Merak Village

Go deep into eastern Bhutan to one of the most remote villages in the world, Merak. Follow yak herders on their journey far into the Himalayan forests to stock up on firewood to heat their homes during the cold winter months.

Merak, in the far east of the country, is a place apart. It's so remote that most Bhutanese have never been. Just further east are the wilds of India's Arunachal Pradesh and some of the least touristed lands on the planet. Merak village is home base for the semi-nomadic Brokpas, yak herders whose ancestors migrated from Tibet centuries ago. Most crops do not grow at these altitudes, so Brokpa life revolves around the yak. Its milk and meat provide food, its skin and fur yield clothing and blankets. Summer and fall are good times to see Brokpas roaming in and out of the village and up into the hills. Life here goes on its way as it has for centuries, and at about the same pace… a languidness that many of us in the developed world have forgotten exists in our rush to progress. Merak village is entirely surrounded by the 750 square kilometers of Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary — the only land ever set aside anywhere to preserve the habitat of migoi, the elusive yeti. Stories of the abominable snowman are taken seriously in these parts. While the yeti's existence is yet been confirmed by science, don't tell that to the locals, who all have stories about how their friend's grandfather once saw a yeti and survived to tell the tale. Locals believe, no joke. So the legend endures. The Brokpa dialect is distinct, their headdresses and tunics immediately identifiable. Some people think moderns suffer from never believing in things we have not seen. Like the yeti.