Dirang Dzong village and the hot springs

Dirang Dzong is the old core of the valley, a cluster of stone houses within thick walls on a rise a few kilometres from the highway town. The houses rise two or three storeys, with stone ground floors once used for animals and stores, and timber upper floors where families live around a kitchen hearth. Lanes are narrow and uneven, and prayer flags string the rooftops.

This is a living village, not a museum. Walk slowly, greet people, and ask before taking photographs of homes or residents. If you are invited in, remove your shoes and accept tea with both hands. A local guide or your homestay host can explain the layout, the gompa and the role of the dzong in older times, when it served as an administrative and defensive centre for the valley.

In the late afternoon, head down to the hot springs near the river. They are simple pools and channels where warm water rises from the ground, used by local people for bathing and to ease joint pain. Facilities are basic and conditions change with river levels. Follow local custom on separate bathing for men and women, keep soap out of the water, and bring a towel and warm clothes for the walk back.