Bhutan, A small country in the Himalayan Mountains, where 71% of the country is covered under forest and the same beauty of nature you can see it with your eyes 😍
DAY 1 - Bagdogara to phuentsholing
We reached Bagdogara via flight and had cab waiting for us at the airport. It took 5.5 hrs to reach phuentsholing, the border town of bhutan.
Checked-in to hotel and visited the the local market and called off the day.
Day 2 - Phuentsholing to Thimpu
The actual journey starts from Day2 when you start your travel for Thimpu where you start capturing the glimplse of nature, the mountain roads covered with fog and sudden change of weather, the small waterfalls along the route.
Note : The Immigration process did took a lot of time for us due to Immigration office server crash and power-cut 😓. Hope that might not be the case for everyone
Day 3 - Thumpu
1. Takin Reserve : Takin - The national animal of Bhutan which is kind of unique in itself. The reserve only offer Takin , Deer 🦌 and Birds.
2. Simply Bhutan : A living museum thats the tag line the Bhutan gov. has given. The museum is all about the rich culture and tradition of bhutan , its people and the history of the kingdom.
We were welcomed with their traditional wine, moving next to their traditional dance and it is fun as they did make you dance as well 🕺 and Then the Archery, Bhutan's national sports, Just pick the bow and arrow and hit the target & if u did then their is a victory dance performance by every bhutanese museum staff including you 😃😃 which is really amazing and amusing 😃😃
1. Bhuddha Doredenma : Great Buddha Dordenma is a gigantic Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the mountains of Bhutan celebrating the 60th anniversary of fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The statue houses over one hundred thousand smaller Buddha statues, each of which, like the Great Buddha Dordenma itself.
1. National Memorial Chorten : The Memorial Stupa was built in the memory of the Third King od Bhutan and it is dedicated to world peace.
Though it opens at 9:00AM in the morning for the tourist, but visiting it early in the morning is quite pleasing as you could see locals coming here for meditation , prayers , morning walk etc and it feels peaceful with all this surroundings.
1. Tashichhodzong. It is a fortress in the northern edge of Thimphu city. It has been the seat of the government since 1952 and presently houses the throne room and offices of the king, the secretariat and the ministries of finance.
We just had a glimpse of the place from far away but will definitely visit in my next trip
DAY 4 - Punakha
Dochula Pass : The sightseeing on the way to Punakha is Dochula Pass which is a mountain pass at 3100m with 108 memorial Chorten or stupas that was built in honor of the Bhutanese soldiers who died in 2003 military operation. It indeed one of the must visit place and pay your respect to fallen soildes and experience the beauty of the Douhula Pass.
Punakha Dzong(fortress) : Its the 2nd oldest & 2nd largest dzong in bhutan and one of its most majestic structures
Chhimi Lakhang/Monastery : Also known as Fertility Temple. This Monastery is renowned throughout Bhutanbas a fertility inducing magnet, pledging that who all wish to conceive will find guidance at the temple. And the guide will definitely tell you yhe true stories.
Suspension Bridge: The is the longest suspension bridge in bhutan and the last sightseeing point in Punakha. Post this its some adventure time 🤩🤩
Rafting & Camping Punakha River : We ended our sightseeing in Punakha with river rafting in Punakha river follwowed by beautiful and scenic river route , clear water ,cold breeze & reaching to camping site which again river side camping. Night full of antakshari, a bottle of wine & a camp fire 🔥
Days 5 - Paro
Day 5 starts with the journey from Punakha to Paro, there are many sightseeing spots on the way to Paro starting with Pa-Chu , river side spot followed by Airport View Point and visiting National museum of Bhutan, Ta Dzong, Rinpung Dzong.
Then ending the day with shopping at local market and back to your stay, Awaiting for most amazing next day plan.
Day 6 - Tiger Nest Hike (Paro) :
We started our hike early morning at 06:30 AM to most famous monastery of Bhutan , which is at yhe height of 900m above the Paro valley floor. TIGER NEST is considered as the mosf sacred place and is visited by all Bhutanese atleast once in their lifetime. Its approximately 5 hrs round trip hike.
The trip to Bhutan is incomplete without seeing Tiger Nest
Note : Buy the Tiger Nest Monastery entry tickets from Base Itself, No option to buy those once u reach at the Top
Day 7 - Paro -Chalela Pass - Phuentsholing
Start the day early for drive to Chelela Pass. After driving through blue pine and rhododendron forest for 45 km, reach Chelela Pass located at 3810m (13000ft) between the valley of Paro and Haa. From this point one can have superb views of Mt. Jhomolhari and Jichu Drakey. This is a very good place to walk around for few minutes enjoying the view. Chelela Pass is the highest motor able pass in Bhutan.
This official marks the end of journey catching back our flights to back Home next day i.e. Day8 from Bagdogra Airport.
It was really one of my most amazing trip and will be visitinng back Bhutan soon enough. The local people , our guide , the place , the Aura ,the complete journey was just perfect.
