Bhutan,
Land of the Thunder Dragon, is full of culture. A mystical place, lost
in time, firmly holding onto ancient customs. However, it has changed
over the years, with more development and the country slowly opening its
doors to more tourism. It has not turned into mass tourism, as the
country requires a minimum expenditure per person. By default, there is
not much backpacker tourism and some of the most luxurious lodges have
set up circuits to see the country in style. We landed in Paro and
headed to Uma Paro: http://www.comohotels.com/umaparo
A wonderful hotel in Paro with a full spa and great cuisine. Much of
the produce comes from their own organic kitchen garden and there is a
partnership with local farmers from the Paro Valley. Our next day was a
hike to The Tiger's Nest (normally itineraries are turned around from
what we did!). This day was a steep hike to the famous Taktsang
Monastery, what has today become a cultural icon for Bhutan. The temple
is built on a cliff face 900 ft above the Paro Valley. A stunning and
sacred temple, well worth the hike!
We
were then off to Punakha via Duchu La Pass (10,334 ft). We were quite
lucky in getting to see a festival and we got to meet the King, Jigme
Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck! Very nice guy and really revered by the
country. The festival was colorful, full of masks, dancing, and
instruments such as the long trumpet also seen in Tibet. From the Duchu
La Pass we did an insane and long downhill on bikes! It was a really fun
way to get some exercise. We rode into a stunning view as the sun was
going down of Punakha Dzong. The following day we went to visit Punakha
Dzong, one of the larger monasteries, very impressive. We had a
wonderful stay for a few nights at Amankora Punakha: http://www.amanresorts.com/amankora/home.aspx A truly spectacular hotel with spa and well-appointed suites. The food and staff were fabulous in the Aman Resorts style. (Amankora
has created a series of lodges, all creatively unique and
sympathetically balanced to their environment, in order to discover and
comprehend the extraordinary wonders above and beneath this treasured
land. The lodges are created to provide a circular pilgrimage in
Bhutan’s breathtakingly spectacular central and western valleys. Most
journeys start at Amankora Paro or Amankora Thimphu. The lodge in Paro
is nestled among glistening conifers in a 24-suite pine forest retreat.
Amankora Thimphu, raised up in a blue-pine forest of the Motithang area,
sits close to the capital’s intriguing sights and traditional shops.
Amankora Punakha is set in sparkling verdancy east of the Dochu La Pass
and just north of the resplendent Punakha Dzong. Amankora Gangtey, set
in the remote wilderness of the Phobjikha valley, offers magical views
across the bird-strewn gorge and to the empowering Gangtey Goemba, a
16th century monastery. Amankora Bumthang rests adjacent to First and
Second King’s palace, Wangdichholing, within the town of Jakar in the
Choekhor valley, a valley sprinkled with an exotic mix of sloping pine
forests, apple orchards, and restful fields of farm produce.)
Our
last stop was the capital of Thimphu, the epicenter of all of Bhutan.
Here, we did some last minute shopping, got to see artisans, and
discovered the world of herbs and their medicinal value. Herbal medicine
is a long-lasting tradition and is highly valued over Western medicine.
We had a nice stay at Taj Tashi: http://www.tajhotels.com/Leisure/Taj%20Tashi,THIMPHU/default.htm
A well-appointed hotel in the city with a variety of food choices, and
apparently the choice of the King of Tanga as we met him in the lobby!
Bhutan is an extraordinary place, still young in its adventure travel
offerings. We have traversed the country and are creating some exciting
trekking itineraries. One on offer now which also incorporates all the
sightseeing highlights is the Haa Valley Trek: http://www.adventure-international.com/trips/trekking/81/haa-valley-trek/ For
more adventurous folks we are working on offering the Snowman Trek,
known to be one of the toughest treks in the Himalayas. As standard, our
services are bit more beefed up and we incorporate portable toilets and
other items which most basic trekking operations just don't use.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
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