A travelogue of Bhutan, the land of happiness

My Bhutan Solo travel experience in few words (read few pages). 

When I made an entry by day on my phone and came back and read it before posting I was amazed (pun intended) with the amount of details in it. So knowing the way my own mind works, I realise that one cannot read into too much detail. So here is a shorter version (trust me it is much better than the full-blown version). Please skip to the summary section under each day, for important points/notes. 

Note for those who are not visa exempted: You will have a daily tourism fee to pay which covers visa, food, accommodation, local transport, entry fees and a Bhutanese guide for your travel duration. The guide will most likely take care of the logistics for you, however you are free to read the blog to know about my experience. The daily fee is steep but Bhutan is totally worth the visit if you have the money for it! If not, you are always welcome to travel India 🙂 

Day 1 at Siliguri: 

I was to complete Sikkim and head back, much to my luck (good), North Sikkim routes were closed due to landslides. I set out to Bhutan much against my mind’s instructions. Because I did not have any travel bookings and I had not found any woman solo travel blog about Bhutan and its safety. Plus I had to carry cash and there was no co-traveller to share the expenses with! 

Nevertheless, I started out from Siliguri (Yemaru is from where the Bhutan bus leaves). I was there at around 10:30 am. Purchased a ticket for Phuentsholing for 12 pm bus. I got some Bhutan currency (bathed in sweat) in return for change, saying that I can spend it in Bhutan.

Sat in the cross-border local bus. Packed fresh Lychees to eat. As people climbed in, I tried hard to figure if they were Indians or Bhutanese. But I wasn’t good at it (yet). There were a lot of local women (not sure locals of Siliguri or Bhutan) traveling in the bus.

The bus left on the scheduled Indian Standard Time (read 30 min late). The next 6 hours was a sauna treat (Travel month: June) at just Rs. 130/- INR.  4.5 hours was the stated duration, but with the stops for late lunch (at 3 pm) and then stops just before the Bhutan gate, to offload goods, it took about 6 hours to reach.

I got worried with the sun going down, and no hotel booking, I wondered  if I was stretching it too far. 

The bus reached around 6:30 pm. I could not see any budget hotels from the gate to the bus stop. Got down at the stop and asked the driver randomly for one of the hotels listed in the lonely planet book – Hotel Sinchula. The driver was upset and said that if I had asked him at the Bhutan gate,  he would have dropped me closer to the hotel. To make up for it, he walked down with me and hailed a taxi for me and spoke to him in Bhutanese. I got dropped off at Hotel Sinchula, with a standard rate of Rs. 50/- for anywhere within Phuentsholing.

There was another hotel opposite Sinchula, I checked the room and the rate there first and then entered Sinchula. I had to catch sleep from my previous trek and travel in Sikkim. So I took an AC room. The temperature in Phuentsholing was better than Siliguri but it was still hot (compared to Bangalore weather)

Rs. 1250/- for a room (which could accommodate 3), is a good deal for people traveling in group.

DNRTL (Did not read too long?) Here is a list of important points to save you time

1. Take a bus from Yemaru to Bhutan- Phuentsholing. Its 130 Rs. fare and seats are given in order, you could in any case request for the seat you want. Claimed travel time: 4.5 hours. Actual Travel time – 6 hours. Buses scheduled at 9 am and 12 pm
2. Bhutan is 30 min ahead of India.
3. For the Permit – Indians – Please take your voter id card or Passport. Driving license or any other state government id is not accepted as a proof. In case you have forgotten to take either voter id or Passport. You can go to the Indian embassy to get a letter which needs to be submitted with the application form at the Bhutan embassy for permit. Take along enough Passport size photos. See embassy site for more info, you can call them in case you have any specific queries. PS: I waited for weekday thinking it’s closed on weekend (that’s what the website says), but I saw some entries on Saturday and Sunday in the register, when questioned they said it was an urgent case. So will be a good idea to go there even if it’s a weekend.
4. Keep a track of your expense on a daily basis. Since you are carrying cash. It’s better to have an idea of how much you can spend for taxis and food. I took 3000 INR per day. But had excess left over as I saved few days on taxi and also was able to negotiate off-season (June) discounts at all the hotels. 
5. Indian currency is accepted in Bhutan, so you do not have to carry Bhutan currency. However Rs. 100 notes are what is recommended to carry. Rs. 500 Rs. and Rs. 1000 notes do work in Phuentsholing and Thimphu, at least it did in Sinchula hotel and Thimphu hotel. However carry majority of it in Rs. 100 denomination.

