[dhanushs]

Caution: I'm not a travelogue kinda guy and what you'll mostly see here is a bunch of pictures and me trying to explain what happened!

So, like all of my trips, this one too happened just as un-planned! My 17-year-old engineering roommates and classmates mostly see each other in a year or two, and it was a while since it happened. One of ours was having a baby and was enjoying 'temporary' bachelorhood in Dubai, and the plan was to use his empty house in the happening city as a possible meetup venue. But.. blame the thirties.. the plan fell apart with a vacation in the back of our minds! That's when another one of ours who stays in Calcutta started mentioning how good a time his friends had in Bhutan.

A google search for Bhutan Travel threw up some amazing architecture and superb scenery. Most importantly facts such as its a carbon-negative country and happiness is taken seriously there?! Well, the hotels weren't that expensive either. So, the plan was made. In about a month, both of us would meet in Calcutta, rope in another couple of our friends and drive to Bhutan in his newly bought used Corolla-super-boring-Altis to find some fresh air, happiness and probably try to take some photos with our amateur skills and equipment!

Well.. Here are some teaser pics to begin with, to help you hold on to your seats before the longish thread starts.

Note: Hardcore Auto guys who seldom read travelogues can hold on too, as there are parts where I go exploring the Bhutanese Automotive Scene. (Well.. Kind of..)






























So, LET'S DRUK YUL, Shall we? (Courtesy: The excellent customisable T-Shirts)

[dhanushs]

Day 1 & 2: From Kerala to Calcutta to Phuentsholing (Bhutan)


Nov 15th, 2019. Flight from Kannur to Chennai then to Calcutta.

At Kannur International Airport.





It's a new airport, so not the busiest also not the most organised. Shops and systems just getting in place.





Well, the cheapest air ticket meant ~4 hours of layover at Chennai. . I could've spent a few hundred bucks more and book one which reaches faster. But, booking the cheapest has kind of become the norm. Hoping to change next time.





Finally, reach Calcutta at 11'ish... I go to my friend's house in Park Circus freshen up and take a couple of hours of sleep.





We decide to start early. The plan for the next day was to reach Siliguri which is around ~14 hours drive from Calcutta.





I catch the rear seat in the Corolla and man.. what a good decision it was. With only a couple of hours of sleep and travel the whole day, I was tired and this was the exact place to be. Pushed back the rear seats and they were supremely comfortable and I slept through till sunrise.





Somewhere along the road we stop to stretch..





The roads were mostly bad than good..





I thank the rear seat of this car... Decide to jump back and take a nap again!





And then.. It strikes. The bad roads and a 4-year-old tyre made up the first hurdle for us. A sidewall puncture. A nice puncture guy help us patch up the tyre.





Since it was a four-year-old tyre, we decided it was time for a replacement. Luckily we found one tyre shop, which had 2018 make Bridgestone Potenza G3's at a very competitive price. The funny part was that he didn't have fitting, alignment or balancing. So, we do it from a roadside shop...





We continue our journey. Through the Farakka bridge, over the mighty Ganges!





Through the land of Tuk Tuk's...





Finally, at around 12:30 at night, we reach Siliguri. Our stay for the night.. The journey which was supposed to take only 14 hours took us 20 hours! I think this was the most time I have ever taken to cover ~600kms.

The roads were bad with only small stretches of good from Calcutta to Bhardhaman. After Bhardhaman, roads are good, but we had to fix the tyres and got late. However, if you become late, be VERY cautious about the truck traffic you get in this area. We caught a one hour block near Raiganj. And after the block, comes the very narrow village roads till Islampur. From Islampur roads are OK till Siliguri. The estimated time from Google maps are a WASTE!

In any case, the drive from Calcutta to Siliguri is one of the worst I've driven in India.




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Nov 17th - A New Day. We start off the journey from Siliguri to Phuentsholing, Bhutan on hopes that the roads will treat us better today.





And.. that's exactly what we got. Good roads from Siliguri.





And the scenery changes too.. Notice that I've still not given up the rear seat!!..





After about 20-25kms from Siliguri, we reach the Coronation Bridge. This is where you divert towards Bhutan and Sikkim. Also, where our plans to visit Sikkim was made. The place was just awesome. And also the first time I'm seeing the water of this colour, which I hear, was man-made.. The hills on either side of the green river was just a treat to watch.









I try to put my head into the scenery.





Also, we start to see some nice Army trucks.






And then we continue our journey towards Phuentsholing. Roads were generally good.







And nice scenery all along the way.





I also notice beautiful some tea plantations in flat lands..





