Team-BHP - Guwahati getaways: Bhutan
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If one is fed up of taking the Shillong road again and again the kingdom north of Guwahati offer many locations.

As time goes by i will visit those places once in a while and keep adding to this thread.

Today i am starting the Bhutan getaway series with Nganglam in Pemagatshel dzongkhag.

Journey starts from Guwahati at 5' in the morning and am back by 3'o clock. So 10 hours drive. Once roads become better cut the time by 1 hour.

Visit Again

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So the journey begins criss crossing, Saraighat bridge, Changsari, Baihata Chariali (Left turn here), Rangiya, Nalbari, Tihu, Barama, Patacharkuchi and finally Pathsala taking a right turn to the Bhutan highway.

Warning: No petrol pump beyond Pathsala on Bhutan road.

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Very nice pictures. Like the wet look of the place. How far is the boarder to Bhutan (km not time)? Why are most signboards in Bengali?

First picture of Pathsala crossing restaurent. Than taking the freshly made National Highway 152. Signs will let you know what are the places
one will cross on the way.

Drive slow and enjoy the scenery from the Pathsala entry point. When i went it was raining like hell so could not take much snap getting down from the car.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by lejhoom (Post 2037971)
Very nice pictures. Like the wet look of the place. How far is the boarder to Bhutan (km not time)? Why are most signboards in Bengali?

From Guwahati roughly 150 km. (I will put the exect figure later)

Some signs look Bengali because the Assamese use Bengali script while as the Bodos use Hindi script.

San is on fire here. After checking this log, I went to the window to ensure that I'm still in Pune and not transported to NE. Google maps don't show road beyond the Indian border in to Nganglam!

We went to Phuntsholing in Bhutan around 20 years back! Those days it was a pain on the road! It was one long journey from Siliguri to Phuntsholing!

One new place every Sunday. I like it.

There is supposed to be a local community run eco something here. Is that what the Manas board was pointing to?

I have a great drive idea for you: Baghmara to Baghmara (Meghalaya/ Bangladesh border)

Regards
Sutripta

Max i can't forget my journey to Phuntsholing too. Was in school, 1989 it was, had bought lots of Taiwan made toys from there. The two little bikes were there for a long time.

I will take that road again in a few years once my son grows up a bit.

And the journey won't be compleate unless Thimphu, Paro is crossed.

Incidentally it was in 1989 when I made the trip too! Yeah. I saw loads of toys. But I wasn't a toy freak anytime. I bought sport shoes there! My mother bought some chinese made cabin baggage. I still use it when I fly abroad! 21 years hence, it's still sturdy as a rock! The wheels have worn off though. So when I drag my cabin baggage across, it sounds like a jet engine!
We took a tour bus from Siliguri to Phuntsholing through Jalpaiguri. In Bhutan I remember going over to some monasteries and the Druk Jam factory. Old photos are misplaced in hometown.
But one thing I can never forget about phuntsholing is the lightening display that was out for us when we were there. Lightening capital of Asia I guess!

San, another cracker of a travelogue!
I am reminded of the lovely breakfast I had at Assam Tourism lodge at Nalbari which you have photographed, in 2001.
Photos of NH 152 demonstrate that there is serious intent to improve all the gateways to Bhutan. I have seen such lovely roads under construction/ completed on approaches to Phuntsoling and Samdrup Jhonkar.

Sutripta Garo hills will require more time and preferebly in dry season. But Tura i might give it a try. So far have checked out the road 24 km beyond Paikan gate.

No i did not see the board by the Bodo youths promoting home stay kinda package for Manas. The Baihata board is the state govt one.

And, no way every Sunday not possible. Once a month is achievable.

HvK the 2x2 laning work from Guwahati upto Pathsala is nearabout 30 per cent compleate, its going to take many more years. What i am looking forward is the new bridge over Saraighat which was absolutly necessary for a long time. But the highway needs to be 4x4 actually from Baihata given the number of vehicles here onwards to the city at any given time.
Yes NH 152 is serious business, and they have even thought about the environmental issues as seen from the two bridges made for elephant crossing.
An official today told me about a new road being constructed to connect Thimphu with 152 here.

Wow San,
As MX6 has earlier mentioned, you really seem to be on fire man. No one's complaining though, bring it on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by San Phrangmung (Post 2038102)
What i am looking forward is the new bridge over Saraighat which was absolutly necessary for a long time. But the highway needs to be 4x4 actually from Baihata given the number of vehicles here onwards to the city at any given time.
Yes NH 152 is serious business, and they have even thought about the environmental issues as seen from the two bridges made for elephant crossing.
An official today told me about a new road being constructed to connect Thimphu with 152 here.

New bridge at Saraighat - that will be great! Where is it coming up, next to the existing bridge? And when is it due for completion?

The traffic from Baihata to Jalukhbari is crazy, I agree with you that it needs to be as wide as it can be in this 25-km stretch.

Yes, the NH152 looks great, and the elephant crossings are very thoughtful despite that I am sure there is not much traffic on the road.

NH152 connecting to Thimphu - I guess it will join the Gelephu-Trongsa road somewhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MX6 (Post 2038033)
Incidentally it was in 1989 when I made the trip too! Yeah. I saw loads of toys. But I wasn't a toy freak anytime. I bought sport shoes there! My mother bought some chinese made cabin baggage. I still use it when I fly abroad! 21 years hence, it's still sturdy as a rock! The wheels have worn off though. So when I drag my cabin baggage across, it sounds like a jet engine!
We took a tour bus from Siliguri to Phuntsholing through Jalpaiguri. In Bhutan I remember going over to some monasteries and the Druk Jam factory. Old photos are misplaced in hometown.
But one thing I can never forget about phuntsholing is the lightening display that was out for us when we were there. Lightening capital of Asia I guess!

Yes Max memories of those days are really special. We went from Goalpara in Assam with a few colleagues of dad & their familys, crossing the Brahmaputra in ferry as the Naranarayan bridge did not exist then. That ferry ride in itself was exiting for us.

While we spent the night in Phuntsholing hotel and returned few in the group went further to Siliguri and beyond the next day. All the photographs are gone now as the negatives are lost or damaged. Wish we had digitals back then.

That cabin bag really rocks. I got a similar green backpack used by the Chinese Army from Kathmandu few years later and still use it in all my journeys. Once a guy from Nepal working in India saw me with the bag in Guwahati and asked where i got it from, once i told him how old it was he said "Isliyen to hum is beg ke deewane hein". he he. :Cheering:

We fortunately did not experience the lightning though otherwise the kids in the group would have been like = :Shockked:


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