Day 2 (@phuentsholing):

Power cut from 9 am to unknown time. So I moved to a non ac room to save rent. After that discussed with the friendly owner about the stay options in Paro. Sangay was her name she had a resort in Paro. But I told her that I did be out most of the time. She searched for another hotel tried calling them but it did not get through. She provided suggestions on where I could stay and we parted. 
I went out for lunch in search of a local place. Hurried out of the first one as it had more ppl drinking alcohol than having food. The next one also looked like a bar with only bottles on display but it had some women and no one drinking. So I decided to get in and have lunch. I read the menu on a black board, wanted to try something local so started staring at other’s plates. Finally when I went to the counter to order, the lady was eating something . I shamelessly asked her what it was. She said veg Bhutanese curry. Ordered that. The guy next to her (possibly her husband) said it will be “asparagus”. Seeing me puzzled the lady corrected him saying it will be “mild spicy”.

Hima (pronounced ema) datshi was the name of the dish. Was served in less than 2 min. Green chillies floating with mushrooms in a cheese curry and red rice. It was super spicy but tasty. Managed by diluting it with the dal. Realized that the lady meant it would be spicy 🙂

After this I went around the market for a stroll, it’s a very dull laid back town. There was one garden where (very) old people were holding a prayer wheel and strolling . I walked away from the park in search of a temple that the locals spoke about, only to realise (after couple of rounds) that the garden itself houses the temple. 
The temple is called Dzangdo Pelri. At the corner outside the garden wall, there was a picture of a guy and a girl dressed in traditional Bhutanese attire. They were good-looking and I clicked a picture of the picture.

 

I went inside the garden and walked to the temple. It was being cleaned by a set of college/ school children with water and soap. I waited for some clear space to click pics. I was being the usual painful tourist wanting to click photographs while they were all busy doing important work.

They were cleaning, washing the temple and devotees were going around the temple rolling a dharma roll (prayer wheel) in their hands and chanting mantras. There was a man feeding the pigeons. And in between all this was me, clicking photos from all possible angles trying to get the right light and colours with a point and shoot camera for good pics and clicking pics on a phone as well for easy uploads and shares! 

On the way back I went to kizom cafe where there was free WiFi. I sat down there and had a bitter coffee and a sugary mousse. After that I took another stroll to the only medical shop called Namsey medical. I noticed a barber shop the one typical to a movie that shows a hair salon in a village. I clicked a pic of the shop with one customer in it.

And I realised that it’s not the under development that amuses the city-bred when they see such things ..it’s the simplicity of things that’s attractive. A chair, an apron, shaving kit and a 4×4 space is all that is really needed for the job . And there is my explanation for clicking a picture of a usual barber shop!

 

 

When I went back to the hotel I noticed a big framed picture of the same guy and girl from the garden wall. Got to know from the hotel manager that it was a picture of the current king and queen. Quite a good-looking couple ! No wonder people have their picture hanging everywhere, I thought. They either loved the king a lot or may be it was a rule. Either ways they looked good. 

I had chow mein for dinner staring at the fishes in the huge aquarium in the dining area. I got back into the room and did my usual routine check of windows , bathroom, under the bed . Just to reassure that no one is hiding there to kill me later ! Then moved a piece of furniture to the door for additional safety so no one can break in .Very fool-proof you see !
And then I wrote my expenses for the day. Kept alarm and back up alarm  (yes in spite of the snooze concept) and that too on the same device.

DNRTL : Summary –

1. Burgers are good at Kizom café. You get free wi-fi . Nice ambience. Desserts are ok.
2. Keep a track of your expense on a daily basis. Since you carry cash, it’s better to keep track of how much you can spend for taxis and food.
3. Only one medical shop here called Namsey, in case you need off counter meds. Would recommend to carry your own as there weren’t many of the medicines that we normally take.
4. Stay recommendation : I highly recommend Sinchula hotel for stay and dine in too. If you go in peak season, make advance bookings. I did not coz I went off-season.
5. Place to see –Nothing much. This stop is more for the permit and a warm up to get used to Bhutanese culture. This is a quite town which can be covered by foot. There is a temple – Dzangdo Pelri and a Park.
6. SIM Card – you can buy a Sim card for just 120. Again here you need voter’s id. Carry few copies of it, could come handy. I did not need any further top up for my entire trip. You get Wi-Fi in most places (depending on where you stay). So whats app your number to people who need to reach you, and you need to use it only for local calls, taxi, hotels etc.

 

Day 3 to Thimphu: 

Got ready early and packed up to get to the consulate early morning while waiting for my breakfast in the dining cum reception area. I was enjoying the view of various fishes in the 6 feet long aquarium. They all appeared to be searching for food. Looked at their beautiful strides, some fast, some relaxed but all of them were gracefully searching for food. One of the fishes suddenly got some energy and started swimming faster from one end to another. I noticed it and it looked like a Bhangda fish. The one I eat weekly, back at home .

