[PointZero]

After working for day and night, it’s important that we get some reason to rejoice. Roaming about to places is just not our passion but also our energy capsule which help us keep going. And for rejoice what could be better choice than to flee from the hassles of life and revive life in the country of gross domestic happiness.




As we have made most of our trips to North Bengal and Sikkim, the next place to travel was Bhutan within an economical budget with whole family. We planned the trip within a month and henceforth set ahead to The Land of Thunder Dragon.


The plan

Permit Details: There are two set of permits.

1. Immigration Permit & vehicle permit to enter Bhutan:

a. Permit to visit Bhutan can be easily obtained from Bhutan consulate in Kolkata but you have to submit the documents at least 15 days prior to the trip date. However this can also be obtained from the immigration office situated at Phuentsholing. No passport required for Indian nationals. Only voter ID card can suffice. Time: 1 hour max.

b. Vehicle permit has to be obtained from Phuentsholing RSTA office situated at Phuentsholing bus-stand. It will cost max Rs. 250/- to 300/- for a 7 days permit. May vary depending on the duration, not sure whether it depends on vehicle type or not. Time: Depends on the availability of officers and number of tourist vehicle in the queue.


Immigration Permit


Vehicle Permit

2. Extended permit to visit rural places other than Thimpu and Paro:

a. Extended permit can be obtained by showing the immigration permit at the immigration office situated at the end of Thimpu Market. Time: 1 hour to 1 and ½ hour.

b. The vehicle permit extension can be done from the Thimpu RTO office situated at the opposite side of the river. Time: 5-10 min.


Extended Permit

I was traveling with my parents this time and I wanted to plan in such a way that I can avoid night drive and unnecessary halting due to jam. So I decided to start at odd times like 3:30 AM from Kolkata and transverse via NH2 (Burdwan) -> NH2B (Bolepur) -> Suri ->Dumka -> Bhagalpur ->Purnia ->Siliguri.


Before We Start


Day 1 (Kolkata -> Siliguri):

By 8:00 AM we reached Massanjore Dam, had our breakfast and enjoyed the cool fresh air at the Dam side. As usual these early hours helps us to travel more distance in less time as we do not encounter the busy traffic of daily commuters.




Out first stop near Bolepur





Massanjore Dam







Beautiful road - Massanjore to Dumka

I was literally annoyed by the road condition of the route from Dumka to Bhagalpur. Last time I traveled the same route in darkness while it was raining so I could not believe that the road was full of craters of a depth of 1-2 feet. We anticipated that we could have our lunch and leave Bhagalpur by around 1:00 PM. But as well said “Man proposes and God disposes”, we got stuck in a terrific jam near Bhagalpur station. This killed almost one and half hour of the planned time. We were so restless that we even delayed the lunch time and focused on crossing the city area as soon as possible.










Dumka to Bhagalpur


Road after Bhagalpur

We forgave our lunch and finally halted at Dalkhola BP dhaba by 3:30 pm. We had a late lunch and took some rest before further move. Other than the stretch between Dumka and Bhagalpur, the journey was pretty smooth and starting at odd hours added some advantage to cover first 300 KMs in minimal time which offered us a quality dinner at Siliguri.

To be continued ...

[PointZero]

Day 2 (Siliguri -> Phuentsholing -> Thimpu):

The next day also we started early morning. The reason being that it was Sunday and there was an uncertainty about the working hours of the immigration office and RSTA office. It was necessary that we get the permit for us as well as the vehicle the same day or else we had to stay back at Phuentsholing. The road from Siliguri to Jaigaon is full of greenery on either side and the land covered with tea gardens were a delight to look at.



Early morning towards Hasimara

We made our way to the immigration office before the officer has arrived at 9:00 am. We were well in time to be the second one to get the permit so we did not had to wait for long. In the meantime, we had our breakfast to utilize the waiting time. As it was Sunday, the vehicle permit office would not function for very late hours of the day. It took only an hour to get our permit. In Bhutan the key to get things done is just a sweet smile. Wear that and you will be though every odds.

