Thimpu, the beautiful capital of Bhutan offers everything a traveller can ask for. From the heritage sights to the amazing nightlife, Thimpu offers all of that. Not just the city but also the road which leads to Thimpu is extraordinary and offers stunning view. Since we started our journey from Phuntsholing, we could experience some great landscapes that followed us throughout.
In Thimpu, roads are always busy with nonstop traffic. Taxis are easily available in all parts of the city to make your commute easy.
We spent couple of days in Thimpu and here is what we enjoyed:
Memorial Chorten
The beautiful stupa nestled in the heart of the city is also known as Thimpu Chorten. There is an entry fees of NU 300 to enter the premises. Once you’ll step in, you will find several prayer wheels on your left side and pear trees on your right. Then there is a praying hall which is always illuminated with hundreds of lamps. Overall it was a good experience to visit the Memorial Chorten.
Buddha Dordenma statue/Big Buddha
The moment you’ll enter Thimpu city, you will be chased by this Bid Buddha statue throughout. From almost half of the town, you will be able to spot this statue easily. And when you actually enter the monastery to get a closer look, you will be mesmerized by the powerful design of Buddha Statue. And I’m sure you will end up clicking thousands of pictures from all angles. There is a prayer hall which is actually the seat of Buddha. Inside the hall, you will see thousands of mini Buddha statues and beautiful paintings all around. You cannot use cameras inside but sometimes its okay to soak in the view in eyes and not cameras.
Tango/Cheri monastery trek
We started our trek with a walk alongside the Thimpu Chu river following a small bridge. Our initial plan was to go for Tango monastery but somehow we followed the trail towards Cheri Monastery and it took us an hour to reach the top. The trail was quite steep but all surrounded by green trees so one can wait to relax and restart. You will also find a lot of prayer flags following the trail which was giving us positive vibes while trekking up. Upon reaching top, it started to rain heavily and we had to wait for while. There were some wonderful monks who offered us tea and some savouries to while we were waiting to trek down. Here we got an opportunity to speak with a group of locals and exchanged some great travel stories while having a sip of amazing tea.
Tashichho Dzong
Tashi Dzong is one of the biggest fortress in Bhutan. The beautiful white fort overlooks the lush green parks and is extremely clean & calm inside. Since we reached really late, we couldn’t see the entire place. Dzongs are usually cloed by 5pm sharp. And there is an entry charge of NU 300 to enter the Dzong.
Nightlife
Thimpu’s night life is really something which you cannot miss. There are pubs which are only opened on Wednesday, Saturday & Sundays. We tried couple of them to get a flavour of everything. We started with Vivacity which gives you a choice to either get grooving to the beats of DJ on the dance floor or enjoy your beer while listening to a live band performance. We then moved to Mojo Park where we saw a live rock band performance. I would strongly recommend these places as it will give you a gist of Thimpu’s nightlife. Generally these places are open till 12am-1am.
Food
Try the local street food in Thimpu which you’ll find in every corner. Also binge on chicken momos and Druk 1000 beer at the Zombala restaurant. Also try the local candies and cheese which you’ll find in almost every second grocery shop. Try Ema Datshi/Kewa Datshi from any local Bhutanese restaurant and it will certainly give you a flavour of Bhutan. Since we stayed in Airbnb, we could try out some local noodles and it tasted well. So don’t just rely on cafes and famous eateries, experiment with the local food as well.
Overall Thimpu is a fun place to explore and each turn gives a surprise. So go enjoy the beautiful capital of Bhutan!