There you go!! So when you spot beauty it’s not necessary that we just see. They could be your prey .and the same applies to us as well. 😉 Another eg. is the Elysée butterfly which is bright blue and flutters faster so that it’s not an easy prey..but since it flutters so often ..it has a shorter life span even if it’s not a prey.
So nature has it..always..beautiful things can be an easy prey, nevertheless, you can’t be anything but yourself!

At the Indian embassy I was the first seeker for identification slip. Was greeted with a smile by one Mr Murali and another member. There were Bhutan king’s photos on one wall and Modi’s photo on another wall. It was a quick procedure, except I got separate comments from both the officials that getting permission for solo traveler is doubtful. 

And they were right. When I submitted my application form and finally when the government official manning two counters came to verify my form, he asked if I am “single” (I guessed he meant solo traveler). I said yes, and he muttered ‘single no mingle ‘ and put my form away. He took the rest of the forms and went to the next counter to process them further. And my form was left alone on the counter.

A friendly lady who knew Bhutanese offered me advice that my form may be incomplete and that could be the reason why it was kept aside! I informed her that it was because I was traveling alone, and requested her to ask the official in local language about my form. She was surprised that I was traveling alone..”no friends ?”, she enquired. I said, “friends no holidays”. Then I asked with a made up worry and shocked expression – “Bhutan not safe ? Should I go back ?”. She instantly responded that it’s safe.

This is something I was playing from Day 1. Anyone who would ask me, “why alone?”, I would respond back with the question “not safe?”…and that statement always got a quick response affirming safety. 🙂
Then I was asked to write another letter of undertaking that I am responsible for anything that happens to me since there is no family to take care in case of any issues. And hence I wrote – “as requested, for visa issuance, I undertake any responsibility for anything.”
After that it was taken to the regional director for approval. I asked her to mention that I have traveled to several places outside India alone, assuming that might fetch me some brownie points and get me the permit! My visa was approved in around 15 to 20 min. After that they took my finger prints and it went to counter 8 for further processing.

It looked like an Indian government office and they worked at the same slow pace. In addition, we visa/permit seekers made it feel even more like an Indian office with people falling over each other without sense of space or line. It took almost 2 hours to get the permit. PS: No wonder they call India their Big brother!!! 😉

I checked out from the hotel after trying to explain bitcoin concept for Ms. Sangay. She wanted to start receiving payments in bitcoin. Asked Ms Sangay for stay references for Thimpu as well. She took my number and said that she would call me by evening. Left to the taxi stand for sharing ride to Paro. Found one ready to leave to Thimphu.

The hatchback had only one seat and rest were filled with huge packages. All the other drivers had collected around to see me off already. One of them even opened the door asking me to take the only seat left that was the front seat. I had second thoughts.. What if am robbed etc. He said Rs. 650, I thought I will use that as a reason to skip. “I had heard 500 Rs”, I replied. He said that’s for a 9 seater. Meanwhile a Bolero guy came running and offered a seat for Rs. 500. His tone and pace both felt negative. So I stayed and asked the package delivery guy for Rs. 600. He did not agree at first and then his friends (lot of them ) told him something in the local language (to agree I guess) and the deal was sealed. I sat in front seat and someone closed the door and said enjoy the adventure!

On the way I saw Gaikhure temple, in Ramitey area. 
Later, as we conversed he showed me his Identity card and asked me to click a picture of it. I did. He then spoke about wedding culture commonalities between India and Nepal. 
“Nepali mein ladka maa baap me saath jaata hai” (guy choses girl along with parents)
“Bhutia log mein ladka ladki ke saath rath baithta hai ..bas woh wedding hota hai” (Guy goes to a girl’s house and stays over and that’s the wedding) No expense. No wedding. Live-ins are considered wedding. They can walk out any time if there are no kids. If there are kids then the guy has to fund the child until 18. They can remarry any number of times. Well please note that this is not true, not for all folks, it could be true for certain social classes. But I could get no such information on the internet (when I checked later). 

Some more general Gyan from the driver-
Similar to roja they have a bundh twice an year (lent). Now was one of the Bundh time. So there was no meat supplied within Bhutan. As an Alternative, people stored meat or imported from India. 

On the way there is a waterfalls called Taktakoti waterfalls, 6 km before wangkha. 
I got down and clicked a picture. Was trying to take a selfie, before I could click the driver had got down and insisted on clicking. He took some good shots. We then drove on to Wankha. 
Wankha has 365 m watts Hydro project which is then converted to 1000 m watt dam. This was a lunch stop. I had meals, I think it was Indian meals. I saw the driver having a pink beverage in a big coffee mug. I asked him later, it was a Bhutanese beverage called Suja – butter tea. He promised to get me one in the next stop.

