Experience Bhutan
This nine-day saga brings together the very best of the western regions of the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. It offers the travelers the opportunity to experience this small Buddhist kingdom’s culture at a deep and comprehensive level mixed with a couple of day raft trips in the Punakha valley and an overnight camping trek high above the Tiger’s Nest going past sky burial sites and retreat/meditation homes for monks that have opted to live in the wilderness in search of truth and enlightenment.
The tour is based around traveling through four different valleys of western Bhutan (the bustling capital of Thimpu with its national monuments, museums and markets, dzongs (massive fortress-like monasteries), the historical valley of Punakha with its clear glacially fed Himalayan rivers and the quaint valley of Paro). Accommodation will be provided for at locally owned hotels that are basic and clean and a rafting camp in the Punakha valley.
The option of biking part or all of the way from valley to valley offers a different insight to Bhutan’s pristine environment and the rafting adds soft adventure and scenic views of the country side.
The stunning two-day overnight camping trek includes a night at a stunning location high above the Paro valley and an alternate off the beaten track way of visiting the renowned Taktsang Monastery aka “The Tiger’s Nest”.
This particular trip that combines hiking, rafting and visits to fascinating temples & monasteries makes this an adventure of a lifetime.
DAY 01 Arrival at Paro International Airport. Transfer to Thimpu and sightseeing around Thimphu. Your local guide will receive you at the airport and accompany you for the scenic drive along the Paro Chhu and The Wang Chhu passing countless traditional farmhouses and fine examples of traditional Bhutanese architecture on the way to Thimpu. The drive takes about an hour. The capital city of Thimphu is a lively town where the old traditional ways is trying to make a survival with the emergence and introduction of modern and western ways of life. After check in at your hotel, sightseeing begins depending on the time permissible. Some of the sites to visit in and around Thimphu will be The National Memorial Chorten, Tashichho Dzong, the National Textile Museum, the Weekend Market, the Folk Heritage Museum, or a quick visit to Kuenselphodrang where the world’s largest sitting Buddha is located. The other option would be to just souvenir shop or walk the streets of Thimphu in search of “Happiness” Overnight: Local Hotel, Thimpu
DAY 02 Saturday Thimpu Sightseeing, Punakha Valley via Dochu La, Chimmi Lhakhang. The morning provides more opportunities to look around Thimpu before heading off towards the Punakha valley after lunch. The drive goes over the 3140m Dochu La Pass where on a clear day one gets a panoramic and picturesque view of the eastern Himalayan range. Enroute to Punakha do a short walk across a couple of village homes and rice paddies to Chimmi Lhakhang; aka “Temple of the Lam Drukpa Kuenley – The Divine Madman”. Duration of drive time : 3 hours (76km) Overnight: Camp or local lodge, Punakha
DAY 03 Hike, Raft and Punakha Dzong. A 2 hr hike to the put in of the lower class II/III section of the Pho Chhu. The hike goes through pine forests; small local villages and paddy fields till you reach the put in for the lower Pho Chhu at Samdenkha. The scenic raft trip down the Pho Chhu takes about 2 to 2 ½ hrs with stops and ends with a classic float past the majestic Punakha Dechenphodrang Dzong. After a picnic lunch visit the Punakha Dzong. Located at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers the Punakha Dzong is a true a masterpiece of Bhutanese architecture built in 1637 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal . Today the dzong serves as the seat of the local government and the winter home of His Holiness the Je Khenpo, the head abbot of Bhutan. A full day for further exploration of this scenic valley, low enough (1200m) to allow bananas and oranges to grow. Overnight: Camp or local lodge, Punakha.
DAY 04 Raft, Hike, Sightseeing. Drive to the put in of the class III/IV section of the Mo Chhu and raft the scenic canyon of the upper Mo Chhu down to base camp. Lunch at the take out. After lunch short hike through homesteads and farmlands to the Khamsum Yulley Monastery; a temple built by Her Majesty the Queen Mother for the long life of His Majesty the 5th King of Bhutan. If time permits a nice scenic drive and visit to the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakang that was consecrated in October 2010 and houses one of the biggest statues of Avalokiteshvara – “The Buddha of Compassion”. Overnight: Local Lodge, Punakha
DAY 05 Punakha Valley to Paro, Chuzom, Tachhog Lhakhang, backtracking back over the Dochu La one gets a second chance to get a glimpse of the majestic Himalayas. Enroute and time permitting visit the Tachhog Lhakhang built by Thangtong Gyalpo aka The Iron Bridge Builder. This 14th century saint introduced the art of building suspension bridges with iron chains and the only way to reach this temple is over one of these bridges. After check-in spend the rest of the day relaxing or take a walk through the small town of Paro. Duration of drive: 4 - 5 hours (120km) Overnight: local hotel/lodge, Paro
DAY 06 Rinpung Dzong, Ta Dzong, Paro Town & Kyichu Lhakhang . Visit the Ta Dzong, which houses the National Museum (open Tuesday-Saturday) with magnificent views over Paro, and on the way down visit Rinpung Dzong – ‘Fortress on a Heap of Jewels’. Also visit the Kyichu Lhakhang one of the oldest temples in Bhutan and was built in the 7th century by the Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo and is one of the 108 temples built by him. In the later part of the afternoon one can spend time trying out the local sport of Archery with traditional bows and arrows. Overnight: Local Hotel/Lodge
DAY 07 Trek : Hike from Sang Chhoekor Monastery to a yak pasture below Bumdra (“Cave of a Thousand Prayers) at 3800. The first 2-hour ascent up a ridge is steep at times and then brings us to a clearing with spectacular views of the Paro valley below. About an hour ahead nestled into the mountainside is Chhoe Tse Lhakang. The undulating trail up to the temple offers commanding views of the Paro Valley to the south and snow capped Eastern Himalayas to the North. The final climb through prayer flags and ruins takes us back into a forest and then out to a high altitude alpine meadow dotted with chortens and prayer flags. Camp for the night is near Bumdra Monastery offering magnificent view of the Himalayan range. After settling into camp we can either visit the monastery if the caretaker is available and also climb the peak to the north (about 4000m) for even better views of the mountains if one feels upto it. Duration: Approx 4 hours to camp Difficulty: Moderate to Hard Overnight: Camp at Bumdra
DAY 08 Trek from the meadows below Bumdra Monastery at 3800m via Zangtopelri Monasteries to Taktsang Monastery aka “Tiger’s Nest” at 2900m and back down to Paro
After breakfast, linger awhile and enjoy the breathtaking views before heading back out onto the trail through pine and rhododendron forests. After the first couple of hours of descent you catch glimpses of the roofs of some temples below. The path then winds across the mountainside between the monasteries and temples before reaching the gardens of Zangtopelri from where you can see the roofs of the Taktsang Monastery perched on a cliff below. From here it’s about another hour’s walk to reach Taktsang. After a visit to Taktsang you backtrack a bit and then descend for about 40 minutes to reach head where your vehicle will be waiting to take you back to your lodge. Duration: 5 - 6 hours depending on time taken in monasteries Difficulty: Moderate – Although not very comfortable, riding ponies are available upon request. Overnight: Local Lodge/Hotel
DAY 09 Departure. Morning drive to the airport to catch your flight out of Bhutan
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