Mysterious Bhutan
I invite you to join myself, Sheri Almond, of Big Planet Adventure travel on a journey to Bhutan, 'Land of the Thunder Dragon' 07-19 October, 2016.This tailor-made itinerary takes you to Bhutan at a time of year which offers the opportunity to see two of Bhutan's unique festivals. Travel with Sheri Almond of Big Planet travel and experience all this in a small group setting.
Cost is just $4570.00 USD per person, based on double occupancy, land only. Single supplement is also available.
Friday, 7th October
Arrive at Paro International Airport from Bangkok. Paro is situated in a beautiful valley at 2280 metres and is a fitting introduction to this charming kingdom. Our guide will meet us and take us on a short one-hour drive along the Paro and Thimphu river valleys to Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital, at 2320 metres. We can stop on the way to take in the magnificent Tamchhog Lhakhang, the hereditary place of worship for Bhutan’s iron bridge builder. When we are ready to start our sightseeing we can visit the weekly market, the revered Memorial Chorten and then you may like to drive up to the Radio Tower (offering splendid views of the city from a hilltop festooned with prayer flags), visit the Takin Reserve showcasing the unique national animal, the Takin, and visit the nearby nunnery. Take a late afternoon walk around town and soak in the atmosphere of this magical capital with its busy shops and bazaars and photogenic citizens in national dress.
Overnight Namgai hotel in Thimphu
Saturday, 8th October
Thimphu sightseeing.
We will visit Changangkha temple, perched on the hilltop overlooking the town. Devotees flock throughout the day to circumambulate and turn the prayer wheels. The temple also contains beautiful wall paintings and hundreds of religious scriptures written in gold. Then we can visit the School of Traditional Arts, browse the striking collection of intricate textiles at the National Textile Museum or visit the Folk Heritage Museum.
After lunch drive approximately 3 hours to the old capital, Punakha, via Dochu La pass at 3050 metres, where we will stop for a hot drink and enjoy spectacular panoramic views of the Eastern Himalaya ranges. You will notice the change of climate and vegetation as we approach low-lying Punakha at 1250 metres.
Overnight Drubchhu hotel in Punakha
Sunday, 9th October
Today take a picturesque day hike to Soela Gompa through beautiful valleys and past sacred temples. We start the hike in the valley of Yebisa, crossing the suspension bridge that leads up to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyel Chorten high up on the hill. We can see many different species of trees and plants as we proceed along the path including rhododendrons, fern and bamboo. When we reach the Chag Nyi pass we stop for lunch with views of Yebisa and Kabesa valleys below. We continue to walk towards Soela Gompa. You are welcome to visit the monastery, which is another 30-40 minutes walk up hill.
Then continue to Jiligang temple (meaning hill of the cat), which was constructed by Lam Drukpa Kuenley in the middle of the 15th century when Buddhism was flourishing in western Bhutan. Inside the temple in the main stupa is a statue of the God of compassion and the Lama Drukpa Kuenley himself. The temple is now privately owned by the descendants of the Lama. Below is the valley of Samdzingkha where local farmers tend their crops. Continue the descent towards the impressive Punakha Dzong where our hike ends and our driver will be waiting for us. Visit Punakha Dzong, “Palace of Great Happiness”. Built in 1637, it is strategically placed at the confluence of two rivers, the Po Chu and the Mo Chu.
Overnight Drubchhu hotel in Punakha
Monday, 10th October.
Punakha to Bumthang. Drive approximately 4.5 hours to Trongsa, the gateway to central Bhutan at 2180 metres. Set amidst spectacular scenery, Trongsa Dzong, the ancestral home of Bhutan’s royal family, commands the eye from miles away. We can also visit Ta Dzong, the museum in the watchtower dedicated to the Wangchuk dynasty, which tells the stories of the Dzong and the valley it has watched over for centuries and features personal belongings of the Kings and Queens of Bhutan. Continue a further 2.5 hours to Bumthang, stopping on the way at Zungney village in Chhume, one of Bumthang’s four valleys. Here we can watch women weaving the traditional yathras, hand-woven wool strips with geometric patterns. These are used locally to produce blankets and bedcovers or are made into warm jackets for the cold winters. You might be interested to browse the local shops that sell the yathras directly from the makers. From Zungney continue through some of Bhutan’s most beautiful landscapes to Bumthang, an area of high valleys at 2580 to 3100 metres.
Overnight Jakar Village lodge in Bumthang
Tuesday, 11th October
Sightseeing in Bumthang, the spiritual heartland of Bhutan, with its many legendary monasteries, temples and palaces. Bumthang is the collective name for an area of 4 valleys - Chokhor, Tang, Ura and Chhume. Our guide will take us on a fascinating walking and/or driving tour of a variety of sacred sites including Jamba Lhakhang and Kurjey Lhakhang, followed by a visit to Membar Tsho ‘the Flaming Lake’, one of Bhutan’s most important pilgrimage sites. We can also visit Bhutan’s largest Dzong (Jakar), with its picturesque location overlooking the Chokhor valley.