 

After a couple of hours we reached Chuzam, which is the diversion point. On the left was Paro, and on the right Thimphu. It has the bridge and a nice view of the river.
The entire route had great views and lovely landscape of rock cutouts to make the road. I kept clicking photos non-stop as every bend was offering a new view. 

The driver offered me to take a reserved taxi for the next 5 days and pay him Rs. 12000. He said that he sees the interest I had for nature and the enthusiasm to see the place and that he thinks I should take a reserved taxi. He said he was concerned about my safety. I declined the offer thinking I feel safer to not be in a reserved taxi and it’s better for my pocket too. I backpack and not tour!

Ms. Sangay promptly called back and suggested a place to stay in Thimphu, I went there without questioning it a bit. She really was a very helpful person, my first angel in Bhutan travel. The second one being this driver (who I did not trust much at this point) 🙂  

 

DNRTL: Summary – 

1. Permit for Solo travellers – Not sure if this is only for women. At the Bhutan embassy, after checking with me if I was ‘single’. The official said ‘single no mingle’ and kept my form aside. Then another lady came in and asked me to write a letter of undertaking that I am responsible if anything happens to me. You need to keep following up multiple times, for the form to move from counter to counter. And since everyone else is doing the same, you are literally stepping over each other’s foot. Please remember, you need to get another permit for Punakha Dzong at Thimphu if you plan to go to Punakha and Bumthang.
2. Travel time to Thimphu is about 4 to 5 hours. Shared taxi are available from Phuentsholing. Just walk in to the taxi stand and you will find plenty. Avoid cutting a deal immediately, you will suddenly be attacked by all the taxi drivers. They will also fight with each other for taking you as a passenger. Be patient and negotiate. It costs Rs. 500 for a 9 seater. And if it’s a 4 seater, it will cost Rs. 650
3. Try the local drink : Suja – butter tea. It is a pink beverage made with local tea leaves. It tastes like soup.
4. Places to see on the way – Gaikhure temple, Taktakoti waterfalls, Wankha Hydro project. The view-point here has a restaurant and there appeared to be an ATM. I had enough cash but wanted to try out if the ATM really works… Unfortunately, I missed trying out if it works! All the blogs had asked to carry enough cash. So the recommendation stays.
5. Stayed at – Hotel Bhutan Centennial
6. Some info from my conversations: Bhutanese language is called Djonkha. 
   Few Djonkha terms – Kuju Jangpola – Namaste, Kardin chella – Thank you.

Day 4 to Punakha:

Started at around 9 am. Cab driver was very generous and got my permit done for Punakha.
I just had to wait. And since I had time..I thought of using the eyeliner and kajal I had bought, for the first time after being on the road for 21 days. Well it did good for the selfies 😉
Got the permit around 10 am, picked up a sandwich from a cafe in Thimphu town and set off to Punakha.

En route is the Dochula pass with 108 stupas and temple and a nice cafe.
Today’s questions to the cabbie.
What is the prayer wheel ?
“It’s for Buddha aadmi log(old folks) who cannot go to the temple and rotate the huge prayer wheel”, he said. He continued, “This prayer wheel also called dharma roll is for old people who can sit anywhere and pray for peace. It’s not meant for the young and strong who can go into the temples!”  
His questions to me were about party time and security in discothèque in my city, and he was surprised with my answers. Finally he was happy to say that they (Bhutanese) party until 2 am and not 11 pm/1 am like Bangalore’ans. 

Other things I asked him instead of asking Google.
National animal : takin, Bird: raven, Flower: blue poppy. 
The river at Punakha is called Puna Chang chu at Punakha. 

Khuruthang is the market area at Punakha which people at the earlier junction were shouting out saying khuru and I thought they were looking for a person with that name. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After driving past the market I got a view of truly the most beautiful Dzong (fort) in Bhutan with water on all sides and a bridge connecting to the road. I spent more than 2 hours in the Dzong clicking photos and selfies! See more photos on instagram

On the way back the cab driver remembered his promise and got me a Suja and paid for it in BC because he wanted some IC. His abbreviations for Bhutan currency and Indian currency respectively.

Suja – Bhutanese butter tea is made of Salt, Bhutan tea leaves (looks like supari, check pic), butter n heated and beaten to get froth. It was pink in color and tasted like a soup. 

