Bhutan Trip

Bhutan was a destination  that looked very palatable for a nice , leisure holiday with closeness to nature  and going as a group was something that would add to the merry. Five families  , all known to each other for probable two decades  decided to join in. One of the things that we agreed was to use a Travel Agency service  for the trip.  After the usual quotes from different vendors , we narrowed down on a vendor that was good in terms of cost , reputation  and the package that was offered met our expectations in terms of the stay arrangements and food . We also requested that the ten of us be given a separate vehicle , so that we could go as one group and avoid other travelers that may be in the same package . Some things that worked so well because of using a tour operator :

1.    The arrangements were spotless – pick up from Airport to drop back after seven days –

2.    Everything worked on time – start in the morning , the breaks , the lunch arrangements and the places to visit . We did not have to bother .

3.    Hotels that we were put in were good . Always there is some room for improvement but generally nothing to complain about.

4.    Visits were well spaced out

5.    The guide and the Driver of the vehicle worked from 9 Am to 5:30 PM –  nothing more – ( Happy guys and Happy country )

6.    Always on hand to help out/ give information ( we never had to search for them ( the guide and the driver )

7.    We may have saved some  money if we had booked on our own but the advantages of being served through the trip at all times , outweighed that.

8.    So ,my recommend is to get a Tour Operator and have your own group – saves many hassles

Bhutan – Some facts

It is a small country . approximate 46,500 square kilometers. But the terrain makes it difficult to cover the places quickly. People are friendly . English is spoken widely and getting information and communicating is  easy. Population is around 700,000  and capital Thimphu has around 100,000 living in the city. You will find lot of Indian automobiles on the road . Indian food is available ( Roti / Dhall ) and we rarely saw any beggars . Indian currency works with local currency and so no local currency needs to be carried . Credit cards  issued from India are not allowed to be used. No prior visa is required . Visa on arrival and passport and Voter card are good documentation for visa purpose .Entry can be through Air ( Kolkata – Paro ) or by road ( which is longer ). Country is very safe and the country has a green cover of 72 % and that helps with the quality of air . Mountains , valleys and rivers flow with you. Bhutan sits on a high risk seismic zone. Key thing: Free Wi-Fi is available in most places and that helps one to stay connected. Weather was at its best during our visit. Just nice and cool !

Some Highpoints :

Landing and Takeoff at Paro Airport :

The landing in to Paro Airport is one of those challenging landings  . Having seen the YouTube videos on this topic , I wanted to get to a window seat to watch the landing and take pictures as well. The flight time from Kolkata to Paro is roughly 50 minutes .  The landing is challenging because of the terrain, the narrow valley which holds the runway amongst the mountain ranges and the fact that it is up to the Pilots visual capability to find the airport ! There is no Instrument landing system ( ILS ) that guides the Pilots in other airports . So , not many are qualified to , land at this airport . One has to know the terrain to take an aircraft  to this airport. The last ten minutes of the landing was phenomenal. The aircraft flew between mountains ,( sometimes very close ) , the view was terrific and one could never see the runway till the last turn between mountains .  The runway itself is small and the aircraft just came to a halt just  before  the barbed wires  of the compound wall. The takeoff was very similar but could not get a good view because of the clouds that were absent during the landing.

Rafting :

The rafting was another highlight – Having never done it before , it was a nice experience to do this and enjoy the ups and downs of getting in and out of “Rapids” .    The cold water splashing all over was a great joy and source of fun. The one hour ride turned out to be close to two hours due to winds that made us work harder , rowing against the wind . But enjoyable fun

Trekking –

Two treks – the first one was a relatively easy ( at the Punakha valley – a two hour climb  up and down ) .. probably this was a warm up for the second one

The second one to the Tiger’s Nest monastery was a tough one.  We started pretty early , getting to the foothills at around 6:45 AM to start the climb .  Few of us took Ponies to get to the half way mark and then do the balance of trekking, climbing down steps and climbing up the steps to get to the Monastery . The terrain was very difficult and we had to climb , halt ,halt , climb to make it to the top. If one thought that the climb was tough , the climb down through the same path proved more challenging. Finally , after seven hours , most of us made the starting point .. A good one hour was spent at the top . One thing to enjoy on the climb up and climb down was the scenic beauty around --- there are two view points from which one could view the terrain and it was breathtaking. The monastery itself is located in the Cliffside .

The Resort at Punaka

The resort that we stayed was adjacent to the Punaka river and we could just walk across and play in the water . although the water was cold.  Very nice location to spend the evening by the riverside.

The Village Lodge at Paro

This was an another property that took our breath away. Located amidst , a river  and by paddy fields  in the front and surrounded on all sides by mountains . it was sight behold to watch out through the windows of our rooms ( rooms were big, neat well equipped – No TV though but a very strong WiFI ). Great atmosphere and with a staff that were willing to over help us all the time.

The Guide and Driver

We probably had the best guide and a great driver . The guide was  a soft guy with good knowledge and ensured that everyone was comfortable. No pushing or shoving us . Good planning and time management and very helpful . He was great motivator to everyone on the Trek to  Tiger Nest . He had done many arduous treks ( some lasting 29 days  ) and so was able to help all of us in the climb. We were lucky to have him . As far as the driver is concerned—he drove steadily without discomforting us and to us he was the  Joker in the circus – changing his hairdo , singing Tamil / Hindi songs with us ( he knew nothing but would join the rant with us ). He was the “ Entertainer” in the trip

The Group

All the above are great but the group that went  was the best part. Always having fun in whatever was being done , like minded , easy going , adjustable . lovable and wanting to keep everyone happy made a big difference to the trip. It was one of those trips where nothing could go wrong . Great fun through the trip , Thanks for making the trip so memorable. And we can live the memories

Some pictures already on my Facebook ID