From the immigration office we moved to the RSTA office for the vehicle permit. RSTA office is inside Phuentsholing bus stand which is located towards the left of the first tea junction after entering Bhutan. Indian money is dearer than the Bhutanese money, people out there are happy to accept Indian money. By 11:30 am we were done with the formalities of getting permission.


On the move .. towards Thimpu

While I drove uphill, the roads were covered with clouds. Just after crossing the cloud covered roads, we entered a road which was heaven for a driver. The road dwelled along the valley and a river was running parallel to my car as if they were competing with each other. Just at a distance from the division of Thimpu and Paro, the valley and river looked so awesome that we could not resist ourselves from taking a break and enjoying the ambience.




Just after few KM from Phuentsholing. View of Aliporeduar from Bhutan




Fun time started


Tea Break








Some snap of cloudy road




Way to Thimpu


While approaching Thimpu my parents were delighted to see the special art used in the building architecture. Each house was so beautiful to look at. The architectural excellence was worth praise. The windows and the roof tops were crafted in block structures with mantras printed on it in vibrant colors. Thimpu is a nice place to visit in winters to experience snowfall. The clouds hindered visibility but then it was a exciting to penetrate through it. Thimpu has car parking facility available at all places at a cost of Rs 15-20/- per hour. We moved into a hotel and then made our mind to roam about in the nearby area.






Entering Thimpu




Reached Thimpu

In the evening we walked down the lanes of the market where we were taken aback by a group of super-bikes aligned near the football stadium. My father learn some of the names of the bikes standing there and said that I could have bought a Triumph Tiger because I love to make bike trips. However after hearing the cost he said “Bagh Posa sotti khub kothin” (It’s really very hard to foster a Tiger).








Some random click while roaming around the city




Thimpu Clock Tower

To be continued ...

[PointZero]

Day 3 (Thimpu ->Dochula Pass -> Punakha ->Bajo):

The greed for some more made us extend our permit further beyond the urban Bhutan. It was time to go ahead and discover another face of Bhutan. The hotel owner was a wise man who suggested us to reach the immigration office in early hours and submit the documents. The office was very near to the hotel towards the end of the main market, though we took our vehicle thinking not to waste any time walking down the lanes.

After submission of the requisite documents, the lady officer asked us to come back after an hour to collect the permit. It was a sunny day with pleasant breeze and the side lane was engulfed with shops selling local hand-looms and souvenirs. My mom was quite interested in purchasing some of them but the prices were too high. This way we spent an hour and stood in front of a basket in the office. As soon as the officer dropped our permit in the basket we grabbed it and left for vehicle permit extension on the opposite side of the river. It took around 5 minutes to get it done







Some random snap while we were waiting for extended permit


On the way while leaving the city, I felt like the city was beckoning me. When I turned back from an elevation, I could see the whole city bidding me goodbye. I captured some of these in my camera thinking that maybe I may not get a chance to come back again to Thimpu during this trip. I moved on with a long sigh.



















Different view of Thimpu.


Dochula Pass is a round structures of 108 chortens made in 3 layers. Standing in the garden at the center of the circle, we enjoyed the view of snow clad mountain peaks. This is the point from where the highest peak of Bhutan – Mt. Masanggang can be seen. Unfortunately as the weather became cloudy soon we could not capture any snaps of the peaks.















Dochula Pass

Punakha is the best Dzong of Bhutan. When you see the pictures you will definitely agree with me. As per my calculations, we were well ahead of time to reach Phobjikha before dusk. However the journey from Dochula Pass to Punakha can be said to be a roller coaster ride in terms of speed. We speed up for a certain distance and then again we were toned down due to some unplanned halts.




On the way between Dochula and Punakha


The first two halts was because of road constructions where men at work were bombarding the hill to create wider roads. Please be informed that opening and closing timings of the roads is done as per schedule time mentioned on the board I am going to share. This information has actually helped us while our way back. Another halts was due to the mishap where a truck felt downhill (150-200 feet) from the corner of the road. Fortunately no one was injured but the truck has crumpled. Army blocked the road to pull the truck from abyss. It was just few meter away from Punakha Bridge.


Road closing time.