After that I insisted that we get another or few more passengers so I can save some money. I was in fact pestering him to check with anyone who came to the Stand. Annoyed he politely asked me to sit inside so that I don’t lose my seat! (More importantly so I don’t start shouting “Thimphu Thimphu du ta seat (two seats)”.
We got one passenger…it was getting late for him so we left. So essentially my luck had saved me 300 Rs. 
Got back to Thimphu around 7 pm..and I was craving to have dinner at Swiss cafe or anything similar around there. I got down at my lodging Bhutan centennial. Paid in IC and also exchanged all the IC for BC on request. He further said he will bring 3k more from home and exchange for IC. He did..and I got a free drop to the Swiss cafe. Seeing so much demand for Indian currency, I felt happy and proud. Although I had no idea why it was important to him. He said he has taken loan for car from India. Did not make sense..but I had no energy to inquire more.  And he said ‘boy friend husband bana lo, phir boy friend ke saath ghoomna’ with all his sympathies and best wishes. 
Translation – get a boyfriend or husband and then roam around with your boyfriend.
I asked him if he had dated his girl before marrying. He said he did for 2 years. And the girlfriend before that did not convert into wife..’Jo likha hai wahi hota hai’ . Translated: It’s destiny. 
With this gyan from him I got out of the cab and as usual (my usual) left with an abrupt low volume thank you, without a proper bye!

I decided to do some shopping first and walked away from my swiss cafe. And ended up too far to walk back . So I walked into a restaurant called Chulha. It said Indian cuisine. It’s weird that most restaurants on Norzen lam were on the upper floor and felt like an office space rented out. From outside it did not appear inviting at all as they had tinted glasses and could not get a view of the interiors. The stairway to the place was spooky and deserted as well. It was only a one storey climb..my hunger was ready to take the risk.

Place looked good…good furniture and lots of women (waitresses). Since it said Indian cuisine, I ordered for chicken biriyani to see what they call biriyani. It was basmati rice floating in oil, painted red and they had tons of peas cashew and raisins with some chicken pieces thrown in. 
I checked if they gave me Kashmiri pulav. Waitress checked back with the cook and he confirmed that this was their Indian chicken biriyani! 
So I ate it ..completely and then gave feedback about what not to put in a biriyani and added at the end to google the Biryani recipe. My most favourite dish turned to be a disaster …well who orders Biryani in Bhutan ..like really?! 

Went back to the hotel room. Usual checks (under the bed, behind the curtains, bathrooms) completed. Called the reception to check on taxi options. For a 4 hours hire they were quoting 1500. I checked my lonely planet guide and decided to walk around, and take local taxi on the fly in case a place was far.

DNRTL : Summary

1. You need additional permission for Punakha and Bumthang. I did not cover Bumthang (it needs an overnight stay, preferably). If you have reserved a taxi (highly recommend to book one), your taxi guy can / will help you get the permits and it takes less than 30 min.
2. Places to see – Dochula Pass – 108 Stupas temple. Punakha Dzhong. Day long trip with the round trip. Takes about 8 hours (depending on the time you spend at Punakha)

Day 5 : Very lazy day at Thimphu

Checked out at quarter to 12 and decided to walk around and not take any taxi today. It’s always better to be your own boss and I don’t mind walking long distances at my own pace. That’s more fun than being serviced to stops pre-decided by the taxi driver.  I walked along the Norzen lam and decided to cross the road. I hadn’t from last 2 days coz it was not inviting enough and there were no restaurants on the other side. After I crossed over I saw a really long row of stalls at the centre and I had thought that it was a part of the Taj Tashi.

It was in fact a handicraft market where all handmade items made by Bhutanese women were being sold . The stores were also being manned by the artists themselves . I had seen a picture in the Dzong earlier, when I spotted the same pic on a magnet I asked the lady in the shop for the story. She explained with so much patience. Patience even when forming her own sentenced ..she struggled with her English but was still able to put across a summary. And so I bought the magnet as a souvenir. Took a photo of her with her Kira. Everyone there was wearing a Kira . I wished that I could wear one and click a photo with them..but this did do as well 

 

 

Strolled few more shops..and I saw a Lady making a muffler. I took her permission to record and take few photos..she continued with her repetitive task with focus and turned only when needed. She said it takes a day to make one single muffler and she was selling it for 500. She smiled and said, “for you 400”.

 

 

Talented at the art of looming wool and silk, a shop filled with her creations and she had a tactic at sales too. Bhutanese women are smart and no wonder I saw  more women at work than men! 

Had brunch at my favourite cafe Swiss bakery. It’s funny how I can make a favourite in just 2 days at a place. But I came looking for this place last night and now again. 
Well it’s not a lasting favourite though. I had to move on to Paro. May be I would try to catch a coffee here before that. 
Now back to the streets chasing nothing.

I checked the direction to memorial chorten, it was close by. So headed out to the chorten across le meridian and then an army office mess. 
It started drizzling and I was fiddling with my bag deciding if I should hunt for my umbrella. But the locals on the road appeared to ignore the rain and continue to walk with unopened umbrellas in their hands. So I decided to do the same..I always go with the crowd. Easier that way…mostly.

 

After another 5 minutes walk I could hear some bells..sweet sounds of small bells tied from the stupa to pillars on all sides. I went in and took a small video..on one half of a revolution I heard drums in the prayer hall. I stopped and sat down at the stairs of the prayer hall as it did not look like we are allowed to go in.