Finally at around 5:30 PM, after two days of travel, we reach the mighty Bhutan Gate! The grand architecture is hard to not notice. Apparently, to stay in Phuentsholing Indians don't need a permit. If you are going further in from Phuentsholing you need to get a permit made on your name and if you have a vehicle for that too.





Not only the fixed structures, but it's also hard not to notice the moving ones too!. The trucks which we drool on in India freely plying there.







We crash at a hotel with clean beds and bathrooms for the night. Since the next day morning, we had to get up early and finish off the immigration process.

[dhanushs]

Day 3 starts on a very positive note. Considering yesterday everything became better. The stay at Bhutan Residency was adequate and comfortable. I'd recommend the hotel for someone who wants to spend the night comfortably. You can order in too, but, mostly Indian food. Not fun. There's an old mallu saying - When you are in the land with people eating snakes, you eat the middle piece. . I wanted to have some Bhutanese food, but, I guess it'll have to wait..





Straight to the immigration office at 8:00 AM. Bhutan being a straightforward country, we decided to go in without an agent for clearing our papers. . Oh, and btw, did I mention that time in Bhutan is early by 30 mins.







Being a Monday, it was crowded.

Well.. while entering Bhutan, all the guys and gals who visited Bhutan previously explained to me elaborately and in awe about how good their system is. To be honest, entering the immigration office, I wasn't particularly impressed. The queue wasn't respected but better than some places in India. Also, agents were given the first hand. We had to wait for more than an hour and finally manage to get in and get it done.





These are the things you need to get yourself a tourist permit in Bhutan.





After about two and a half hours of waiting and standing in the queue, we get stamped.





Once we get the permits stamped, we went ahead to get local sim cards. Airtel worked OK (not great) in Phuentsholing near the immigration office. But that was it. Indian operators didn't work anywhere else. Inside the immigration office, there's the counter for Bhutan Telecom. However, on quick research came to know that Tashicell has a better 4G network in Thimphu, Paro & Phunaka, the places we plan to visit. Took a sim card for 300 bucks which came with 2GB internet and 50rs Talktime. I recharged for 800 more to get 15 more GB of data, for one month. Point to be noted: Tashicell has excellent coverage, even 4G around the places I mentioned. Mountains and forests are no obstacles for this pretty strong connection. There are only very few places where you don't get reception. Also the speeds are adequate and proper 4G speeds. Not what Airtel promises and gives in Bangalore.


Also, once the rush of the immigration was done, I did notice that what I was told was true. The traffic was very much organised and people used only the zebra lines to cross and footpath to walk on. No shouting, no fighting, no spitting, no smoking.. A surprising change, since 50 meters across the border Jaigao is so different!


Then we move ahead towards getting papers for our car. With all individual permits and all proper documents of the car, you need to go to the RTO to get it done. Note that self-drive vehicles aren't allowed in Bhutan (Though I met a couple who managed to sneak in a Zoom Car somehow). Also, if the car isn't in your name, you need to get an authorisation letter with ID proof from the owner. Pretty straight forward the process is, but, like all countries takes its own sweet time in the govt offices.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



Once all the permit work was done it was around 2 PM. We jump into the nearest restaurant.







My quest for Bhutanese food was finally realised. Ordered the Beef Thupka. Food was Ok. I heard a lot about Bhutanese food being spicy and stuff, but, this was not that much. It was good. Not exceptional.





A nice park in front of the Hotel. Right in the middle of Phuentsholing.





Then we top up the car and leave to Thimphu. Point to Note: Petrol is around 14 bucks cheaper in Bhutan. Same case with diesel. Time to revv the nuts of the 1.8 NA! I take the wheel properly for the first time in the trip!!..





10-15kms after Phuentsholing, you had to stop at a checkpoint and enter your permits. We got permits to Thimphu and Paro from Phuentsholing. Once that was done you are free to roam around in Phuentsholing, Thimphu & Paro.

The roads were awesome, the scenery was even more awesome, but the car was B-O-R-I-N-G! The CVT was purely designed for comfort unless you push it hard. I found myself using only the Manual and Paddle shift entirely. Even then I found it difficult to change from First to Second, which went easier in D. So, it was D to take off and them M all the time. The seats were comfortable but nowhere as comfortable as the rear seats.









Here's a video of the drive from Phuntsholing to Thimphu after the immigration clearance. The roads all the way was twisty and very scenic. However, fog-covered up most of the beauty.

This road is mostly fogged up and also very densely fogged. Caution is recommended. Also, why Google Map timings don't work!

https://youtu.be/8-udMkc9ljo

Lots of areas where land has slid off and repair is going on. Valleys are STEEP.







At around 6'ish we reach Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan.





