Moved into the second city Paro where the annual festival is taking place. For a city it is tiny, but easy to walkabout and explore.

The festival was taking place outside one of the main temples high above the Dzong. It certainly was the place to be with people having traveled for miles to attend. The five days consist of Monks acting out events from Bhutanese history and religious texts. The marks and costumes were incredibly colourful and the dances performed with vigour. A fascinating spectacle even if it was a bit cramped sitting on the steps.

The climax of the trip to Bhutan was a climb up to the sensational Tiger's Nest monastery. It's an amazing structure, stuck to the cliffs half way up a mountain. The climb is steep but the tantalising views through the trees spur you on to the top of the trail. There is strictly no photography inside, but the splendour of the building lies in its location. It's an incredible piece of design, and to think the Monastery was built in the 17th century makes it even more impressive. One of the must see sights on the planet.

Spent the morning exploring the capital Thimphu, including a visit to the Sunday market, which takes place on a Saturday. The Textile museum has a demonstration of how the Bhutanese men put on their Gho, the traditional outfit the men wear. It's incredibly complicated and involved wrapping the cloth around the body and then hitching it up by creating pleats and holding everything in place with a tight belt. It is said the best part of the day for a Bhutanese man is when he can finally release the belt at the end of the day.

In the afternoon we drove over the Dochu La pass and descended into the Punakha valley. On the way passed the shrine to the mad monk, a 16th century figure who had a rather unorthodox approach to living. Some of the designs on the houses, designed to ward off evil spirits, would not pass uk planning regulations.

Spent the night In a beautiful camp site along side the Mo Chhu river, miles away from any civilisation. The owners had arranged a hot stone bath where river water was warmed by dropping in rocks which has been heated over an open air fire. The bath was full of medicinal herbs. It was wonderfully relaxing soaking under the open sky.

In the evening after the meal the Bhutanese guides produced a chocolate cake from out of nowhere. What a wonderful place to spend your birthday.

After four weeks traveling, have left India by the back door and entered the Kingdom of Bhutan.

The border is a simple metal fence and Indians and Bhutanese come and go at will. For us foreigners though it's a different story and the paperwork needed to be completed before we were accepted into the country.

After a night on the border, we drove the 5 hour drive up to the Capital Thimphu, set high in the mountains. It's an amazing country, so different to anything else I've witnessed. The city has a country town feel, with everyone seeming to know everyone else. Visited the central Dzong, home of the government. It's also the office of the King and we were privileged to see him walking home at the end of the working day.