Since I was already going to be in Nepal, and getting to this part of the world from the West Coast of the United States is a journey unto itself, I didn’t want to squander the opportunity to visit another country that had loomed large in my imagination. “Shangri-La” has often been used to describe Bhutan, and having seen many images of the iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery, I knew this was a place I had to visit at some point in my travels. I was fortunate to be able to line things up and plan a week long stay in the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
Our itinerary, arranged by Bridge to Bhutan, took us to four different districts (or dzongkhags) located in the Western half of the country: Paro, Thimpu, Wandue Phodrang and Punakha.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Day 1: Arrival in Paro
Getting from Kathmandu to Paro was pretty easy. I had purchased our flights while I was still in the USA using Drukair’s easy to navigate website. From my phone I was able to check-in and obtain our online boarding passes 24 hours prior to our departure. With clear weather all the way, our seats on the left side of the plane meant that we could see the Himalayas in all their glory. My eyes were glued to the window, taking photo after photo. We saw all the major peaks: Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. It was stunning.
As we approached Paro, flying through the green valley surrounded by mountains dotted with houses, I remembered that folks had told us this was one of the most dangerous airports to fly into. Fortunately, we had a very smooth landing.
Other than the passengers from our flight, the airport was empty. After collecting our bags and changing some money, we exited and were greeted by our guide Kinley and our driver Karma. We would get to know them well over our 7 days with them – their kindness and humor, love of Bhutan and desire to make sure we both were having a good time and enjoying ourselves.
Since Drukair bumped our flight to the morning – originally we were supposed to arrive in the afternoon – we now had an afternoon ahead of us. Our van made its way through downtown Paro where I admired the distinctiveness of Bhutanese architecture. We left the town and passed rice fields, continuing up a hill to our first stop, the National Museum. It’s housed in an old watchtower that sits farther up the hill from the Paro Dzong, a fortified monastery that is now the seat for administrative and religious purposes.
We spent an hour wandering through the museum’s seven stories which housed collections of art and artifacts from the Bronze Age up until today. It was a good way to orient ourselves to the history and culture of the country, particularly the important role of Buddhism.
As we walked back to the van, we stopped to admire views of the Paro Valley from the museum’s hilltop perch. From there it was back to town for lunch at a “tourist” restaurant. Everyone eating there was a foreigner. The meal was simple but good.
We had our first taste of chili cheese (ema datshi), a condiment eaten with every meal. It’s literally chilis cooked with farmer’s or cottage cheese. It was really tasty but too spicy for me to have more than one chili to accompany my entire meal. We later learned from Kinley that the Bhutanese mix datshi, or cheese, with many other foods like spinach, egg, potato and beef.
With happy bellies, we made the hour drive to Thimphu. It was still early when we arrived so we went to the Motithang Takin Preserve, primarily to see the takin, Bhutan’s national animal. The large mammal, which has it’s own creation myth, looks like a mash-up of a moose, goat and sheep. As we circumnavigated the fenced area we saw several other animals: barking deer, samba (another kind of
deer), an injured solitary boar and two satyr tragopans. The preserve was a bit underwhelming. I guess I was expecting something more open and wild. This felt too much like a sad zoo.
We took a short hike following the river back to the parking lot and our waiting van, where we continued to our hotel, the Osel, in Thimpu. Our room was the most modern and luxurious of all the places we had stayed so far on our trip. The bathroom, with its tiled walls and contemporary fixtures, was a standout.
At the hotel we met Fin, who with his brother, started the tour company in 2007. Fin studied in Virginia, worked in Seattle for a few years, and then moved back to Bhutan. His brother still lives in New York.
After walking around the small downtown area, we had dinner at the hotel and enjoyed a leisurely evening.
Day 2: Chagri Monastery and Thimpu Sightseeing
In the morning we hiked to Chagri Monastery. The monastery is off the beaten path; I didn’t get the sense that many tourists came here. To reach the trailhead we crossed a covered bridge that opened onto a field with a large stupa in the middle of it. There was a large rock with small, stupa-shaped offerings placed all around it. We would later notice tsatsas everywhere, tucked into rock crevices along the road or trail.
