Blogs from Bhutan, Asia

Flying into Bhutan on a clear day is a thrilling sight. The view of the Himalayas, peaking above the clouds, is beautiful and awe-inspiring. Then, there’s the landing into one of the most dangerous airports in the world. Fortunately, we were able to land on the first approach. After nearly two years of discussion and planning, Brigitte and I had finally arrived. From the moment we stepped into the airport until the moment we departed we were enchanted with this beautiful country and the gentle, kind-hearted people. Our tour, with Bhutan Travelers, provided us with a guide and a driver. They accompanied us from Jakar, in the east, to Paro and Thimphu, in the west. Our road trip, of 11 days, took us to multiple Dzongs (temple fortresses), monasteries, chortens, museums, a dance festival, valley and ... read more

Bhutan – it has been on our list for a long time! And it did not disappoint. A beautiful country of @ 780k people in the area @ the same size as Rhode Island. It has a constitutional monarchy with the beloved King as head of state. The country is @ 60% forested and/or protected. It definitely felt like the entire area we covered was one large national park with small villages and temples or dzongs on the hillside. Our trip covered an elevational change of 5000’ to 11,500’, many times in one day. The mountain roads consisted of switchbacks, narrow, not always 2 lane, paved roads with some pretty impressive drop-offs. But gorgeous scenery, with prayer flags everywhere!. And the rhododendrons were in full spectacular blooms! It was amazing to see the hillsides covered in ... read more

Thursday, 16th January 2020 The drive back to Paro City was long and winding. I had mixed feelings about leaving Gangtey given that this is probably one of the most beautiful places in Bhutan. However, my minor brush with altitude sickness meant that I could only get better when we headed down to the lower elevation. Along the way, we made a couple pit-stops to complete the long journey. By noon, we were back at the beautiful Dochula Pass for lunch before continuing our drive to Paro via Thimphu. It was early evening when we reached downtown Paro where there was some free time for shopping and light snacks. Over coffee at one of the cafes, I had a good chat with my guide and driver who had accompanied me over the last couple of days. ... read more

Tuesday, 14th January 2020 Food did not leave a deep impression for me at the Zhingkham Resort. After a rather uninspiring buffet dinner the night before, I woke up to another mediocre breakfast experience in the morning. The saving grace was the amazing view of the Punakha Valley from my breakfast table as the sun slowly made its way up from the surrounding hills. My guide, Ugyen and the driver came by after 9am this morning. The itinerary for today was rather relaxed as our sightseeing plans would be confined within the Punakha Region. First up this morning was a visit to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Choten, reachable after a 30-minute stroll across the rice fields of Yepaisa Village. This Choten is a relatively new addition to the Punakha scene having completed in 2004 by the ... read more

Monday, 13th January 2020 After concluding our sight-seeing plans for Thimphu in the earlier part of the day, it was time to embark on a somewhat winding journey to Punakha, about three hours away from the capital city. The beautiful Punakha Valley was going to be my home for the next two nights. Halfway through our journey, the driver made a pit-stop at the gorgeous Dochula Pass located some 3100m above sea level. This was where we were rewarded with great views of the Himalayas on a clear day. Next to it, stands the neat 108 Memorial Chortens perched on top of a small hill where plenty of photo-taking opportunities were possible. Before reaching the Punakha Valley, we paid a visit to the Chimi Lhakhang Temple where the deity, "Mad Saint" or the "Divine Madman" was ... read more