Almost reached Punakha





Army trying to recover the truck



Punakha Bridge from the accident point

To be continued ...

[PointZero]

Day 3 continued ...

Alas after all huddles we were rejoiced to see what was in front of us. From the other side of the bridge we could see a huge white building siting like an old man on the green grass with colorful flowers encroaching him. The golden top of the Dzong was glazing from a distance. It is built at the confluence of two rivers which are regarded as the father and mother of Bhutan. The pink flowers around the Dzong gave it a perfect look of calendar picture.


















Different picture of Punakha Dzong from Outside

As we have already lost lots of time because of the halts, we had to move ahead from Punakha and search for a place for the night stay. Talking to the local people we had the cognizance that Phobjhika is very rural area and has very few high end hotels. If we were not able to make to Phobjhika we had no idea of any other place in between for the night stay. Not thinking further we left as we were prepared for any situation now. If we do not get a hotel room we could park our car in the hotel premises and stay inside the car with the minimal arrangements available with us.


Crossed Punakha Bridge and moving towards Bajo

It was already sunset and it was highly possible that we will not get a hotel at Phobjhika. So we turned to Bajo which is a small city with residential houses and hotels. We managed to get an expensive hotel at economical price as we convinced the manager that he is not going to get any guest at these late hours and we will be leaving early morning the next day.


Returning to Bajo for night stay.

To be continued ...

[PointZero]

Day 4 (Bajo -> Trongsa ->Bumthang/Jakar):

Hah! Till now we had been traveling and traveling long distances each day. Now the time has begun to lavishly enjoy the places and relax to the fullest. We had sufficient time to cover the remaining places. And most importantly there were no more formalities of getting the permit. The next place on our road map was Bumthang. It was a comfortable journey with some thinly populated villages passing by. Crossing the cultivation fields was a pleasure to gaze at while moving across Trongsa.

















Random pic between Bajo and Trongsa



Trongsa and Dzong

Again in-spite of all anticipations beyond Trongsa the weather became very cloudy and foggy. Once again the onset of hail slowed our movement. My Bolero penetrated through the dumb tunnel of clouds. My wife felt like putting her hands out of the window and touch the floating clouds but she smiled unknowingly at her fantasy. Same time I paid attention to any blowing horns from opposite end as the visibility was quite scarce. The pine trees were dancing during the down pour.
















Way to Jakar from Trongsa.. hail strome

Even being late we managed to reach Bumthang by 3:00 PM. Just after crossing the market and the bridge following it, we checked in into a newly formed hotel. We really liked the view from the hotel rooms because we could see the whole valley with the castle at the top as a crown. I have tried to capture the night view of the valley along with the castle from the hotel window but no camera can replace our eyes.








Approaching Bumthang




Hotel Room at Bumthang


View from the hotel window






Our free guide from the hotel

To be continued ...

[PointZero]

Day 4 continued ...

Enjoying a cup of tea at a river side restaurant doubled the joy of drizzling rain. We also went to the local market to fill-up the stock of packaged food like – cake, chocolates, juice, biscuits, etc. These things have really helped us to beat the morning hunger pangs. It was chilling outside so we went inside to sit beside the fire place. My Dad was excited to see the arrangements and was fueling the fire place with wood sticks. After dinner I kept on experimenting with my camera to capture the lighted valley and the castle with a glass of drink in my hand. The beauty of the place hindered my sleep and me and my brother kept on staring at it for four hours sitting beside the window.


Bumthang Primary School










Some night view from our Hotel Window.


Dining place of the hotel

To be continued ...

[PointZero]

Day 5 (Jakar/Bumthang -> MebarTsho -> King’s palace ->Jakar Dzong -> Kurje Lhakhang -> Tamshing Lhakhang -> Unknown Village -> Phobjhika):

Bumthang comprises of four valleys – Ura, Chumey, Tang and Choekhor. Among this Choekhor is the largest one which is also known as Bumthang valley. Bumthang name origins from the words Bump, meaning – A vessel of holy water. The name implies similitude to the shape of the valley.

With a sweet note and bidding good bye to the owner for his warm hospitality we moved to the most acclaimed destination but before that we were desperate to explore the valley. The owner of the hotel had furnished us with a hand drawn map relaying the direction to various places of interest in the valley.


