Why Dagana is very unique

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Why Dagana is very unique?
Dagana is mostly about monoliths, beautiful landscapes, vegetation, and locals. More than 80% of Dagana is covered with thick forest. Trees like Champ, Augury, Chirpine, Sal, Saj, Chilaunay, etc are grown throughout the region. Dagana is very famous for so many stone monoliths which are very unique and found only in Dagana. It is amazing that you still get to see so many footprints believed to be left by Guru Rimpoche and Dakinis which are centuries old and sacred. You get to see real stone conch still preserved and kept at the Dzong beside so many other relics. Isn’t it makes, why Dagana is very unique?

Potential of Tourism in Dagana
Blessed by Guru Rimpoche, visited many places around, the birthplace of reincarnation of Zhabdrung Rimpoche and home to many great masters of the era, virgin nature with blessed weather, with beautiful landscapes and mountains, Dagana is yet to extract its full potential to harness the tourism benefits. I personally visited 13 Gewogs of Dagana and I’m more than happy to understand the bright future of all the Dagaps for better tourism in the years to come. I’m sure in terms of tourism, Dagana will be next to Thimphu, Paro, Punakha & Wangdue.

Connecting Dagana to Capital Thimphu via Wangdue Phodrang
The major breakthrough of Dagana will be road connectivity which is underway and expected to open to traffic within 2022 connecting Wangdue Phodrang with SNHW, expected to reach Dagana from Thimphu in just less than 5 hours. Wow, that’s amazing, isn’t it?. All the Gewogs are connected with roads and sightseeing places has fair road connectivity too. Get ready to explore Dagana now.

Meeting with Dasho Dzongdag
Under the personal guidance of Dasho Dzongdag and his farsighted feasible plan for promoting tourism in Dagana, Dasho is a man of action with full of energy to make Dagana as one of the best Dzongkhags in the country. Thank you Dasho for your precious time, we had a great time in Dagana la.

What you can see in Dagana? and what you can do in Dagana?
The list mentioned below is just a few of many things you can opt to do in Dagana. Dagana is full of hidden gems and unexplored tourist sightseeing places beside the potential of taking off-road activities available in Dagana. This is a place of adventure and nature beside rich history and culture, what a great combination of all, truly blessed.

16 Best Places to see in Dagana.
Only 16 best places to visit in Dagana? No, there are so many hidden sites, one cannot complete entire sightseeing of Dagana in two weeks, now you can imagine what Dagana can offer.

Did you know that Dagana is also one of the best places to grow agricultural products in Bhutan? Dagana Dzongkhag is blessed with mixed vegetation and beautiful weather throughout the year owing to which it’s home to more than 50% of the plants spices, birds and animals which are found in Bhutan. Of many places to see in Dagana, 16 best places to see in Dagana are listed below.

1 – Dagana Dzong | Also called as Lho Darkar Trashiyangtse Dzong which was established in 1651 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the first man to unify Bhutan. Read More…

2 – Dagana Town | A tiny Dagana town is located in a sloppy area just below the Dzong. The town has a handful of two-storied modern buildings, couples of shops, and a budget hotel that provides lodging in the town area. Farmhouse stay in Dagana is quite common and promoted well across the Gewogs.

3 – Dungchun Menchu | It is located below the Dzongkhag guest house. It is 15 minutes walk from the guest house. It is a medicinal spring from a hole in solid granite, from which a trumpet – dung, was discovered. Read More…

4 – Dho Dungkar | It is believed that around seven conch shells flew from Chochepang from where Lam Ngawang Samten discovered one of the treasures. Read More…

5 – Shathong Goemba | It was founded by Dupthob (Siddhi) Shawa Ripa and is located on top of a ridge above the Dzong. Goenpa was initially built by Drupthob Shawa Rigpa. Drupthob saw 2 Stags/Shaau taking a dip in the cool lake located at Kalizingkha from the hilltop while meditating but the lake disappeared since long time ago. Read More…

6 – Zhabdrung Residence | Over 400 years old heritage house of first mind reincarnation of Zhabdrung Rimpoche is one of the best places to visit while in Nindukha. Not far from the highway and it’s on the way to Dho Namkhai Kaw, it is connected with a motor road. The cultural experience we get from the heritage house is amazing. It is well preserved until today.

7 – Nindukha Lhakhang | The beautiful Lhakhang built on the hilltop overlooking Daga Dzong & Zhabdrung Residence is worth a visit to pay respect before the hike to Dho Namkhai Kaw. May give you strength to fight against measuring leeches and your dreams be fulfilled.

