Prince William and Kate Enjoy Romantic Trek to Tiger's Nest Monastery
The duke and duchess are on a weeklong trip to India and Bhutan.
— -- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge set off Friday on a multi-hour, spectacular hike in Bhutan to Paro Taktsang, a Buddhist monastery which dates back to 1692.
The area visited by Prince William and Kate is one of the most breathtaking sights in the world. It leads to a cave where Guru Padmasambhava, credited with introducing Buddhism to Bhutan, is believed to have meditated for three years, three months, three weeks and three days in the eighth century.
Kate, who didn't break a sweat during the hike, was dressed in knee-high leather boots, ivy green skinny pants and a chic leather vest over a white blouse with her hair falling loosely around her shoulders. William looked a bit more winded than Kate as they made their way up the arduous trek to the cliff-side monastery at 10,000 feet.
After reaching the midpoint of the hike -- where many trekkers need to turn back due to the altitude -- the future king of England laughed and said, "So far so good. This is absolutely stunning."
While speaking with reporters later, Kate reflected on the magical time they had visiting the monastery.
"It was an amazing experience," the duchess said. "I feel very lucky and fortunate to see such beautiful scenery … as William said, [to] learn about the country."
William told reporters he had been “a little bit cheeky” when he called the trail “easy” at the hike’s midpoint.
“I may have slightly spoken too soon,” William said. “It was a little bit cheeky on the second part definitely."
Prince William and Kate were following in the footsteps of William’s father, Prince Charles. Prince Charles had planned to make the same hike in 1998 but, due to a polo injury, was not able to make it all the way to the end of the hike, as William and Kate did.
“Yes, my father didn't make it to be top so that's something I'll be reminding him of when I see him,” William told the gathered reporters.
The couple also shared that they missed their two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, "massively" and said they hoped their children could have their same experience in Bhutan someday.
"It will be lovely if the children could come as well, definitely,” Prince William said.
“We did actually see one family up there with a small child on their front,” Kate added. “It was very brave of them."
"Maybe when they're a bit more mobile, I think,” Kate said of 2-year-old Prince George and nearly 1-year-old Princess Charlotte.
During their travels Friday, William bought a small bronze tiger, presumably for George, for 200 rupees. Kate eventually settled on purchasing a pair of dangly earrings in dark blue for 500 rupees.
William and Kate's hike came near the end of the couple's weeklong trip to India and Bhutan. On Thursday, the couple met with Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema at the Tashichho Dzong Temple and tried their hand at Bhutan's national sport, archery.
William and Kate traveled to Bhutan from India, where they spent the past week meeting with local villagers, going on a safari, attending a gala, visiting national landmarks and raising awareness around the plight of endangered animals.