Good bye from hotel owner






Way to Mebar Tsho

One of them was MebarTsho which has a historical significant of its own kind. It is believed that a saint Pema Lingpa jumped into the lake in quest of a hidden treasure with a lightened butter lamp. He came out with a ritual skull, statue and a scroll of paper and the lamp was still burning bright. There are lots of critics about the story and also about the greed of Pema Lingpa that’s why I am not writing much about it here. The place has been a reason for mishaps as there are news of some tourist being killed by drowning as they slipped from the rocks.The lake looks splendid with the colorful flags waving at us. When we reached there was no one but soon a priest came running to acknowledge us about the place. My Dad and Mom started a long conversation with him about religious stuff.


































At Mebar Tsho







Returning from Mebar Tsho

To be continued ...

[PointZero]

Day 5 continued ...

The next point was the palace of the first King. I have never seen a palace on a hill before. It did not appear so huge from the entrance. But as we entered we could realize how vast it was. My parents were again impressed by the carvings of the ceiling and the window designs. The palace was turned into a museum and some government office.










Way to King's Palace


Inside King's Palace












King's Palace

Another office we visited was the court of Bhumthang. The building was colored in white with red top so it appeared more similar to the government office of our place. The people in the office wore a robe and my wife found it well suiting to them.


View of Jakar Coat from Jakar Dzong

The crown seen from the hotel window was Jakar Dzong. We had specially asked the owner to tell us the direction to this castle. Jakar Dzong was shining bright in the darkness of night. The white castle is situated at a ridge above Jakar town. The name Jakar is derived from the word “Bjakhab” meaning “the white bird”. There is also a myth that a roosting white bird pointed out the location to build the monastery and so it was named as Jakar Dzong. It is also known as “Castle of white birds”.














Jakar Dzong

Kurjey Lhakang, also known as the Kurjey Monastery and is another place of attraction which is located in the Bumthang Valley. The place is covered with colorful flowers which attracted us from a distance. We waited to hear the music being played with the bowls filled with water inside the temple during their prayers. They offer 7 bowls in the altar each having different usages and the last bowl of water is used to play music. It was a light melody played and was soothing to hear.


















Kurjey Monastery

Tamshing Lhakhang is another place linked with Pema Lingpa who built it to spread Buddhism in Bhutan. This place is also known for the teaching of Tamshing which is sacred dance of Bhutan performed at religious festivals.

To be continued ...

[aerohit]

Nice gallery, thanks!

Tip for future travelers:

Ideally, it is encouraged and best to hire a local vehicle driven by a local driver and a guide. They know the routes and the terrain and the culture.

If you do plan to bring your vehicle, please follow local culture -
1) Do not honk - never - ever! (even if you have to wait)
2) Do no overspeed or overtake , be gentle. (even if you are stuck behind slow vehicle)
3) Do not park haphazardly or on on parking zone - you will be fined for sure
4) Always give blinkers even if you are changing lanes
5) Pedestrians first, cyclists second, 4-wheelers last (priority)
6) Do not make loud noises in the woods/temples
7) Do not dump trash in the woods/streets/rivers
8) Always smile/be polite - maintain good reputation of India, thanks.
9) Dont mess with the girls - you are in a foreign land and you are asking for diplomatic trouble

They are very strict about these things. Driving permit for Indian cars is a privilege and they can very much take away that privilege if you mess things up!
Its a poor country but they are very civilized. Hope we learn from them.

[PointZero]

Thanks aerohit, very useful information.

After crossing the entry gate I suddenly realized that I am in a different world. No hurry, no horn, no overtaking, pedestrians priority, and every one is with a smiling face. Everything is so clean. Really we need to learn from them.

Originally Posted by aerohit

Nice gallery, thanks!

Tip for future travelers:

Ideally, it is encouraged and best to hire a local vehicle driven by a local driver and a guide. They know the routes and the terrain and the culture.