The hike was all uphill, through a beautiful forest. After 3 weeks doing the EBC trek it wasn’t too hard for us. Unfortunately, the monastery was being renovated but we were able to enter one of the temples. We waited while both Kinley and Karma did their prostrations and then we sat quietly in a corner for a few minutes listening to one of the monks chant while beating the drum and playing the cymbals.
Two hours later, it was back to town for lunch. We ate at another tourist restaurant and had momos, potatoes cooked with cheese and fried eggplant and carrots. After lunch we went to see an enormous, gold Buddha statue perched on one of Thimpu’s many hills called the Buddha Dordenma.
Bhutan’s Chief Abbot also happened to be here reciting prayers for the next 30 days. It seems like we came at an auspicious time as the Chief Abbot doesn’t do this often. Devotees from around the country had flocked here to receive teachings from him. People were camping out, their tents and tarps dotting the grounds surrounding the Buddha. We went inside the cavernous hall underneath it to gape at the walls lined with thousands of small gold buddhas.
As we were driving back to town to visit the farmers market , we happened to see an archery game in progress. Archery is Bhutan’s national sport and two teams were vying for first place in a tournament. The interaction between the teams was fun to watch. Each time an archer scored a point his team would gather around to sing a folk song and basically taunt the opponents. We watched about an hour of the competition before heading off to see the farmer’s market.
That evening we drove to a lodge owned by Fin’s aunt and uncle on the outskirts of Thimphu and had dinner in the adjoining cafe. Our delicious multi-course meal was all homemade and used vegetables from their own garden. Before we left, the aunt stopped by our table to say ‘hello.’ She was so gracious. It didn’t feel like a restaurant meal at all, but rather, like we just ate at a favorite relative’s home.
Day 3: Drive to Phobjikha Valley
Before leaving the city of Thimpu that morning, we stopped at the Tashichho Dzong. It’s a big complex that houses the king’s offices and several temples. From the main courtyard, we surveyed the numerous structures and then walked to the main monastery to look inside. Leaving the dzong, we walked past the ornate door that led to the private residence of the king.
As we prepared to head out of town, we made a quick stop for coffee at Ambient Cafe. I wish I hadn’t already eaten breakfast—hey had bagels and hummus! Caffeine in hand, we kicked back in the van and enjoyed the beautiful drive to Phobjikha Valley, home of the threatened black-necked crane. The cranes typically show up around November so we would be early in the season, but we remained hopeful nonetheless that we might see one.
Our drive east first took us to the Dochula Pass where we stopped to admire views of the Himalayas. We were able to glimpse Gangkhar Puensum, the highest mountain in Bhutan. We also walked around the 108 chortens (or stupas) built in memory of Bhutan’s fourth king and the men he led during the war against the Assamese rebels.
A short distance down the mountain we stopped for lunch before continuing our drive. We cut through the Punakha district, an area we would be returning to on our way back to Paro. As we crossed from Punakha into Wangdue Phodrong, we saw the dzong standing guard on the hill above us.
Soon we started climbing, following the narrow, twisty road up to a second pass at about 10,400 feet called Lawala. It was around 4:30 P.M by now and cloudier. As we came down the pass we could see the Phobjikha Valley stretched out in front of us.
Another half hour passed before we arrived at the Dewachen Hotel and Spa, a beautiful property located at the end of a country road. At an elevation of about 9,500 feet, the outside temperature had dropped quite a bit and it was much colder here than in Thimpu.
We got the wood-burning stove in our room going and bundled up to head out for a quick walk before dinner. The air was clean and refreshingly crisp. We watched the clouds turn shades of pink before returning to the hotel.
The dining room was quite busy, filled with two large groups and their guides. Dinner was buffet-style with the usual repertoire of soup, rice, various vegetable preparations and a meat dish.
Slept soundly that night, lulled to sleep by the quietness of the countryside.
Day 4: Nature Hike and Fertility Temple
I started coughing today. I had managed to dodge the cold my friend had developed during the Everest Base Camp trek but with her continuously coughing and sneezing for 3 weeks it was bound to catch up with me. I was just happy that I didn’t get sick while I was on the trek.
After breakfast we went to the Black-Necked Crane Information Center, a stone’s throw from the hotel. The center was being renovated but we were still able to see the two captive injured cranes strutting around in their enclosure. It would have been amazing to see these birds, that fly over the Himalayas between here and Tibet, in the wild, but I guess that will have to be another trip.