Overnight Jakar Village lodge in Bumthang
Wednesday, 12th October
Today spend the day at Tamshing Phala Festival. We will get to see masked dances performed by demons and animals and be captivated by the sound of cymbals, drums and horns and the unforgettable chanting of Buddhist monks who perform religious dance of purification. Arrays of colourful brocades whirl through the air as the dancers spin and dance the "thunderbolt step". An amazing experience to be had! There is inevitably a great deal of socialising as well. The occasion provides an opportunity for people to relax and forget the daily routine, and to dress in their finest clothes and jewellery, but it is also an occasion for prayer and blessings.
Overnight Jakar Village lodge in Bumthang
Thursday, 13th October
Today we take a day hike to Babzur via Petseling monastery. Start the hike by the Swiss Guesthouse Hotel. Hike for around 1.5 hours to a tiny village called Changbi where we will be welcomed with hot tea and snacks arranged by our guide (or lunch prepared by a local farmer). Continue on to Petseling monastery, home to around 70 monks. From here we will have a panoramic view over the Bumthang valley and we can also see the finishing line of Bhutan’s most challenging trek, the Snowman trek, in the distance. Continue on to Babzur. The village is located by a beautiful meadow lined with a few prayer flags and views of Kunzangdrak Gompa. After a packed lunch here we walk for another 1.5 hours until we reach the feeder road where the hike ends.
Overnight Jakar Village lodge in Bumthang
Friday, 14th October
Drive approximately 5-6 hours to Gangtey at 2900 metres. Enjoy the views of the immense and remote Phobjikha valley and the black mountain ranges. In the late afternoon you may like to take the short Gangtey Nature Trail walk (1.5 hours approximately) from Gangtey Gompa through the Phobjikha valley. This is the site where black-necked cranes visit in their hundreds in November each year after spending the summer in Tibet.
Overnight Yu-Lay Kipa hotel in Gangtey
Saturday, 15th October
Today we can spend the whole day at the Gangtey Tsechu festival with local villagers. The festival takes place in the courtyard of the monastery, which has recently been extensively renovated. We will see locals dressed in their finest clothes who have walked from miles around to attend the festivities. They come to watch masked dances, to pray, and to feast. While the underlying purpose of the festival is spiritual, dances are more often like plays, telling stories where good triumphs over evil, or depicting significant historical events, especially surrounding the life of Bhutan's patron saint, Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche).
Overnight Yu-Lay Kipa hotel in Gangtey
Sunday, 16th October
Today we return to Paro, a drive of approximately 7 hours, via Wangdi. Wangdi (also known as Wangdue Phodrang) was originally considered Bhutan’s secondary capital and it commands an important central position. Sadly Wangdi Dzong was gutted by fire in June 2012, destroying in a few hours not only a magnificent building that had stood proudly for hundreds of years, but also the painstaking work that had been in progress for many months to rebuild recent earthquake damage using traditional construction methods. There is little now to see in Wangdi and after a brief stop for lunch continue on our way. We will also stop near Punakha to visit Chhimi Lhakhang. Take a pleasant walk for an hour or so across terraced fields to this fascinating Temple of Fertility, built in the 15th century by the ‘Divine Madman’ (Lama Drukpa Kuenley). Then we will continue to Paro. This evening sort out our luggage for the trek. Anything you don’t need will be kept safely in Paro to await your return.
Overnight Tenzinling hotel in Paro
Monday, 17th October
BUMDRA MONASTERY TREK
Today we will take a camping trip ove rone night/ two days high up on the hillside outside Paro.
The trek begins with a 1-hour drive from Paro to Sang Choekor Buddhist College where you start walking at an altitude of about 2800m. We climb gradually upwards through blue pine and juniper forest. After about 3 hours’ walking we will reach Chhoe Chhoe Tse Lhakhang (temple). Carry on climbing for another 20 minutes or so until we re-enter the forest. After about 40 minutes more we will emerge onto a large meadow where we will find many chortens and prayer flags. Our camp for the night is below the nearby Bumdra Monastery, at about 3800 metres, where there are wonderful views across the Himalayas. Later we can visit the monastery, and if you are feeling strong climb the 4000m peak to admire the views before returning to camp.
Overnight in camp
Tuesday, 18th October
Today we descend again through the forest. After a couple of hours we will start to see numerous temples - from the gardens of Sangtopelri we will be able to look down and see the roofs of Taktshang monastery far below. Guru Rinpoche is said to have flown to the site riding on a tigress. He subsequently meditated here for three months. It is one of Bhutan’s most holy sites and draws pilgrims not only from Bhutan but also from neighbouring Buddhist countries. Keep on descending and we can visit the splendid Tiger’s Nest monastery itself. From here it is about an hour down to the bottom where we meet our vehicle to return to Paro. If there is time visit the impressive Paro Dzong, one of the finest examples of Bhutanese architecture. You could also visit the 7th century Kyichu Lhakhang, a temple of historical significance and one of the most sacred shrines in Bhutan.
Overnight Tenzinling hotel in Paro
Wednesday, 19th October
Early in the morning our guide will accompany us to the airport to see us off onto our flight back to Bangkok and wish us Tashi Delek (goodbye and good luck).
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