Dzongdrakha Goemba

Dzongdrakha sits on a shelf in the cliff above Bondey in the lower Paro valley, a row of four small temples strung along the ledge, dedicated to Tara, Guru Rinpoche, Shakyamuni and Tsheringma, with a large chorten at one end. It gets compared to Taktsang and called a smaller version of it, which undersells it a little: the setting is genuinely striking, the walk up is short and manageable at around half an hour, and there are almost never other visitors, which cannot be said of the Tiger's Nest. An annual festival is held here in spring. The path climbs through fields and pine from the valley floor, and the ledge gives a long view down the valley toward Paro town.

What you actually see

• Four cliff temples - small shrines strung along the rock ledge.
• The large chorten - the stupa at the end of the row.
• The valley view - Paro and its fields seen from the shelf.
• A quiet site - a cliff temple complex without crowds.

When to go

March to May and September to November. The spring festival brings local people and masked dance. Mornings are cooler for the climb. Monsoon months make the path muddy and the views poor.

Honest expectations

The climb is short but steep in places. Temples may be locked, since a caretaker holds the keys and is not always present. Photography inside is not permitted. Facilities are none. It is a modest site and comparisons with Taktsang set the wrong expectation.

Nearby

Paro town lies north; the airport is in the valley below.