Higher ground

Step one: mountains

Bhutan is one of very few countries in the world that has never been fully conquered by invaders. Spectacular fortress monasteries stand sentinel in mountain valleys, echoing throughout the day with the chants of praying monks. Buddhism touches every aspect of life here, and there’s an inescapable feeling of calm and peace that pervades the country.

Bhutan’s most iconic monastery is in the country’s west. Perched on a cliff plunging hundreds of feet to the valley floor, it gazes over soft pine forests towards the town of Paro. A snowstorm swirled around it when I visited in early