From the Information Center we got dropped off at the Gangtey Phobji Nature Trail and did a 2.5 miles walk along the valley, up into the forested hillside, to the Gangtey Monastery. The monastery, with its impressive wood-work, sits on a hill with views across the valley. We didn’t go inside, but instead walked around it. Kinley, our guide, was being judicious in deciding which monasteries and temples we would enter to avoid having us become “templed-out.”
As we exited the monastery, Karma was waiting for us with the van. We hopped in and started our two-hour drive back towards Punakha. Our first stop was in the town of Sopsokha for lunch. From there we walked along the rice paddies, where farmers were busy harvesting their crops and preparing haystacks for the coming winter, through a village that sold all sorts of phallus handicrafts, before reaching Chimi Lakhang (the Fertility Temple). Inside the temple we saw a 1.5 foot wooden penis that women, who are hoping to be blessed with fertility, carry as they walk three times around the temple. Apparently, it works; couples from around the world have traveled to the monastery to perform the ritual. There is a photo album filled with photos and letters from happy parents.
On the topic of fertility, the phallus symbol can be found painted on the side of many homes in Bhutan. We even saw wooden ones hanging from the corner of roofs. It’s amusing to see the painted ones as they come in all sorts of interesting representations of the penis. These symbols are meant to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.
It was another 20 minutes to the Four Boutique Hotel where we would be spending the next two nights.
Day 5: Nunnery Visit and Punakha Sightseeing
It rained all night and most of the day. As a result we had to modify our itinerary; there would be no hiking to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. This was unfortunate as the chorten’s architecture is unique and it’s one of the must-see places of this district. Oh well. Perhaps another reason to come back with Chris.
Instead, we went to the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup nunnery and after walking around we sat in silence inside the temple trying to meditate. Then we spent 30-40 minutes talking to one of the younger nuns. When she was 5-years old she had a dream about becoming a monk but being a girl her mother told her she would have to be a nun. She didn’t enter the nunnery until 21and has been there for seven years. It was really special to be able to spend time with her and ask questions. I was surprised at how open she was sharing her experience with us.
After our nunnery visit, we headed into the town of Punakha. It was still overcast and drizzly, but we circumnavigated its small downtown before meeting up with Kinley and Karma at a local eatery for lunch. The four of us had quite the feast—veggie momos, mushroom with cheese, (lots of) red rice, scrambled egg, sautéed veggies, French fries, dal soup and cucumber salad. Fin had told us that Bhutan was not the place to visit for its gastronomy, and while none of the food we’d eaten so far would be considered fancy, we’d been surprised by the variety and how fresh and tasty everything had been.
After lunch we visited the Punakha Dzong, situated at the confluence of the Mo Chhu (Female) and Pho Cchu (Male) rivers. We crossed the Bazam covered bridge and entered the first courtyard which houses the administrative offices. From there we walked to a big assembly hall painted with murals depicting the life of Buddha. Kinley told us the story behind each mural. Although I had learned about the Buddha back in high school, it was good to get a refresher.
When we were done exploring the dzong, we followed the river for about 15 minutes along a dirt path to the suspension bridge. We’d already seen and crossed our fair share of suspension bridges on the EBC trek, but this was one of the longest suspension bridges in Bhutan, and possibly even longer than the ones we crossed in Nepal, so it was a must-see and do. It definitely felt bouncier.
We retraced our steps and walked back to the van for the short drive back to the hotel where we spent rest of the afternoon relaxing.
Day 6: Dochula Pass Hike and Return to Paro
In the morning we continued our journey back to Paro. We returned on the same road, but this time when we reached the Dochula Pass we stopped to do a 2-mile hike to the Lungchutse monastery. It was a beautiful trail that wound through a hemlock and rhododendron forest, spanned by colorful prayer flags here and there. The monastery is located at 11,700 feet so we got a good cardio workout, gaining about 1,300 feet in elevation. However, since we were so well acclimated from our last 3 weeks, the altitude didn’t bother us.
We spent a few minutes inside, while Kinley chatted with the monk. Instead of heading straight back down the trail, we took a break under a wooden rest area. Although our views were blocked by clouds we savored the moment as we sipped milk tea, snacked on fried cornflakes, and let the rays of sun peaking through warm our faces.
