Bhutan Travelogue

Guru Rinpoche

2010-12-01T00:23:00.002+06:00

Source: the Crestone Eagle

by Larry Calloway. photos by Patricia Kvill and Larry Calloway

Monks at Paro escort Guru Rinpoche dancer.

In Bhutan at dawn on the final day of the annual festival at Paro monastery, monks on a high balcony unfurl for a few hours an enormous textile so sacred it’s supposed to bring liberation on sight. The devout in traditional dress come forward to touch their foreheads to its hem. Last March 30 we were there among a handful of tourists in a crowd of thousands that briefly included even young King “Jimmy.”

The central figure of the huge needlework tangka (temple hanging), is Padhmasambhava, more affectionately called Guru Rinpoche. He is the powerful sage, a tantric yogin, who brought Buddhism from the west to the Tibetan plateau and the Himalayas in the eighth century.

In the Nyingma tradition, predominant in Bhutan and the Nepal kingdom of Mustang, he is regarded as the second Buddha. He obviously eclipses the first in popular devotion because wherever you come upon a natural landmark—an odd rock or cave or spring—you also see an image or hear a story about a miraculous visit by Guru Rinpoche.

The “Tiger’s Nest” monastery near Paro.

Taktsang Gompa, the famous “Tiger’s Nest” on a dizzying cliff near Paro, is built around a cave to which Guru Rinpoche flew on a tiger’s back to tame a local demon. The tiger, who stayed for a while, was a manifestation of his consort Yeshe Tsogyal (a hero in her own right who fought forced marriage to follow a spiritual path).

These places are not just for tourists. At Taktsang our young guide Chimi, who had just become a father, summoned a monk for a private ceremony. Offering some currency on an altar of Guru Rinpoche, he closed his eyes in prayer as the monk drew a slip of paper from a jar and read three words. Chimi relaxed, then turned to us and explained the purpose of the sacred lottery. “The name of my son,” he said.

The dancing at Paro takes great energy.

In the Bhumtang Valley one morning we encountered some old folks walking around and around a monument at the ancient Jambay Lhakang (temple). Chimi said the local seniors did this every morning. They were chanting a mantra to Guru Rinpoche.

At a spring of pure water above Kurjey Lhakhang we watched a woman fill dozens of bottles. She was preparing to carry them home in a porter’s basket that must have weighed 100 pounds. The water is regarded as sacred because it was brought forth by Guru Rinpoche after he converted a local fiend who had stolen a king’s life force.

In Mustang several years ago I was taken deep into a canyon to meet an old hermit in a cave where mysterious limestone figures testify to Guru Rinpoche’s victory over several resident demons. My guide climbed to a crack in the cliff there to fill a bottle from a trickle of sacred water.

Two things about the legend of Guru Rinpoche strike me as mythic genius. First, the stories of how he converted fearsome local spirits to Buddhism, as opposed to slaying them, are metaphors for a religious revolution. The scholar Matthew Kapstein remarks that unlike other schools, the Nyingma tradition incorporated Bon, the indigenous Tibetan religion.

Knife-wielding demon comes forth.

Second, Guru Rinpoche left texts of his teachings hidden in various places for discovery by later generations. Thus, as Kapstein remarks, the dharma is continually renewed as these spiritual treasures are produced. It is an organic religion.

One more observation: the manly character of the mustachioed saint expresses a culture that developed in a time of warring kingdoms and banditry. It is no accident that Mustang is littered with empty hilltop fortresses or that Bhutan’s massive dzongs (religious centers that also are seats of government) are fortified. The surviving culture was neither intimidated nor complacent.

A Bhutanese brand of drinking water in plastic bottles claims to be from a spring extracted by Guru Rinpoche. The label says this water should be treated with respect and that it has “potent healing power for various physical and mental problems.”

Potency is certainly the essence of the phallic totem that appears everywhere in Bhutan—painted on walls, carved from wood and hung from eaves, chiseled in stone. At Chima Lhakang, dedicated to the 16th century “mad monk” Lama Kunley who found enlightenment in “wine and women,” I received a blessing with two taps at the altar. The first was with a symbolic bow and arrow (archery is the national sport). The second was a disconcerting whack on the head with an 18-inch wooden phallus.

Monks in the debate courtyard at Jakar.

I discovered that too was the nature of the painted “baton” used with alarming humor by the clowns at the Paro festival. The clowns, in standard red masks with big cynical grins, mimicked the dancers and members of the audience. They kept folks entertained during long repetitive dancing and kept the dancers and wayward dogs and children in line. They were as delightful as the koshari clowns at Pueblo ceremonies in New Mexico.

On another level, the tradition of debate in the monasteries carries this same engaged energy. From the market in Jakar in the Bhumtang Valley one evening we heard a lot of what seemed to be yelling from a hilltop monastery called Shukdra. A couple of days later we went there at the same time and encountered a hundred maroon-robed men confronting each other in small groups in the “debate courtyard.”

In each group the protagonists were on their feet dramatizing their points with aggressive gestures—stepping forward, finger pointing, hand slapping. Their targets in each group were monks seated as if in meditation—calmly rebutting. The debate questions, such as “Is it all right to eat animals?” perhaps are not as important as the performance, the equanimity of the response.

The movie Travelers and Magicians, shot entirely in Bhutan with local actors, begins with some of these cultural markings before it goes into the deeper Buddhist story of an illusion within an illusion (within a movie). Its Bhutanese writer-director, Khyentse Norbu, also has written a persuasive and accessible book called What Makes You NOT A Buddhist.

On the narrow highway to the Bhumtang Valley below Pelela Pass we stopped at one of Khyentse’s mountainous filming locations—an overhanging cliff where the travelers in history spend the night listening to a monk tell a story by a fire under a painted figure on the rocks. The figure, now fading, is of the sort likely to be mistaken by Westerners as “The Buddha.” It is Guru Rinpoche.

The enormous tangka unfurled once a year at Paro.

Is there a difference? Or does that question represent—to quote something written at an exhibit in the wonderful new royal museum in the watchtower at Trongsa Dzong—“the discriminations of relative truth” as opposed to “the non-discrimination of absolute truth.” Whatever, Khyentse provides a solution to the problem (if it is a problem) in his book. “Buddha isn’t a person’s name,” he writes. “It is the label for a state of mind.”

This statement might shake you awake if you are napping in the comfort of religious equations (Buddha equals Jesus, etc.). But it is a familiar cultural backdrop, like the figure on the rocks near Pelela, where I have been fortunate to travel. It is the stability behind religious practices of the people—the people!—reported in this series—the non-communist overseas Chinese who still venerate Guan Yin, the Theravadan Buddhists of Southeast Asia who celebrate in the face of hostile military surveillance, the Tibetans in two fragile Himalayan kingdoms who still love the magic of Guru Rinpoche in a time of unmagical thinking.

Old folks walking and chanting to Guru Rinpoche.

Which is not to say the depth of Buddhist dharma is forgotten. On a rock face at the side of the Pelela filming location, where the travelers listened to a story and debated and worried about making a living and (two of them) fell in love, we found these painted words:

Prayer that all sentient beings may find freedom from:

Wanting praise

Not wanting criticism

Wanting happiness

Not wanting unhappiness

Wanting to gain

Not wanting to lose

Wanting fame

Not wanting to be unknown.

The author, I suppose, was Khyentse. But it is, of course, unsigned.

TREKKING IN BHUTAN – THE MERAK & SAKTENG TREK IN EASTERN BHUTAN

2010-07-16T14:32:00.001+06:00

Source: travpr.com

One World Trekking offers new research trek & cultural journey into Bhutan’s recently opened ‘Land of the Brokpas’

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - ^16thJuly 2010 - From May 8 to May 18, 2011, One World Trekking (http://www.oneworldtrekking.com) is offering a small group of twelve trekkers the opportunity to participate on a new trekking route into the remote Merak and Sakteng region of eastern Bhutan.

This will surely be a truly incredible cultural journey and nature trek into a region of Bhutan closed to foreigners for the past 30 years. Until now, Merak and Sakteng has been closed to protect the unique cultural heritage of the Brokpa people and in part to give the mythical Yeti some peace, whose tales of wandering in these secluded valleys are very popular among the locals.

The Brokpas (highlanders) of the Merak and Sakten regions of eastern Bhutan are semi-nomadic yak herders who speak a unique dialect and wear clothing unique to this isolated region of Bhutan. Known as the Highlanders, the people of Merak and Sakteng have their ancestral roots southern Tibet, entering eastern Bhutan around the 15th century. Similar to the people of Laya, Lingshi and Lunana, the Brokpa live a semi nomadic lifestyle, primarily depending on yaks for their livelihood.
Our 6 day trek visits both Merak and the Sakteng valleys and enters the pristine Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary. It is one of nine protected areas in Bhutan and forms part of the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex. The Sanctuary protects the easternmost temperate forest ecosystems in the country with endemic species like eastern blue pine, black-rumped magpie and many others found only in the eastern Bhutan.

The Sanctuary was set up to protect the elusive Megay, or yeti. Other wildlife living in the Sanctuary includes the snow leopard, red panda, Himalayan black bear, barking deer and Himalayan red fox. Fauna and birds include the Assamese macaque, blood pheasant, grey backed shrike, grey-headed woodpecker, common hoopoe, rufus-vented tit and dark breasted rosefinch. According to the surveys conducted by the World Wildlife Fund, the Sakteng Sanctuary is home to some 203 species of plants, 119 species of birds and 18 species of mammals, with the snow leopard and red panda being classified internationally as “highly endangered” species.
One World Trekking’s (http://www.oneworldtrekking.com) brand new Bhutan hiking vacation combines a unique opportunity to travel overland into a remote corner of the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’ on a cultural tour and short 6 day trek into an area of Bhutan that has never before been open to foreigners. We will begin our trip in Delhi in order to take advantage of the daily flights to and from Guwahati. From here we drive overland and experience an amazingly beautiful and little-visited region of Bhutan. Once on trek we will be afforded an opportunity to see, first hand, a way of life that has remained unchanged over centuries. Please contact One World Trekking (info@oneworldtrekking.com) for a detailed trip itinerary.

###

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Contact Name:
Andy Crisconi - One World Trekking

Phone #:
970-945-2601

Email:
info@oneworldtrekking.com

Web:

Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Traveller's tale: a broken back in Bhutan

2010-03-22T02:00:00.001+06:00

Source: Traveller

March 20, 2010

Aneva Borthwick relies on the kindness of strangers.

We are in Phobjikha, Bhutan, on a cold spring evening. One minute I'm walking down a steep and slippery path, next I'm in the air and then lying on my back in a hole. There is pain and my arms and hands are numb and tingling. I know my back is broken and I can feel blood trickling down my face.

If I lie still, the pain is bearable. Shortly, the numbness and tingles ease. What to do? I have on about five layers of clothing, including my favourite beanie, so I don't feel cold.

Somebody jumps into the ditch and tries to help me up. "Don't touch me," I say, "I have broken my back." The poor man moves away.

Others arrive and ask me what I want them to do. "You must make me a collar," I say and lie back and wait.

The collar arrives and is a work of art. They then ask what to do next. "You must get a door or plank for me to lie on," I say. After some time my travel companions arrive with a plank, which I later learn had been part of the front steps of the guesthouse at which we are staying. I roll to one side and the plank is placed under me as I roll back. It is hard and uncomfortable and not quite as wide as I am.

The local village health workers arrive and carry me along uneven paths and up stairs into the house. This journey is frightening; any movement causes intense pain and I am scared of being dropped.

It takes two days to get out of Bhutan with only basic medical care and inadequate pain relief. The roads have hairpin bends, with children, cars, yaks and cattle likely around any corner. I'm flown to Bangkok by air ambulance and receive first-rate care in the hospital, including surgery for a serious neck fracture. I'm on the way to a full recovery and indebted to my travelling companions.

Chorten Kora

2009-12-28T18:12:00.001+06:00

bhutan
Originally uploaded by retlaw snellac

Chorten Kora near Trashi Yangtse in Eastern Bhutan was constructed in 1740 by Lama Ngawang Loday in memory of his late uncle, Jungshu Phesan, and to subdue local spirits. The lama went to Nepal himself and brought back a model of Bodhnath carved in a radish. He had it copied here so that people could visit this place instead of making the arduous trip to Nepal.

Bhutan mountains

2009-12-28T18:11:00.001+06:00

IMG_4057
Originally uploaded by muddum27

Just Back From: Bhutan

2009-12-27T18:43:00.001+06:00

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Elisabeth Levy, Santa Rosa

Bhutanese guide Palden with Elisabeth Levy in front of the Punakha Dzong.

Photo: Courtesy of Elisabeth Levy

I went because: I saw a postcard showing Tigernest Monastery high up on a cliff and heard Bhutan was the last Shangri-La.

Don't miss: A festival, and be sure to read as much as possible before you go.

Don't bother: Don't worry, you will have a guide and a driver, no matter if you are by yourself or in a group. Everything you see is interesting and unusual.

Coolest souvenir: A coin and a drawing I received as a present from Anjali, a 10-year-old Bhutanese girl.

Worth a splurge: Anything handmade by the Bhutanese.

I wish I'd packed: More cash. A few stores accept Visa, but it is very complicated.

Other comments: Bhutan is a small country in the Himalayas with a colorful history. A wonderful experience.

paradise highway

2009-11-23T19:36:00.001+06:00

paradise highway
Originally uploaded by ruchiro

Undoubtedly, the drive from Geleyphu to Wangdi in Bhutan is one of the most scenic drives in the world. Filled with gorges, rivers, lush forests encompassing Himalayan ranges, meandering roads, intermittent rainfall... Incredible!

Thongdrol display @ Thimphu

2009-11-19T15:59:00.001+06:00

Bhutan (1192)
Originally uploaded by AntonioR

Keunkhen Pema Karpo thongdroel (90ft long and 89ft wide) is the largest thongdroel in Bhutan. It was being displayed in Thimphu Dzong for viewing by the King of Bhutan.