Sat there for a long time mesmerised by the sounds of mantra and the drums. I started chanting a long mantra I know off late …I thought I could finish 108 sitting there. But once the music stopped ..I was restless and could not stay at the same place. Pushed till 45 and then started going around the temple from the half that I had left off. On the other side there were slabs on the ground and people were bowing Indian style.. And there was one man who was repeating the bows for almost 15 min . I stealthily took pics of the old men and women praying and felt guilty for it later, so no pics of them will be shared. 

Walked around a bit and checked all angles for selfies and then also finished off the 108 while taking many more selfies. Enlightenment is a far away thought but I did catch an epidemic in this travel journey – a selfie epidemic! 

Went to the prayer wheels on the way out and again clicked selfies. 
I went out and questioned the junk and trinket vendor about the plus sign type of pendant . she told me sick people wear it. So I did not buy any. On second thoughts may be I should have bought one to get rid of the selfie addiction (sickness).

Later I checked in the market, that this is in fact a symbol of strength and is called a double dorje (Click to see pic on insta). 

I walked back to the market area in Norzen lam and shopped for some small flags and small prayer wheels. I tried finding the Dzangto pelri lakhang. But was sent in two opposite directions by people from different stores. So decided to go back to Swiss cafe and may be head to Paro after a last coffee at my favourite new crush – Swiss cafe. 
Had a coffee and a chocolate cake ..did not like either of it. Guess I was too full and it was too early to eat or drink anything more. 
On the way out I again asked the cafe girl about Dzangto Pelri and told her about the different directions I get each time. She admitted that she was new and has not visited most places yet. It was 8 years since she was working at Thimphu. Someone like me, who has still not gone to eat street in her own home town thinks it’s fair enough! She is here to work and not travel around.

I did manage to find the temple finally. And I asked a local about all the idols over there. Will skip all the details. It was a 13 Gurus temple. I was particularly interested to know about one of the idols, he was really angry. I thought it must be god of anger! Actually he turned out to be the god of wealth. Exactly how money is perceived by people.

 

Wealth is associated with arrogance, part of conditioning for generations? So much so that the idol was carved to depict anger to represent wealth.  Time to change this? Money can actually enable bigger charity?! Food for thought! 

I left to Paro in a shared taxi after this temple visit. Had some random small talks in Hindi before the driver and the other locals switched to Bhutanese sorry I mean Dzongkha. I reached Paro and went to the lodge suggested by my Bhutan angel. Yet another good recommendation from her. 

DNRTL – Summary:

1. Local taxi hire at Thimphu (off-season), will cost Rs. 1500 for 4 hours. I preferred to walk around and skipped renting a taxi.
2. Places to see – Handi craft market near Taj Tashi, Norzen lam street; memorial chorten; Dzangto Pelri Lakhang
3. Recommended Swiss Café for a coffee and some deserts/sandwich etc.
4. Local Taxi to the taxi stand cost Nu. 50 (fixed rate).
5. Thimphu to Paro Shared taxi took about 2 hours and costed Nu. 150/- 

Day 6:
Reserved taxi guy called 15 min before departure to check if I am on time. Pick up was sharp at 830 am as discussed previous night. But I had to skip breakfast to be on time. The usual late Latif me! Driver introduced himself as Chandra. He looked like some music pop band member in Bhutanese national dress. Beard and long hair tied in a pony tail. His Id card photo just did not match his current looks. 
I asked if he could stop at a cafe so I can pick up some sandwich. He said that I can have it at the cafe midway on the hike to takshang. So I agreed, did not have any other option anyways.

Started the hike up at 920 am. There was no one on the trail. I slowed down so I can tag along with other co-hikers. I heard a small kid and a guide playing with the kid. He picked up a frog and was talking to the little girl – Loka ‘kiss the frog it will change into your prince ..haha’. I turned and laughed too ..after all even I had grown up reading that story! 

And that was the connecting point..after that I stopped whenever they said there was a view. Then I was taking a selfie. And the lady in the group offered to take a picture. I was happy to be clicked. She took my small digital camera and clicked couple of them till she was happy and then gave it back.

Then she went back to clicking the fauna on her camera. I decided to walk faster and stay a bit ahead so I don’t become an uninvited guest in their group.  Later on I got to know that she was a professional photographer working for a magazine and she was traveling on work.  And her husband and kid had come along to make it a vacation.

The story behind the Tiger Nest is that Guru Rinpoche came from Bumthang on a tiger and meditated there. 

