Over the years our Bhutanese guides, who all have a wonderful sense of humour, have delighted in telling us stories of the ‘night-hunting’.

Whilst rare these days, in the major towns and capital Thimphu, night-hunting is apparently still ‘enjoyed’ in the more remote rural villages where, aside from annual festivals, its not always easy for young men & women to get acquainted with each other.

It works like this.

A local boy makes eyes at a local girl, or v.v., and a nod indicates some interest.

Boy obtains a ladder and climbs up to girls 2nd floor bedroom in the dead of night. All going to plan she opens the window and lets him in. The rest is up to your imagination.

However, the one big drawback of this style of rendezvous is that traditionally Bhutanese families all sleep together in one room, on the floor.

So imagine mum & dad, plus brothers & sisters, and no doubt a dog or two, all snoozing away during this event. Or pretending to.

The unwritten law is that if mum and/or dad catch the couple in the act the boy must agree to marry the girl immediately.

There have been many injuries reported of young men scampering to escape and not negotiating the ladder back down to earth.