Travelogue: Bong in Bhutan

2009-10-13T15:04:00.000+06:00

Source: Status Quo

The last time we saw our hero, he was wondering aimlessly in dreamland. Shortly later the entity known as Dad, made a call to our hero’s notoriously buggy sleep.wakeup() function. After deliberating for about a minute on whether I should actually wake up or start counting geneboosted sheep again, I chose the former. We were going to a Buddhist monastery in nearby Bhutan and I was mildly excited.
We drove for about north for about 40 minutes before we reached the India-Bhutan border and a town called Phunshilling. The strange thing about the border here is that, it is actually, inside the city. There’s no No Man’s Land, just a large, heavily decorated gateway across with dragons and other drawings and just two Bhutanese guards standing on either. There’s no border check, no need to show your passports, you just drive on through. Once you are through, there really isn’t much to tell you that you’re in another country, except for the details like the streets are cleaner, the people seem more relaxed and the cars have red number plates with distinctly non-Indian characters.
So I’m in Bhutan, and it doesn’t look all that different. Well, that’s not entirely true, the people do look different. Anyway we drove straight through Phunshilling, which took under a minute and were soon going up a mountain. No, we weren’t mountain climbing, there was a pretty wide road going up the side in the typically winding way that mountain roads do. Now, this was exciting, partly because the driver seemed incapable of driving under 60 kmph and partly because the view of the town below and the sun setting behind the cloudy mountains was simply amazing. I tried taking pictures, but anyone who has studied physics will know that keeping your camera fixed at one point is not particularly easy when your velocity is 60 kmph at an incline of about 30 degrees to the horizontal.
After winding our way up for about 20 minutes, we reached our destination of the Buddhist monastery or Gumpha. It was pretty high up, and the large compound which wasn’t all at the same level either. My grandmother had some trouble getting around, but it wasn’t too bumpy on the whole. The actual shrine along with the monk’s residence was along the edge of the mountain, and standing there, you got a clear view all the way down to the town below. The view was, in two words, rather breathtaking. Combine the view with a simple, yet serenely beautiful shrine behind you and very few people (which is an impossibility at most Indian holy sites), and your state of mind is one which you will achieve only a few times throughout your life. Frankly, I don’t care if most of India burns in nuclear hell tomorrow, but I would mind if anything happened to this place. Bhutan certainly makes it to my list of places where I have to live for a few months.
Unfortunately we couldn’t stay there for much longer because it was getting dark and the driver said that it wasn’t safe for foreigners after dark. Apparently, the town had another side, which I’ll talk about later. So it was back down the winding mountain road, past the gate with two guards and back to India with its one point something billion people and very few places to go and catch your breath. Nothing else of the day is really worth mentioning. We went back to the bungalow, where my parents had tea twice in three hours and I read Edgar Allan Poe. Dinner was once again simple, but excellent. Home-made bread, a bunch of vegetables chopped up and cooked together to make something delicious yet unnameable and chicken curry with local chickens (i.e. no bird flu). Been a rather long time since I had chicken. Then some more Poe and another call to my very reliable sleep.goto() function and back to my aimless wanderings in Dreamland.

Bhutan - Paradise on Earth!

2008-05-25T14:52:00.000+06:00

Submitted by: Carol Nettar, India
Website: Not Available
Submission Date: 29 February 2008
Source: Travel Library

I want to share with you all my experiences in Bhutan. I got the opportunity to visit Bhutan in Jan 2006.

I was planning for a long vacation with my wife for a long time. I searched the Internet extensively and also the MS website and was very much impressed with the information I got about Bhutan. Most of the websites of Bhutan tourism are made keeping the Americans and the Europeans in mind. They have to apply for Visa and have to come through a Govt. of Bhutan authorized travel agent. Foreigners have to pay around 200 dollars per day for food and accommodation. This fees is compulsory. This makes Bhutan one of the costliest destinations in the world.

I wrote to the Ministry of Tourism of Bhutan and I got the answers that I was expecting. Bhutan has a great relationship with India and Indians are treated very well. I was informed that Indians do not require a passport to enter Bhutan. Any identity card issued by the Govt.Of India sufficient. Even a driving license is sufficient. Indians can travel freely they do not have to pay in USD. This was indeed very good news for me. I planned my journey to the minutest details and made most of the reservations over the Internet. My wife and I took the Dadar- Guwati express from Mumbai on the 28th of December 2005 and reached New Jalpaiguri on the 30th December day early morning. The train journey was very tiring. One thing I hated about the journey was that there were beggars and hawkers roaming around EVEN in my 3AC compartment. The attendant did nothing to prevent this. I think he must be getting favours from those people!!! The food was not good, but we can rarely expect anything good on our trains.

We reached New Jalpaiguri by 2 am and we were taken aback by the weather there. The temperature was less than 5 degree C and the whole station was covered in fog. We really enjoyed the sight. We were shivering and had to quickly put on our heavy woolens and winter jackets. Gloves are a necessity there during winters. There was nothing much we could do at 2am. So we spent time in the waiting room in the Railway station.

By 5 am we decided to move on. We hailed an auto from the Railway station and made the short trip to Siliguri. We were charged Rs. 100 for the 8km trip. We found out that the Govt. of Bhutan runs a bus from Siliguri to the border town of Bhutan, Phuentsholing. Our journey to Bhutan on the Bhutan Transport Corporation’s bus, took five hours. The area was very scenic and it was a pleasure seeing hundreds of tea estates on the way. But I must say that the bus journey was bone shattering!!! We reached Phuentsholing by 12 pm. Bhutan time is half an hour ahead of Indian standard time. Indians who do not have a passport require a permit from the Indian embassy in Phuentsholing. The permit is issued after the officer checks the Indian’s identity card (voter’s id, driving license, etc). This permit has to be produced before the Bhutanese Visa officer and he issues a travel permit for 7 to 30 days depending on the purpose of travel of the applicant.

For Indians with a valid passport, there are no hassles. We went to the Bhutan Immigration officer and filled up the visa application forms. We had to submit two photos along with our passports and application forms. We got our one-month tourist visa by 2 pm.

We started our journey to Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan, from Phuentsholing by 3 pm on a taxi. I would like to add that 90% of the taxis in Bhutan are our very own Maruti Omnis. Our driver’s name was Tashi and he spoke good Hindi. Our passports and visa were checked 5 times on the way.

The road to Thimpu was very narrow and full of hairpin curves. There must have been at least a 1000 of them!!! India’s Border Roads Organization built the roads and it was well maintained. We crossed so many mountains and the view was very scenic. We also saw some waterfalls on the way. The journey to Thimpu took us 6 hours. We reached Thimpu by 9 pm and immediately checked into a good hotel. Accommodation is cheap in Bhutan. Very good double rooms are available in the range of 450 to 1000 Ngultrum. Bhutanese currency is at par with Indian Rupee. The hotel room, which we stayed in, had a heater, geyser and wood paneled walls. When we reached Thimpu the temperature was very low. Probably 1 or 2 degrees. The city is very well planned, with very good roads. Thimpu is the only capital of a country without traffic lamps!!!

Thimpu is a small city with just one petrol pump and our Bharat Petroleum runs it. The daytime temperature in Thimpu is low. Heavy woolens are required in winter. The night temperature falls below zero. All types of cuisines are available in Thimpu and most of the restaurants are family businesses. The mother cooks and the sons and daughters serve, while the father handles cash. Very interesting! One thing we loved about Thimpu is the tasty food.

We visited some Buddhist temples in Thimpu and also the Dzongs. Entry is restricted and a special permit is required. There are lots of shops in Thimpu and all foreign goods are available there. Some bargaining is necessary. The people of Thimpu are very warm and helpful.

I would like to share a very touching incident with the readers. All hotels and restaurants close down in Bhutan by 10 pm. Some pubs and discotheques remain open till 1 am. One night we went to a pub that had live music. We spent some time there. We had forgotten to inform our hotel that we would be late. We reached our hotel by 10.15 pm and the main door was closed. We rung the bell and was knocking on the door for half an hour. Still no one heard or answered us. Our hotel was also run by a family and they stayed on the third floor. We saw that all the lights were out. We spent an hour yelling and knocking on the door. Still no one heard us. We had no other option left. My mobile was latching on to Bhutan Telecom network, but I was not allowed to make calls. All local call booths had closed down and no one was willing to help us. As a last resort, we went back to the pub and told about our plight to the pub owner, who also did the work of the bar man. He was so helpful and immediately called up the hotel’s number which was on my room key. No one answered. We had made up our minds that we may have to sleep in the pub.

Then the rock band’s drummer offered to help us. He came with us all the way to our hotel and started shouting along with us in Bhutanese language. By now the time was 1am. That guy and I even tried going behind the hotel in an attempt to wake up the owners. But we were chased by street dogs and we had to return. Finally, someone heard us and came down and opened the door. We will never be able to express the relief we felt to be inside the hotel. We thanked the drummer boy as earnestly as we could. This was an example of the friendliness and sincerity of the Bhutanese people.

We celebrated our New Year in Bhutan. We went to a Disc in Thimpu and partied the whole night. The youth in Thimpu are very modern. We could see a very strong influence of western culture in the people there. Almost all youngsters spoke fluent English and wore very modern clothes. But around 70 % of the population wore traditional clothes. We were so very happy with Thimpu that we did not want to leave that place. The people are so warm and their hospitality was wonderful.

We also visited Paro. Paro has the only airport in Bhutan. The airport is a sight to behold. It has mountains on all four sides and the Pilot has to be an expert to land in the airstrip. Paro is a very small city compared to Thimpu. The famous Buddhist monastery, Tiger’s nest is in Paro and there is also the Dzong in Paro. Hotels in Paro cannot be compared to those in Thimpu. They are not too good. But are cheap.
Paro is much more colder than Thimpu. Even in the daytime, temperatures will not exceed 10 degrees. We were well prepared for winter. So we did not have much problems. The food is great in Paro. We tried the famous Ema Datchi( Rice with Chicken) dish. Bhutanese dises are very spicy, but we enjoyed them.

We stayed in Bhutan for a week. We can never forget the wonderful relaxing experience. We were completely cut off from the outside world and we enjoyed the seclusion. No phone calls, no emails, no relatives, etc, etc. The solitude is what we enjoyed most about Bhutan.

I would surely recommend Bhutan to couples and newly married honeymooners. It is a wonderful place and one of the safest places to visit!!!

Bhutan is a very traditional country. Almost all the buildings there are made with wooden traditional carpentry. The buildings convey the Bhutanese culture to the beholder! I have lots of photos to share. Anyone interested can mail me for the same. Bhutan is a duty free country. There is not much tax for imported vehicles. We could find hundreds of Land cruisers and Prado’s in Thimpu. I was informed that a Prado costs just 17 Lakhs Ngultrums there. There are lots of Hyundai Tucsons also. We really felt that we were in an european country.
There is a Maruti Suzuki showroom in Thimpu. As I mentioned earlier, 99% of the taxis in Bhutan are Maruti Omnis. The drivers are experts and they wear their traditional costumes when working.

Bhutan is very popular for its Natural beauty. There is a point called Dochulla Pass near Thimpu. From here, we could see the Himalayas very close. It is very very cold there. And it snows in winters. But sadly, we could not see any snow in Jan 2006.

Paro is much more beautiful than Thimpu. The natural beauty will take your breath away. There is nothing much to do in Paro, other than trekking and shopping for imported goods from Thailand and China.
Copyright © - "Carol Nettar"

Travel Bhutan

2008-01-28T01:40:00.000+06:00

By: Anthony
Bhutan April, 18th 2006
Source: Art in all of us

Sitting in humid grass and facing the "male" river of the Wangdu valley, I contemplate some blue stains in the sky. Mick Jagger is shouting in my ears some nostalgia. Houses of all colours decorate the towering hills. At the bottom-end of the valley, I can see rice fields in staircases (terrace) protected by the wild marijuana fields, recently watered by the heavy rains. It is funny to see marijuana growing over here, since Bhutan is probably the only country in the world where smoking tobacco is already considered as an offence.

I was really in need of such a small moment of peaceful rest after crowded India and political unrests in Nepal. Sunset should be in one hour or so. I hope that the sun will offer me a pretty colourful exhibition since I have barely seen him these last days. I left the capital Thimphu under the morning rain for a school in the East of the country. To get to this beautiful blooming valley, we’ve had to drive through a pass of more than 11,000 feet high. My eyes prayed all the gods to receive the dramatic view praised by all guides and traveller’s guide books. Unfortunately, it was a snow storm that welcomed us up there and had us immobilized for some hours. We were stuck there, in the impossibility to go forward, let alone backward. I can only be patient, and dream of Stephanie left in the warmth of Kathmandu. My feet are almost naked, wearing only poor summer flip-flops… and I only have 4 t-shirts to cover my chest and knees. Having left Kathmandu with 90F, I didn't think to take warmer clothes. Hence, I close my eyes hoping that Orfée willl warm me up. However, within 10 minutes my shaking teeth wake me up. Fortunately enough, Buddha had some mercy and stopped the snow for a couple of minutes. The driver took advantage of it, and rushed towards the valley 7000 feet below, like an ice-skating ballerina. The road was not larger than a half dozen of small pigs. Our hero driver is sweating like a duck, but we eventually arrive at destination safely.
However, it will not be possible to see the children today, because schools close early here in the region. It will be for the next day, if conditions are more favorable. Fortunately, I visited another school yesterday. It was full of smiles and some marvellous drawings and poetries were created. It was a delightful day for them … and me.

