// staying at: Economy

Gongri Eco Retreat (Pemagatshel)

LocationGongri Area, Pemagatshel

ClassEconomy standard

Rate From$38per night · 6 suites

Kingdom of Bhutan

Verified stay

// sanctuary profile

The Spirit of Your Stay

"Gongri Eco Retreat is a small community-managed lodge near Gongri in the Pemagatshel highlands, operating under a social enterprise model that channels proceeds back into the village school and women's cooperative. Six timber-framed rooms overlook a valley blanketed in mixed conifers and broadleaf trees teeming with hornbills, sunbirds, and pheasants. Village women prepare traditional Pemagatshel meals including fermented bamboo shoot curry and dried meat dishes that showcase the east's distinctive flavours."

Hospitality Standards Certified // Kingdom of Bhutan

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Available amenities

traditional meals
community tours
birdwatching
craft demonstrations
WiFi

6 suites available.

// architectural narrative

Interior & Soul

Gongri Eco Retreat (Pemagatshel) — photo 1

// geographical coordinates

Sanctuary Location

Gongri Eco Retreat (Pemagatshel)

27.0350°N, 91.3900°E

Approximate locationKingdom of Happiness...

// around pemagatshel

Nearby experiences

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ID: 005 Hours

pemagatshelNature Exploration

Kholongchu Subtropical River Birding Trail

"The Kholongchu gorge forming Pemagatshel's eastern boundary is a birding corridor of exceptional richness, sheltering the endangered Rufous-necked hornbill, Ward's trogon, and coral-billed scimitar babbler in subtropical broadleaf forest. A guided morning trail along the river terrace uses playback calls and observation hides at fruiting trees to locate target species. The gorge's remoteness means wildlife encounters here carry an intimacy and surprise entirely absent from Bhutan's more heavily trafficked birding circuits."

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ID: 013 Hours

pemagatshelSpiritual and Wellness

Yongla Gonpa Pre-Dawn Puja Retreat

"Yongla Gonpa, an important Nyingma monastery perched on a forested ridge above Pemagatshel town, is one of eastern Bhutan's most venerated sacred sites, housing a gilded Guru Rinpoche statue and rare sacred relics. An arranged pre-dawn visit begins at 5 AM with the monks' butter-lamp offering — a hypnotic silent ritual carried out by robed figures in lamplight — followed by the full morning puja chanting session in the stone assembly hall as the forest gradually awakens outside."

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Pemagatshel Kishuthara Weaving Heritage Circuit

ID: 023 Hours

pemagatshelCultural Immersion

Pemagatshel Kishuthara Weaving Heritage Circuit

"Pemagatshel's weavers produce a regionally distinctive variation of kishuthara silk cloth using locally gathered raw silk and dye plants endemic to the district's subtropical forest zone. The heritage circuit visits two active family weaving studios in the district town, observing artisans at traditional back-strap looms producing Pemagatshel's signature narrow-stripe pattern. The walk culminates at the local cooperative's display room where samples spanning three generations illustrate the district's evolving textile tradition."

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ID: 036 Hours

pemagatshelCultural Immersion

Serthi Buckwheat Harvest Farmstay

"Serthi gewog in Pemagatshel cultivates both sweet and bitter buckwheat varieties in terraced plots, the staple crops forming the backbone of the district's traditional cuisine. The farmstay places guests with a local family during harvest season, joining manual cutting, bundling, and winnowing of buckwheat on stone threshing floors. The day concludes with the family preparing phaksha paa — pork slow-cooked with dried buckwheat — over an outdoor hearth, sharing a meal by lamplight in a farmhouse unchanged for generations."

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// refined selection

Other Extraordinary Stays

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Economy · $40/night

organic meals

Lotus Valley Eco-Lodge (Pemagatshel)

"Lotus Valley Eco-Lodge is a community-run property in Pemagatshel District, one of Bhutan's smallest and least-visited dzongkhags, tucked into forested highlands in the country's southeast. The lodge's eight rooms are constructed from locally sourced timber and bamboo, and a small organic kitchen garden supplies fresh vegetables for the communal dining table. Staff offer guided walks to Khar Lhakhang and viewpoints overlooking the Royal Manas National Park buffer zone."

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Economy · $35/night

communal meals

Pemagatshel District Guesthouse

"The Pemagatshel District Guesthouse is the primary government-operated accommodation in this remote highland dzongkhag. Its ten rooms are functional and clean, serving visiting officials, project workers, and the rare independent traveller drawn by Pemagatshel's remarkably pristine forests and high biodiversity. The guesthouse manager can arrange visits to the district's key cultural landmark, the ancient Yonphula and Khar Lhakhang temples."

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Economy · $28/night

canteen

Nganglam Guesthouse (Pemagatshel)

"Nganglam Guesthouse is the key accommodation point at the Nganglam border crossing in southern Pemagatshel, used primarily by traders and cross-border workers. Its eight basic rooms and a canteen serving simple Bhutanese food provide the minimum comfort needed for an overnight stay at this lowland frontier post. Bird-watchers stopping at Nganglam can spot a remarkable range of lowland tropical species in the adjacent forest corridor."

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