Very few people actually have the opportunity to visit Bhutan and those who do often spend only a few days in a country that has so much to share and to which they may never again get the chance to return. With this in mind, our journey has been specifically designed to offer a longer stay that will give us the possibility of experiencing all aspects of life in the communities, the culture, the religion, the landscape and the people that make up this unique land. It will allow us to absorb the many beauties of Bhutan without feeling rushed.
I have paid particular attention to the quality of our journey and we will be staying in comfortable, cosy and clean hotels and lodges during our adventure that will provide us with good food and great service. Most people are pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of Bhutan and by its delicious food and buffets with a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
Transport will be by private four-wheel drive vehicles that usually accommodate 4 people in each vehicle. However we will have only 3 people in each car to ensure that everyone has a window seat and can enjoy the beauty we will be travelling through.
We will be assembling in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, for the first day and night of our journey before taking the short flight along the Great Himalayan Range into Bhutan itself. Our trip will take us to the capital of Thimphu and the chance to get to know the ancient culture of the country as well as its traditional medicine, arts and crafts. We will then head east across Dochu La towards Wangdue and spend a night near the ancient Gangtey gompa in Phobjika valley, the winter home of the endangered black-neck crane.
The old town of Trongsa with its magnificent dzong or fort will be the next stop on our journey along with a visit to the beautiful Tibetan Buddhist museum in the renovated watchtower above the town.
From there we will enter the Bumthang valley where a different pace sets in as we step back in time into the spiritual heart of the country and all its pastoral beauty. We will drive and hike to the stunning gompas that were established around the places that Guru Rinpoche visited in the 8th century and have the chance to sit quietly inside their ancient halls and absorb their reverence and silence. This section of the journey offers everyone the experience of rural Bhutan and the opportunity to come closer to the Tibetan Buddhist practice that is such a vital part of daily life in the country.
Our return journey from Bumthang will take us to Punakha, the former capital and the current winter seat of the head Abbott of Bhutan and the main monk body. We will visit the spectacular dzong and its huge halls that sit above the confluence of two large rivers. Our stay in Bumthang will have introduced us all to the natural beauty of Bhutan but our 8 days and 7 nights trek into the wilderness above the town of Paro will be the trekking highlight of the journey. The trek will take us through some of the country’s most beautiful landscape to much higher altitudes and the base of Bhutan’s most sacred peak, the 7314 metre high mountain of Jumolhari.
Our final days in Bhutan will be spent in and around Paro. We will make the short hike to the most famous of all Bhutan’s gompas, the Taktsang or “Tiger’s Nest” that hangs from a cliff face some 500 metres above the valley. There will be an opportunity to visit Kichu Lakhang that lies very close to our hotel and the space to relax and unwind before bidding farewell to this beautiful land and returning to Kathmandu for our final day together.
Bhutan is one of the most beautiful and unique countries on our planet and it was a combination of unforeseen.
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