Established in 1968 under the visionary command of the Third Druk Gyalpo, the Samtse College of Education is Bhutan’s oldest and most prestigious teacher-training institution, anchoring the modern educational history of the kingdom. The expansive, park-like campus is laid out across rolling green lawns, lined with mature tropical trees, botanical gardens, and distinctive mid-century stone-and-timber architecture that reflects the early stages of Bhutan’s modern development.

A walk through the campus offers an authentic look into the intellectual and community heartbeat of southern Bhutan. Travelers can explore the tranquil central avenues, visit the campus library and cultural galleries, and observe the lively, welcoming energy of aspiring educators from all twenty dzongkhags studying together. Local guides often pair a stroll through the university grounds with stops at the adjacent colonial-era administrative avenues and peaceful foothill viewpoints overlooking the town below.

Flowing down from the high ridges of the outer Himalayas, the Diana River carves a wide, stone-strewn path through the heart of the district before entering the southern plains. Spanning across its rushing waters is a long pedestrian suspension bridge, connecting rural farming hamlets on the opposite bank with the main road corridors and festooned with colorful prayer flags that catch the river breeze.

The open riverbed is a favorite weekend destination for locals and a scenic, unhurried stop for travelers exploring the district’s outer valleys. The broad pebble banks offer clear panoramic views of the green sub-Himalayan foothills rising sharply to the north. In the dry season from autumn to early spring, the river’s shallow channels and gravel islands create an ideal, tranquil setting for riverside picnics, landscape photography, and quiet nature walks.

Perched on an elevated plateau overlooking the town and the Indian border plains, the recently built Samtse Dzong serves as the administrative and monastic center of the district. Designed following classical fortress principles, the structure features massive inward-tapering walls, red-and-gold timber cornices, and open stone courtyards that host official district functions, national holidays, and regional monastic rituals.

Below the fortress, the town promenade offers a relaxed, walkable experience shaded by palm trees and tropical flowering shrubs. Unlike the colder northern highland towns, evenings in Samtse are warm and social, filled with local families, college students, and traders strolling through open public squares and local fruit markets filled with fresh papayas, wild river ferns, and regional spices.

Stretching across the low, rolling hills of the district, Samtse’s green tea gardens and spice plantations form the backbone of the region’s agricultural identity. Nourished by clean Himalayan runoff and rich foothill soils, the plantations produce high-grade organic green and black tea leaves alongside fragrant large black cardamom (Alaichi) and mandarin oranges destined for domestic use and export across South Asia.

Walking through the terraced plantations offers a quiet, sensory introduction to southern Bhutanese agrarian life. Guides can arrange visits during the seasonal harvesting and drying cycles, allowing travelers to observe local farmers hand-picking tender tea shoots or curing fresh cardamom pods over traditional wood-fired kilns, followed by fresh tea tastings at local cooperative processing sheds.

Consecrated in 2015 to mark the 60th Birth Anniversary of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, the Shivalaya Mandir is the spiritual heart of Samtse town. Built under the royal command of His Majesty the King, this grand temple complex is constructed from pink sandstone and marble, showcasing classic Hindu temple architecture paired with Bhutanese motifs. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the inner sanctum houses a central lingam alongside detailed carved panels of deities, surrounded by prayer halls and tranquil reflecting pools.

The temple stands as an active symbol of interfaith harmony, cultural preservation, and national unity in southern Bhutan. Travelers frequently note the peaceful atmosphere within the manicured courtyard gardens, where local residents gather at dawn and dusk for daily prayers and evening aarti. Visiting during major festivals like Maha Shivaratri reveals a colorful, community-centered gathering of devotees from across the southern districts.

Anchoring the international frontier between Bhutan and the Indian border town of Jaigaon, the Bhutan Gate is the primary land entry point into the kingdom. The imposing archway showcases traditional Bhutanese wood craftsmanship, painted with vibrant Buddhist motifs, mythical snow lions, dragons, and intricate timber corbels beneath a classical tiered roof. Passing under the gate marks an immediate and striking transition from the crowded bustle of the border plains into the clean, orderly streets of Phuentsholing.

