I had the pleasure of spending my birthday this year in Bhutan, a country known for its Gross National Happiness which is an index that places emphasis on the non-economic well being of it's citizens. Bhutan is a small landlocked country that borders China to the north and India to the south, this year for my birthday I wanted to visit a low key country where I could disconnect and reflect. As I was researching on potential countries to visit, Bhutan kept coming up and after chatting with a few people who had visited the country before, I was convinced that it would be the perfect choice for what I was seeking.
I researched several tour companies because as a tourist, Bhutan requires you to visit through a local tour company. I ended up choosing Authentic Bhutan Tours because they had really good reviews, their price was very reasonable and the CEO, Ten Dorji was very responsive to my questions when I was still in the planning phase. This is the itinerary that we both agreed fit my needs:
Day One - Thimphu
I arrived at Paro International Airport which is the main and only airport in the country currently, and since my flight landed in the morning, I had a whole day of exploration. The tour started in Thimphu the capital where I visited Kuensel Phodrang (Buddha Point), this is one of the largest statues of Buddha in the world, measuring 51.5 meters/169 feet.
The next stop was at the Memorial Chhorten (Buddhist shrine) which was built in 1974 in memory of the 3rd king of Bhutan who is regarded as the father of modern Bhutan. Turns out March is an auspicious month for Buddhists in Bhutan, so I was able to witness many people visiting the memorial and reciting prayers as they circumvented it and made offerings.
Last stop was a visit to the weekend market to see local products, then stroll around town before calling it a day. At this point, jet lag was beginning to kick in and my body was slowly shutting down so it was a good time to call it a day.
Fun Fact - Bhutan does not have traffic lights and they prefer it this way, In the photo below you can see where the traffic police stand to direct traffic. I must see for the duration of my stay, there was no chaos on the roads and traffic was well organized. My guide also mentioned that unnecessary honking is discouraged so you will not find drivers honking at each or even being unruly.
Day Two - Thimphu
Having had a good night's sleep the day before, I was feeling more energetic to explore and on this day, I was going to cover more of Thimphu. The first stop was at Drupthop Dewachen Nunnery built in 1976, I was hopping to meet the nuns and get an idea of how their daily life is like, but unfortunately they were out at the local market shopping. My guide did give me a tour of the nunnery as he continued educating me on Buddhism.
These are offerings, laid outside the temple.
Next stop was at Motithang Takin Preserve to see the national animal, Takin. There is a story of the mythical creation of the Takin that I found entertaining, a religious preacher was asked to perform a miracle by the people of Bhutan. After consuming a whole cow and goat, he joined the head of the goat to the skeleton of the cow, creating the Takin. When you look at the animal, it does indeed look like a mixture of the two, not the prettiest animal for sure!
From the zoo, we took the Sangaygang cross country hike to get good panoramic views of Thimphu valley. This hike took about an hour and I got pretty views along the way, there were many locals on the trail and I learned that it is pretty popular for recreational activities especially during the weekend, we visited on a Saturday.
After such a good hike, we had lunch then visited Trachichho Dzong which houses the throne room, office of the king and the ministries of home affairs and finance. A dzong in Bhutan refers to a fortress monastery that was traditionally used for defensive purposes, but today they are used for religious and administrative purposes.
Currently Bhutan is in the initial phase of spring season so a lot of flowers hadn't bloomed yet during my visit. I was told that during summer when they receive the monsoon rains, all flowers are in bloom and the rose garden surrounding this dzong is spectacular with different colored flowers and everything looks green due to the rains.
Last stop was at the craft bazaar to see a wide range of authentic Bhutan made art and craft products, before calling it a day. At this point I was really tired so I didn't take any more photos as all I could think about was getting to my hotel room to sleep.
Day Three - Punakha
On this day we took a day excursion to Punakha which was the capital of Bhutan before it got moved to Thimphu. We drove to Punakha over the a mountain pass known as Dochula, this scenic pass is dotted with 108 small stupas (Buddhist shrines) and on a clear sunny day, you can have a panoramic view of the Himalayan mountain ranges. Unfortunately, it was cloudy but that didn't take away from the beauty of the place.
After spending some time at Dochula pass, we moved on to our next stop, Punakha Dzong. This dzong is not only known as the most beautiful in Bhutan, but also happens to be the second oldest and second largest in the country. It houses most of Bhutan's national treasures and this is where the present king and his wife got married.
These is a prayer wheel, they are supposed to be rotated clockwise and folks will chant prayers as they do so. My guide told me to rotate it for good karma which I did, it's pretty heavy.
Next stop was at the fertility temple where women who want to conceive circle the temple 3 times with a large phallus on their back, then go inside and pick a baby name before being blessed by a monk. Inside the temple was a big album with photos of babies from all over the world, conceived after the temple visit. It was actually really cute seeing happy families with their babies.
Last stop before heading back to Thimphu was at the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan measuring 180 meters/591 ft. This bridge dates back to 1637 when Punakha was Bhutan's capital, and was built to connect the city to surrounding villages. It became popular with tourists after covid lockdowns.
Day Four - Paro (Tiger's Nest)
Drum rolls please! this day was reserved for the main highlight of my visit to Bhutan, Taktshang Monastery, popularly know as Tiger's Nest. This monastery is one of the most venerated places of pilgrimage and according to mythical legend, guru Rinpoche a very pivotal figure in Buddhism, arrived to this site on the back of a tiger and meditated for 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days, to subdue demons and establish Buddhism in the region. The monastery is perched 3120 meters (10,240 feet) above sea level and the main challenge for me was the thin air which made it a bit hard to breath, but I pushed through. I took photos from the beginning of the hike to the end, enjoy.
This was at the halfway point....
This was a few more steps before getting up Tiger's Nest, the breeze from the waterfall felt so good at this point.
Taking the stairs to the temples ahead, photography isn't allowed at the temple so this is the last photo I took before going inside.
Day Five - Depart Bhutan
That's it folks! my trip to Bhutan was honestly one of the most chill trips I have taken and that is what I wanted for my birthday. Next month I have another trip and this time it's with one of my very good friends, watch this space for an update....
Things to consider before visiting Bhutan
To visit Bhutan, you have to go through a local tour company. They handle everything from the Visa application, to accommodation, transportation and meals. I highly recommend Authentic Bhutan Tours
The daily tourist charge is $100, it was $200 before.
Bhutan has only one airport and only 50 pilots worldwide possess the skills needed to maneuver a landing at the airport. That being said, flights are only allowed during daylight and under good visibility.
The most frequently departed routes to Paro are from Kathmandu in Nepal and Kolkata in India, it is actually cheaper to fly in and out of these two cities.
Best time to visit Bhutan is during spring (Mar - May) and fall (Sept - Nov).