The kingdom of Bhutan is ruled under a totally different way from most countries that I have visited. Religion and environment have a central function in everyone’s life. Tobacco isn’t legal in the country, neither are plastic bags…

To illustrate such concerns, I have been requested of a special message to the world from a 9 years old yesterday, at the school: "please tell them to take care of the forest like we do". Indeed, this must be the only country that has been able to preserve its forests for centuries. If 60% of the country was green forest some 500 years ago, today they can still count on the same proportion of green areas.

This country has never been colonized and has only undergone 4 short Tibetan invasions between the 12th and 19th century.

A Buddhist monk whispered me proudly that his country´s development was maintained on purpose late, comparing to other countries, and they hear to remain like that. It enables them to learn from other countries’ mistakes and wisely and accordingly adjust to the best of the development of a couple of others picked up with care. They will never blemish their rich religious and cultural heritage …. Lesson to meditate…

Land of Gross National Happiness

2008-01-21T15:33:00.000+06:00

Source: TravelPod

Well, that was a big transition! From steamy Indonesia to the chilly Himalayas. One day in Bangkok in between to get organized, then off on Druk Air to Bhutan with a stop in Calcutta on the way (that really looked steamy!)Because you have to visit Bhutan through a travel agent (I went through a Bhutanese one) you are never really on your own. I had a driver (Tshewang) and a guide (Jamyang) with me all the time. This is true whether you are alone or in a big group. And, since you pay up front, you don't need to buy any meals, so it was pretty easy. So, I feel like I lucked out. The owner of the travel agency, Kesang, is a wonderful person. She has a guesthouse next to her house where I stayed in Thimpu, which was great because I got to hang out with her family for long dinners. The english spoken here is amazing since kids are taught in it as a first language in school. So they are well set up for scholarships abroad. Most people you meet have done some kind of university overseas.

I had 11 days, and ended up visiting a few towns, spending a couple days in each place. the architecture here is beautiful, and the scenery amazing. We had beautiful sunny days, but it is freezing at night. Not a straight road in the whole country so you are constantly twisting and turning and going up and over high mountain passes. Since Buddhism is so strong here, I spent alot of time at temples and monestaries, which also doubled as fortresses when they were built 400 years ago. I went to a Crane festival first, in Pobjikha, which celebrates the return of the Black Necked Crane. We stayed in an OLD Farmhouse guesthouse which was alot of fun. Then a six hour drive up to Bhumthang which is a valley full of very old temples and a good beer called Red Panda. Speaking of beer, you know how I like to sample the local specials, the big drink in Bhutan is ara, like sake. They drink it warmed up, sometimes with a cooked egg in it to less the bitterness. They also LOVE chilies here. It is not considered a spice, it is a vegetable. Chilies and cheese, the national dish...with some local red rice it is delicious, even though your mouth is on FIRE!

The people in Bhutan are wonderful, so nice, incredibly hospitable, the kind of people you wish would come visit you so you could have a chance to repay their kindness. I really was sad to leave, and have been convinced that I need to come back in Spring 2008 for a trek and the crown prince's coronation...any takers?

Bike Travel Tour

2007-12-15T22:26:00.000+06:00

Source: Australian Road Rider

The road well and truly less travelledRiding across Bhutan and into Assam with a group of motorcyclists on a fleet of Enfield bikesThere is something exciting about travelling virtually unexplored roads and leading the first antipodean group across Bhutan and out into the little-visited Indian state of Assam last October was a real buzz.

Starting the trip in the bustling West Bengal capital of Calcutta (now officially Kolkata), we headed north by train to the foothills of the Himalaya where we picked up our fleet of Enfield bikes.

After much hilarity and some serious cursing at the right-hand, upside-down gearbox and left-side foot brake during our practice session, we left the sanctuary of the hotel car park and headed north-east into Bhutan.

The riders were a mixed bunch, including a statistician who calculated we rode about 2000 bends a day in the west, two engineers who predictably checked out every bridge construction, a teacher who could be calculated to keep the peace and a barrister from Wellington, New Zealand, whose often expressionless face belied a lightening fast wit.

The next 12 days of the 24-day tour were entirely within the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Every day held a riot of laughter, new experiences, wonder, joy, occasional frustration and many hair-raising moments.

Kingdom in the Clouds

2007-12-02T14:24:00.000+06:00

By: Susan Gough Henly
Source: Buddhist Travel

PARO, BHUTAN -- The tiny landlocked kingdom of Bhutan has managed a spectacular promotional feat. First, the Fourth King announced he measures his country's progress in terms of Gross National Happiness. Then he essentially limited the number of visitors by charging a minimum of $200 a day for accommodation, food, driver and guide.
It's the old create-a-buzz and make-yourself-scarce routine, but it's not all hype.
"Bhutan has never been colonized so it has been able to maintain its proud, traditional culture that values the community above the individual. And, the Fourth King provided decades of wise leadership to navigate a unique path for the only surviving independent Buddhist country in the Himalayas," says John Reed, general manager of Aman, the first international hotel company to develop properties in Bhutan.
Television and the Internet, for instance, were not introduced until 1999. Cigarette sales are banned. And the monarchy is working toward the country's first constitution and democratic elections next year.
Clean energy is provided by hydroelectric power and, by decree, 62 per cent of the land must remain forested. Environmentalists describe Bhutan, which is about the size of Nova Scotia, as one of the world's biodiversity hot spots. It is easy to see why when scholars like Tshering Phuntsho at the Centre for Bhutan Studies, the national think tank, says, "In Bhutan we place a value on a tiger in the forest."
The country is home to some of the Himalayas' most exotic animals including the endangered snow leopard and red panda, plus 770 species of birds and an astonishing variety of rhododendrons.
Six of us recently visited the Land of the Thunder Dragon on one of Druk Air's four planes. On the jaw-dropping descent into Paro, the country's only airport with a paved runway, we glimpse the Tiger's Nest Monastery, Bhutan's most revered site, impossibly wedged into a nook of sheer granite cliffs. Legend says Guru Rinpoche, the Tantric master who established Buddhism in Bhutan, rode a winged tigress over the mountains to meditate here before converting the local spirits.
Waiting for us at the terminal is Lha Wang, or Thunderbolt of Bliss, our smiling, diminutive 24-year-old guide dressed in the traditional gho, a belted, white-cuffed, knee-length robe worn with long socks.
"I am most honoured to show you my beautiful country," he bows.
A single main road crosses dramatic mountain ridges, strung with prayer flags, and valleys splashed with golden wheat fields and viridian rice paddies.
Our driver combines the bravado of a New York City cabbie and the nerve of a rally car driver as he negotiates blind corners and logging trucks decked out like parade floats. Painted phalluses adorn many of the elaborate two-storey rammed-earth farmhouses as fertility symbols and guardians against evil spirits.
With tantric Buddhism as its official religion, sexuality is seen as a means toward enlightenment.
The nation's capital, Thimphu, is a haphazard boom town under a frenzy of construction in preparation for the Fifth King's coronation next June. The only capital city in the world without a traffic light, a white-gloved warden choreographs wheeled vehicles with balletic gestures. We watch street theatre, admire intricately embroidered and woven cloth at the Textile Museum, and shop for inlaid turquoise jewellery and carved wooden masks.
We install ourselves at the 16-room Aman Thimphu, a white temple of understated elegance in the pine-forested hills above town.
"People no longer want to just plop on a beach but travel to experience distinctive cultures," manager John Reed says. "The Amankora adventure tries to capture the spirituality of Bhutan."
The four Aman properties – in Paro, Thimphu, Gangtey and Punakha – have a minimalist aesthetic, with the all-important addition of spas. Each spacious room, panelled in the local blond wood, is warmed by a traditional hot-stone wood stove while the intimate muted-toned public areas encourage guests to look outward in their quest for the exotic.
We visit the temple of Bhutan's beloved 15th century lama, nicknamed the Divine Madman, who overcame demons with his phallus and preached a joyful version of religion.
We watch initiates, dressed in robes of gold and crimson, chanting the sutra in the temple under the guidance of large golden Buddhas peering down from the altar, bowls of local moonshine lined up as offerings and, discretely to one side, a symbolic phallus, in case a visitor needs a fertility blessing.
We explore Bhutan's most majestic monastery/fortress in Punakha. In its sun-drenched courtyard a lone cock, saved from the gallows, struts like a king.
Outside the golden doors of the central temple, Thunderbolt of Bliss sums up the Buddhist philosophy of the circle of life, "If you are greedy and tight-fisted you will be reborn as a hungry ghost, never able to feed your soul."
Wise words from a young man who begged us to save the life of a tick we had extricated from a friendly dog.
The three-day Gangtey Walk starts in the Phobjikha Valley, the largest glacial valley in Bhutan and winter resting ground for the endangered black-necked cranes. Hardy mountain ponies carry tents, tables and chairs, pads, sleeping bags and packs. We climb a rocky path into an enchanted forest of oak and maple, lichen-draped blue pines and massive moss-covered weeping cypresses. Our way is strewn with the crimson blossoms of rhododendron trees, ten metres high.
The days pass in a feast of the senses. Wild daphne perfumes the air; a cuckoo heralds the time to plant the summer crops; our cook collects fiddlehead ferns and wild spinach; in the half light of a remote monastery we discover exquisite murals; we picnic on a 3,400-metre pass adorned with prayer flags and in the lush subtropical valley of our final descent we find groves of wild cannabis that are fed to the pigs to make them hungry and happy.
Each night we sing around the campfire, the Bhutanese teaching us haunting love songs with words like, "Write my name on your heart so that it will remain forever."
Visiting a farmhouse that had been hooked up to electricity only two days earlier, we ask the farmers if they are curious about us and they say graciously: "We have no knowledge of anywhere outside of Bhutan, but if you would like to tell us about yourselves, we would be most honoured to listen."
Bhutan may not be perfect but it does offer an exquisite mixture of the sublime, the sybaritic and the surreal that might just make it the world centre of happiness.
JUST THE FACTS
DRUK AIR flies via Bangkok, Delhi, Calcutta, Bodhgaya, Dhaka and Kathmandu.

Susan Gough Henly is a freelance writer based in Victoria, Australia. Her visit was subsidized by Aman.

Bhutan - not a cuckoo clock in sight

2007-11-14T02:52:00.000+06:00

Dylan Jones

From the air, Bhutan looks disconcertingly like Switzerland. Same snow-capped peaks, same wide, lush valleys, same tidy lodges peppering the mountains. Once you hit the ground, you realise there are no banks, no expensive watches and hardly any chilli-free cheese (unless you count the raclette at Fritz Maurer's Bhutanese Swiss Guesthouse), but you still feel as though you've flown halfway round the world to end up in the Alps. And so you look again and find that instead of billboards there are dozens of clusters of prayer flags, strung from poles, snapping in the wind. You have also landed at one of the most beautiful airports in the world.
Bhutan: small Buddhist kingdom in the Eastern Himalayas, home to districts such as Rainbow District of Desires, Lotus Grove of the Gods and Blooming Valley of Luxuriant Fruits. Bhutan:squashed 40 million years ago between the Indian subcontinent and Asia. It's illegal to fell a tree here, or kill a fish, and the population are so good at the national sport - archery - that the manufacture of targets recently had to be suspended until they made the bull's-eyes smaller.
Closed to the outside world for centuries, 40 years ago the economy was still based on barter and money was virtually nonexistent. There are only 700,000 people here (15,000-20,000 of whom are monks, 10,000 in the army), enough to fit inside 10 Wembley Stadiums in a country the size of, well, Switzerland. Most nationals are still farmers, although increasingly people are working in tourism (there will be nearly 20,000 visitors this year). There is also crime, which had previously almost been eradicated. Graduates educated in India are returning to a country that has no jobs for them, so they drink instead, and fight, and steal. And get arrested.
Television has been in Bhutan since 1999 and has had a predictably tumultuous effect, especially on the young. Western music and fashion has changed the way teenagers consume, and children now run around the parks with plastic guns imported from Bangkok. The government has tried to ban certain TV channels, namely pornography and wrestling, although more people seem interested in watching the Premiership. The Western influence is on the streets, too, with the men wearing Ray-Bans and Nike trainers along with their traditional gho costumes. The most recent status symbol is the mobile phone and, bizarrely, the hostess bar. Club owners recently overturned a ban, and many bars in the capital Thimphu (the only capital in Asia not to have traffic lights, incidentally) have started up again, masquerading as up-market karaoke bars. A rather hysterical piece on the subject on the cover of The Bhutan Observer last week was lumbered with the headline: "An Extravagant Squall". The exclamation mark was there in everything but deed.

Bhutan - the Elusive Kingdom

2007-10-10T03:30:00.000+06:00

By: Kelen
Source: Traveljournals.net

When planning our big adventure, we never discussed Bhutan. It really wasn't on the radar of countries we thought to visit. We had booked tickets through to India, and from there we hoped to head to Nepal for some serious trekking through the Himalayas, and after that onto Southeast Asia. But as you might know from reading our India journal, a successful campaign by our parents against travel to Nepal convinced us to change our plans. That's when the idea of Bhutan started coming into focus. We knew we wanted to trek, and many Nepal trekking companies lead tours in Bhutan. So we started researching the country and our options.

One of the more surprising and possibly challenging things we learned at the outset is that Bhutan requires you book your trip through a tour company and pay a daily tariff of two hundred dollars each. Such a steep price tag for such an elusive country meant our stay would be limited. We needed a program that highlighted Bhutan's cultural and natural attractions in the shortest time possible. So we booked an eight day excursion that provided us with a guide, a driver and time for a three day mountain trek.

Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, is landlocked by Tibet, China and India. It's compared to Switzerland for size and natural beauty, including snow capped peaks, rolling hills, mountain goats (AND men who wear argyle socks). The government enforces a strict environmental policy of protecting at least 60 percent of the nation's forests: currently they dedicate more than 70 percent to wilderness. As a result, hundreds of exotic species of plants and animals are flourishing in this pristeen environment. We came to learn that this tiny kingdom held the greatest bio-diversity acre for acre in all of Asia.

