Merak

Merak sits at about 3,500 metres in the Sakteng sanctuary, one of two main Brokpa villages, and the community lives from yaks: milk, butter, cheese, wool and hides, with herds moved between pastures through the year and much of the household economy still built around them. Brokpa dress is distinctive and everyday rather than ceremonial, including the tsipee cham, a black felt hat with twisted spouts hanging from the brim to run rainwater off the face, and jackets of yak hair and sheep wool. The village has stone houses, a temple and a school, and homestays take visitors. A trek of two or three days links Merak to Sakteng over a pass. The road arrived recently and is changing the place quickly.

What you actually see

• Yak herding - the animals and the economy built entirely around them.
• Brokpa dress - the spouted felt hats and yak-hair clothing in daily use.
• Stone village houses - the settlement at 3,500 metres.
• The trek to Sakteng - the two or three day route over the pass.

When to go

April to June and September to November. Winter is severe and the pass between the villages closes. The Brokpa move to lower pastures in the coldest months, so the village empties in part.

Honest expectations

Altitude at 3,500 metres is felt, particularly if arriving quickly by road. Homestays are basic with shared rooms and no plumbing. Food is limited and dairy-heavy. Photographing people and their homes needs asking, and the community has had a rapid increase in visitors since the road opened.

Nearby

Sakteng is over the pass; Trashigang lies west.