Bhutan backpacking

SHORT ITINERARY :

Upon your arrival at the airport, a cab will transfer the group to Phuentsholing – the Bhutan border town, 3.5 hours away from Bhagdogra. Enroute, we pass through a beautiful stretch, flanked by tea plantations and national parks on both sides of the road.

We will reach the border by evening. The moment you step into Bhutan land, literally, when you take those footsteps, you will immediately see how different the two towns on either side of the border are.

After breakfast, we shall go to the permit office. The permit take some time processing and we shall leave Phuentsholing by 11 am. The drive to Thimpu is long, about six hours with stops including lunch. But it is very beautiful.

We'll first go to Golden Buddha Point. Then, visit the pretty which is a great place to click some photographs, see a lot of locals, and observe some Bhutanese traditions. We are here to celebrate our new years. Lets relax a bit today, Sit in a cafe. Get to know the local Dishes like:

1. Ema - datsi : Ema means chili and datsi is a kind of cottage cheese, so ema-datsi is a kind of spiced-up Welsh rarebit.
2. Kewa-datsi. A potato, cheese and chili dish.
3. Shamu-datsi. A mushroom, cheese and chili dish.

We can also go to the post office and buy postcards. The fantastic thing here is that you can get yourself clicked, and get a customized stamp from the same place and send a post card to your loved ones.

we make our way to Dochula Pass, an hour from Thimpu. Here, we are going to stop at the pretty 108 Dochula Chortens, which was built on the orders of the Queen Mother, as a sign of respect for the soldiers who died fighting the insurgents in the 2003 war. The area is beautiful, overlooks some of the highest mountains of Bhutan, and is usually shrouded in mist, giving the entire place a mystical surreal feeling.

Later, we head to a river side Camping. The route is beautiful, and as soon as you reach the campsite , it’s almost as if you have been transported to a different world.

After Breakfast , we can also visit the village Chimi Lhakhang, the Fertility temple of Bhutan, Punakha before we start our journey to Chele la pass.

Chele La Pass is one of Bhutan's highest passes at 3880 odd metres above sea level (13,000 odd feet). On the way, there are prayer flags dotted on top of the hills, and they are fluttering away madly in the wind.

The alpine flowers, the lush greenery, the prayer flags, the views of the valley make the views breathtaking. The wind is quite strong here, and if you spread out your arms you can almost feel as if you are flying.

We shall stop enroute at Paro river, near a beautiful hanging rope bridge. A trip is not just about checking off sightseeing points, but also about the smaller prettier little moments that come along the way.

It is the most exciting day of the trip, as we hike up to Tiger Nest Monastery. Built on the very edge of the cliff, it is a good 2 and a half hour hike up from the base. Dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava (widely regarded as the Second Buddha), Tiger Nest Monastery or Taktsang Monastery is easily Bhutan’s symbol of pride and respect.

The trek is not too difficult, and the best way to do it is to walk at a steady, comfortable pace. Most of the walk is through a hilly forest and as you keep walking, you will see rhododendrons, pines and a lot of prayer flags.