Blogs from Bhutan, Asia - page 5

Our flight from hectic Kathmandu to Bhutan was probably one of our most spectacular flights ever. It was a crystal clear day and we had amazing views of Mt Everest and The Himalayas - sadly it only lasted 1 hour. After the polluted streets of Kathmandu it was a perfect antidote. The landing into Paro airport was as equally impressive as the plane had to deftly manoeuvre between the steep-sided mountains onto the valley floor. Certainly not a landing for the faint-hearted, but a great experience nevertheless. Bhutan is such an interesting destination, it is difficult to know where to start: Until the 1960’s it had no roads, automobiles, telephone, postal system or electricity, and the first foreign tourists were not allowed in until 1974. It is regarded as one of the most isolated nations in ... read more

Norzim Lam Norzim lam is one of the most important roads in Thimphu where you find most of the hotels and important official buildings. There are many shops and shopping malls in this area. While most part of Thimphu becomes silent after evening, this place remains very active even in the late evening. img=https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6msaH3VJn1s/VLJ5r98MO_I/AAAAAAAAQPA/6GRag3ASnaM/w702-h527-no/Norzim%2BLam%2B%28thimphu%29%2B17.JPG The above picture shows the entrance to Norzim lam from bus stand side. You can find the clock tower on this road. This road goes straight towards Tashicho dzong. The immigration office is also on this road. There are many shops, shopping malls in the city, mostly around Norzim lam. Plenty of garments, handicrafts, traditional and modern things to buy. (I felt price is higher than India). I was particularly impressed with de... read more

It was a long pending tour for the most vibrant telecom brand Banglalink’s Team Marketing! On 21st Nov 2014 we started our journey for Bhutan with Druk Air flight # KB 301 at 1200 and reached Paro, Bhutan at 1320 (local time). The flight in was beautiful – the snowcapped peaks of the Himalayas appear above the roof of clouds in to blue skies - an amazing sight to see if you are sitting on the left hand side of the plane. Some of those peaks are over 7300 meters! The plane itself flies into the narrow Paro valley, twisting quickly this way and that, and the pilot gets a resounding round of applause once we touchdown. Everyone seems to be grateful we made it! Sorry, should I not have taken that for granted?! Our guide ... read more

A slogan at Thimphu’s School of Traditional Arts says, “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product” by HM, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, the fourth Dragon King of Bhutan. This concept of GNH (Gross National Happiness) was designed to measure the quality of life or social progress than only the economic indicator of GDP (Gross Domestic Product). After driving in a Tata Safari for almost 4 days from Tamenglong, three members of the Adventure Club of Tamenglong (ACT) and a friend, Raimi, we picked up from Eastern Theological College, reached Gelephu a border town in Bhutan adjacent to Dadgiri in Chirang District of Assam. It was already 8 pm and the border gate had been closed for vehicles except for a few pedestrians crossing the borders at the last moment. Initially we were refused entry ... read more

Day 6/7 - Paro We had an early start, trying to get the timings of the pass opening right. The only way back to Paro is the way we came, over the Docha La pass and through the roadworks. After scrambled eggs for breakfast, and normal cornflakes with toast, we headed out towards the pass. We seemed to make good time, and hit the road works with only a 5 minute wait until they opened. As we approached the top of the pass, we spotted some monkeys, which we hadn't seen the day before. They seemed out of place somehow in Bhutan, and not really an animal you would associate with this type of country. Just before the top! there was another delay of 30minutes, but it really wasn't too bad. We got to listen to ... read more