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Gasa is Bhutan's principal northern dzongkhag — the country's least-densely-populated, most-mountainous district, bordering the Tibetan plateau across the high northern peaks. Gasa Tsachu (the hot springs) is the country's principal hot-springs pilgrimage site; the Layap yak-herding community at 3,800 metres maintains the distinctive Bhutanese highland; the Royal Highlander Festival each October celebrates the high-mountain communities.
dzongkhag · Gasa · 2,800 m
Gasa Tsachu sits at approximately 2,200 metres on the valley floor below Gasa town and dzong — Bhutan's principal hot-springs pilgrimage site, with multiple mineral-water pools at different temperatures used for centuries for therapeutic soaking. The Bhutanese tradition holds the menchu (medicinal-water) practice as the canonical post-trek and post-pilgrimage recovery; trekkers completing the Chomolhari-Laya-Gasa trek typically include a 1-2 night soak at the Tsachu before continuing the road journey back to Paro. The pools are open to international visitors; the matched guide arranges access and explains the traditional protocol.
Laya village, in the upper Gasa dzongkhag at 3,800 metres, is one of the highest permanently-inhabited settlements in Bhutan. The Layap are a distinct semi-nomadic yak-herding community with their own language, dress (the women's conical yak-hair hats decorated with silver and turquoise are one of the most-photographed cultural images of the highlands), and folkloric tradition. The community continues to live on the yak-and-barley economy that has sustained the Lunana-Laya valleys for centuries. Access is by trek only — see the [[chomolhari-laya-gasa-trek|Laya Lingshi Trek]] or, more recently, by helicopter for ultra-premium visitors. The Royal Highlander Festival in October brings the principal Layap cultural register to public visibility.
The Royal Highlander Festival (23-24 October annually) is held at the Laya village settlement to celebrate the high-mountain communities of Bhutan. The festival features traditional Layap-and-Lunap song and dance, the conical-hat parade, yak-riding contests, and traditional sports. International visitor numbers are limited by access (the village is multi-day trek from the road-head); helicopter access for a half-day visit is available to ultra-premium visitors. The festival is one of the more atmospheric in the Bhutanese calendar — the high-altitude, the distinctive Layap culture, the small intimate scale.
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