Checked into a nice Hotel called Narbuling. I'd definitely recommend this hotel. Very friendly staff, excellent value for money and great location. Bang in the middle of the town. The only catch is you don't have Hotel parking.








Once we checked in and got comfortable, we moved out to the town at about 8ish.. Explored the locals and local pubs, local music and local stuff happening. Had a crazy night. Even the police were super friendly once their initial hesitation of us being Indians were gone.

[dhanushs]

Day 4: Nov '19th, 2019


With each day getting better and better, today's morning was special too. The climate was just nice, chill, clear and wow!. The hotel was nice and warm and we had a comfortable sleep.

The view from the front of the hotel!





We had a pleasant surprise on the way to breakfast. Met a mallu celebrity who also happens to be a very nice guy - Shekar Menon.





So, today's plan was to explore Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. Apparently, its the 5th highest capital cities in the world and Dzong here is the summer home of the monastic body in Bhutan.. The main tourist attractions, supposedly were the Tashichho Dzong and the Buddha Dordenma. We head out to the Dzong first.





The weather was a nice and chill 14 degrees outside.





Well, the first thing that happens is that we lose our way!





Turned out to be a boon instead, as we discover a nice wooden bridge in a very scenic location.









Impossible not to capture in a frame!





Couldn't resist the temptation to put my head into the beautiful frame!





Then we head back the right way. Spot the Dzong... Nice, it looks man!







Park the car and scout around for information. Came to know that you need to buy a ticket to enter the Dzong. Start searching for the ticket counter.





Meanwhile, spot some nice cars mostly UTE's which I'd wish were launched in India too. Not for the practicality, but just for the enthusiast in me.










While walking towards the ticket counter, I spot this! How nice to have a Gross National Happiness Commission!!.. Happiness is indeed taken seriously. Apparently, its an alternative indicator for GDP as a tool to measure progress or development. Google says: The level of GNH for an individual and for Bhutan as a country are determined through measures in nine domains. I don't really know how it works, but would love to know more..





Moving on... Spot the ticket counter and the tickets are 300/- per head.





The surroundings and building architecture are absolutely fantastic. Just like, or even better than what we saw in Google!













Again, put my head into the nice frame with beautiful maple trees!








The Tashichho Dzong is basically a Buddist monastery and administrative building. However, most monasteries in Bhutan are old-time forts built around, or near a river. The wooden bridge we went earlier was supposed to be a part of this.










Spectacularly good scenery!

[dhanushs]

We come out of the Dzong filled with the knowledge the guide has shed on Buddhism and the structure, and also happy to see the architecture and the scenery.

Meet a nice Bhutanese family outside and have a little chat about general happenings in Bhutan. They did seem to be proud of their country and generally happy. Also, the kids are very much disciplined.







The Bhutanese flag flying high. Supposedly there's a flag-lowering ceremony which is a treat to watch.






Then we move on to the next destination - The Buddha Dordenma. Which is a huge statue of Buddha in Thimphu, placed on top of a mountain. The huge number of steps is enough to give you a cardio boost in the middle of all the slob you've started collecting in the last few days. But then, the view from the top is worth the climb!








The huge Buddha statue which apparently stands 54m tall. It's supposed to fulfil some prophecies of Buddha.














Once the Buddha Dordenma statue was done, we come back to the nice city of Thimphu and there was an absolutely fantastic treat waiting for me! The stadium in Thimphu had a football match going on and there were some deliciously modded 4x4's parked on the street! Most of the 4x4's were LC 70 series wagons modded with nice MT tyres, snorkels, winches, offroad bumpers and much more.. Almost fully kitted up, one can say.













This nice little guy was fitted with a PTO winch! Such a cute and strong statement!







Well, across the world, 4x4's behave the same. There's one or the other who marks its territory wherever it goes! :





It was time for a late lunch by the time everything was done.. We visit a restaurant called the Druk Kitchen. Serves nice Bhutanese food. I order the Beef Dashti, (Beef cooked in Cheese and chilli) and Beef Paa and it was just delicious! Like they said, as hot as it comes and as delicious as it can become! We meet up with a few college kids there and note down things to do over the next few days.. Note: Do visit Druk Kitchen for casual, but delicious Bhutanese food.

[dhanushs]

Once the late lunch was done, we decide to go back to the scenic bridge we discovered in the morning and see how beautiful it was in the evening. And see some nice buildings on the way...








And the place didn't disappoint!!.. We took some photos of the trusted Corolla and in the process got some 'candids'!













It was nearing sunset and we turn back to Thimphu town...






