We decided on exploring this land of peaceful atmosphere, striking landscapes and sacredness in June 2019. It was a 6 day planned trip (itinerary details in the picture below), following are some important details from the backstage jazz that you might find helpful.
We hired a private taxi which costed us 3000 Rs/day + 1500 Rs/day (for a compulsory guide to show us around, as tourism is a huge support to their economy). Also, we pretty much enjoyed the rainy season but if you are planning a bike trip better avoid monsoon as the terrain is mostly hilly. Bhutanese currency is Ngultrum- equal to Indian rupees in terms of value, you can exchange currency for some amount but Indian currency is widely accepted as well, so need not worry just don't forget to carry cash as your card might not work for international payments. One last check before getting into the trip details is to buy a local SIM card.
Jaigaon is the country's border with Bhutan and is seperated by a gate from Phuentsholing, you can cross the border and get your permissions and documents in place as the office is walking distance from the gate in Phuentsholing. So, on our first day we completed the formalities/documentation and set out for a walk noticing the poles apart culture in cities just meters apart.
PLACES TO EAT: There is a huge market place to the left as soon you cross the border with numerous cafes and restaurants, the one we spent our time in was Kizom Cafe.
We started for Thimpu the very next day, it was one of the prettiest drives ever with green mountains all over and countless waterfalls.
Our Evening was spent exploring The Weekend Market and walking around the city looking for food options, following are some great options we looked through:
PLACES TO EAT:
ACCOMODATION: We stayed at Lemon Tree Hotel which was great and decently priced.
Started off the day with an early morning walk around The Clock Tower followed by the itinerary for places to visit in Thimpu, here are a few : National Memorial Chorten, Simply Bhutan, Changangkha Lhakhang, National Library, Trashi Chho Dzong (Can skip if you have limited time and are covering Punakha Dzong), Great Buddha Dordenma and Sangaygang View Point.
Next on our plan was ancient capital of Bhutan : Punakha, we straightaway went to the Mo Chu river rafting point, here a beautiful laidback village awaits you accross the bridge, there is also a short hike to a local temple (you can also try and camp here, for the embankment has scenic views that you will for sure enjoy). Our next stop was the most picturesque Dzong: Punakha Dzong and Suspension Bridge (make sure you have plenty of time in hand to explore as the property is huge).
ACCOMMODATION: For our stay in Punakha we selected Damchen Resort which is located right next to Puna Tsang Chu and so you have access to riverbank, a great place to sit back, enjoy your evening snacks, read and relax.
For our next destination that was Paro we had booked a cultural event (there are numerous companies which organize such events on demand, your guide or maybe the hotel staff will be able to help you with the contacts), we also planned on visiting the National Museum of Bhutan and take the evening off as the next day was the Tigers Nest Hike.
We started the hike by 7:30 am with our trekking sticks( you can get them on hourly rent as well at the base area) and minimal water and food package as natural water resources are available all through the trail and there is a small cafe serving refreshments exactly placed in the middle of the hike.
Hike is not that difficult and the only challenge can be the body adjustment to a sudden change in altitude. Also, you can ride a horse till the above mentioned cafe from where you can enjoy a clear view of the monastery if not in condition to complete the trail.
This stunning monastery artistically perched on a cliff will definitely justify the hike. The internal division of the monastery is as interesting and pretty as it is from the outside. A narrow exit takes you to the original tigers nest where the monk meditated for years, the method to reach this space is a little tricky and can be scary to some, but the local guides can help you out and the experience is once in a life time thing. The valley view from a crack right opposite to the worshipping place is something I can't even put into words. Awestruck by something so powerful, alas it was time to return, we hardly took time in descending and were back at the base by 3:30 pm. In the evening walking around Paro Chu, with a list of festivals to attend, treks to complete and some more cities to be explored the next time we set foot in this one hell of a beautiful country we ended our trip.