8 – Dho Namkhai Kew | Do Namkhai Kaw “Sky Pillar Rock”, It is a monolith; two hours walk from the hydro powerhouse at the base of Dagana hill and about 16 kilometers away. It is a steep climb uphill. Read More…

9 – Dho Kepai Goenthoe | The Rock of Ancient Steps, it is another monolith, 15 minutes walk below the road. It is under Kana gewog. The steps on the rock are believed to sink per era and that when all steps have disappeared underground the present era will end. It is said that there are five steps currently visible. Read More…

10 – Wangchen Ney | About one hour drive from Dagapela town and another one and half hours walk from road point, at Emerery School is an old calcium cave with remains of huge stalactites/stalagmites. The cave is huge about 150 feet wide and 30 feet high. Read More…

11 – Ranga Ney | This sacred place called Ranga is located under Tashiding Gewog, the site came to be known as Ranga Ney (the holy place of Ranga). However, the local calls it as Maha Devi Dham which is believed to be Shiva’s sacred place. Read More…

12 – Tsangkha Tsho | The lake lies under Tsangkha gewog and it is 4 hours walk from either Drujeygang or Sunkosh Bridge. It is about three acres wide and considered holy by the people. There exists the legend that the lake came from Tsang, Tibet with the people who came from Tibet and whose descendants still live there. Read More…

13 – Tha Namkhai Dzong | Tha Namkhai Dzong (The Frontier Sky Fortress), Three hours walk from Chachey bridge on Tsirang highway is a cave high up in a cliff. It is supposed to have a bell that people can hear sometimes. The cave itself is inaccessible. It is supposed to be Guru’s place of meditation. Read More…

14 – Sunkosh or Punatsangchu Viewpoint | The viewpoint of Tha Namkhai Dzong also gives you the best views of beautiful Punatsangchu river gorges seen at the backdrop of Thasa village and Zhabjethang.

15 – Zhabjethang | Attached to Thasa village, a beautiful tiny Zhabjethang Lhakhang is built on the nearby valley, which has many sacred places still to be seen on the rocks. Still seen, which is believed to be the footprint of Guru Rimpoche and dakini on the rocks preserved next to the Lhakhang. There is a couple of sacred sites around the Lhakhang.

16 – Thasa Village | Hidden far from the sight of Wangdue Tsirang Highway, this beautiful village is blessed with the best landscape and hot weather, helping farming to grow rice and other hot weather fruits. This is one of the must-hike village from Burichu river confluence cross the suspension bridge across Punatsangchu River.

Where can I stay in Dagana?
The scattered villages offer limited options for hotels in Dagana and to make it more easy for first-time visitors, let us considering Dagana into four zones for the sightseeing and activities available in Dagana.

1 Daga Dzong – has just one budget hotel with 7 rooms called Sangay Hotel but has many beautiful Farmhouses available in nearby Tseza Gewog. Three nights or more is recommended if you have to cover most of the sightseeing places in this area.

2 Dagapela – has more budget hotels than Daga Dzong. Three hotels are Hotel Subash, Hotel Maitay & Kesang Hotel, you can opt to stay in Farmhouses too.

3 Lhamoi Zhingkha – is bordered with West Bengal and has few budget hotels in the town. You can opt to take a homestay or farmhouse stay as well.

4 Drujegang – no hotel in Drujegang, farmhouse stay or homestay can be possible.

What do I need to preparation for Dagana Tour?
-Depending on the places, months and season, there can be cleanliness, water shortage and foods may be an issue but it is manageable. Advisable to take supplement foods and enough change for not taking bath.
-Leeches on hiking trails, insects and flies in most of the places during summer, insect repellent or hand rub is must.
-Must take enough cash or smaller denomination for offering in the Lhakhangs and tipping locals if required.
-Weather is unexpected, one must carry rain gears and sun gears all the time.
-Walking stick if you have knee problem or difficulty walking uphill and downhill.
-Comfortable hiking shoes is important as you need to walk through difficult trails most of the time.

What is Special in Dagana?
-History & Sacred sites
-Culture & Tradition
-Dagana Tsechu or Dagana Festival
-Nature & Landscape
-Wildlife (Birds & Animals)
-Dagana Food & Product Festival
-Oranges & Organic Vegetables

Kadinche La & Thank you so much.
There are no words to express our gratitude to our esteemed visitors for the kindness and support you showed us in these difficult times. Thank you for visiting, liking, and sharing Heavenly Bhutan’s Page. We will keep bringing the new and exciting posts, visit again to know why Dagana is very unique.