It was only 7 PM and we were wondering what to do for the night... Since it was a Tuesday, it was some kind of holy day for the Bhutanese and the town was empty(Kind of for our type). A local shopkeeper suggested an event we could go to and listen to some nice Bhutanese 'live' music... So.. Off we go.


We were greeted by a pretty lady singing some cute songs in Bhutanese...





I enter the event and find it very very similar to what's happening in India. Except 50% of the stalls were selling religious stuff and the rest like usual home decor, kitchen aid and stuff. All the stuff that was on sale was E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E!

I liked a nice silver sword in a silver pouch... Really wanted to buy it. Can any of you guess the cost?


?
.
.
?
.
.
?
.
.
?
.
.
Well, it was 4,50,000! Similarly, a 12" idol would cost around 12k.








Most of the stalls were put up by Indians and Nepalese. Had a chat with one of the stall owners and came to know that this was a fundraising event by the queen and each of the stall owners had to pay 1 lac for the 5-day event. Also, lots of nice families turned up.






Tired of the expensive stuff on sale, I decide to devour my stomach with some nice street food! Eggs all the way. B.T.W there was a biriyani stall, but I didn't get the courage to try it out!

[ampere]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[laluks]

Few questions on Bhutan

Did they start charging the 65$ to Indian travellors as well?

Did you enter and exit via the same border post? How many days in Bhutan, and was it booked in advance or did you make arrangements at the border. What processes was followed for entry?

[Red Liner]

What? This isn't the whole travelogue. Where's the rest of it?

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

What? This isn't the whole travelogue. Where's the rest of it?

No, this isn't the whole... It's not even half! .. It'll take some time to process the pics and come up with posts, so thought this time over I'd do it the old style. Live, with (hopefully) comments pouring in..

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by laluks

Few questions on Bhutan..

Sure thing.

Did they start charging the 65$ to Indian travellors as well?

Nope, not at the moment, but hearing that will do that very soon. May be in 2020.

Did you enter and exit via the same border post?

Kind of the same place, but gates apart a few hundred meters in Phuentsholing. The gate you see in the pic is the exit gate. The entry gate isnt that grand.. To exit a different route, I think you need to take prior permission. Since all permits shown at entry also needs to be shown at exit.

How many days in Bhutan, and was it booked in advance or did you make arrangements at the border.

7 nights and 8 days in Bhutan. Nothing needs to be booked in advance. Just need to make a travel itinerary and book one hotel for address.

What processes was followed for entry?

Carry all these documents to the immigration office and get your passport stamped. That's it. Pretty straightforward

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

No, this isn't the whole... It's not even half! .. It'll take some time to process the pics and come up with posts, so thought this time over I'd do it the old style. Live, with (hopefully) comments pouring in..

I missed the old style of live updates. Makes for a more lively discussion. Bring it on!

[docprashant]

Now that is a good travelogue, and you Sir have managed to keep us hooked for more.

Do let me know how the Altis as an executive sedan performs in this terrain as I then might be able to rationalize an extensive outing from Delhi in the Elantra.

[dhanushs]

Day 5, Nov 20th 2019.


So, here comes the next day. Till now, Bhutan was treating us really good. Enough fun, good food, awesome scenery and new things to see. Today's plan was to leave Thimphu and move towards Punakha. Where there is the Dzong, a very long hanging bridge and my favourite, rafting. However, I felt there was more to Thimphu and wasn't feeling enough... Maybe next time.


So, apparently a plan wasn't enough... You needed to get permits to go to Punakha. The kind lady over the counter at the Hotel where we were staying gave us a lot of information and help regarding that. She was 8 months pregnant and still was as bubbly, polite and helpful! She gave us forms, took photocopies of our ID's, car permits, arranged all the docs in the right way... We now just had to submit it at the permit office.






The Great thing about the Altis is that it makes a hell lot of a racket if both the driver and passenger don't put on the seat belt. Every day morning both of them religiously put on the seatbelts. And start searching for the govt offices where we can get the stuff done.






Yesterday being Tuesday, another holiday in Bhutan, today, there were a good number of people standing in line for the permits. We also see a lot of familiar faces (tourists) which we saw in Phuentsholing immigration office. The whole process was about to take a couple of hours or more.. So, we take turns in the queue and decide to go shopping nearby..




But, it was too early for the shops to open. However, one or two were open and I bought some souvenirs for the family. Some fridge magnets, shawls, little dresses etc...





Even after the stuff was bought, there was more time to spend. The documentation was taking long. So, we decide to take care of the car. The tyres since it was fit from a roadside shop wasn't aligned and balanced. Also, the roads were really bad till Siliguri, so decide to get the alignment and balancing done. Decide to do quick research on where to go... The locals turn out to be not so insightful about the workshops and car-related shops, even taxi drivers don't have concrete information. Finally, decide to call up the Pirelli authorised supplier in Thimphu and find out that Toyota A.S.S is the best place to go.