Our journey to Bhutan began after more than a month in India. We entered through the Bhutan Gate on the Indian border in Jaigon. We had just left a country hemmoraging with a billion people for one with barely 700,000 people: we noticed the solitude immediately. Without interruption or offers from taxi or tuk-tuk drivers, we walked to meet our guide and driver at the Druk Hotel. We enjoyed a relaxing lunch in an empty air-conditioned restaurant, then climbed into a sparkling deluxe SUV for a six hour drive to the capital, Thimpu. As we soon learned, travel through Bhutan is best done in a comfy SUV, because roads are the only option for cross-country travel on one national highway.

We bumped along the road realizing that our 180 kilometer drive would provide a wonderful introduction to the amazing Bhutanese scenery. The lush mountainside was breathtaking. We marveled at the endless terraced hills planted with the main staple (and Indian export) rice. Our guide pointed out the many large pointed clay structures dotting the hills. The memorial stupas or chortens contain religious artifacts or information about the deceased. Flowing around the chortens are Bhuddist prayer flags. Our guide, Sangay explained there are always 108, either colored flags symbolizing good luck or all white signifying a recent death.

Almost 70 percent of Bhutan's population practices a special kind of Bhuddism called Mahayana. The mission is to live in harmony with the complexities and mysteries of nature. This plays out in their commitment to protecting the environment. For example, people are less likely to pollute the water if they believe that a certain spirit may inhabit a lake or stream. Likewise, because killing animals for food is also against their religion, many people either don't eat meat or they buy it from non-Bhuddists.
Religion touches all aspects of Bhutanese life, as we learned from visiting a college where young people were mastering traditional arts. Every carving, clay statue and silk embroidery mirrored centuries old Tibetan Bhuddist imagery. Graduates are hired to restore the old temples or dzongs, or to construct new temples based on the ancient traditions. Most Bhutanese architecture is highlighted with the unique carvings of the dharma wheel of life or sacred Lotus flower. As we traveled throughout the western part of the country we saw many examples of old and new religious architecture.

Our travels in Bhutan showed us that not a lot has changed over time. The weekend market which flourished hundreds of years ago as a way for farmers to sell their crops continues to this day. Alongside the slender stalks of asparagus, they now sell beautiful handicrafts. In the capital city, we saw many young people sporting western style clothing, but just as common were others wearing the traditional Bhutanese garb.

Men wear a Gho which looks like a knee-length robe with a pouch in the front in which they can store a myriad things - think Mary Poppins' carpet bag and you get the idea. Usually the Gho is accompanied by argyle soxes and leather shoes. Women wear a Kira, a floor length dress of cotton that wraps around their waist, over a blouse and is secured at the shoulder with a large pin. The Bhutanese are required to wear the national dress to school; if they have a government job; visit monasteries; national museums or monuments; attend festivals or when attending to any offical business.

Once we began our trek into the wilderness, the passage of time was even harder to see. So many of the farmhouses built three hundred years ago are still in use today. The ground floor is kept for the farm animals. The second floor for food storage and the third floor houses the family. During our trek, we passed many crumbling farmhouses being restored.

Our trek of three days, two nights began in the Gangte valley. We started walking in a lush valley but soon the trail switched to sloping blue pine forest. The steep mountainside was highlighted with a variety of blooming rhododendrons, purple primula, and yellow and white magnolias. We were surprised by how quickly the trail became a challenge. The quick change in elevation and the zig-zagging back and forth (going from 9,500 feet to a little over 11,000 feet) made us breathless. We were proud but exhausted upon reaching the prayer flags marking Tsele La.

Trekking in Bhutan is unlike any form of hiking or camping either of us had ever done. First, everything was carried for us - our packs; the tents; the food were all strapped to the backs of horses and one very strong horsewoman (who was punished with carrying part of the load because her horse ran away the night before). We were responsible for our day packs with water, a camera, sunscreen and our lunch (hardly a load). When we reached the campsite our tents were set up, the cook was preparing our food and all we had to do was roll out our sleeping bags. There was our two person tent, a kitchen tent, dining tent and a toilet tent. Once Sangay dug a hole and hung a roll of t.p.: presto, a bathroom.

We reached camp by climbing to a mountain pass and then walking back down into another valley. All of our campsites were in the valley. The first night we were beside a small stream, and the next day in the middle of a cow pasture where the curious locals would wander over and stare. After a day of trekking for 15 kilometers through the meadows and mountains, we were perfectly happy to accept tea with biscuits and later enjoy a delicious candlelit dinner for two.

Our meals in Bhutan consisted of the same few ingredients - potato, rice and different kinds of vegetables. At the times we ate in hotels, the dishes were closer to Indian food: emphasizing starch and a lot of curry. Bhutanese food is based around the main staple of rice and hot peppers. Although they worry westerns can't handle spicy food so hot food comes only by request. Most of our meals consisted of a starch or 2, stir fried vegetables and sometimes pork or chicken and dessert. One particularly memorable meal was devoted to starch - tofu (for protein), pasta, potatoes and rice. Each morning on the trek, we woke to the sound of roosters crowing or cows being led to pasture. Sangay served us tea in our tent, gave us warm water for bathing and served us a hearty breakfast.

The final morning of our trek, the cook served our favorite breakfast - freshly cut french fries, eggs and toast with peanut butter (a rarity in Asia) and of course, tea. Just as breakfast was finishing, there was a great commotion on the far side of the meadow from our camp. A farmer was leading his cows to pasture and one of the bulls got mad at another bull and broke rank to attack. The other bull, sensing the attack, also broke rank and the two charged eachother locking horns as they clashed. This greatly upset the farmer who quickly tried to keep his remaining cows from joining the trouble. The two bulls with locked horns continued to drift closer to our campsite. We jumped up from the breakfast table to watch the bull fight play out. The bulls were coming so close that Sangay was worried they might decide to charge us. Just when it looked like both bulls were running towards us, the weaker of the two backed down. He retreated and the other one ran off. In the end, the farmer got his cows back in line and everyone enjoyed a little morning excitement.

Our final day of trekking was less challenging than the first, aside from the addition of hot sun and flies. Walking carefully down the steep mountainside, we watched young Bhutanese farmers bent over their fields as they transplanted rice. We both agreed that three days was the perfect length for a trek. We were lucky that the weather was warm, not too hot, and that rain hadn't thwarted our efforts by muddying the trail, which is common in springtime. We also agreed that by deciding to trek in Bhutan we had a very unique opportunity: to experience how a part of the world in many ways avoids the influences of the modern society which is beaconing just across the border. With only about 5,000 visitors a year, it will take awhile longer before the 21st century makes an impact on Bhutan's way of life.

Our final night in Bhutan we requested a traditional Bhutanese style meal complete with hot chillies. Sangay was happy to oblige. He arranged for us to eat at a local restaurant run by a sweet young couple. For the first time during our stay, Sangay and the driver, Preem joined us at dinner. The homestyle meal was served in the couple's sitting room. They prepared simple yet fresh and delicious food - steamed asparagus, red Bhutanese rice, dried beef with spinach, and dried and fresh chillies with cheese, and lots of tea. Just as the husband was refilling our cups, the electricity went out. Moments later his wife appeared with two candles sticking out of pop bottles.

After we ate our fill, Sangay reached into the pouch of his Gho and presented us with evaluation forms and parting gifts from him and Preem - two white satin prayer shawls. They told us the scarves were gifts for good luck because they contained eight auspicious symbols and would protect us on our travels. This was also their way of saying they hoped we had a good trip, were happy with his services and enjoyed our experience. We told him he was a wonderful guide and that we had had an amazing adventure. Then he added, "you come here for culture and nature. Of course our country doesn't have the same things that you have in your country, but your country doesn't have the same things offered with a visit to our country." Sangay's words ring true and we only hope that the uniqueness of his tiny kingdom remains unspoiled for future generations.

Bhutan Welcomes Visitors, Just Not Too Many and Too Poor

2007-06-21T01:08:00.000+06:00

Source: VOA News

By Steve Herman

Thimphu, Bhutan

21 May 2007

To the outside world the small Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan is regarded as a modern-day Shangri-La. Nestled along the eastern side of the Himalayas, wedged between Tibet and India, Bhutan sees few outsiders. And the country likes it that way as it attempts to preserve its fragile culture and ecology. That has prompted Bhutan to strictly regulate tourism. But as VOA's Steve Herman reports from Thimpu, it is possible for anyone with enough money and determination to visit.

Here people call their nation Druk Yul - land of the thunder dragon. The sights and sounds of its deep connection to Tibetan Buddhism are evident just about anywhere a visitor goes.

A religious musician, playing the jaling oboe, dressed in the traditional knee-length gown and huge white cuffs worn by most Bhutanese men is just one example of why this country the size of Switzerland is so appealing to travelers.

The country is permeated with fortresses, known as dzongs, and monasteries. The air is crisp and clean, the views of mountains breathtaking. What Bhutan lacks in high-end tourist infrastructure it makes up in courtesy, safety and cleanliness, especially compared to other major regional destinations.

Yet, Bhutan remains one of international tourism's best-kept secrets. It attracts less than 20,000 tourists a year, not including thousands more Indians, here on business or holiday, who do not need a visa to visit.

The head of the association representing Bhutan's 290 tour operators, Sonam Dorji, says the myth persists that the country is virtually off-limits to visitors. Tourists have been welcomed since 1974. But Dorji says there will be no attempt to undertake a mass-marketing campaign, unlike Bhutan's neighbors against which it competes for tourist revenue.

"By not marketing we still remain exclusive and a very mysterious country," he said. "We don't have any limits of arrivals. As long as they pay $180 per night, they are welcome."
That may sound like a steep price, but it includes accommodations, meals, guides and transportation.

Most visitors come for the trekking, bird watching or just to absorb the unique culture of this deeply religious and agrarian society. Many typical tourist pursuits, however, are off-limits, such as mountain climbing or recreational fishing. Local people consider their mountains sacred and inhabited by deities. Fishing for sport also violates religious sensibilities.

Dorji, head of the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators, says religious values cannot be compromised in the name of increasing tourism.

"Buddhist religion overall is just like to protect even the environment, the sentient beings, all living beings. And we believe that even a tree has a soul. So that's the part which has influenced the tourism policy," added Dorji.

There is a fierce determination here to protect the environment. After all, it is natural resources which provide Bhutan with its primary source of revenue - sales of hydro-electric power to its energy-hungry neighbor, India. Tourism is the top source of hard currency.

Although tourism officials say Bhutan can absorb tens of thousands more visitors per year, if they come during the off-season, there is a fear that making it less costly for outsiders to visit could easily swamp this country of less than 700,000 people.

"Being small, you cannot be careless. We cannot promote and develop normal type of tourism here because we simply do not have the carrying capacity. We have, yes, rich culture, living culture, ancient culture, but they're still very fragile," said former ambassador Lhatu Wangchuk, the director general of Bhutan's department of tourism.

Those who do visit are warmly welcomed. Wangchuk believes that is because experience with well-healed visitors, who tend to be older and highly educated, has had a "very positive" impact on Bhutanese people and their culture.

"It is the tourists who have been educating the Bhutanese. We get tourists who are well traveled, tourists who are very sensitive to other countries' culture, their way of life. And therefore we've been made more aware of the value of our own culture," continued Wangchuk.
But there is a bit of trouble in paradise. There are complaints that the modest number of trekkers are damaging Bhutan's environment, leaving behind litter and eroding habitat in a country where three-quarters of the land is unspoiled forest.

In the few cities, such as the capital of Thimpu, and Paro, where the main airport is located, packs of stray dogs wander the streets barking loudly at night and garbage disposal is an increasing problem.

But most Bhutanese, such as this elderly monk chanting Tibetan prayers on the sidewalk, remain unfazed by the modest number of outsiders and the potential benefits or problems they bring.

As Bhutanese are apt to exclaim, drawing on centuries of Buddhist wisdom, the only thing that is constant is change. They believe that their values and the wisdom of their enlightened leaders in a country now shifting from absolute monarchy to parliamentary democracy will prevail and allow their way of life to be preserved.

