Eastern Bhutan Travel Guide: Trashigang, Mongar & Silk Weavers

Offbeat eastern Bhutan — Trashigang Dzong, Chorten Kora, Khoma village silk weavers, Trashiyangtse, and the Trans-Bhutan Highway journey.

Why Visit Eastern Bhutan?

Eastern Bhutan is Bhutan's best-kept secret — a rugged, roadless-until-recently region of dense jungle, dramatic river gorges, and isolated ethnic communities who weave the finest raw-silk textiles in the world. Unlike the well-trodden Paro–Thimphu–Punakha triangle, eastern Bhutan sees very few tourists and offers a completely authentic, unpolished Bhutan experience.

Getting to Eastern Bhutan

By Air: Yongphula Airport (Trashigang) has occasional Druk Air domestic flights from Paro. By Road: Thimphu to Trashigang is ~7 hours via the Trans-Bhutan Highway through Trongsa, Bumthang, Mongar, and Lhuntse. The road is winding but extraordinarily scenic.

Trashigang Dzong

Trashigang Dzong (Fortress of the Auspicious Mountain) towers dramatically above the confluence of the Drangme Chhu and Gamri rivers. Built in 1659, the dzong has withstood floods and earthquakes. It is the administrative headquarters of Trashigang district — the largest in Bhutan. Inside: active monastic school and residences for district government officials.

Chorten Kora — Bhutan's Bodhnath

Located in Trashiyangtse near the Arunachal Pradesh border, Chorten Kora is a large white stupa built in 1740 modelled after the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu. It's one of eastern Bhutan's most important religious monuments. The annual Chorten Kora Tshechu (February/March) draws thousands of devotees from Arunachal Pradesh's Monpa tribes across the border.

Khoma Village — Raw Silk Weaving

Khoma is a small village of 60 households near Lhuntse that produces Bhutan's most prized raw silk textiles — Kishuthara (silk with intricate woven patterns). Each Kishuthara fabric takes 3–6 months to weave on traditional backstrap looms and sells for ₹30,000–₹1,50,000. Watching the weavers is a meditative, beautiful experience.

Merak and Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary

For adventurous travellers, the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in eastern Bhutan is a restricted semi-nomadic community area inhabited by the Brokpa people (yak-herding nomads). The sanctuary is also famous as the only wildlife sanctuary in the world created to protect the yeti (migoi in Dzongkha). Permits required; minimum 5-day trek.