If you do plan to bring your vehicle, please follow local culture -
1) Do not honk - never - ever! (even if you have to wait)
2) Do no overspeed or overtake , be gentle. (even if you are stuck behind slow vehicle)
3) Do not park haphazardly or on on parking zone - you will be fined for sure
4) Always give blinkers even if you are changing lanes
5) Pedestrians first, cyclists second, 4-wheelers last (priority)
6) Do not make loud noises in the woods/temples
7) Do not dump trash in the woods/streets/rivers
8) Always smile/be polite - maintain good reputation of India, thanks.
9) Dont mess with the girls - you are in a foreign land and you are asking for diplomatic trouble

They are very strict about these things. Driving permit for Indian cars is a privilege and they can very much take away that privilege if you mess things up!
Its a poor country but they are very civilized. Hope we learn from them.

[PointZero]

Day 5 continued ...

Moving out from the city we drove along the Bhumthang River and witnessed some cultivation lands. In amidst of the cultivation lands, I saw a mustard field glowing like a sunflower from a distance. When I turned towards my parents and my wife to tell them, I saw they were sleeping. Only I and my cousin moved out of the car to have a closer look at the beauty. We captured some of them and when we came back my wife and my parents were still asleep.






Returning from Kurjey Monastery








Some pictures of Bumthang Chhu River


Random snap while returning from Jakar.















The unknown village when my parents was sleeping inside the car.

















Random Pic between Jakar and Phobjhika Cut

From the main road we turned towards Phobjhika. Phobjhika valley is a rural area with few expensive hotels. It is 9 KM away from the main road and need to take a left turn while coming from Bumthang.


Take left turn if you coming from Trongsa, take right if you coming from Dochula. Way to Phobjhika

This 9KM is basically a lonely road and full of rhododendrons on either side. It was 5:00 PM when we reached there and it was still drizzling. It was quite cold and the valley was lonely and calm. We were finding it difficult to find any person to ask for locations of hotels. Luckily we came across a lady picking wood sticks who directed us towards two hotels.






Road towards Phobjhika

Hotels in Phobjhika are too costly but we found a lower end hotel which is basically an economical grade part of the bigger one. Even the suggested budget hotel was costlier for me but I did not give up and kept on requesting the owner. Ultimately the owner gave up and gave us a huge double bed room to stay. The room was spacious enough to accommodate 5 of us. While having tea sitting near the fireplace I pondered that though we had some basic arrangement in our car but I was skeptical if it would have had sufficed in this cold and rainy weather had we not got a hotel. The owner extended his gratitude and at dinner he offered us almost 50% discount on food and the food was the tastiest one we had in our entire trip.






Our stay at Phobjhika.
Many many thanks to Mr. Owner of Hotel Yue-Loki.

To be continued ...

[PointZero]

Day 6 (Phobjhika -> Punakha -> Paro ):

Good Morning Phobjhika! I became speechless for few minutes after seeing the valley in morning.

Last evening we did not realized the valley had such scenic beauty. The next morning when the sky was clear the green valley reminded me of the picturization of some romantic Bollywood numbers. The horses running in the valley was similar to painting seen in houses. Extend of the valley was so large that it was difficult to capture it within a field of view. For more picturesque beauty the rhododendron flowers were in full bloom. We glanced at nature in the sunny morning. I am not getting appropriate words to describe it hope some of the pictures can describe it well.

































After couple of hours of roaming here and there we came back to start our packing and set forth for another day of uncertainty.






Our hotel from outside.

To be continued ...

[PointZero]

Day 6 continued ...

I wish to come here (Phobjhika) again and stay for couple of days to enjoy the beauty but let the plan be parked for retirement times. We transverse through the meadows filling in fresh air in our lungs.










Returning from Phobjhika

From Phobjhika we reached Punakha by noon. This time we had surplus of time to roam about to the corners of Punakha Dzong. We walked down the wooden bridge and were greeted by pigeons spreading the message of peace. A board at the entrance mentioned that the marriage ceremony of the present king of Bhutan was carried out from the Dzong.






























Inside Punakha Dzong


Next Destination Paro ->




Taken inside a restaurant










Some random view while returning from Punakha.

To be continued ...

