In Bhutan, women-led homestays offer cultural immersion, preserve heritage

In the heart of Naktsang in Trashigang Dzongkhag, one of Bhutan’s 20 districts, Deki Pelden has been welcoming guests for more than eight years. She opened her home—built in the traditional Bhutanese style with rammed earth walls, stone foundations, and sloping roofs—as a homestay to offer visitors an authentic local experience in a remote region. 

Pelden’s three rooms are more than just a place to stay; they offer an intimate glimpse into Bhutan’s rich culture and the daily lives of locals in remote villages. But her journey wasn’t easy, with the rough 9 km road that leads to her home is a roadblock even today.

Nonetheless, Pelden’s persistence has paid off, and travellers now routinely visit to partake of her hospitality, including a traditional Bhutanese lunch with local village wine. 

The remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is known for tall mountains and deep valleys, scenic vistas and gorgeous landscapes, fortresses (dzongs) and monasteries, and its relentless focus on harmony and happiness.

One of the best ways to enjoy Bhutan’s history, culture, and scenic beauty is to check into a village homestay—a great value accommodation option that lets you feel the rhythm of traditional Bhutanese life.

These homestays, certified by Bhutan’s Department of Tourism and promoted mainly in rural areas, help locals generate supplementary income and improve livelihoods in farming-focused communities. Located in the valleys and hills, these homestays—many of which are run by women—offer an immersive experience. 

Homestays fit well with the ideology of Bhutan’s Department of Tourism, which aims to make tourism green, sustainable, inclusive, and of high value. The objective, to promote “high value and low volume tourism” in a manner that does not erode the country’s cultural heritage and natural environment, is in line with Bhutan’s development philosophy of Gross National Happiness.

Wangmo Wangchuck, who runs a homestay in the remote Haa village with her husband, offers me a chance to forage through her kitchen garden and pick fresh spinach leaves for the evening meal. Unlike conventional accommodation, her homestay offers me an unfiltered glimpse into rural life, complete with local cuisine, customs, and activities. 

“Most of our guests come from urban areas and enjoy living in a traditional village setting. They enjoy their meals with us, eating in traditional style by sitting cross-legged on low cushions around a small table and the bukhari that heats the room. We serve a seasonal menu, with staple ingredients grown in our field,” she says. 

The cultural immersion offers include a chance to learn how to prepare a traditional Bhutanese dish such as hoentay, steamed buckwheat dumplings; ema datshi, the popular chilli and cheese stew, and ezay, a spicy condiment the locals eat with almost everything. 

I don’t master the frothy butter tea—the palest pink colour and combining its creamy character with a salty taste—but I do learn to roll the hoentay, typically made during Lomba, the new year in Haa and Paro. 

Not too far in Haa’s Dumcho Valley, Choden's Homestay, once a simple farmhouse, is now a popular stay option. Choden had to add new rooms and learn new skills to keep guests engaged, but she and her family persevered. 

In Haa, where traditional ways of making a living are through farming and animals, Choden’s Homestay offers a chance to—besides exploring the sights and sounds of Bhutan—become enmeshed in the fabric of the community. Choden aims to ensure that every guest experience is one of “comfort, warmth, and authentic connection”. 

More than 150 km away in Buli, Zhemgang Dzongkhag, Yeshi Choden and her husband started their homestay journey in 2021. Part of a large farming family, Yeshi decided to open their home to guests to diversify their livelihood. Initial scepticism from the community was a significant challenge, but she persisted and sought government guidance. 

A 10-day training programme in Phobjikha, organised by the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN), proved to be pivotal. It taught Yeshi and her family essential skills, such as maintaining hygienic facilities, arranging guest facilities, and showcasing traditional cuisine. 

The homestay model has been successful as it offers a rich experience of the country’s culture, food, and people. The community-based tourism initiative also helps preserve and promote traditional arts and crafts such as weaving, woodcarving, sculpting, and painting. Travellers can visit local workshops and studios, observe the intricate craftsmanship, learn about its history and cultural significance, and even try their hand at making their own pieces. 

This helps involve communities in the tourism value chain, redistribute economic benefits more equitably, and reduce dependency on external sources of income, ultimately contributing to poverty alleviation and the overall well-being and happiness of the Bhutanese. 

Damcho Rinzin, Director of the Department of Tourism, feels the success of Bhutan’s women-run homestays reflects the strength and innovation of Bhutanese women. 

“Their dedication to cultural preservation and sustainable tourism is inspiring, proving that empowerment begins at home. Through hospitality, Bhutanese women are redefining economic independence and cultural leadership. Their homestays are more than places to stay; they are experiences woven with history, resilience, and warmth,” he says. 

In the scenic valley of Paro, Chencho Dema has been offering warmth and hospitality through her homestay since 2017. Keen to supplement the income of her family of seven—largely dependent on farming—she ventured into tourism. 

The process involved renovating rooms, upgrading toilets, and focusing on guest comfort, but Dema focused on the end result: offering guests an authentic Bhutanese experience and growing her family’s income.

The pandemic brought setbacks, with business impacted from 2020 to 2023, but her homestay is on track again—it provides a Himalayan home-away-from-home to about 300 guests each year. 

“Having guests at our homestays is very helpful, providing us with an important source of income. Otherwise, we rely on selling rice and vegetables to make a living. Guests stay with us, share meals, and enjoy hot stone baths, allowing us to support our children's education and undertake pilgrimages,” Dema says. 

Along with cultural experiences, Bhutan’s community-based tourism initiatives also focus on environmental conservation and sustainable development by promoting eco-friendly accommodations, waste management programmes, and responsible tourism practices. 

Bhutan’s women-led homestays have enriched the local tourism landscape and are a testament to the power of determination, training, and community support in creating new opportunities for rural women entrepreneurs. 

Pelden, of Rangshikhar Homestay in Tashigang, is thankful for the opportunity to transform the old house left by her ancestors into a homestay. “It has not only become a source of income but also a way to preserve and honour my heritage. Turning this house into an asset has allowed me to share our culture with guests while giving a new purpose to something so meaningful to our family,” she says.