Apparently Olokha is the workshop area in Thimphu.





Olakha is very much like any Indian workshop area. But 99% of the cars are 4x4, UTE's and SUV's.. Very few cars. All kinds of work happening there. Also, we found out why Pirelli dealer suggested Toyota A.S.S - The only kind of alignment that was happening in this area is the old school manual one with ropes. Since most of the cars are 20-year old HiLux's I guess that's perfectly fine. Also, strange to not see Mitsubishis here...




We couldn't find the Toyota showroom anywhere and asked help to a young mechanic. Guess what?... He hopped into our car and started showing the way. I was of the impression it was just a turn ahead but turned out to be more than a kilometre away from where we picked him up. The nice gentleman also talked to the showroom guys and arranged for the alignment to be done. He even offered to wait till it was done. Well, people do go out of the way to help in this country!


So the Toyota in Thimphu is STCB Toyota.





I take a peek in and 100% of the cars in the bay are 4x4's. Even 25-year-old leaf-sprung HiLux's getting serviced. The older HiLux was much more popular and highly spoken about than the newer CRDe ones. One of them was getting its engine overhauled. It was a 2.8 NA diesel. I was zapped by hearing the cost of an overhaul - Around 2.5 lacs without lathe work! 15,000 is the cost of company labour. The mechanic's salary is similar to India. Around 15-25k. The showroom structure and amenities too are obviously similar to India. However, the crowd was very less. Didn't see a single vehicle owner to get some ownership info in the two hours I spent there..






Finally, our car gets its turn to be on the ramp. Also then, came to know a surprising fact that there was no Corolla sold in Bhutan. So much for the most popular sedan.





I leave my friend to look after the work on his car and go out to see the delicious cars parked outside.







Toyota leads in all the segments. The HiAce and the Coaster are super popular in people moving segment. Also, notice that all the cars are neat and looks to be well maintained.







Then I walk into the showroom and see a spanking new CH-R! Delicious. The car looked smashing but designed a little over the top. Somehow I felt it wasnt that practical. The boot area was soo long and high only to have a surprisingly small boot.






Asked for the price of the car and was zapped to hear it! Didn't spent much time waiting to see the price list of all cars. Check it out yourself and be glad about being Indians!





Once the work on the car was done, and the permits and documentation was done, we leave towards Punakha.

Here's a video (timelapse) of the drive. Well, not the entire way.. Just parts of it. Notice that we stop at a checkpoint to punch our entry into Punakha. Also, the video ends when we park at Dochula pass.

https://youtu.be/fPZgShk5rdc

DOCHULA PASS:


Dochula Pass is on the way to Punakha and is probably the highest point of this road. The temperature was around 8 in the middle of afternoon. After Dochula Pass we descend to Punakha which is at a much lesser altitude than Thimphu. According to wiki, there are 108 memorial chortens or stupas known as "Druk Wangyal Chortens" here in Dochula Pass. There's also a monastery here called the Druk Wangyal Lhakhang. Also, the annual Dochula Druk Wangyel Festival happens here.



The 108 Druk Wangyal Chortens.













A nice building nearby. Extremely scenic. My dreams on how to spend my old age were getting manipulated here.







I climb up a flight of stairs, give my cardio another kick and reach the Druk Wangyal Lhakhang. Lots of tourists in the Chortens, but not a single one here..






I wait for 10-15 minutes for the nice person to open the temple just for me. Walk-in and try asking him questions about what, when, how, etc.. Only to realise he speaks only Bhutanese. Not a word of English or Hindi. b.t.w , Photography isnt allowed inside any of the Dzongs or Temples.






Once I've swallowed whatever info a person can communicate through body language, I turn back down. There was a nice cafe, where we had tea.







The Dochula Pass when we visited was extremely foggy and we were kind of unlucky. Otherwise, we could've gotten to see this amazing view of the Himalayas.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by docprashant

Now that is a good travelogue, and you Sir have managed to keep us hooked for more.

Thank you docprashant. Lots more to come. Punakha, Paro and Sikkim.

Do let me know how the Altis as an executive sedan performs in this terrain as I then might be able to rationalize an extensive outing from Delhi in the Elantra.

With four people and a bootfull of luggage, the Altis did scrape its belly a number of times. Other than that, the experience was hasslefree. It was also a pretty comfortable car to travel in. A car with higher ground clearance is preferred, but, you can manage if you are careful with a car like Altis.

For places which are tougher, take a cab.