Arriving in Mongar is a great relief from the turns and heights of the Journey over the pass. The town is small with sprinkling of shops. Mongar, like Trashigang further east, is built on the side of a hill because valleys in eastern Bhutan are too narrow for towns to develop on the valley floor.

Mongar Dzong is modern compared to others in the kingdom. It was re-constructed by the order of the Third king. Lhuntse is 77 kilometers from Mongar and is one of the most isolated districts in Bhutan. The landscape is spectacular with stark cliffs and gorges and dense coniferous forests. The region notably famed for its weavers and special textiles and fabrics, generally considered to be the best in the country. The Kurtoe region of Lhuntse is also the heartland of the Royal dynasty.