The trek is of moderate grade and can be tough if you haven’t had breakfast. At the cafe mid point, there wasn’t anything exciting so I decided to skip eating. That made the rest of the trek tough as well. On the way I met a friendly guide (he was with another set of travellers). He was saying that the place will close down for lunch. Excited that there could be food at the temple, I asked him if there is food for public over there. He said that they do give food, like biscuits and the likes. That bait was enough food for my mind and I walked faster. Not to reach before they close the temple for lunch but more so for the biscuits :P. 

When I had started on the trek trail, there was too much fog covering the Tiger nest. It was a rainy day and it also did rain before I could reach the temple. After the rains, the fog opened up and the most awaited view of the tiger nest opened up. I was speechless when I saw the temple hanging on the cliff, a beautiful cliffhanger it is! It was a marvel to see the temple. I could not get enough of it all along the remaining trail.

The temple is beautiful on the inside too, but we are not allowed to photograph it. It was a good thing…so everyone focused on the temple rather than on composing a photograph. 

In the first shrine I entered, it was very crowded. But I stayed and braved the crowd because I did not want to miss the food. When I got closer to the monk, I was given a Prasad of some crumbs of biscuits. This was the worst teaser for my hungry stomach. Nevertheless I thanked him and Guru Rinpoche for the little food I received. 

On the way back I was again enjoying the beautiful distant views of the tiger nest. And then came along the same local guide who I had met on the ongoing journey. He asked me if I got food to eat up there. I told him the story of biscuit crumbs. He had not realised that I had skipped two meals and was expecting to be fed. He actually meant that it will be given as a Prasad!

If I were him, I would have had a good laugh. But instead he was nice. He found some food (an apple) by asking other guides passing by and explaining to them in Dzongka that I was hungry. I was embarrassed by the sympathy looks I got from many but I took the apple and thanked him with all my heart, rather all my stomach! 😀

One more scene that reinstated the niceness of the locals. 

I was back in Paro by late evening and went into a nice little cafe and had some food. And then walked around the beautiful Paro street and retired for the day. 

Close of day, I had that sinking feeling that you get after you have reached your destination. Tiger nest was the main reason I had entered Bhutan and I had already seen it now. And I had realised that there is much more to Bhutan, its beauty lies in the landscape and its people. But my trip was almost over and I wasn’t too happy about it.

No one wants to stop a journey. Journeys are good..even if the destination is extremely happy . When it’s over, there is an undefined emptiness !

DNRTL : Summary –

1. Paro to Takshang (Tiger Nest base) is less than an hour drive. Don’t reserve the taxi for whole day. Cut a deal with the cab driver to drop and pick you up later.
2. The hike up will take 3 to 4 hours at a relaxed pace. Grade : Moderate.
3. Tips – Carry enough water and food. Have a good breakfast before leaving, you will need all the energy.
4. Although a little tough, the walk itself is beautiful and will be rewarding when you get the view of the tiger nest hanging on the cliff. A truly amazing marvel!
5. You will be back by early evening, and have the rest of the day to stroll along on the only road in Paro. There are many cafes with Wi-fi. 

Day 7 @ Paro: 

Today was local sight-seeing in Paro. I had not booked any cab for the day. Chandra (takshang taxi guy) had quoted 1500. So plan was to walk to the taxi  stand and negotiate the price. On the way out I wanted to pay some cash to reduce the cash I was carrying and also extended stay by a day. I had miscalculated the stay days earlier. I asked the receptionist if the 106 guest came back. She confirmed negative , and I decided to stay back in the same hotel. She inquired about my plans for the day. When she got to know that I had not booked any cab. She arranged a known cab for 4 local places for 1200. That was a good deal. 

National museum. Spent a leisurely time reading and taking notes on the 11 dances, the details were well documented along with the masks that were displayed. 

Then visited the Rinpung Dzong, Paro Dzong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cab driver drove back to Paro city for lunch. It happened to be his wife’s restaurant. He insisted that it was the best hotel, well it had to be. Because he had to help his wife in the hotel kitchen and he also got to play with his little kid during lunch. The best work perk there! 🙂 

 

 

I went in search of Bondey Lakhang listed in the lonely planet Bhutan guide-book. The locals in Paro had not heard about it. So I decided to explore/ search for it. Thanks to the local taxi driver, we went on a search mission for Bondey lakhang. Asked more people on the road and got puzzled expressions in return! And finally the locals directed me to this old temple(needs a small steep trek). This is not Bondey lakhang though, it’s called something else. And this, this place in the picture was even more beautiful because I hadn’t seen it feature in any travel mags or traveler blogs! The joy of being lost and exploring, with rain adding to the fun cannot be matched. I am not listing the name. Leaving it to true explorers to stumble upon this place.

