culture · Haa, Bhutan
A slow walk through Haa town
Haa town, officially Haa-Namjayling, is small enough to walk in an hour. The bazaar is a short stretch of painted two- and three-storey shophouses with general stores, a few restaurants and district offices. Most shops sell everyday goods to local families rather than souvenirs, which is part of the appeal. Prices are in ngultrum, which is equal to the rupee, and Indian notes of ₹500 and below are accepted. Stop for suja or sweet milk tea and watch the town go about its day.
Wangchuck Lhodzong is the district's dzong, a small fortress near the IMTRAT camp. The Indian Military Training Team has been in Haa for decades; it is described as the oldest training team India has sent to a friendly foreign country, and it trains personnel of the Royal Bhutan Army and the Royal Bodyguard. That gives the town an orderly feel and a small Indian presence. Do not photograph military areas, and ask your guide before you point a camera at any gate or sentry.
Haa is also tied to one of Bhutan's best-known families. Gongzim Ugyen Dorji, the first chief minister under King Ugyen Wangchuck, was Penlop, or governor, of Haa from 1907 to 1916, and his grandson Jigme Palden Dorji, later Bhutan's first prime minister, was made administrator of Haa in 1928 at the age of nine. End the walk by the Haa Chhu at dusk, when cattle come home and the temperature drops fast.
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Is Haa town worth a visit or just the valley
The town itself is small and plain, with a short bazaar, the district dzong and an army camp, and that is the point: it shows a working Bhutanese valley town rather than a tourist strip. Give it two hours on foot, then spend the rest of your time in the temples, villages and farmhouses around it.
Can I take photos in Haa town
Yes, in the bazaar and of the landscape. Do not photograph the IMTRAT or Royal Bhutan Army camps, gates or soldiers, and do not fly a drone without prior permission. Ask before photographing people, especially monks and elders. Inside temples and the dzong's shrine rooms, photography is not allowed.
Is there an ATM in Haa
There are bank branches in Haa town, but ATMs can be offline and cards are not always accepted. Carry enough cash from Paro or Thimphu for your stay, in ₹500 or smaller notes, which are accepted alongside ngultrum. UPI works in some shops, but do not rely on it.
