Travelling in Bhutan

By Hardeep Johar

Bhutan is a beautiful and unspoiled country. My wife and I went there for our honeymoon (Indian nationals are permitted to travel on their own) a few years ago and really enjoyed our trip. We did not trek except for a couple of one day hikes, but, I think, that the government does organize longer treks (again in groups). Whether you agree or not with the policy of controlling the inflow of foreign nationals, I must say that the policy has been remarkably successful in preserving the countries beauty. This is in sharp contrast to what is happenning in Nepal.

A visit to Bhutan starts with the flight to Paro in a 16 seater fokker which drones at a low altitude first over the Indian plains, and then through the himalayas. A rare treat. You land at Paro, a small airstrip maintained by the Indian Air Force and walk to the customs and immigration building (a small shed) where an official makes sure that you are not a subversive character. Almost anyone you will meet in an official capacity (including hotel employees) speak english.

Paro is a small town (one street approx half a mile long) nestled in a valley, by the side of a river, has a beautiful hotel (exactly one), a massive monastery where you can roam at will. Neither the hotel nor the airport are in the town, and only the hotel is walking distance. Cabs (Jeeps) are easily available, though not inexpensive.

Approximately 50 miles from Paro is the monastery of Taktsang perched precariously on the edge of a cliff, a long, steep hike from the road (2 hours for a monk wearing slippers, 3-4 hours up for a seasoned trekker with good boots, allow 1-2 hours for the return). Except for a couple of monks, you won't meet anyone on this walk. Halfway to the top there is a "restaurant" which caters mainly to tourist groups. When we were there, no group was expected for a while, and the caretaker could only give us some tea. If you go alone (that is not in a tourist group) make sure that you check the bus timings for the return trip from the point where the hike starts to Paro. The last bus is fairly early in the afternoon. We missed the bus, but were lucky enough to be given a lift back by a Bhutanese Army truck.

Taktsang is important for the Bhutanese people because the Buddhist monk, Guru Rinpoche, is thought to have landed there on the back of a flying tiger centuries ago to bring Buddhism to Bhutan (from Tibet). The Guru Rinpoche is close to a God in Bhutan and you will see many signs of him there. New Yorkers, there is an excellent introduction to the Guru at the Museum of Natural History.

Thimphu is one and a half hours by bus from Paro. Thimphu has a few hotels, two good ones, and a couple of terrible ones. Bhutan is expensive by Indian standards (which is why no Indians go there). The good hotels cater to UN officials and Indian government officials (plenty of both around), and the terrible ones cater to salespeople selling "Hamam" soap (an inexpensive Indian soap). There are a couple of short treks around Thimpu, and plenty of interesting monasteries to visit.

Phajoding monastery is a short hike (4 hours round trip) from Thimpu on a poorly marked trail. We got hopelessly lost and never made it there. The Kings palace (cab ride), the religious secretariat, the tomb to the old king, many monasteries (what did you expect!) are the sights in Thimphu.

The himalaya in Bhutan is very different from what it is in Nepal and India. Very green, part rolling, part craggy hills, and almost no cultivation or deforestation. Parts of it look like the Swiss Alps (rolling meadows with icy peaks jutting out of nowhere). It is the only place I've been to that is almost unspoiled by man, and I've travelled and trekked fairly extensively in Nepal and India, and hiked a bit in the US and Europe. This is partly because the government controls tourism, and partly because the population of Bhutan is so low (cannot be more than 50000 -100000 in an area as big as New York State).