I Spent 72 Hours in Bhutan with National Geographic | Juanpa Zurita | Nat Geo’s Best of the World

I am currently standing on the longest suspension bridge of all Bhutan. I'm about to take you on a journey way up near some of the tallest mountains in the entire world. This country’s tiny, but mighty. And it's in the Himalayas between Tibet and Nepal. They say it's the happiest country on Earth. This is Bhutan.

About six years ago, I tweeted ‘I really wanted to work with National Geographic’ and now, I'm here. Made up of more than 70% forest, this is the first carbon negative country in the world. A legendary land of warm smiles, colorful robes, prayer flags, and spicy chilies that will make even me, a Mexican, sweat.

You said it's 30 minutes away, the hospital? Yes, the hospital is 30 minutes away. We're going to be experiencing Bhutan in two different ways. We're going to start with a homestay and then we're going to go to &beyond, which is part of National Geographic's Best Of The World list. But if you know me, you know I love a challenge, so we're going to experience Bhutan in two ways as we eat, we cook, we adventure, even possibly practice Buddhism, and most importantly, see if I can get the happiest people on earth to laugh... either at me or with me.

I live in Mexico City, and I make videos all around the world, but really, nowhere as far as this. I'm in Mexico City and our destination is going to be Bhutan. It took over 30 hours to get here. I am currently in Bangkok, Thailand. At least four flights. Still traveling. But that's what it takes for a once-in-a-lifetime destination. I think it's been two days. This should be the very last plane.

It's been 20 seconds in Bhutan, and we have seen one, two... wow, there's a whole family up there, you see them? Wow. Okay, so here's a plan, I'm about to show you the two ways I did everything to begin, the accommodations we have, our homestay, and then a hotel stay at &beyond. We’re starting with the first one, which is homestay, which I don't know exactly what it means if I'm pretty honest with you guys.

I found out from my host, Tsoki, that homestays in Bhutan are often traditional farmhouses that show off Bhutanese architecture. And is this your house? Yes. This is your house. It’s our family house, yeah. But honestly, Tsoki was being extremely modest, here are the numbers. This beautiful building was built 75 years ago by Tsoki’s grandfather, who served two different kings and built three temples inside.

You heard right - three. This is my homestay, which should honestly be called like mansion stay. So I'll, I'll follow you, yeah show me, show me around. I want to follow you. You follow me, okay? Yeah. Welcome, welcome to your own house. So all of this was built by your grandparents? Yes. The three floors of the house are temple rooms. You have a three temple room? Yes. Somewhere in here is my room? Yes. This way? Upstairs, yes.

This is all so beautiful. This way. This is my room? Whoa! Oh my God, look at this. This is crazy. Wow, this room is amazing. I'm happy you like it. I love it. Look at this ceiling. What? So back to our initial promise, two ways. When I heard &beyond, I definitely expected a high rise hotel with some sort of resort pool, but instead, this place is in the middle of nature inside the Punakha Valley, next to the Mo Chhu River, and the crazy part is that it only has nine rooms. Well, eight now, right? Hello.

They are extremely proud to be a window into an authentic Bhutanese lifestyle. They have the yoga studios, the meditational sessions, the world-class food, their traditional spa that I will definitely test. And from here, you can also go to Himalayan hikes, mountain biking, and rafting - that we'll get to later. Wow. I'm so excited.

But what makes this even more unique is something they call a tented suite. Welcome to your room. And they have six. Wow. I love it in here. This bathroom is out of control. Look at this beautiful bathtub with this skylight over here. My girlfriend would absolutely love this. We also do have an outdoor shower, you know, bathing in nature. And then you come behind, you have a little secret door for your room service. Good morning, how are you?

When you travel to Bhutan, it is actually mandatory to have a guide in almost every place. So for the adventures that &beyond had organized, I am always going to be with Tashi who will be guiding me through the local culture, Buddhist practices, and hopefully even the rafting.

Coming to Bhutan, if you don't stop here you are missing a big thing in Bhutan. We are visiting Dochula Pass, a memorial of 108 stupas dedicated to the fallen soldiers. When people come here, what is it proper practice to do here? Let me take you around these Stupas here, basically which we call ‘kora’ and then we always go clockwise. We're doing a Kora? Yes. We'll just go around.

