Chhukha, in south-western Bhutan, is the country's main overland gateway and one of its economic engines. It is entered through the bustling border town of Phuentsholing, where the hot, flat plains of India give way abruptly to Bhutan's forested foothills — a vivid and memorable first impression of the kingdom.
The district climbs quickly from around 300 metres at the border into cool, misty hills. It is home to Bhutan's first major hydropower project, a source of much of the nation's clean energy and export earnings, and to the peaceful hillside monastery of Kharbandi Gompa with its fine valley views and sub-tropical gardens.
For many travellers arriving or departing by road, Chhukha and Phuentsholing bookend the Bhutan journey — a place of lively markets, ceremonial gateways and the dramatic transition from the plains up into the mountains.