Journey to The Land of the Dragon: Bhutan

2007-06-01T01:43:00.000+06:00

Contributed by: Joshua G Shafran on 12/21/2006
Source: Boulder>YourHub

When does a significant travel moment occur? It is the instant when an experience remains as an indelible imprint, and lasts forever.
Trekking in Bhutan, this past November, was a continuous series of "travel moments." It was and remains a destination unlike any other.
The location, the people, their culture, lifestyle and the experiences I had there are very unique in adventure travel. For three weeks, I trekked with eleven other clients, two guides, thirteen support staff and thirty-one Mongolian pack ponies through villages, towns, cities and on outback yak trader trails. We experienced the complexity and beauty of what has been called, "...the last Buddhist Kingdom, or Druk Yal, The Dragon Kingdom."
Bhutan is a landscape of jungle and high mountains. It is about the size of Switzerland. The largest city, Thimphu, the capital, is about 50,000 people. The northern border is Tibet. The country is surrounded by regions of India. Nepal is west of Bhutan.
I traveled through a small area of the mountain region, on what is called the Chomolhari Trek. It is an ancient yak traders' route that varies from 7,500 feet altitude to a base camp at just above 13,000 feet. We hiked over 100 miles in nine days, and traversed over 50,000 vertical feet through undulating ups and downs. From our base camp we trekked up mountain passes to view some of the 20,000 plus foot peaks of this Himalayan region. Two of these mountains are spiritual locations called Chomolhari, and Jichu Drakye (both at 24,000 feet and above). No permits are granted by the Bhutanese government to climb these mountains. Many of the peaks, in fact, are unnamed.
The variety and beauty of the land is amazing. We started out in foothill forest and pasture land somewhat resembling Colorado foothills. We hiked past farmland that grows alternate crops of Bhutanese red rice and wheat. Beet, onion, potato, bean and corn was also seen being harvested. November is early to mid Fall in this region of Bhutan. No one appears hungry.
Their multi-generational homes are large, incorporating animals, people and storage in one structure on three levels.
We stopped in villages and visited schools. The kids seemed happy, and the teachers were engaged just like in our neighborhood schools. There are local elementary schools, where kids walk up to forty-five minutes to get there. Students travel further to high school. Education is demanded. Communication is not a problem for English speakers. Most people I met speak English. It is taught in public schools. There is over 90% literacy in Bhutan.
Our trek was an adventure. At our 13,000 foot base camp we experienced a two day mountain snow storm. Some higher mountain passes were blocked. Our guides arranged for us to stay with one of the mountain multi-generational families in the region.
Bhutanese people are graciously accepting of outsiders. Imagine opening your door to a dozen strangers for two nights. We were very fortunate to be welcomed, and taken in by a four generation family. It was a true lesson in just plain old fashioned human kindness. There was a lot of curiosity between our host family and the group. This was another "travel moment" that linked people to people.
Bhutan is a stunning country. When the snow storm cleared the blue high altitude sky, and white mountain peaks were humbling. It was the first time, I experienced 20,000 plus foot mountains. Not to take away from our Colorado 14ers, these mountains are expansive and immense in scale, size and grandeur. Talk about feeling small in relation to the rest of nature. This type of landscape truly reminded me of the concept of natural insignificance. This was a significant "travel moment."
Bhutan's social complexity is as convoluted a mosaic, as is the geography. From approximately 744A.D. to the present the country has evolved into a small, close knit group of people, tied together by a common set of complex Tantric Buddhist philosophy, beliefs and practices. We hiked to and visited a number of dzongs (fortress-like citadel temples), and monasteries used as schools for monks, taught by lamas (teachers). Our visits to one monastery, called Taktsang Monastery (Tiger's Nest) was a spiritual "travel moment." It is here that Buddhism came to Bhutan.
Though the peoples' religion is ancient, a 21st century way of life is evolving quite rapidly. This is experienced in most places. The same people who herd Yaks, use outhouses, have minimal running water and grow most food on family plots, have solar voltaic systems, and occasionally have satellite dishes . In cities internet cafes are available. While some aspects of life seem very high tech, there are other patterns of life that border on very ancient social practices.
Between two major cities, Paro and Thimphu, the connecting mountain road is being expanded. Here was a "travel moment." Bhutan workers are not building the road. The labor force for this road work is imported from Bangladesh.
As we drove by in the comfort of a new Nissan van, we saw these workers labor by hand on the highway. Women use dangerous looking roadside equipment to grind large granite blocks into gravel for the roadbed. Shirtless, the men shovel gravel and sand, and steamy vats of asphalt/tar is mixed, to be spread by hand power over the roadbed, to be graded and flattened by old looking roller machines. The workers live by the road they are working on. As we drove into Thimphu at sunset we saw workers going home to their temporary housing carrying wood for heat and cooking. We were told by our local guide that their lives were better than they would have in Bangladesh. Obviously our western concept of life and labor practices has not entered this part of our world. We were told this outsourcing for labor is good for Bhutan, and is good for Bangladesh. I have not been to Bangladesh to judge this comment, though I remain with obvious questions. This is one example of a culture where the King has decided how "to play the world" for the good of his people.
He has decided how to accept or not accept assistance and advise from other countries. I learned that the King, with his advisors, make the decisions. For example he has been able to "play" the Chinese and Indian "cards."
For example, during our mountain trek we visited Indian soldiers, at Indian military outposts, stationed in Bhutan, guarding the Bhutan region from India. We hiked past trail junctions that lead to Tibet, and met Tibetan and Bhutanese traders peacefully practicing commerce between the two regions. Officially we were told that China has no formal trade relations with Bhutan. All packaged goods sold in general stores in Bhutan is labeled, "made in India."
This is all scheduled to evolve with general democratic elections by 2008. Recently the King passed his authority to his eldest son. The King is "loved" by the people. They have been comfortable with their King/people relations. They are concerned about community based decision process, we call democracy, and that we take for granted.
Discussing, with the locals, the potential and process of local decision making was a wonderful part my "travel moments." Since they have no experience with democracy the people do not know what democratic practices will mean to their lives. Only those Bhutanese who have studied in other countries like ours have experience with democracy first hand. It will be interesting to observe what happens, and what direction this social evolution will take.
The interaction between tourist and locals is having an enormous influence on this once isolated country. Lessons were learned, and information between cultures was exchanged. This was the true "travel moment"; the experience of the democratization of a country through open communication, between tourist and local. A last "travel moment" comment...The Bhutanese King is planning for governmental democratic change...the people are doing this through their interaction with one group of "invaders" tourists...once again the people change faster than government ...without possibly knowing it the government has to catch up to the people.
The land, culture, society, and people of Bhutan are beautiful. They are kind, gracious, sensitive, compassionate, open, fair-minded and committed. Their world is changing fast. The "travel moments" I left with from this adventure will significantly remain for a lifetime.

the most beautifull place on earth

2007-05-22T01:51:00.000+06:00

by secret-himalayas, visited Oct 20, 2005
Source: Bhutan Travel Guide

After 10 years of trying I managed to get invited to bhutan...on this 5 month trip I also maybe as first ever foreigner visited all north-east states from india including all areas of Arunachal pradesh ,tribal festival and hiking in mon where the last headhunters of asia still live in their traditininal tribal ways.
Nagaland is in 20 years of travellingtogether with bhutan beyond belief.
So I did not pay the tourist fee for bhutan ..only a 20 us visa fee...and there I was alone and free to travell bhutan.
Bhutan is the only thruly tantric country in the world.
Bhutan is pure magic
The people are truely caring and full of love
There is no pollution
And well its thruly undescribable.
Tigersnest in paro...left me totally speechless..like being in tibet in 1700,thats right a trip into bhutan is a trip back into time.
Now I m planning trips (very cheap!)to nagaland ,Arunachal,manipur,assam and if possible bhutan,this is my first entry so I will try to post info about all places...in many places in nagaland and bhutan there are no hotels ,so we will be staying with the headhunters and in bhutan in private homes.
The most amazing tribal festival in the world is called hornbill in nagaland...i m planning to go back this year and next year..if interested let me know asap!!
My trips are for travellers with expierence,willing to sleep in the house of the villages kings,and go trekking,including a short trek starting in darjeeling it will take 5 days and we will get incredible views of mount everest and K3 +the highest mountains in bhutan!I trekked from kashmir all the way to the most north-east tip of the himalayas in AP also burma will be visited

Golden Gong for Land of the Dzong

2007-05-06T01:34:00.000+06:00

By Rod Eime
Source: Travel Australia

It's Official! King Jigme Singye Wangchuk and the people of the remote Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan will receive the United Nations' latest environmental award; the "Champion of the Earth".
Often ignorantly looked upon, or overlooked, as an irrelevant, backward political curiosity, Bhutan is now acknowledged as a world leader in the field of environmental protection through political stoicism, muting, at least temporarily, those who would criticise the absolute rule of the Wangchuk Dynasty.
Recent global television coverage by renowned documentary maker and former Monty Python, Michael Palin, piqued the world's interest in Bhutan.
Moved by the Kingdom's scenic beauty, benevolent ruler and deeply pious constitution, Palin was moved to declare:
"If the fabled Shangri-La exists beyond the legend, this is it."
In a curious twist, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) effectively validates the fable immortalised in James Hilton's 1933 best-seller, Lost Horizon, where westerners escaping strife-torn China crash land in a mythical Himalayan kingdom.
That imaginary kingdom, Shangri-La, was bound by a terse but highly effective constitution put simply as; "be kind". A phrase so often echoed in the teachings of Buddha.
The subsequent 1937 film of the same name opens with the tantalising notion:
"In these days of wars and rumors of wars - - haven't you ever dreamed of a place where there was peace and security, where living was not a struggle but a lasting delight" - a phrase not altogether lost even today!
Bhutan is not completely untouched by the realities and tribulations of the 21st Century, but often these political and diplomatic frictions had their genesis in much earlier times. Bhutan only became a "state" in its modern form in the early 17th Century when an exiled Tibetan monk, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, began a dynasty that ruled for three hundred years.
Consequently Bhutan has its very roots in the foundations of Buddhism, a religion that backs up the 'peace and goodwill' rhetoric of other faiths with action - and nowhere in the Buddhist world, or the whole world perhaps, is this mantra more evident than the supremely humble Kingdom of Bhutan.
Away from the fanciful literary world, King Jigme Singye Wangchuk, the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers and the good people of Bhutan have worked harmoniously to produce an environmental policy and national development plan that places the preservation of the environment and wellbeing of the people above all else. This policy is even represented by a unifying set of goals euphemistically entitled Maximisation of Gross National Happiness (MGNH)
Human development The promotion and preservation of culture and heritage Balanced and equitable socio-economic development Good governance, and Environmentally sustainable development
Gentle modernisation, a sustainable use of resources, eco-friendly power and even the recent banning of tobacco sales speaks volumes for their commitment. Nowhere will you see gaudy western architecture, tasteless multinational advertising or thoughtless acts like littering, graffiti or rudeness.
Bhutan's unique MGNH objective has even been mimicked by envious western governments eager to emulate this laudable policy. Australia's own Indigo Shire Council is one such body hoping to bathe in Bhutan's karma.
To this effect, the UNEP's press statement read;
King Jigme Singye Wangchuk and the people of Bhutan have been given the award for the Asia and the Pacific region in recognition of their country's "commitment to placing the environment at the centre of its constitution and all its development plans".
The judges praised Bhutan's "excellent environmental track record, with more than 74 per cent of its land under forest cover, and 26 per cent of this cover designated as protected areas."
The Kingdom's decision that development should be pursued in a sustainable way is very much in line with the UN Millennium Development Goals. Also notable are the country's legislation and policies that ensure the sustainable use of resources, promote community involvement in environmental activities, improve land use planning, and integrate traditional with modern natural resource use practices.
Bhutan's 2 million inhabitants are mostly subsistence farmers and have a modest lifestyle unburdened by the "polluting effects" of westernisation. Internet use is extremely limited, there are only two radio stations, no television, just two airports and less than 10,000 mobile phones. On the flip side, the kingdom has the lowest road fatality rate in the world (0.08 per 100k of population and just 20,000 cars), virtually no pollution, almost no crime and the only violence you'll see is maybe one of the fierce Himalayan storms that give Bhutan is alternate name: Land of the Thunder Dragon.
Although tourist numbers are rising, they are effectively limited by the number of seats available on the only airline to service Bhutan, the national carrier, Druk Air. Currently just 5,000 people visit annually and the King actively seeks "upscale, environmentally conscientious visitors" in sympathy with the country's cautious but gradually expanding contact with the modern world beyond its borders.

Bhutan: Monsoons and Miracles

2007-05-01T01:30:00.000+06:00

By: Hob Osterlund
Source: BootnAll Travel

Our airplane is several miles from its destination in Paro, Bhutan. It's late afternoon, and we're flying so low we can almost count the individual blue pine trees in steep forests below. The airport's altitude is 7000 feet, and we're still in monsoon clouds. Soon we can see the branches on the trees, mingling tentatively with loose tufts of vapor, whispering the presence of a mystery. We spot women in small rice paddies, close enough for us to name multiple colors in the kiras, their traditional clothing. Sharp embankments are within shouting distance of our wings, and children on mountain roads stop to wave enthusiastically as we descend. We've been told that a safe arrival in the Paro airport takes a skilled aviator, so it's a good time to remember that miracles are known to happen here. Though most people have still not heard of Bhutan, it is a world unlike any other.

The Kingdom of Bhutan is nuzzled in the eastern Himalayas, north of India and south of Tibet. Not only is it in the mountains, it is virtually all mountain. The country ranges in elevation from about 600 feet to 24,778 feet, and only 8% of the land is tillable. Flying is the only way for tourists to get there. Druk Air is the exclusive airline to fly into Bhutan, with a fleet of two 72-passenger airplanes. It has the distinction of being the only airline to routinely fly over eight of the tallest peaks in the world.

The word Druk means dragon. Druk Yul is what Bhutanese call their country, translated as the Land of the Thunder Dragon. It is listed as one of the ten biodiversity hot spots in the world, with an estimated 165 mammal and 5500 plant species, 500 of which are considered medicinal. There are about 770 bird species. In contrast, North America is reported to have about 800 species of birds, in a land mass more than 400 times larger than Bhutan. Seventy-two percent of the Kingdom is covered with forests. A remarkable 26% of the entire country is protected by national parks and sanctuaries. Most of the giant peaks have never been explored by westerners and are considered home to the deities, so climbing them is not allowed. Bhutan is so protective of its environment that killing a black-necked crane means life imprisonment. Plastic bags are illegal.

The king of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, is respected both internationally and at home. In his 26-year reign he's been credited with opening Bhutan to the visitors for the first time. Bringing in tourists is one thing, but delivering Bhutan to the 21st century is quite another. Bhutan's resources are as vulnerable as they are impressive. It has a population of about 650,000 people, most of whom are scattered in remote valleys narrowly wedged between high mountains. It measures 180 miles long and 100 miles wide, a land mass about one-fifth the size of Oregon. The majority of people live on subsistence farming with an average annual income of $510.00. Roads have been built within the last 20 years, and though they connect some regions, most of the country can only be reached by footpath. In order to be cautious with its capacity to absorb visitors, Bhutan's annual tourist count is about 7,000.

