing a decoration of orange tagetes flowers in a temple at Trongsa Dzong. Both have chosen a life in the monastery.

A young mother carries her little child on her arm. They are wearing their finest folk costumes and are on their way into the local monastery in the city of Trongsa, in the middle of the Himalayas.

Most of the drive through Bhutan took place on paved roads, but we also took a few detours on dirt roads to add more excitement and adventure!

A young woman holds her child on her arm. In Bhutan, family and close relationships play a central role in everyday life.

A visit to a local school in the Phobjikha Valley. The students welcomed us with song and dance – a touching welcome and a picture of the great hospitality we encountered everywhere in Bhutan.

We are stopping at a small gas station on the side of the road to fill up our tank.

Discarded gasoline cans from neighboring India are stored at a gas station in Bhutan.

Red-brown rhesus monkeys sit along the road begging for food. They hope that passing people will throw them fruit or scraps of food.

Small clay figurines stand on a cliff ledge along the road. They are called tsa-tsas and contains ashes from deceased people. The figures are made and placed here to help the deceased's soul safely continue on its journey towards the next life.

We turn a corner in the subtropical mountains, where a large, dark green papaya tree stands. On the branches hang unripe green papaya fruits.

This isn’t for the faint of heart: a dried, rock-hard Bhutanese yakost hangs on a string in a roadside stall. The locals buy it and chew on it, and it takes a long time to make one like this, but that’s how you eat cheese in Bhutan!

At the home of a Bhutanese family. A little girl sits with a blanket over her knees, eating a bowl of rice and warming herself by the fire. In the foreground is a loom where yarn is spun from yak oxen.

An elderly man wearing the traditional Bhutanese folk dress, a so-called gho. The majority of the population in Bhutan wears traditional folk costumes every day.

We are invited to a local family’s home to eat traditional Bhutanese food. In front of the house, a group photo is taken with the whole family and the motorcyclists from Denmark. It was a heartwarming experience.

Breakfast at the home of a local woman, Sherab Dem, and her family in Bhutan. She runs a small guesthouse, and her husband has been named Bhutan’s Strongest Man, as documented by a large diploma on the wall.

Being a Buddhist monk in the ancient Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is not all meditation. Daily chores such as washing dishes also have to be taken care of.

At the entrance to a Buddhist monastery, there are funerary statues that rotate counterclockwise. According to tradition, you gain a little extra good karma if you rotate these funerary statues while reciting Buddhist prayers.

Bhutan is a Buddhist country, and beautiful temples and prayer flags can be seen everywhere. Here we are in the Ura Valley in eastern Bhutan at an altitude of about 3,000 meters.

We stop in a small village to have a cup of tea. The children in the village are very excited about the motorcycles. Smiles and laughter arise, even though we don’t speak the same language.

A woman from Bhutan wears a traditional nose ring. She belongs to the Gurung people. The nose ring is worn by married women and shows their social status. For example, a gold ring with gemstones is a sign of wealth.

Archery is the national sport in Bhutan. On the left is motorcycle guide Purna Ghalley, together with the Danish motorcyclist Jacob Tue Larsen, getting ready to shoot. We are holding a pleasant archery competition in the Phobjikha valley at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters.

Archery competition in the Himalayas. Here we see Jan Andersen, a painter from Roskilde, concentrating on his shot.

View of terraced fields in the Haa Valley in western Bhutan. Rice is being grown here, which will soon be ready to be harvested.

Gilad Mizrahi rides around in a Royal Enfield. On the way, there are queues from the villages. In Bhutan, the queues often settle on the asphalt, where they are free from the ticks and flies in the grass. They seem completely unaffected by the traffic.

View from the mountain pass Pele La in Bhutan, approximately 3,900 meters above sea level. In the horizon is Jomolhari, which at 7,326 meters is Bhutan’s third highest mountain. It is believed to be the home of the protective goddess, Jomo.

Painting from the cargo hold of a truck in Bhutan: “Druk Gas”. Druk means dragon. The truck is running around with kitchen gas.

This is not a circus wagon, but an ordinary truck in Bhutan. It is decorated with auspicious religious symbols that are said to ensure good fortune and a safe journey and zero accidents.

Druk means dragon in Dzongkha, the language spoken in Bhutan. Here it makes sense: ”Druk” on a beer can in a supermarket in Thimphu!

Druk Air is the name of the national airline that flies to and from Bhutan. Druk means dragon in Dzongkhag – the language spoken in Bhutan

Our motorcycle guide Sonam Dorji shows us a punctured target. Almost every village in Bhutan has its own archery range, where competitions are often held. The Bhutanese are excellent archers.

Two very young Buddhist monks have climbed onto a Royal Enfield. One of them holds the handlebars and imitates the engine sound with his mouth.

A large, erect phallus ”adorns” the eaves of a house in the Himalayas. Phallus symbols are auspicious and protect against evil spirits in this part of the world.

Two carved phallus symbols are painted on a wall at the entrance to a small temple in a village in Bhutan.

The iconic Buddhist monastery of Taktsang, better known as Tiger’s Nest. The monastery hangs dramatically on a cliff ledge at an altitude of 3,120 meters above sea level – one of Bhutan’s most impressive sights.

Author and photographer of the article: Villads Mortensen