Friday, 17th January 2020 My last day in Bhutan was spent ascending up Tiger’s Nest or Taktsang Monastery. Separating us at the valley floor where we begun our journey to the summit is about 2000 feet or 610m. The climb involved lots of determination to complete especially in the high-altitude environment where W and I were clearly gasping for oxygen along the way. Eventually, we managed to make the hike in about 5 hours (including rest-stops and temple tour) which was quite efficient according to our guide who accompanied us throughout the trek. This was definitely one of the highlights of my Bhutan experience even though my favourite was still the nature hike in Phobjikha Valley. The icing in the cake at Tiger's Nest was that we were greeted by light snow when we approached the ... read more

Wednesday, 15th January 2020 We baded goodbye to Punakha today and made our way to the Gangtey Region, about 75km (3 hours) away. Before commencing on our drive proper, we caught a final glimpse of the Punakha Tzong from the easterly direction for some photo memories of the place. The Gantey Region is located some 3,000m above sea level (keep your pain-killers handy). Right at the heart of it lies the Phobjikha Valley where we would be spending a night at the iconic Dewachen Hotel. This is probably one of the most beautiful valleys in Bhutan. It is also in Phobjikha where the sacred Black-necked Cranes roam during the winter months to escape from the harsh weather conditions in the Tibetan Plateau. On the 11th November of every year, the annual Black-necked Crane Festival is held ... 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

Sunday, 12th January 2020 From the time I first touch-based with Druk Asia on 8th November 2019 to the time I set foot to Bhutan took slightly more than two months. Travelling to Bhutan required engaging a travel agent who would take care of all the logistics on my behalf - air tickets, visa, accommodation, meals, a guide, a driver and admission fees. This was a fuss-free experience dealing with Druk Asia who would arrange all that. Two months on, I was ready at Changi Airport Terminal 1 to begin my six-hour flight to Paro, where the country's sole international airport is located. Given the limited seat capacity on my A319 flight, the air tickets did not come in cheap even after the 25 percent off-peak discount considering that I would be able to snatch a ... read more

Saturday, 19th October 2019 My final day in South Korea was spent in the city of Daegu, some 93km or 45 minutes via the fastest train service from Busan Station. The main objective of visiting Daegu was to experience a ride on the country's fastest KTX train network. And it helped that the local tourism office was offering some inexpensive 10,000 Won daily tours departing from Dongdaegu Station. During the journey to Daegu, I was offered a mikan (orange) from one of the nice Korean ladies seated next to me. I managed to secure a tour slot on Saturday morning that covers the Bullodong Ancient Tomb Park, Palgongsan and the Donghwa Temple among others. Lunch was not included in the itinerary but the guide recommended some inexpensive restaurants along the foot of Palgongsan which was probably ... read more