Paro

Location: West of Thimphu
Elevation: 2,250m, 7,382ft

Paro is a broad and beautiful valley,home to the Paro International Airport, the only port of arrival as well as departure by air for international travelers.The Paro valley is very fertile with paddy, wheat, millet, potatoes, apple and seasonal vegetables grown as the main crops. Double story Bhutanese farm houses richly painted is a common scene in Paro.

Paro is also home to about 650 monasteries, temples and monuments but none is as dramatic as the 8th century Taktsang, or ‘Tiger’s Nest’ temple. A highly revered temple built on a sheer cliff face at a height of 2,950 m, the site is widely visible from the valley floor.

The main Paro town used to be just a single street of traditional 2-story houses but has seen a major boom in the last few years with handicraft stores and restaurants and now lately quite a few discos, bars and snookers rooms have mushroomed up.