Bhutan and Sikkim

Most people go to Bhutan by Air flying from New Delhi to Paro. But in our case we flew to Bagdodra via Calcutta. We had decided to go by road, a long journey but we travelled by a very comfortable SUV and were very happy.

In those days Mobile phones perhaps were not there. So we made a booking by a phone with a travel agent recommended by a friend. Communication was very poor. We saw two luxirious Innova SUV waiting for us at the airport and were very happy. We all first went to meet our nephew. As per driver’s advice it was a going to be a long road journey so we took off on time.

Our first stop was Phuntsholing at the border of Bhutan and India. We stayed overnight and next day entered Bhutan via a gate showing our permits. The road passing through mountains and waterfalls along the way was very beautiful.

Most of our travel was through three valleys in central Bhutan - Thimphu, Punakha and Paro.

After about 5 - 6 hours journey we reached the capital city Thimphu on the Dashera day. We settled down in the hotel and lo and behold there was a river flowing on the backside of our hotel. On the big ground at the back local people were practicing archery which is a popular sport in Bhutan. 

In Thimphu we saw the palace and another special building built in typical Bhutanese style constructed for a South East Asia meeting that was held there earlier. A river was flowing near these buildings making it very beautiful.

When we met our travel agent she  suggested  local sight seeing. She also suggested to go to a specific restaurant for our lunch that is known by a number and not a name. The food was superb and we all enjoyed it. In this restaurant at the end of the meal they gave us to eat a mouth cleaner named SUPARI. We also use the same in India. But here they gave us raw Supari. It has an ingredient that may make one feel dizzy. This happened to two of us in the group. After lunch as we were driving along, our driver stopped the car.  He pointed out the young king who was playing golf and a crowd had gathered. 

PUNAKHA

After two nights in Thimphu we were again on the road to reach Punakha. It is well known for its Buddhist Monastery.  In early days this was not so well known. Hotels were scarce so we were accommodated at Dechhen cottages built on the mountain side.  There were other foreign guests also along with us.

This was a season of Dussera celebration at home. And during 10 days of Dussera the ladies perform a kind of performance walking around circle clapping with our palms and sing special songs. While we were doing this the ladies of  foreign guests joined us. That was fun. One thing i would like to share is that my grand daughter went even further hiking to Gangteng Valley.

The Punakha Dzong, also known as Pungthang Dewa chhenbi Phodrang, is the administrative centre of Punakha District in Punakha, Bhutan. Constructed by Ngawang Namgyal, 1ˢᵗ Zhabdrung Rinpoche, in 1637–38, it is the second oldest and second-largest dzong in Bhutan with one of its most majestic structures. 

Dzongs form an integral part of Bhutanese life. The word Dzong means a 'castle' or a 'monastry'. In earlier times, dzongs were used for defensive purposes. Now these are used for administrative as well as religious purposes. They were built on a cliff or ridge.

Punakha is also famous for its long suspension bridge, which is decorated with colorful flags on occasions.

PARO

After 2 night stay in Punakha we drove to Paro, a very long journey. In Thimphu and Paro Bhutanese government has constructed hotels for tourists. This time we stayed at this place but only 2 rooms were available so we formed separate groups of  men and ladies folks. Paro is famous for a Buddhist temple way up in mountain along a steep slope. For an average person it is a very difficult walk. So we observed it from the ground. This was end of our Bhutan trip.

This trip was inspired as my nephew who had joined Air Force and was posted at Bagdodra Air force station. My sister came up with the idea to go to Sikkim and Bhutan while our nephew was there. A couple of our friends also decided to join us. Our planned travel dates were close to Dashera festival in October, which is an important celebration in Bhutan.

About Bhutan

Located in the midst of the Eastern Himalayas on Tibet’s southern border, the Kingdom of Bhutan is a small Himalayan country that is the last real Shangri-La of the Himalayas. its Himalayan border along Tibet is just 470 kilometers in length. Only four (4) of the world’s 110 highest mountains (all over 7,000 meters) are on the border with China in Tibet.

The flag shows Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, also known as Druk Yul - the Land of Thunder Dragon. The kingdom is a landlocked country on the southern slopes of the eastern Himalayas. It borders the Indian states of Sikkim in the west, West Bengal and Assam in the south, and Arunachal Pradesh in the east, and it shares a border with China (Xizang - Tibet Autonomous Region) in the north.

With an area of 38,394 km², the country is somewhat smaller than Switzerland or about half the size of the US state of Indiana. Bhutan's landscape is mountainous interspersed with fertile valleys; it offers a pristine environment with a spectacular biodiversity.

For centuries the kingdom has remained completely isolated from the outside world. Only in 1974, Bhutan began to open its isolated country to foreigners; 287 tourists visited Bhutan in that year. Today, more than 200,000 people visit the kingdom each year. All tourists must book their travel through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator (or international partner).

To the north of the plains the land rises steeply, the landscape is dominated by the mountains of the Sub-Himalayan Range. The kingdom has one of the most rugged mountain terrains in the world. The 1,000 to 3,000 m high ranges of the sub-alpine Himalayan region (Outer Himalaya) are the main settlement area. Bhutan has a population of 742,000 inhabitants (in 2019); it is South Asia's second least populous country. The capital and largest city is Thimphu.

The country's landscape offers three major regions. South of the outer foothills of the Himalayas along its southern border are the Dooars (Duar). The Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands are Bhutan's very narrow portion of the subtropical and tropical alluvial floodplains of the Ganges-Brahmaputra lowlands (Indo-Gangetic Plain).