We have come to trek and to experience the culture. We're also drawn to the high mountain passes where prayer flags are planted in auspicious locations and where invocations are best heard by the gods and goddesses of the Himalayas. We each have our own list of requests for our challenged world, and are eager to set these prayers free. Once our plane lands, we touch the tarmac in gratitude and bow in reverence toward the mountains, which totally capture our attention. The mountain pass through which our airplane flew is already obscured. These are monsoon clouds, not the angry hit-and-run variety, but more of the what's-the-hurry, drooling kind. They hang low on the mountains like gauze petticoats, allowing a seductive look upwards.
Gradually we notice another subtler, equally magnificent quality. It's the sweet, unassuming silence. No traffic on the ground or in the air, no leaf blowers, and blessed be, no car stereos. In fact, the airport parking lot has exactly 12 cars. Listen to that quiet, we whisper to each other. There is literally nothing to hear except the wind and the birds. Considering ourselves aficionados of quiet, we are now officially in heaven.

It's easy to like the Bhutanese at once. For example, we are told by two immigration officials that our visa expired last week. We explain our itinerary. They smile and shrug, saying something we will hear many more times in Bhutan: What can you do? They extend our legal time with a proper stamp and without fee. Leaving the building, we are greeted by a local man wearing a Bhutanese man's attire called a gho, which resembles a colorful knee-length bathrobe with rolled-up sleeves. He holds up a sign with our names, which is especially charming since we are the only tourists in the entire airport. His name is Wangdi, and he is to be our guide. He introduces us to our driver Sharub, which sounds just like "Shut Up". This name turns out to be apropos, since Sharub knows no English and will never once speak to us. He is a good sport, and has a perpetual smile with perfect teeth.

We're shuttled to a hotel set among forest and flower paths, and given tiny keys on brass key holders so heavy they'd make your pants fall down. Tourist season officially began one week ago. So far we're the only guests in the hotel. Our next several days are spent hiking, taking countless photographs, and visiting remarkable fort-monasteries called dzongs. When we visit the Paro dzong, Wangdi proudly tells us this particular structure was featured in the movie Little Buddha. We also climb to an especially sacred monastery called the Tiger's Nest, notched precariously into a sheer cliff wall. It's Bhutan's most famous landmark.

Visiting a farmhouse, we sip yak butter tea with a widow who is old friends with Tshering, our gracious travel agent. The farmer woman's son has just graduated from college in India and has returned to help her with the farm. For the benefit of their family and the world, they have hired a dozen monks and nuns who are chanting and fasting in an adjacent room. We are invited to duck through a curtain to join them, and the chanters welcome us by squeezing closer together on the floor to give us space. We are told that all Bhutanese people have a specific place in their homes for worship. As Buddhists, they pray for all sentient beings. Little do we realize how especially timely this is.

The evening prior to our trek two other Americans approach us with troubled faces. They've just called home. The date is September 11th and it's 9:15 am in New York. Since we have no further access to news, we learn very little more until the next morning when we are leaving on our trek and are joined by a dozen schoolchildren. We are able to infer the ominous developments from them when we ask them why they're out of school. Because two big buildings in America fell down, madam. As it turns out, the king has closed the country so his people can light butter lamps for us, in mourning. We carry the news of America and the king's compassion like backpacks into the mountains. When we reach the high altitude passes, our supplications are even more fervent than we imagined when we left home.

May the miracles that have protected Bhutan fly from these mountains to protect the entire world. May we create a world safe for all children to wave greetings to airplanes. May the illusion of separation be lifted so we can remember our compassion for each other. May those who govern do so wisely. May we keep places of mystery, peace and quiet safe for the whole world to visit.

Travel in Bhutan

2007-04-11T03:39:00.000+06:00

Article & Photos By Martin Li
Source: Transitions Abroad

Aware of the environmental scarring that high tourism levels have inflicted on its neighbor Nepal, Bhutan imposes stiff tariffs on visitors and controls their activities. These measures, and a responsible attitude toward tourism are helping to successfully preserve this last untouched Himalayan culture.
Bhutan, the "Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon," is no ordinary place. About the size of Switzerland, Bhutan is a remote land of peace and natural beauty. Almost all the country is mountainous, with furious rivers sourced from the high Himalaya, and over two-thirds is densely forested. The country’s commitment to conservation is exemplified in a 1995 law that requires at least 60 percent of its land to remain forested. The dramatic landscape is colored by mighty dzongs (fortified monasteries), towering poles of fluttering Buddhist prayer flags, and lonely chortens (stone monuments containing religious relics and sometimes prayer wheels).
Flying from Kathmandu to Bhutan’s only airport in Paro is literally a breath of fresh air. The contrast between the frenetic, choked capital of Nepal and the quietly civilized pace of life in Bhutan is as staggering as the view of Mt. Everest during the short flight.
Despite lacking any peaks over 8,000 meters, many of Bhutan’s summits are eyed longingly by climbers. Jomolhari (7,314 meters), Bhutan’s most sacred summit, was a famous landmark on early Everest expeditions. Yet Bhutan has opted not to sell its mountains to climbing expeditions. Fearful of areas ending up as high altitude rubbish dumps, like certain camps on Everest and other popular climbs, and out of respect for the religious sensitivities of its mountain populations, the Bhutanese are resisting the lure of the lucrative climbing gravy train. At 7,541 meters, Gangkhar Puensum remains the world’s highest unclimbed summit. Many other lofty peaks remain unmapped let alone explored.
Trekking in Bhutan is permitted but only on around a dozen recognized trails. Given the rugged terrain, walking is the best, and often the only, way to reach isolated settlements and experience the real soul of this little-explored land. Even Bhutan’s king walks. While I was on a trek with Nature Tourism-Bhutan (see “For More Info”) to Jomolhari, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck strode in my footsteps as he traveled to meet subjects in remote settlements.
Bhutanese treks have a unique feel quite different from those in other parts of the Himalaya. Horses, and at high altitudes, yaks, are used instead of porters to carry loads. We encountered few villages and even fewer other trekkers, although we met a gregarious group of doctors collecting medicinal herbs only found in Bhutan’s high meadows. There are no hotels or teahouses; a Bhutanese trek is a true wilderness experience, and camping is essential.

Camping Bhutanese-style involves little hardship. Our crew conjured up delicious meals that got better the higher and more remote we climbed. Such luxury has its disadvantages though: sitting in a comfortable dining tent and tucking into a delicious feast with dishes that barely fit on our table, it’s all too easy to forget we’re in the middle of nowhere, at some 4,000 meters in the Himalayas.
Throughout Bhutan’s lush, high valleys are simple stone and earth huts sunken into the ground to provide cozy shelters for yak herders. Their animals share these elevated pastures with blue sheep and plump marmots. Large trout are temptingly visible in the clear still waters of mountain lakes. Bright alpine flowers speckle color over high passes.
Despite manageable visitor numbers, our Bhutanese tour operator remained conscious of the need to protect the landscape. Paper was burned during the trek. Human waste was buried. Tin cans were crushed and carried back to the trailhead. We didn’t cut down trees to build nightly campfires; instead dead wood was collected with little effort. Our cook even carried a solar panel to recharge our camp light. And on our final morning on the trail we collected litter with the help of a group of local children.
Bhutan is cautiously opening its doors to discerning visitors. Wilderness trekking and cultural tours of dzongs (particularly during their colorful Tsechu festivals) are understandably the country’s most noted highlights, although for me, the gentle, unaffected charm of its people was at least as alluring.

Fortunately, with Bhutan’s circumspect attitude to cashing in on the tourism dollar, there is little danger of reversing its conservation policy in the near future. It’s refreshing to be able to recommend this Himalayan gem wholeheartedly without having to add: "See it while you can."

For More Info

The Bhutanese government requires that visitors travel to the country only on pre-paid, pre-planned itineraries booked through a Bhutanese tour company.

Nature Tourism-Bhutan: specialist Bhutan-based tour operator that organizes environmentally responsible discovery tours throughout Bhutan, including cultural highlights and Tsechu festivals, trekking, alpine flowers and medicinal herbs, birdwatching, art and architecture, mountain biking, and photographic tours, as well as individually tailored itineraries.

Travelling in a Mysterious Nation

2007-04-07T00:36:00.000+06:00

By Wojciech
Source: globosapians

Years of isolation, limited relationship with neighbors and undeveloped infrastructure determined that Bhutan remains the most mysterious country in Asia. Since few years more and more people would like to visit Himalayan kingdom. Lonely Planet published Bhutan guidebook in their survival series but it does not mean that Bhutan is open for all categories of backpackers. King and his government make great effort to uphold country’s old culture and traditions, they do not want crowds of westerners. Flow of tourists is stemmed by the imposition of high tour fees since you can enter country only in the escorted group. Group can be as small as one person – no problem. And your all-inclusive (but drinks) package tour will cost you around 200 USD per day. No exemptions! Only students and diplomats have 25% discount. It is not possible to travel around the kingdom on your own: if you want to visit Bhutan you need to contact one of the tour agencies in Thimphu, make a choice of program.

Favourite Spots

Small township of Paro with the only Bhutan’s airport act for most tourists as gateway to the kingdom. Fortunately in the surroundings there are numerous and easy accessible places of interest. So even if you are coming for just one day on your route from Bangkok to Katmandu there is still enough to see. Along the main street you will find probably the best in country complex of traditional architecture: two lines of rich decorated buildings housing small shops, institutions and restaurants. But the most interesting place is Paro Dzong – fortress-monastery overlooking beautiful valley. There are more dzongs sprayed out around kingdom. They were built in 17th century to defend the country, but until today they are also centers of religious and secular power. Tourist are usually allowed to visit only the courtyards of the dzongs. On the slope of mountain above Paro Dzong (long access by narrow but paved road) is the old watchtower called Ta Dzong which is now home to the museum.

What's really great

Some 10 km from Paro by road you will see in the distance famous Taktsang (Tiger’s Nest) Hermitage on the face of a sheer 1000m cliff. It is the place where Bhutan’s history begins. People of Bhutan believe that Guru Rinpoche – father of Bhutanese Buddhism landed here on the back of tigress. It is possible to climb the mountain. You can cross valley by car to the other edge and then use the pony or just walk uphill. I takes me 40 minutes of heavy walk to reach the tea house (the only shelter on this route) and another 30 minutes to the stupa on the level of the hermitage. Ponies do it in 3 hours. Slippery when wet! Trekking shoes are recommended.

Sights:
List of other picturesque places in Paro includes Dungtse Lhakhang – 15th century temple situated by the new bridge (access by special permit only) and Ugyen Perli Palace – visible through the fence. Members of royal family stop here during their visit to Paro. Close to the palace there is a row of old stupas heading to the picturesque, old bridge. The view of Paro Dzong is best from this place.

Celebrating the King's Birthday

2007-04-03T00:23:00.000+06:00

From TravelPod

Surprise!!! We're in Bhutan!!!

We know we told you we weren't going to Bhutan, but Phub absolutely insisted that we came here to celebrate the King's birthday. We are able to stay in the border town of Phuentsholing overnight without paying the daily tariff that is normally required. We travelled down from Gangtok yesterday, a 7 hour journey out of the hills and onto the Indian Plains. We stopped for lunch in Siliguri on the way and at the same time got some money out of a cashpoint machine. Phub was a bit excited about this as he had never seen an ATM working before and was astounded that it gave us some money (so was I actually).

Next day, after some immigration formalities we went to the football ground to see the 'March Past' in honour of the King, and some Bhutanese dancers. Then we went to the local school fete - a strangely familiar experience including hoopla, bingo and splat the rat.

After lunch we went up into the hills a little way to a temple which had a fantastic view over the Indian plains and where you could see the Himalayas suddenly rise up out of the ground. We sat on the hillside next to the prayer flags in the warm breeze for some time.

Next down to the best tourist attraction of Phuentsholing, the Crocodile Breeding Centre (or as Phub described it, the Mosquito Breeding Centre). Actually more fascinating than it sounded.

Sat in the park as it got dark, and enjoyed being back in Bhutan and then went and had dinner with Phub's friend, a senior immigration officer.

Journey to mystical Bhutan

2007-03-30T00:18:00.000+06:00

From: travelpod

Journey to mystical Bhutan, a stunning Himalayan kingdom lost in time and steeped in Buddhist traditions.

Nestled between China’s Tibet and India, Bhutan is an exotic kingdom steeped in Tantric Buddhism yet at the same time embracing, albeit ever so carefully, the trappings of modern technology. The place is a living ancient civilization, as if one has stepped back into the rich medieval age – with beautifully decorated chalet houses dotting the rolling green hills, colourful monasteries and prayer flags adorning the mountain sky line, friendly people in bright traditional costumes mixed with the crimson-robed monks – a culture that is reminiscent of Tibet yet so uniquely its own. At the same time, English is widely spoken and one can have ‘bizarre’ sightings of computers in the administrative quarters of the dzongs, the massive white fortress-like monasteries-cum-administration dominating each precinct.

Druk Yul, as the country is known to its inhabitants, has a sense of peace and orderliness under the protective tutelage of the current monarch, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, an enlightened leader by all accounts. He has continued the modernization programme started by his father while steadfastly maintaining the policy of environmental conservation and the preservation of Bhutanese culture and tradition. In fact, the coronation of the King on 2nd June 1974 marked the first time that Bhutan opened to the world, with the international press being allowed into the country.

Today Bhutan is open to tourists with a budget strictly not of the shoestring variety, and provided the trips are kept within defined restrictions. This system of imposing high prices for the privilege of a glimpse into the protected land acts as a ‘natural’ cap on the number of visitors, the result of a deliberate policy to avoid the destructive effects of opening to all and sundry which was the experience of its illustrious neighbour, Nepal. The seemingly overzealous isolationist measure certainly hurt our pockets, but having visited both countries, I could understand the rationale and even support it, unless a better way can be found to allow genuine and responsible visitors without importing the undesirable influences of unfettered tourism. In any case, the journey was for us, worth every cent we expended. And more…

Especially when we went at a most tumultuous of times for any sort of travel. The Iraq war had started. Then the first cases of the dreaded ailment, otherwise known as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), emerged, that was to continue to have a devastating effect on our social lives long after we returned to Singapore. Finally, we read about an earthquake in Bhutan measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale just a couple of days before we set off. Suffice to say, it felt almost like a miracle when we took off from Bangkok on the small Druk Air flight, the national carrier of Bhutan. This was only one of two ways for foreigners to enter the country, the other being by a road route via India.

