Tour operator Wix Squared has designed an innovative programme that turns Bhutan holidays into a competitive adventure, complete with challenges and rewards. Olivia Palamountain reports
Wix Squared has unveiled its 2025 “World Challenge” in Bhutan, where travellers compete in activities ranging from football matches with monks to traditional archery tournaments against local guides.
The nine-night itinerary aims to offer a deeper engagement with Bhutanese culture through a series of structured competitions.
The programme includes unusual challenges such as creating postage stamps at the Bhutan Post Office, with winners receiving cocktails at Six Senses’ “Palace in the Sky” lodge, and competing in momo-making contests judged by Gangtey Lodge’s Chef Wangchuk, where victors earn a traditional Bhutanese hot stone bath. Other activities include spotting wildlife on mountain trails, mastering the national dress, learning the local Dzongkha language, and performing traditional celebration dances.
Successful participants can win rewards including Buddhist blessings, prayer flags, and meetings with Buddhist astrologers.
The initiative comes as Bhutan becomes increasingly accessible to tourists, with Druk Air launching twice-weekly flights between Dubai and Paro from October 2024.
The country has also reduced its tourist tax by 50% until August 2027, offering a saving of £76 per day.
The nine-night itinerary, priced at £7,200 per person based on four people travelling, includes stays at premium properties such as Six Senses Thimpu, Gangtey Lodge (featured in BBC’s Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby), Pemako Punakha and COMO Uma Paro.
The package includes full board accommodation, all experiences, private guides, and airport transfers.
Wix Squared plans to expand the World Challenge concept to other destinations, including Sri Lanka, Morocco, Nepal, Vietnam and Indonesia.
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