A walk around the gate area offers travelers a firsthand look at the daily rhythm of Himalayan cross-border commerce and modern pedestrian immigration flow. Well-kept public plazas, floral medians, and surrounding pedestrian corridors make it an engaging spot to observe everyday interactions between local shopkeepers, cross-border traders, and travelers arriving by overland routes. Local guides suggest stopping here early in the morning when pedestrian traffic is light and the morning light highlights the detailed gold-leaf woodwork on the arch.

Perched on a forested ridge 400 meters above the southern border plains, Karbandi Goemba was founded in 1967 by Royal Grandmother Ashi Phuntsho Choden. The monastery grounds feature an elegant garden filled with tropical flora, towering bougainvillea, and four large outdoor statues of Buddhist masters, framed by eight whitewashed stupas. Inside the main temple hall, intricate murals illustrate the life of Shakyamuni Buddha alongside statues of Guru Padmasambhava and Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal.

Beyond its spiritual importance—traditionally revered by couples seeking blessings for children—the monastery serves as the premier scenic viewpoint in the district. Standing on the outer promenade offers an expansive panoramic perspective overlooking the meandering Amo Chhu river and the vast, flat plains of the Bengal basin stretching south. Local guides recommend visiting in the late afternoon when the tropical heat subsides and the temple courtyard is filled with the rhythmic chanting of student monks during evening prayers.

Tucked behind high mountain passes well above 4,000 meters, Lunana is the most remote and untouched valley region in Bhutan, framed by glaciated Himalayan giants like Mount Table Mountain (Zongophu Kang). The high plateau is dotted with sacred, turquoise glacial lakes—including Thorthormi and Raphstreng—which feed the primary river systems of western Bhutan.

Visiting this isolated wilderness requires serious trekking, but it rewards travelers with a pristine landscape virtually unchanged by modern development. The semi-nomadic Lunaps live in stone-and-timber homesteads adapted to harsh alpine winters, maintaining ancient animist customs alongside Vajrayana Buddhism. Walking along these high glacial basins offers an awe-inspiring, silent encounter with the raw scale of the high Himalayas.

Encompassing the entirety of Gasa district, Jigme Dorji National Park is Bhutan’s second-largest protected area and a vital sanctuary for the Eastern Himalayas’ most elusive wildlife. The park spans incredible ecological gradients—from subtropical broadleaf forests in the lower river valleys up to glaciated alpine tundra over 7,000 meters. It is the only national park in the world where the habitats of the Royal Bengal tiger and the snow leopard directly overlap.

Hiking the park’s network of highland trails connects travelers with untouched wilderness, glacial lakes, and pristine alpine meadows dotted with blue poppies and rare medicinal herbs. Guided walks offer frequent sightings of blue sheep (bharal), musk deer, takin, and Himalayan monal pheasants grazing on steep mountain slopes, offering hikers a pure immersion into Bhutan’s strict environmental conservation heritage.

Located at nearly 3,800 meters beneath the sheer rock face of Mount Masanggang, Laya is one of the highest permanently inhabited settlements in Bhutan. Home to the indigenous Layap people, the village retains a unique semi-nomadic culture centered around yak herding, high-altitude barley farming, and wild cordyceps harvesting. The community is famous for the distinctive attire of Layap women, who wear hand-woven black yak-wool dresses and pointed bamboo hats embellished with turquoise, coral, and silver beads.

Reaching Laya takes travelers along dramatic trails lined with blue pines, rhododendron thickets, and rushing mountain torrents. Staying in or exploring the village reveals a resilient, close-knit way of life, where solar-powered timber homes welcome guests with bowls of warm yak-butter tea and dried cheese (chhurpi). In late October, the village hosts the annual Royal Highland Festival, celebrating high-altitude animal husbandry, traditional horse races, and indigenous folk dances.