It was one quaint flight. The last three rows of seats also acted as cargo hold with overflowing luggage, no doubt due to the country’s nationals trying to make the most of their rare ‘shopping trips’ to Bangkok. As we were to learn later, foreign amenities were hard to come by in Bhutan and most were from India or Thailand. In fact, we found ourselves also part of the postman network, carrying a baby pram and an assortment of other items that were meant for delivery to various people in Bhutan, including the Queen herself! But that is another story. Long before we sat foot on Paro airport, we had already been treated to the hospitality of the country by our wonderful tour operator, Mr Sangay Tshering, and his Singaporean wife, Sara, of Yeti Tours & Treks. Such was the intimacy of arranging a trip to Bhutan where everything was done by hand on a personal basis, right up to the checking-in of luggage at Bangkok airport by Druk Air’s staff instead of a ground handling agent.

So with a huge dose of anticipation, we cruised down Paro valley with an airport elevation of 2235m. Stepping off the plane, we had our first encounter with the elaborate Bhutan architecture. The airport terminal looked like a temple! Thus began our magical tour of the land stilled in time…

Bhutan Traveller

2007-03-29T00:10:00.000+06:00

By Hob Osterlund - hob@hawaii.rr.com
source: Travel Blog

Our airplane is several miles from its destination in Paro, Bhutan. It’s late afternoon, and we’re flying so low we can almost count the individual blue pine trees in steep forests below. The airport’s altitude is 7000 feet, and we’re still in monsoon clouds. Soon we can see the branches on the trees, mingling tentatively with loose tufts of vapor, whispering the presence of a mystery. We spot women in small rice paddies, close enough for us to name multiple colors in the kiras, their traditional clothing.

Sharp embankments are within shouting distance of our wings, and children on mountain roads stop to wave enthusiastically as we descend. We’ve been told that a safe arrival in the Paro airport takes a skilled aviator, so it’s a good time to remember that miracles are known to happen here.

Though most people have still not heard of Bhutan, it is a world unlike any other. The Kingdom of Bhutan is nuzzled in the eastern Himalayas, north of India and south of Tibet. Not only is it in the mountains, it is virtually all mountain. The country ranges in elevation from about 600 feet to 24,778 feet, and only 8% of the land is tillable. Flying is the only way for tourists to get there. Druk Air is the exclusive airline to fly into Bhutan, with a fleet of two 72-passenger airplanes. It has the distinction of being the only airline to routinely fly over eight of the tallest peaks in the world. The word Druk means dragon. Druk Yul is what Bhutanese call their country, translated as the Land of the Thunder Dragon.

It is listed as one of the ten biodiversity hot spots in the world, with an estimated 165 mammal and 5500 plant species, 500 of which are considered medicinal. There are about 770 bird species. In contrast, North America is reported to have about 800 species of birds, in a land mass more than 400 times larger than Bhutan. Seventy-two percent of the Kingdom is covered with forests. A remarkable 26% of the entire country is protected by national parks and sanctuaries.

Most of the giant peaks have never been explored by westerners and are considered home to the deities, so climbing them is not allowed. Bhutan is so protective of its environment that killing a black-necked crane means life imprisonment. Plastic bags are illegal. The king of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, is respected both internationally and at home. In his 26-year reign he’s been credited with opening Bhutan to the visitors for the first time. Bringing in tourists is one thing, but delivering Bhutan to the 21st century is quite another.

Bhutan’s resources are as vulnerable as they are impressive. It has a population of about 650,000 people, most of whom are scattered in remote valleys narrowly wedged between high mountains. It measures 180 miles long and 100 miles wide, a land mass about one-fifth the size of Oregon. The majority of people live on subsistence farming with an average annual income of $510.00. Roads have been built within the last 20 years, and though they connect some regions, most of the country can only be reached by footpath. In order to be cautious with its capacity to absorb visitors, Bhutan’s annual tourist count is about 7,000. We have come to trek and to experience the culture. We’re also drawn to the high mountain passes where prayer flags are planted in auspicious locations and where invocations are best heard by the gods and goddesses of the Himalayas.

We each have our own list of requests for our challenged world, and are eager to set these prayers free. Once our plane lands, we touch the tarmac in gratitude and bow in reverence toward the mountains, which totally capture our attention. The mountain pass through which our airplane flew is already obscured. These are monsoon clouds, not the angry hit-and-run variety, but more of the what’s-the-hurry, drooling kind. They hang low on the mountains like gauze petticoats, allowing a seductive look upwards. Gradually we notice another subtler, equally magnificent quality. It’s the sweet, unassuming silence.

No traffic on the ground or in the air, no leaf blowers, and blessed be, no car stereos. In fact, the airport parking lot has exactly 12 cars. Listen to that quiet, we whisper to each other. There is literally nothing to hear except the wind and the birds. Considering ourselves aficionados of quiet, we are now officially in heaven. It’s easy to like the Bhutanese at once. For example, we are told by two immigration officials that our visa expired last week. We explain our itinerary. They smile and shrug, saying something we will hear many more times in Bhutan. What can you do? They extend our legal time with a proper stamp and without fee.

Leaving the building, we are greeted by a local man wearing a Bhutanese man’s attire called a gho, which resembles a colorful knee-length bathrobe with rolled-up sleeves. He holds up a sign with our names, which is especially charming since we are the only tourists in the entire airport. His name is Wangdi, and he is to be our guide. He introduces us to our driver Sharub, which sounds just like Shut Up. This name turns out to be apropos, since Sharub knows no English and will never once speak to us. He is a good sport, and has a perpetual smile with perfect teeth. We’re shuttled to a hotel set among forest and flower paths, and given tiny keys on brass key holders so heavy they’d make your pants fall down.

Tourist season officially began one week ago. So far we’re the only guests in the hotel. Our next several days are spent hiking, taking countless photographs, and visiting remarkable fort-monasteries called dzongs. When we visit the Paro dzong, Wangdi proudly tells us this particular structure was featured in the movie Little Buddha. We also climb to an especially sacred monastery called the Tiger’s Nest, notched precariously into a sheer cliff wall. It’s Bhutan’s most famous landmark.

Visiting a farmhouse, we sip yak butter tea with a widow who is old friends with Tshering, our gracious travel agent. The farmer woman’s son has just graduated from college in India and has returned to help her with the farm. For the benefit of their family and the world, they have hired a dozen monks and nuns who are chanting and fasting in an adjacent room. We are invited to duck through a curtain to join them, and the chanters welcome us by squeezing closer together on the floor to give us space.

We are told that all Bhutanese people have a specific place in their homes for worship. As Buddhists, they pray for all sentient beings. Little do we realize how especially timely this is. The evening prior to our trek two other Americans approach us with troubled faces. They’ve just called home.

The date is September 11th and it’s 9:15 am in New York. Since we have no further access to news, we learn very little more until the next morning when we are leaving on our trek and are joined by a dozen schoolchildren. We are able to infer the ominous developments from them when we ask them why they’re out of school. Because two big buildings in America fell down, madam. As it turns out, the king has closed the country so his people can light butter lamps for us, in mourning. We carry the news of America and the king’s compassion like backpacks into the mountains. When we reach the high altitude passes, our supplications are even more fervent than we imagined when we left home.

May the miracles that have protected Bhutan fly from these mountains to protect the entire world. May we create a world safe for all children to wave greetings to airplanes. May the illusion of separation be lifted so we can remember our compassion for each other. May those who govern do so wisely. May we keep places of mystery, peace and quiet safe for the whole world to visit.

Bhutan Photos

2007-03-26T23:11:00.000+06:00

sunrise

source: etravel

rainbow

thimphu

source: study at usa

prayer flags, paro

source: sam gibson

tshophu lake

source: asian odyssey

farming for life

source: FAO

some mountain (*lol*)

source: thimphumission

sunset
courtesy: flicker.com

Expect the Unexpected...

2007-03-25T22:58:00.000+06:00

By Brett
Dates Traveled: October 2001

Source: Travel Website of Brett Voegele

Phuentsholing

On the way through India to the Bhutan border I saw a sign along the road which said, "Expect the unexpected". That could be India's national motto! The drive towards Bhutan was very nice, as it passed through tea plantations and green hillsides. I knew I was going to like Bhutan when I asked my guide a question. He thought for a minute before confessing to not knowing the answer and said he'd look it up and get back to me. I prefer that honesty to what occurs in some countries - such as India. They are too anxious to please, so will always provide an answer - even if they have no real idea what they're talking about. It means that you end up polling several people and going with the majority, which can be frustrating and time consuming.

The first stop in Bhutan was the border town of Phuentsholing, which is like border towns everywhere - non-descript, dirty, noisy, and a strange blend between the two countries. The following day we took the 6 1/2 hour (though only 170 km) drive to Paro. The highway is only about 1 3/4 vehicles wide, which means that you have to hang a few wheels off the road every time you pass or meet an oncoming car. There are also several cars, dogs, cows, and people on the road, and oncoming cars often stop to talk for a bit - blocking the entire road. The pavement is destroyed in places due to water runoff or rockslides, and there are several people along the road - normally women with their small children, breaking rocks into gravel with hammers to fill in the numerous potholes. Bhutan has very steep, green forested hills, with many waterfalls and rivers. Most major towns are situated in a river valley. The road continuously climbs out of one valley, winding along the various side valleys, before topping out on a prayer-flag covered pass and descending into the next valley. Going anywhere by road takes a long time, and you're constantly thrown from one side of the vehicle to the other, as there are no straight stretches.

Paro

Paro isn't the capital, but does boast the country's international airport. It's a picturesque town, with the very nice national museum and a dzong - or fortress. These are found throughout the Kingdom of Bhutan, and often serve as both administrative offices and monastery, and is the location of the various dance and mask festivals throughout the year. They basically look like the monasteries you may have seen in pictures of Tibet, such as the Potala in Lhasa. The local homes are very unique, both architecturally with their cross-beams and window designs, but also in the paintings around the windows and doors, on the trim, and larger tigers, snow leopards, or other motifs on the side of some buildings. Very nice. Everywhere you turn in Bhutan you are confronted with prayer flags - some small 1 foot square flags strung together, and other single - 1' X 15-20' flags on a pole by themselves. Very peaceful to see them and to hear them flapping in the breeze. Buddhists believe that the prayers written on the flags will be dispersed on the wind.

That first morning in Paro we hiked up to about 9600' to a point where we could look directly across to Taktsang - the Tiger's Nest monastery. If people have seen anything from Bhutan, this was probably it. It's a monastery perched precariously on a vertical cliff. It's a dramatic setting - quite amazing, though I would come to expect that in Bhutan, as most monasteries are perched someplace spectacular - hilltops or cliff faces. Some of the monastery burned down in '98, but they are in the process of rebuilding, with most of the outside completed. It was truly amazing - one of the things I had really wanted to see in Bhutan, and I wasn't disappointed in the least.I next met Yeshup, the owner of the company I was traveling with, while in Paro and we hit it off immediately. He had already cut me a good deal for my week's stay in Bhutan.

Bhutan is attempting to limit the number of tourists that visit - thereby maintaining some of their culture and not becoming as westernized as countries such as Nepal. To that end, everyone is required to spend US$200/day, for the duration of their stay. That includes a guide, accommodations, food, driver, etc. If you are traveling on your own, there is a US$40/day extra charge, or a total of US$240/day.....not exactly budget travel, especially compared to the US$7/day I was spending in India. Since Yeshup's agent from the States had canceled his familiarization tour of Bhutan after the events of September 11th, Yeshup made me his agent, which meant I could do the trip for $180/day. Once in the country he told me he could extend my stay by a week and I would pay a minimal charge, which was too good to pass up. Yeshup has traveled to Australia, the States, Nepal, India, Singapore, Thailand, etc., and so knows what a single traveler would want, so we fit perfectly. He seemed to know everybody throughout Bhutan, so I was shown the true Bhutan - friend's homes, farmhouses, restaurants of friends, etc., and was able to talk to many Bhutanese from all walks of life. A great opportunity. The Bhutanese are a fantastic people - always smiling, laughing, and teasing each other. It was a lot of fun.

We also did things more budget, rather than the way he would run a trip with most of his clients, which suited me to a tee. On a large group tour you're insulated from the true culture, as the food that is prepared has to be toned down, and you won't get the rot-gut alcohol, strange food, etc., but I was able to partake in everything. Every meal we had ema datse - the national dish. It is simply chilis in a light cheese sauce, and it will set you on fire! Most countries use chilis sparingly for flavor, but in Bhutan that is the main meal - the vegetable, which accounts for all the chilis you see drying on the rooftops of the homes. We also drank ara, which is a kerosene-tasting alcohol which we drank several nights - usually finishing a 1 1/2 liter bottle between the two of us. We also had our share of bang changg (pronounce bung chung), a warm wheat beer, and sing changg, the same but cold. Dried yak cheese comes in squares about 1 inch square, and you end up chewing on each piece for about an hour, as it's rock hard. Doma, or betel nut, is found in both India and Bhutan, and accounts for most people having red teeth. It's a nut, with a bit of lime paste, wrapped in a leaf. Some people spit out the resulting red liquid, which provides the distinctive red splotches on the sidewalks. Swallowing the fluid provides a slight buzz for a few minutes. I'd only have about one a day, but they would have them one after another. People that Yeshup introduced me to would look shocked when he told them I ate ema datse, yak cheese, ara, bang changg, doma, etc., but I figure if you're going to go to a country you should experience it the way the locals live. Much more interesting. Bhutanese believe that evil spirits can't bend their heads to pass through a doorway (no comments from those of you who know how often I smack my head on stuff when I travel!) and so all doors are short. The doors also have a small step in them, so the evil spirits can't flow across the ground, meaning that one has to step up and bend down when passing through all doors. Let's just say that at 6'2", I was a whole lot of evil walking around, bumping my head.

