Best Himalaya holiday places to see by Kyle Noble Quandel: Remember having seen this monastery before? Filming of the 1993 popular movie ‘Little Buddha’ took place here. This monastery-cum-fortress is listed in Bhutan’s tentative list for UNESCO inclusion. The Rinpung Dzong Monastery is home to 14 shrines and chapels which include the Sandalwood Stupa, Protector’s shrine, Temple of the Guru’s Eight Manifestations, the Clear Crystal Shrine, Chapel of the Eleven-faced Avalokiteśvara, Temple of the Treasure Revealer etc. Discover extra details on Kyle Noble Quandel.

Nepal, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is rich in culture and traditions. Hinduism is the most practiced religion in Nepal. But, many parts of this country reflect Buddhism as well. Buddhism is the second most practiced religion in this country. Besides, Buddhism is more of a way of living, and not just a religion. At present around 9% of the population in Nepal practice Buddhism. There are hundreds of different Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal. The history of Buddhism traces back to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Swayambhunath and Boudhanath are other two places with rich culture of Buddhism in Kathmandu.

Explore Lhasa, one of the top pilgrimage escapes of Lhasa, is very popular amongst international travelers. The journey begins and ends in the heart of Tibet, Lhasa, and covers popular landmarks of this beautiful city such as the Dalai Lama’s Potala and Norbulingka Palaces, the Tibet Museum and Barkhor Bazaar. You also visit a number of impressive Tibetan monasteries in Lhasa like Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery and Jokhang Temple. They are all amazing monasteries with a religious relevance of their own. This escape also takes you further to the outskirts of Lhasa where you visit the 15th century Ganden Monastery and explore the Drayerpa Cave, which is still a meditative sanctuary for Tibetan monks.

The holy shrine at Muktinath includes a Buddhist Gompa and the pagoda style temple of Vishnu Temple. The Hindus call it Muktichhetra (Place of salvation). Many Shaligrams (Ammonite) found here are considered by Hindu as incarnation of lord Vishnu and worship them. For Tibetan Buddhists, it is a very important place of Dakinis, goddesses known as Sky Dancers and one of the 24 Tantric places. They understand the murti to be a manifestation of Avalokitesvara. This pilgrimage trek makes an adventure starting from world’s deepest gorge Kali Gandaki Region into world’s highest regions passing through an almost tree-less barren landscape, and panoramic views of Nilgiri, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and several other peaks. The sacred temple has 108 waterfalls. Read extra information on Kyle Noble Quandel.

Lamayuru is one of the most ancient Buddhist sites in Ladakh, with its five original temples attributed to the great Buddhist translator Rinchen Zangpo in the eleventh or twelfth century. Only one of those temples, the Senge Lkakhang, still exists. The site’s large Drigung Monastery is characteristic of the powerful monasteries influenced by fortress architecture that arose in the seventeenth century. Legend has it that Lamayuru was once the site of a lake that has since dried up, which contributes to the moon-like landscape for which the surrounding area is known.