Laya

Laya sits at around 3,800 metres in the far north, the highest permanent settlement of any size in Bhutan, and its people, the Layap, keep a way of life built on yaks: herding at altitude, trading butter and cheese down the valley, and moving with the seasons. Layap women are recognisable by a conical bamboo hat with a spike on top and by dark wool dress with silver ornament, and the distinctiveness is genuine rather than staged. The village is reached on foot in two days from the road head above Gasa, through forest and then above the treeline, and treks continue from here into Lunana on the Snowman route. The Royal Highlander Festival is held each October with yak competitions, sports and traders from the northern communities.

What you actually see

• Layap dress - the conical bamboo hats and silver-ornamented wool.
• Yak herding - the animals and the economy built around them.
• High stone houses - the village at 3,800 metres below the border peaks.
• The Highlander Festival - October gathering with yak competitions.

When to go

April to June and September to October for the trek in. The Royal Highlander Festival is in October. Winter cuts the village off with snow. Monsoon makes the trail difficult and leech-ridden lower down.

Honest expectations

Reaching Laya means two days of trekking each way with camps, arranged through a licensed operator; there is no road. Altitude at 3,800 metres affects people. Accommodation is camping or basic homestays. The festival brings many visitors and books out early.

Nearby

Gasa lies south; the Snowman trek continues north and east.