When people perform Koras, they walk around a sacred place that will bring them closer to enlightenment. Tashi said that even the cars driving by will take a full kora of the memorial. We do not do for self, you should never think of self. Oh, wow. So whenever you do kora, whenever you chant, think of all the sentient beings. It's for collective goodness. Exactly. It's not only for you, it's for everyone. Everyone. Oh, that's amazing.

Do you mind if I do a couple of koras? Sure, sure we can. Yes, yes. We'll come back to Tashi for rafting if I do convince him. But for now, up the hill and overlooking the massive valley of the homestay, Tsoki has brought me to a nearby village to learn archery. Nice to meet you. Hello. Hello. How are you? Okay, so he's going to be my coach? Okay. I will follow you.

Nearly every village has a field for archery, and the Bhutanese people perform ceremonial dances during competitions. I was really bad; I was really bad at it. I really want to be able to hit the target. Memay and I, we never really understood each other because we just don't speak the same language, but he prayed for me so I’d hit the target. It hurt to fail. Memay's last ditch effort to get at least one of my arrows on the target was to change me into a Gho, a traditional national garment worn by men.

Thank you. I got fitted sort of live out of nowhere. They really wrap you up. Don't ask me how, at the end of it, the Gho fitted perfectly. Perfectly. And of course, the pressure was higher. Wow, thank you! I have to hit the target, that is my test. That was hurting me. I felt that if I didn't hit the target, I sort of failed all of them. Okay, one more. Basically, the director let me know that we must go on. I'm trying to negotiate the entire round. He's laughing behind the camera as we speak. It was the last arrows that we had.

You hear that nice sound that you hit the target. I got so excited, I got as excited as if Mexico won the World Cup. And it was amazing. Back at &beyond, Tashi and I swapped the Ghos for the wetsuits and helmets. Yes, he was convinced. So when you think of Bhutan, you're probably thinking of Buddhism, maybe collective happiness. Well, you are right, but we also have Punakha River.

I don't know how this is going to go, but we're about to find out. Apparently, Tashi isn't all history lessons; he jumped into the raft, and he is a pro with the paddle. Me? Not even close. It seems for me that rivers are the heart of Bhutan. The rafting is like the best way to experience it. It's a must. Here come the rapids. It was a lot of fun. I love you. Love you too, Juanpa. Buckle up!

Stop. This is not good for me, team. Okay, we are currently stuck in the middle of the Punakha river. Forward, team, forward! Hey, help me! High five! Can I offer you a warm towel? Yeah, warm towel, sure. I was ready to continue the quest, and then I saw someone waiting there with some warm towels, some fruit. No way! This is great. It’s a nice hug after the extreme adventure. You get the best of both worlds.

I've never had sort of like, adventure and hospitality mixed together like this. I don't know what's going on. After the ice-cold river, it was perfect timing to try the traditional Bhutanese hot stone bath at &beyond, but what I didn't know is that it was going to be an entire experience of its own. Wow, this is amazing. This is great. This is our way of doing a traditional hot stone bath.

Stones are heated on a fire outside the spa and then dropped into the cold water, which warms the bath and releases their minerals. You can ring this bell for any help; we’ll be here for you. Is there a rock coming? Every time you go ‘ding’, there's a new rock coming in and increases more the temperature. Okay, let's check it out. I believe you can do it. Ah, it’s hot... it is hot. It's hotter than what I thought.

Oh, that's so nice. Are you gonna throw like onions in here? Are you planning on making a dish with me? Mexican, the Bhutanese way? No, I just want you to relax. It's very hot, it's very immersive, and then you end up completely relaxed. I hope I don't regret this. Okay, here it is. Okay, so it's been 21 minutes. Okay, time to exit the bath.

After we saw that, I can handle one Bhutanese heat, I was back with Tsoki at the homestay where it was time to discover the heat of Bhutanese cuisine. So traditional and really local because all of the rice was grown right here on her farms. But now all of that didn't matter because it was Mexico versus Bhutan, because Tsoki challenged me to a hot chili competition.

This is the spicy challenge. Oh, that’s the spicy challenge? Okay. How do we know which one handles this better? I don’t know if you’ll go red, or? Who needs water first? Many Bhutanese dishes use chili even more than Mexico because they eat it like a vegetable. Oh, it’s up there! This is real spicy. My tongue is on fire as we speak. I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m sweating a little bit.