Thimphu

After Paro we drove the 1 1/2 hours to the capital of Thimphu - another town in a river valley. I enjoyed Thimphu, as we visited a place where they created the various carvings, religious paintings, sculptures, etc., and then went someplace to watch them make paper. We visited the Memorial Chorten and witnessed the monks chanting and performing a ceremony, and visited several other monasteries. We saw the national animal - the takin, which looks like a cow with a goats head. As in all of Bhutan, both the men and women wear a traditional outfit. For the men, the kho is a long robe that is hiked up to just below the knees and tied with a sash, and is worn with knee-high socks. The pattern of the material is usually some sort of check. For the women, the kira is a large sheet of bright material wrapped around the body to form a dress, and is usually worn with a small jacket.

Bumthang District

From Thimphu we headed 9 1/2 hours east to the district of Bumthang, which sounds like something somebody would yell towards you at a disco, "Hey, you, shake that bum thang", until you realize that it's pronounced boom tong. Jakar is the major village in this area where four valleys meet, and the area contains much of the early culture of the Kingdom. We walked around the valley to several monasteries. We happened to be there on an auspicious day, so there were many offerings and ceremonies to witness.

In Bumthang we also did a short two-day hike. The first night we spent with a family in a remote village. Homes are actually quite large, with a clay wood-fired oven in the kitchen used for cooking, which tends to smoke the house. There is no electricity, so it was fun to sit in the kitchen, talk, drink, and eat by candlelight. There is also a room with an alter for the offerings and prayers, as well as some bedrooms. The living quarters are usually found on the second floor at the top of a very steep ladder. In the past the ground floor would have been used for animals, but this is less common today. That night we sat around a fire outside while some of the local people sang songs and danced for us. They were shy at first, but eventually got into it and were still going 3 1/2 hours later. It was a magical evening.

Road Back to Thimphu

After completing the trek and spending another night in Jakar we were on the road back towards Thimphu. We stopped for lunch at Chendebji Chorten, a large Nepalese-style stupa by a small stream, surrounded by prayer flags. Very peaceful. We made a side trip up the Phobjikha Valley to the Gangte Goemba - an impressive monastery, before finally reaching Wangdi and our stopping point for the night. Throughout the Bumthang district we saw people harvesting buckwheat - cutting it by hand, and separating the grain by repeatedly throwing everything into the air and whacking it with a stick until all the grains had fallen to a tarp on the ground. The grain was then fed into a water-driven mill to be ground into flour.The next day we progressed to Punakha and it's dzong - fortress/monastery. This is impressive, and is the site of one of the many Bhutanese festivals, though I wasn't lucky enough to witness one....next time.

Thimphu

Back in Thimphu I did a bit of wandering around, and attended the weekend market. It's geared more to the locals with the selling of fruits and vegetables, but there is also a fairly extensive handicraft section for tourists.I also witnessed the national sport - archery. Teams shoot arrows from about 150 yards at a 1' x 2' target, and perform specific dances when the target is hit. They also play the same game with darts which are thrown by hand, from about 30 yards, at a 3" x 10" target. Entertaining to witness.

We decided to do another short two-day hike above Thimphu, so hiked a few hours above town to a monastery - a mini Tiger's Next perched on a steep cliff. We had to wait at a lower monastery for the caretaker to lead us to the upper monastery. I was expecting a wizened man, but was instead greeted with monks-in-study of 13 and 14 years. We sat around the kitchen that night talking, joking, and playing games with the two kids, who seem to walk a fine line between peaceful, grown-up monks and two little kids. It was an amazing place to spend the night, as we could look down on the lights of Thimphu.

The following day we awoke to a view over a carpet of clouds - obscuring Thimphu, but offering some views of the Himalaya. We then hiked up over the top of the ridge and to a small lake, where we cast fishing line wound around an aluminum can into the lake, reeling in 4 small trout, which were prepared for my lunch the following day at a restaurant back in Thimphu. A great way to spend a few days.

Bhutan Is...

After Thimphu I traveled back to Paro for my flight out of Bhutan and into Kathmandu, Nepal. Bhutan is a wonderful country - one of the best I've been fortunate enough to see. The people are amazing, there is some wonderful culture, great festivals, and some fantastic outdoor pursuits. The 28 day snowman trek is considered one of the most difficult in the world. I will certainly return, as I'd like to get farther East, I'd like to see one of the festivals, and want to do a longer trek. If anybody is interested in traveling to Bhutan - and I highly recommend it, let me know and I'll give you Yeshup's information. He is a fantastic guide - many of the other people that were in the country with different guides were actually taking his card to give to their friends back home. In a country where you have to have a guide he can make or break your trip. For me, Bhutan is: tranquillity; no touts; friendly, laughing, teasing people; doma and red teeth; monasteries; traditional kho and kira outfits; dogs; ema datse; green, steep, forested hillsides; winding, poor roads; unique and beautiful architecture on homes; prayer flags flapping in the wind; road crew women breaking rocks with hammers; temples built on precarious cliffs or high mountains; archery; singing and dancing.

I will return.

Travelling in Bhutan

2007-03-23T00:23:00.000+06:00

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).

Bhutan

2007-03-20T20:32:00.000+06:00

~ By Karen
Bhutan - November 25, 1999
Source: Chakmakian Consulting
~ Karen's photo Link

Tashi Delek,

I was fortunate to start my trip to Bhutan with a flight from Kathmandu. What a spectacular way to begin this incredible adventure! For virtually the entire flight, my eyes were glued to the dramatic sharp snowcapped peaks of the Himalayas. I also got my first glimpse of the amazing Mr. Everest.

I was impressed from the moment I stepped off the plane. The outside of the airport was painted very decoratively, and had a distinctive architectural design. I quickly learned that this is just traditional Bhutanese architecture. The countryside throughout Bhutan is scattered with these beautiful, intricately painted buildings, including the post office and bus terminal!

The traditional clothing was also immediately noticeable. Bhutanese are required to wear the national dress, which is made from local textiles in a variety of colorful patterns. The men wear a Gho, a tightly belted robe to just below the knee. It is often a plaid or striped design similar to a Scottish tartan. Women wear a Kira, a long, floor-length dress with a silk blouse underneath and jacket over the top. This is a large rectangular piece of fabric that wraps around the body, with hooks near the shoulders and a tight belt around the waist to hold it in place. It is eye-catching to see so many people wearing these distinctive, brightly colored costumes.

Bhutan is the most unique country I've visited. It is small and rural, about the size of Switzerland, with a population of a little over 600,000. It is bordered on the northwest by Tibet; the rest of the country is surrounded by India. I've met a lot of people who have not yet heard of Bhutan. It has been a well-kept secret. The Bhutanese say they live on their own "Roof of the World" and have kept to themselves for hundreds of years.

Bhutan first started allowing visitors in the 1970's, but has maintained a controlled philosophy with regards to tourism. Through a system of a high visitor price per day, the government has been able to limit the number of tourists and their length of stay. This is fortunate, as the country has been able to slowly build infrastructure for tourism in a way that is not spoiling the country's intrinsic beauty and culture.

Western Bhutan and the King's BirthdayWe arrived in the capital of Thimpu just in time for the week-long celebration of the King's birthday. There was constant activity going on in the town, the streets were closed to car traffic and the second-ever firework show was held. It was a very exciting week in Thimpu. The first firework show was held only five months earlier for the celebration of the King's 25th year. At the same time both television and the Internet were introduced to the country!

Shortly after arriving in Thimpu, I experienced the Bhutanese medical system. Like many people, I've always had some level of anxiety about needing to receive medical care outside of my own country. Fortunately, I only had an ear infection and it turned out to be a fairly pleasant experience. The doctors were very kind and they brought a specialist in to see me even though he was supposed to be on vacation. The most interesting part, coming from a country where medical costs are considered very high, is that health care in Bhutan is free for everyone, including visitors!

Traveling EastAlthough my time spent in the capital of Thimpu was enjoyable, traveling through the country to Eastern Bhutan, and attending a religious festival, was by far the most interesting. The scenery throughout the country is spectacular. It is very mountainous with thick green forests and the hillsides are scattered with beautiful, traditional Bhutanese buildings. Each district has a Dzong, a large white fortress-monastery that is absolutely stunning and dominates the hill on which it is built.

The Bhutanese are known for their hospitality and my travel companions and I experienced it everywhere we went. We were constantly invited into homes for tea. Many Bhutanese joke about their homes having "revolving doors" as people are constantly in and out of each other's homes.

Eastern Bhutan and the Mongar TsechuThe Buddhist faith plays a fundamental role in the lives of the Bhutanese people and there are many religious festivals. The best-known festivals are the Tsechus, which are held at different times of the year in different locations. Tsechus are celebrated for three to five days with both monks and laymen taking part in ritual mask dances. These mask dances date back many centuries.

We had the good fortune of attending a Tsechu in Mongar, a town in Eastern Bhutan. It was the highlight of the trip. Our trip organizer arranged for us to meet the governor of Mongar and have tea in his home the day before the festival began. Our good luck kept getting better as he invited us to a private ceremony in the Mongar monastery at 3:00am that next morning! Through the cool darkness, we followed a procession of government and religious officials from his home to the monastery for a surreal and somewhat mysterious two hour ceremony. When it ended, we followed the procession back to his home, led by about 20 young girls singing with the most beautiful voices that echoed off of the hills. My memories of this night are still very calming and dreamlike.

The mask dances performed at the festival during the next three days were spectacular! The costumes are so intricate and colorful and the dances are very medieval. These dances have been performed for many centuries to educate the people about Buddhist beliefs regarding the life and death cycle. It is also believed that onlookers receive merit by attending the festivals. The last morning of the festival, a gorgeous religious picture painted on fabric, called a thangka, was unrolled. It was so huge; it covered the entire side of the monastery.

Since Mongar is a very small town with minimal hotel facilities, the governor arranged for us to camp on the archery field during our three nights there. This also turned out to be an interesting experience because many of the villagers had to walk right through our campsite to get to the festival and to the town. We had many curious children coming by to look at us and peer into our tents. They were the most entertained when our guides helped dress us outside our tents each morning. Putting on a Bhutanese Kira and Gho is not an easy task!

Traveling WestDuring the next several days, our drive west back to the capital brought a number of additional interesting experiences. The most memorable was picking up a monk who was hitchhiking. He walked several hours from his monastery in order to pick flowers to make an offering. We spent a great deal of time asking him questions about his life as a monk and then took him to lunch to continue our inquisition. He invited us back to his monastery and arranged special permission for us to come inside and have tea in his room. He even took us see temples that we couldn't have seen without him to accompany us. When we left he told us we would pray for our safe journey when we left Bhutan. This was a comforting thought when we left two days later on our DrukAir flight to Bangkok.

Travelogue Bhutan

2007-03-20T03:20:00.000+06:00

Bhutan- visited in April 2006
Source: Art in All of Us

Sitting in humid grass and facing the "male" river of the Wangdu valley, I contemplate some blue stains in the sky. Mick Jagger is shouting in my ears some nostalgia. Houses of all colours decorate the towering hills. At the bottom-end of the valley, I can see rice fields in staircases (terrace) protected by the wild marijuana fields, recently watered by the heavy rains. It is funny to see marijuana growing over here, since Bhutan is probably the only country in the world where smoking tobacco is already considered as an offence. I was really in need of such a small moment of peaceful rest after crowded India and political unrests in Nepal. Sunset should be in one hour or so. I hope that the sun will offer me a pretty colourful exhibition since I have barely seen him these last days. I left the capital Thimphu under the morning rain for a school in the East of the country. To get to this beautiful blooming valley, we’ve had to drive through a pass of more than 11,000 feet high. My eyes prayed all the gods to receive the dramatic view praised by all guides and traveller’s guide books. Unfortunately, it was a snow storm that welcomed us up there and had us immobilized for some hours. We were stuck there, in the impossibility to go forward, let alone backward. I can only be patient, and dream of Stephanie left in the warmth of Kathmandu. My feet are almost naked, wearing only poor summer flip-flops… and I only have 4 t-shirts to cover my chest and knees. Having left Kathmandu with 90F, I didn't think to take warmer clothes. Hence, I close my eyes hoping that Orfée willl warm me up. However, within 10 minutes my shaking teeth wake me up. Fortunately enough, Buddha had some mercy and stopped the snow for a couple of minutes. The driver took advantage of it, and rushed towards the valley 7000 feet below, like an ice-skating ballerina. The road was not larger than a half dozen of small pigs. Our hero driver is sweating like a duck, but we eventually arrive at destination safely. However, it will not be possible to see the children today, because schools close early here in the region. It will be for the next day, if conditions are more favorable. Fortunately, I visited another school yesterday. It was full of smiles and some marvellous drawings and poetries were created. It was a delightful day for them … and me.The kingdom of Bhutan is ruled under a totally different way from most countries that I have visited. Religion and environment have a central function in everyone’s life. Tobacco isn’t legal in the country, neither are plastic bags… To illustrate such concerns, I have been requested of a special message to the world from a 9 years old yesterday, at the school: "please tell them to take care of the forest like we do". Indeed, this must be the only country that has been able to preserve its forests for centuries. If 60% of the country was green forest some 500 years ago, today they can still count on the same proportion of green areas.This country has never been colonized and has only undergone 4 short Tibetan invasions between the 12th and 19th century. A Buddhist monk whispered me proudly that his country´s development was maintained on purpose late, comparing to other countries, and they hear to remain like that. It enables them to learn from other countries’ mistakes and wisely and accordingly adjust to the best of the development of a couple of others picked up with care. They will never blemish their rich religious and cultural heritage …. Lesson to meditate….

AnthonyBhutan

April, 18th 2006