After our workout, we returned to Thimphu for a well-deserved lunch. Fin joined us. The five of us chowed down on typical Bhutanese dishes, many familiar to us by now. I definitely preferred their vegetable dishes. I found that many of their meat dishes, particularly beef, were tough and chewy.
We wrapped up around 4:00P.M., largely because we were having a really interesting discussion with Fin about his journey, why he returned to Bhutan, and how the country has changed in general and specifically during the pandemic.
After saying our goodbyes to Fin, we walked to the Postal Museum to have our custom stamps made. What a great idea! You provide them with any photo and they print it onto a sheet of 12 stamps that can actually be used. I picked one of my EBC photos and used a stamp to mail a postcard to Chris.
From there we went to a small paper-making factory. It was interesting to see the process by which the bark of the Daphne tree is boiled, pounded, filtered, squeezed and dried into sheets of light brown paper. The working conditions there would definitely not pass muster with OSHA.
It was an hour later by the time we pulled into the Tashi Namgay Resort across from the airport in Paro. It probably had the best shower of our entire trip – great pressure and temperature and it was also one of the better buffet hotel dinners.
Day 7: Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Taktsang Monastery)
Today was arguably the highlight of the trip, the main reason people come to Bhutan and certainly one of the reasons I was here. We had saved the best for last.
The hike and visit to the temples probably took us three and half hours, not including a 20-minute break we took at the cafe on our way down. It helped that I was already acclimatized to the altitude otherwise it would have really been strenuous given the monastery is located at about 10,200 feet.
It was so gratifying to have finally made it there, after seeing so many photos about this enchanting place.
I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I got back to the van. I was looking forward to having real food.
Lunch was at a farmhouse which gave us the experience of how the Bhutanese themselves eat at home. We sat on the floor in the dining room while the mother prepared and served us our meal. The vegetables, potato and rice were all from the farm and definitely the dishes I enjoyed most. The beef cooked with the vermicelli noodles was a bit tough.
I had a chance to chat with the mom while the others were walking around the farm. She was quite the entrepreneur! Not only did she run a home stay program but she had also gotten selected to participate in an Asian Development Bank (ADB) program where she would receive marketing support for products that she locally sourced and packaged.
The rest of the afternoon was free time for us. We walked around downtown Paro looking for souvenirs. I had read about Bhutanese textiles so had my mind set on finding a special piece to take home but many of the shops along main street sold the same things and they all struck me as being massed produced. We eventually turned down a side street and stumbled upon a weaving school. Three women were sitting by their looms near the window. As I perused the modern ghos and kiras, I came upon a shelf tucked in the corner stacked with items that looked different, the weaving style was distinct from everything else hanging on the walls and the colors were more muted. I learned that these were table coverings and material used as belts for kiras that they had bought from local weavers. After a little bargaining, I walked out with what I was looking for.
Day 8: Back to Kathmandu
It was our last day in Bhutan. Our flight wasn’t until early afternoon so we finally had a leisurely morning. No alarm. I had a bit of breakfast—nothing really appetizing except for my pot of masala tea.
We headed to the airport at 11:00 A.M. which was more than enough time. We were almost the only people there. On our flight everyone sat on the right side of the plane in order to see the mountain views.
Around 3:00 P.M. we arrived back at the Yak and Yeti in Kathmandu, our home away from home. We spent the afternoon re-packing and then had an early dinner. Slept a few hours before heading back to the airport at 1:00 A.M. and making our way back to the USA.
Coda
Bhutan was a respite from the organized chaos of Kathmandu and the crowds that we encountered along the EBC trek. I’m sure part of it was timing – the country had just opened up the month before we got there so tourism likely hadn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, I have no doubt that being a majority Buddhist country had something to do with the general calmness that we encountered.
It’s a beautiful country, with verdant valleys and snowcap peaks. It has a rich history preserved in its many dzongs and monasteries. And most importantly, the people we met were so proud to be Bhutanese.
Additional Info
- I don’t usually purchase travel insurance, however, it was required for entry into Bhutan. I used World Nomads which was more cost effective than buying insurance through the tour operator.
- With the re-opening of the country in September 2022, a few important changes have been introduced, including being able to travel on your own. The most significant change is that the daily Sustainable Development Fee has been increased from USD65 to USD200. We were lucky to have gotten grandfathered in at the lower rate. Bhutan’s Department of Tourism website is a good resource.