[PointZero]

Day 6 continued ... Entering Paro




















Road towards Paro

While approaching Paro it looked amazing with the river flowing along us and the red light of the sunset spreading over the valley from behind the hills. The trees on either side of the roads formed chiaroscuro and gave it a look of beautiful European city saw in many pictures. The pebbles of the riverbed were clearly visible through the crystal clear water. The city was so clean that all marks on the roads were tidy and bright. There is a pavement build along the river for pedestrian to have a pleasant walk.







Approaching Paro








Some view from our Hotel at Paro


We walked along the river side and took the streets to the market. After spending the evening beside the river we went to a restaurant called “Bimal” which served good Indian food.
















Different view of Paro city and the valley

After dinner I and my cousin went down for a walk when certain group of boys came up to us to sell mobile phone on the carpenter’s road. I was carrying my camera with me and suddenly I saw some more boys moving towards us in-spite of denying buying any cell phone. It was already 10:30 PM and getting intimation of danger I signaled my cousin to run towards the hotel and I followed him. The incident made me skeptical and we tried not to be out at dark without vehicle.


Late night picture of Paro Dzong from river side. Sorry for the clarity.

To be continued ...

[PointZero]

Day 7 (Paro ->DrukgyalDzong -> National Museum -> Paro Monastery -> Tiger Nest/Taktsang -> Chele La Pass ->Haa Valley -> Paro):

Whenever you talk about Bhutan, One thing forms the signature of this place: The Tiger Nest. This religious place is one of the toughest one to reach. In Bhutan people believe that one has to reach there once in their life time. I have not seen much photographs of the inside of the monastery. I wished anyone of us could make it to the monastery. My wife suffers from breathing problem so she is out of question. My mom was already suffering from fever so she was also out of options. Only my cousin and my dad may try. On the way to Tiger nest there were other places also to visit. So leaving early in the morning we first went to the Drukgyal Dzong.

Drukgyal Dzong appeared to be a sort of haunted and abandoned Dzong. It was ruined during a war in Bhutan. We were the only one present there and as we opened the door the creaking sound gave a feeling of the trailer of horror movies.












Drukgyal Dzong

Then we went to the national museum. From here the valley looked beautiful. The museum displays the prosperity of Bhutan and its people. It gives a detailed description of the various cultivation practiced there. The history of the famous drink “Suja” and other teas available there is also elaborated. The statues and paintings of wildlife and the native people shows the evolution of the life of Bhutanese. There are thousand types of masks inside the museum and it is used during the Mask Dance performed during religious festivals. People believe that their God comes in a disguised form wearing a mask to bless them (Heard from the guide).
Photography Restricted.

Next was the Paro Dzong, It is very famous because of the great annual festival “Tshechu” which is held at this Dzong only. It is also known as Rinpung Dzong.




Paro Dzong

My wife was desperately waiting to reach Tiger Nest. As thought, we all gave up but my cousin and my dad continued walking uphill. I and my wife terminated our trial after climbing approx. 1.5-2 KM. My mom did not gave it a try and was sitting inside the car at the parking place and we went back to accompany her. Till the time we waited for dad and my cousin, we browsed over the market place. My dad and my cousin came back after almost 2 hour after we came back. They said that they made it near to the café and then came back (The complete journey requires 6-7 hours). I asked them to have some food inside the car while on the move while heading towards Chele La Pass.




Tiger Nest from the place I returned back.




returning from half way


Trekkers taking rest

It was about 33 KM from Tiger nest. Without delay we moved towards it and then we had a plan to stay at Haa valley for the day. We also had a plan B that if we do not get any impressive stay in Haa valley, we may return to Paro if time permits. Reaching Paro would have added benefit as for the next day we would be ahead and can save some time.












Way to Chele La

When we reached Chele La pass at 2:30 PM it was cloudy. On the windshield we could see thin snow fall. We did not expect that during this time of the year we could experience such snow fall. But the drizzling snow came as a surprise to us. Though my mom was suffering from fever, she jumped out of the car to feel the snow falling in her hands. There was colorful flowers which covered the land as a carpet.


Unexpected Snow fall..








At Chele La Pass


To be continued ....