DNRTL : Summary – 

1. Local Paro sightseeing. National museum,Paro Dzong, the Lakhang in the pic
2. Local taxi for the day – Rs. 1200

Day 8

Today was travel day. Nothing else on agenda. So caught up with sleep. Breakfast at 11 am. Sat with the all-in-one staff. She was very worried and had an eye on the entrance while she spoke to me. She told me that her Indian friends made fun of the Gho which guys where in Bhutan. They call it a Ladies dress. “Well we are like that we just mock everything, you clearly know the reason why there is no such thing as a happiness index for our country!”, I mocked myself.  
Info from the conversation: Women’s clothes: Kira is the skirt, Taego is the shirt. Gho is the man’s dress

I checked out after breakfast and traveled to Phuentsholing. 

Day 9 at Phuentsholing

Travel day again. Today was my last day in Bhutan. Just across the gate was India. Woke up late, checked out and had breakfast at noon. Last time I had ordered masala omelette, toast and tea and it costed around 250 and the continental breakfast which includes all this and corn flakes was only 150. Funny, but good for me. Ordered that and brunch was done.
Meanwhile the Hotel staff went and booked a ticket for me. Thanked the guy but also ended up complaining that it was the last seat. He rightfully responded that I had no such instructions on the seating request. Well I had already muffled his favour with my cribbing. 
Another lesson learnt. Never complain when someone has helped, your thank you doesn’t make sense anymore ! 

Went to the market to search for Kira , my last chance at taking back a piece of Bhutan with me. 
And now my budget was higher as the trip was over and I had enough left. I felt smart at the thought..that I had kept shopping at the end except as Murphy’s law has it, you may have money but no goods to buy! 
My luck beat the law though, so I found the Kira and the Taego and bought it at a higher cost than Thimphu. Rs 1200 for a set which most likely will get shelved. 
I left Phuentsholing early evening. Today my Carcolepsy (sleeping in moving vehicles) was not very active. Beautiful green fields were a delight to the eyes. Vast stretches of land with green fields with patches water filled lands adding to the beauty. Then stretches of land with small saplings and then completely barren lands still getting ready for sowing. Just like life ..the land too has phases – barren then flourish and back to being barren..and the cycle continues! 

We crossed the Oodlabari stream and a nice rail bridge at Teesta. Good sights to end the trip with. Stayed overnight at Siliguri. 

Day 10 at Siliguri: 

Did not see anything local at Siliguri. Left in an early morning flight to Bangalore. 

So that was my Bhutan solo travel story.  Here is some general summary : 

1. Bhutan is safe and people are very friendly and helpful. However If you are a solo woman traveler, same awareness that you have in an unknown place applies to Bhutan as well. Have your stun torch or pepper spray ready. And also stay alert when outside. Had no creepy incident to talk about, but I was my alert self when outside and was not venturing out late in the night.
2. Utilize Solo traveling perks, talk to locals and know their culture from them. It’s better than Google. Like a child will still prefer hearing stories from grandma. A true traveler will prefer talking and knowing facts about lifestyle from the locals themselves.
3. I saw very few ATMs and I am not sure if it worked. I carried enough cash for the trip because I had read that there are no ATMs. So carry cash recommendation remains. 
4. Transport – You can fly into Siliguri from your city and then do a road trip to Bhutan (via public bus or rent your own vehicle). Or you can fly into Paro through Druk airlines and rent a local taxi for internal travels. I took the public bus across the border and then took local shared taxis between places. 
5.  Food will not be a treat for people who are finicky about it. There are continental options (cafes etc) in the cities, but while traveling you will have to manage with basic food. Do try their Bhutanese tea. 
6. Plan your travel dates around festivals so that you get to see their mask dance performances. Check the events calendar before you plan your trip. 
7. The trek to Tiger nest is of moderate grade, but it is not to be missed. You do have horse rides here which covers half the trek for you. But I would recommend to trek the whole path unless you have any physical ailments. 
8. Cost: Approx. 2500 to 3500 INR per day. I spent much lesser as I took shared taxis (instead of dedicated ones, and also I traveled off season during rains) and stayed in mid-budget hotels. Carry cash as there are very few ATMs and I am not sure if they were functional. 
9. If you are a non-Indian, then you have to pay a daily tourist fee and a tour guide throughout the trip is a mandate. There is no getting around it. Most people have standard rates if you book with Bhutan tourism directly. The daily fee covers food, accommodation and the guide charges. 
10. Read the DNRTL (Did not read, too long) section under each day for pointers.

Bhutan has amazing terrains for your road trip, Dzongs, beautiful views of the mountains and rivers, lovely happy people and their culture, temples with their prayer wheels, karaoke bars and of course the epic Tiger nest. 

In Summary if you are looking for a nature and culture treat, Bhutan is the place to go. 

 

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Trip path :  Siliguri -> Phuentsholing -> Thimphu -> Punakha -> Thimphu -> Paro  -> Siliguri

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