I passed the spicy challenge, I think. So Tsoki invited me to see the traditional outdoor kitchen with its classic Bhutanese stove built from mud and stone. And in the kitchen, the walls are blackened from generations of cooking on wood fires. Today I'm going to try Tsoki’s favorite chili dish, the Mengey, also known as Bhutanese pizza, made out of rice dough.

We first are going to make the rice dough, right? And then you want to plate it. So we'll make a few plates of that, and then we'll make the paste. You can start doing this. Yeah, yeah. Just put your hand on top so it doesn't come out. Amaranthus is the seed. Ah, Amaranthus. This is the seeds and then she's added some butter and a little bit of red chili powder. That’s spicy, no? A little bit spicy.

Why is it that color? What is it like? Green? The green is from the coriander and spring onions. Okay, and now it's ready. Yeah, it's ready now, that’s it. Cheers! I’m trying to find any similar flavors that I’ve had, but I... it's very unique and it's spicy. Is it very spicy? No, no. It's like it's like good, good spicy.

I like that about Bhutanese food; it’s like Mexican food, you guys put spicy in everything. Yeah. So the weather changed pretty fast, but Tashi was faster with a classic &beyond experience, bringing me to a nearby village to learn how to make Bhutanese alcohol. So, I was going to have my first taste of Ara. Hello. So Juanpa, meet Tshewang Pem.

Tshewang Pem? Ara is basically a homemade alcoholic drink. In this case, often made with barley and rice that can be fermented for up to four months before it's distilled. And like everything in Bhutan, Tashi suggested that I drink it very hot. Oh yeah, it’s so hot, right? It’s so hot! Try, it's very tasty. How is it? Caliente! Tell her it’s caliente.

What do you mean by caliente? Caliente means hot in Mexico. And, taste wise how was it? It was great, can I have more? It was almost like mescal, except it was way stronger and was nothing like mescal. Delicious. Delicious. This functions as a kind of a tripod where this part is resting, see? This is the pot - inside there we have a fermented rice and barley. Yes.

So the grains are there, and they're fermented? Yes. And they're getting distilled? Yes. Because of the temperature, right? Exactly. That becomes Ara. Voila! Tashi told me that I handled the Ara pretty well, apparently. Let’s go? Si, claro. I was invited upstairs to try Doma, which is a combination of areca nut, betal leaves, and slaked lime. They told me that when you chew it, it becomes an extremely powerful anesthetic and apparently an aphrodisiac. I had to try it.

Put it in your mouth. Okay. As you chew, there's some chemical reaction happening. Okay. Which, which, which basically, you know... Why is she laughing? Because it's very unusual, you know, foreigner to chew Doma. This means keep on chewing. Tell her I will chew chew, ‘til I die. I don’t know why, Bhutanese people keep laughing about me, or with me, I'm not sure yet.

Okay. It’s strong. Yes, it’s hard. It’s like a rock! You just put it in your mouth, gradually, gradually. I can chew the plant, but ah, okay. You have to break it. This is powerful, guys. Put it in one side of the mouth, keep it for a while, just taking the juice. Wow, this is so strong. I feel like my tongue is getting a little bit... asleep. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's going to numb.

I'm numb and drunk right now. Stick out your tongue, let me see your tongue. Tongue? See, it's getting reddish now, you just keep on playing. I get now why it helps her with the aching because you do get numb. Yes. Okay, now back at the homestay, I got a full tour of the three temples that Tsoki’s grandfather built for his family and for the local community to practice Buddhism and celebrate festivals.

Tsoki, this is insane. I've never seen anything like this in my entire life, never. In a few days' time, Tsoki told me that traveling monks will come through with instruments and there will be a holiday where they offer fried biscuits as part of their practice. Hello. How are you? When Tsoki then told me I could help prepare for the holiday, I wasn't expecting this.

Wow, this is all done by hand? Am I learning how to do this? You're going to make that one. I'm going to make this. Yes. Okay, so big cuts, then tiny cuts. Then you want to join the outside too. Okay, so short, long, short. Oh, and then a hug. Yeah. Now you try. Let's give it a try, okay. Give it a little curly. Yeah. And then another curl but taller. Yeah. And then... Good! Voila.

Yeah. See. Not so hard. How do you say ‘you like it?’ You're very good looking, she is saying. It’s very nice, she said. Oh, thank you. So after you finish making a set of these, we’ll put them in the frying pan. I think this is my first time frying. Okay. Like this or that, you know? ¿Qué? What are they saying, I need subtitles, Nat Geo I need subtitles!

