Gasa Tshachu

Tshachu means hot spring, and Bhutan has a number of them used medicinally, with different sources credited for different complaints; Gasa is the best known. The pools sit beside the Mo Chhu below the dzong, several stone-lined baths of varying temperature fed from the source, roofed and separated for men and women, and people come from across the country in winter to soak for days at a time, camping or staying in simple accommodation nearby. It is a social occasion as much as a treatment, with families settling in for a week. Facilities were rebuilt after flood damage. Foreign visitors are welcome but this is a domestic institution rather than a spa, and the etiquette of the pools is worth asking about beforehand.

What you actually see

• Stone bathing pools - separate baths at different temperatures.
• Winter soaking culture - families staying for days to take the waters.
• The riverside setting - the springs beside the Mo Chhu below the dzong.
• Simple accommodation - basic lodging and camping for bathers.

When to go

November to March is the traditional season, when Bhutanese come in numbers and the contrast between cold air and hot water is the point. Monsoon brings flood risk to the riverside site. Summer is quiet.

Honest expectations

Facilities are basic: stone pools, changing shelters and simple lodging, not a developed spa. The pools are shared and busy in season. Etiquette around washing before entering and dress matters. The road to Gasa is rough and the site has been damaged by floods before.

Nearby

Gasa Dzong is above; Laya lies north on foot.