Mid-range Lodge · Phobjikha (Gangtey)
Dewachen Hotel, Gangtey
A 16-room lodge in traditional Bhutanese style at the edge of the Phobjikha valley, near Gangtey village and the Black Mountains. Wood-burning stoves in every room, a restaurant with valley views and a hot stone bath.
Photo: Phuentsho · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsDewachen stands on the edge of the Phobjikha valley near Gangtey, with painted carved-wood eaves and whitewashed walls in high Bhutanese style. Its 16 rooms, mostly twins with a few doubles, have en-suite bathrooms and wood-burning stoves; staff add hot water bottles on cold nights, which in December reach about −5 °C.
The restaurant is built around a central stove with large windows over the valley, so you can watch for cranes over breakfast in season. There is a bar, a games room and a hot stone bath. Staff can arrange walks on the Gangtey nature trail, horse riding and visits to the crane centre. It is the comfort pick for crane season; book months ahead for November.
Why we use it
- Valley views over the crane marsh
- Wood stoves in every room
- Hot stone bath and help with crane walks
Best for
The photo shows Phobjikha (Gangtey), not the property itself.
Trips that stay here
Sleep here on a trip
Photo: Christopher J. Fynn · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Comfort
Central Bhutan to Bumthang, 12 nights
Private car with driver
Around the stay
Phobjikha (Gangtey)
Phobjikha is a wide, marshy glacial valley at about 3,000 m on the western edge of the Black Mountains, home to Gangtey Goenpa and winter roost of black-necked cranes from late October to February. Spend two nights: one day for the monastery and crane centre, one for the Gangtey nature trail.
Photo: Sumeetmoghe · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Dawn crane watching on the Phobjikha marsh
Watch black-necked cranes leave their night roost and spread across the marsh to feed, calling as they go. Start at the…
Photo: Christopher J Fynn · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Gangtey Goenpa and the nature trail
Visit the 1613 monastery on its spur above the valley, then walk the Gangtey nature trail down through pine forest and …
Photo: Christopher J. Fynn · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Farmhouse dinner and a hot stone bath
Spend a cold evening in a Phobjikha farmhouse: a wooden tub of water heated with river stones baked in a fire, followed…
Questions
About Dewachen Hotel, Gangtey
Can I see cranes from Dewachen Hotel?
In crane season, from late October to February, the restaurant windows look over the valley, and birds are often visible in the distance. For closer viewing, walk to the RSPN viewpoints.
Is Dewachen heated?
Rooms have wood-burning stoves and staff provide hot water bottles. Bathrooms and corridors are cooler, so pack warm layers.
How far ahead should I book for the crane festival?
At least three to four months. The festival on 11 November and the weeks around it fill Phobjikha's limited rooms quickly.
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Photo: Christopher J. Fynn · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
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