They’re telling you to be careful, they're worried about you. So, so gently. Put it in gently. Yeah. All right. So put one end in slowly. Okay, I'm nervous. Just let it drip a little bit. Now put it in here. Voila. So do they get eaten? Some will be eaten, some will not be eaten.

So it's for the altar space, yeah. For the temple, not for other humans. No, we will eventually eat them later, but they will be offered for a few days; they will be kept at the altar. Just for the altar. Oh, that's amazing. Being able to see the temples at the homestay was unlike anything I've ever seen. It is really a beautiful testament to the country's dedication to their spirituality.

But of course, it only left me wanting more. Every picture of Bhutan shows off its temples. So I asked Tashi to guide me for a hike through the valley. Our destination, the stunning Khamsum Yulley temple. Whoa! Whoa, it's right here. It's amazing. These majestic buildings are designed to be difficult to reach, and the hard work to get here is believed to be another way to gain good karma.

This is one of the most beautiful things I've seen in my life. Wow. My life. I'm honored to hear that. So whenever you come to temples and you start prostration, you take your hands to the head and to the mouth and to the heart. So let all this negative thoughts be washed away. This is an unbelievable temple. It's really beautiful. We should probably do a Kora, right? Yeah, yeah. A kora at every level.

It's true. And just as I was leaving, we got an unexpected surprise. The head monk of this temple invited me to sit down and share tea with him. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be in Bhutan sharing tea with a monk. It's amazing, really. Thank you.

He's basically telling that it's his fourth year living here and taking care of the temple here. In his last four years, nobody has come here for filming or taking pictures. Really? That's why he's really honored to have you here. I think it's easy to get to a point in life where you think you know everything, and arrogance can get to you, and he’s always seeking to be better in seeking to learn.

It’s very inspiring to apply in anything you do in life. I was elated and even a touch enlightened. And if that wasn't enough, &beyond had set up some surprise hospitality. Oh, wow. Bhutanese style. Yes. This is a breakfast setup for you. It's a breakfast setup. Oh my God. Breakfast here, in front of the temple? Wow, this is insane, are you looking at the view here? This is really a dream breakfast.

It almost feels like it's not real. You know? Thank you. Wow. I mean... what? This has to be one of the most beautiful breakfasts I've had in my life. Yeah, this is... Best Of The World for sure. So enjoy your breakfast. Thank you. Thank you so much. Well, Bhutanese hospitality is just a different level. Learning so much about Bhutanese Buddhism and sharing that moment in the temple was honestly so humbling.

But Tashi explained to me that there's a special final ceremony that I can take part in to bless my journey. Do you remember the suspension bridge? There were colorful flags all over it, and every bridge and every bridge that we’re on. Five different colors are associated with the five different elements. I take this very seriously. I would like to give a nice prayer to anyone or anything that crosses paths with this.

So touching. They say the end is part of the journey, and it was time for this Mexican to go home. But before, for my last day at &beyond, I was sitting down for a world-class meal. On your right-hand side, you've got the chicken katsu, and then you've also got the roasted pumpkin on the right-hand side as well. You've got a beautiful crispy shredded beef in the center.

Wow. And then I've also got a wonderful cucumber niçois salad. Bon appétit. Wow. This is really good. The food here is so important to the locals who eat a largely vegetarian diet. It's sort of the first time where I found a culture that is so in love with spiciness, such as Mexico. The way I got to explore Bhutan, which is Bhutan in two ways, I think has been everything that I expected, but at the same time, nothing like I expected.

I think the combination of a homestay mixed with &beyond really gives you a full scope of Bhutan in a short amount of time. The hospitality across all the experiences was amazing. The one thing I knew about Bhutan was that happiness was a priority above anything else, but I hadn't expected it to be so clear. I think the most surprising thing about Bhutan is their people.

I wasn't expecting to get that Buddhist energy in everyone that I met. I'm sad that I'm going to have to leave this place, but I am so grateful that I was able to visit. It seems like it's one of the most untouched countries that I've visited in my life. Hospitality is really in the blood of the people of Bhutan. They're always trying to take care of each other.

For absolutely every sentient being that helped us along the way here, thank you, from the bottom of this Mexican heart. It was amazing.