Bhutan in Spring: Following the Rhododendrons

There are places where choosing the right month can completely change the journey.

Bhutan is one of them.

I travelled there in May, when rhododendrons were flowering across the mountains, adding flashes of colour to an already extraordinary landscape.

Bhutan has an atmosphere that feels unlike almost anywhere else.

Monasteries cling improbably to mountainsides. Prayer flags move in the wind. Traditional architecture remains an everyday part of life rather than something preserved purely for visitors.

And everywhere, there are mountains.

Of course, there is the famous climb to Tiger’s Nest, but Bhutan shouldn’t be reduced to a single photograph or landmark.

The joy is in travelling slowly through the valleys, visiting monasteries and villages, stopping when something catches your attention and gradually beginning to understand a country that has deliberately chosen its own path through the modern world.

It is also a destination where timing matters enormously.

Different seasons bring different landscapes, festivals and conditions. For me, seeing Bhutan in spring, surrounded by rhododendrons, became part of the memory of the country itself.

This is exactly what I mean when I talk about travelling to the right place at the right time.

Where you go matters.

When you go can matter just as much.