Bhutan

RIDE TO BHUTAN

 

Two first edition Hero Honda CBZs, one KTM Duke 390, four eager travelers and plans to travel through the land of legends, happiness and the thunder dragon.

Our journey began from Jalpaiguri. Having chosen the monsoon season for our trip, we were well prepared for a bit of rain and were not disappointed. Needless to say, the rain clouds added a fresher green to the tea estates of west Bengal. We were sure glad we packed our rain proof clothing and that all our gear and bags were waterproof.

 We rode till the border town of Jaigaon before crossing over into Phuentsholing, the border town on the Bhutan side.

It is a good idea to cross over into Phuentsholing well before 4:00 pm as that is when the immigration as well as the RSTC office closes for the day. Also keep in mind that the Bhutan Standard Time is half an hour ahead of the Indian Standard Time.

The immigration process for Indian tourists is fairly simple. Visitors are required to carry along either their passports or their voter ID cards as well as color photocopies of the same and passport sized photographs. 

Driving licenses are not accepted at the immigration counter. After filling the form with details of the places one wishes to visit in Bhutan, the authorities will do a scan to check if your information already exists in their system and will do a fresh registration with your fingerprints and photograph if you are a first time visitor.

Considering you have all the necessary documents, the whole process takes not more than 20 minutes once the forms have been submitted.

We were soon handed over our immigration permits. The permit allows you to travel to the city of Paro and Thimphu and is valid for a period of seven days.

For the bikes, additional vehicle permits were required to be taken from the RSTC office to ride any further into Bhutan. As we had already planned on spending the night in Phuentsholing, we decided to wait until the next morning to do the formalities for the bikes.

After a ride around the small town of Phuentsholing, we soon found some decent accommodation. A double room with extra beds, all for just Rs.1500.

Parking anywhere in Bhutan is not like what we are used to in India. Vehicles must only be parked at designated parking spots, for a small fee. People are extremely helpful and anyone would guide you to the nearest parking space.

 After a night filled with great momos and delicious cheesecakes, we were ready the next morning to continue the formalities of having our vehicle permits done, as well as pay the customs (200%tax)  for the cigarettes we were carrying .

 For the vehicle permits , one needs to head to the R.S.T.C. building . the people there are also very sweet and the whole process took less than 20 minutes .

We paid Rs. 125 for xerox facilities for all our documents . you need to carry your RC book/smart card , Insurance , P.U.C. (pollution certificate) , driving license and your entry permits.

We had to pay Rs. 70 for each bike , totaling Rs. 210 for permits for all 3 bikes .

We were now good to go with our plans. After having our vehicle permits , we crossed back into Jaigoan(India) for one last chai and smoke .We also tried looking around for a petrol pump but couldn’t find anything nearby so instead tanked up in Phuentsholing. The petrol was cheaper and seemed to be cleaner too . most Indian cars fill up here instead of Jaigaon because the petrol is very cheap if compared.

Please follow all traffic rules , and have your helmets on at all times .The cops are strict, but also very nice and will happily warn you rather than book you for the offence .

The road to Paro is beautiful and with hardly any traffic. The weather never troubled us and the little bit of drizzle added a nice mood to the ride.

Clouds surrounded us as we rode higher into the mountains. The experience is exhilarating.

 Soon, we reached our first check post. Both the vehicle registrations and the permit papers need to be shown at any check post that you cross while travelling in Bhutan. The whole process took less than five minutes, reminding us again of the efficiency of the officials in Bhutan.

With a distance of about 160 km between Phuentsholing and Paro, we were looking at about five hours to reach our destination. Having left Phuentsholing well after lunch, we were hoping to reach Paro by late evening.

Unfortunately, it did start to rain on the way and with the fog, it wasn’t possible to go very fast. We also could not resist stopping every now and then to take pictures and sit by the roadside and take in the beautiful sights of the mountains and the sky.

Around 7:30 in the evening, it started to rain a little harder and a decision was made to stop at the next available hotel for the night. Finding a place to rest is not very difficult as most of the towns have one or two lodges. Soon, we found a small lodge with rooms available for Rs.500. Don’t expect great luxury at every place you stop as most of the small lodges in the villages have just a bed and blankets to keep you warm. After having ridden for so long in the rain, we were glad to have gotten a chance to rest. The food at the small restaurant run by the owners of the lodge was warm and homely and we found ourselves tucked in bed by 10:00.

Early next morning, we were ready to ride again. It is a good idea to carry a bike cover along and make sure you cover your bike at night to save it from the dew and fog and the falling temp.

We were pleasantly surprised to have found a cozy little tourist cafe on our way to Paro.

 The lovely coffee and noodles with omelets that they served was amazing, so was the view as we ate. This cafe is near a village called Thimasham . There is also a good hotel called hotel Ghalley in Thimasham .  The hotel is 8 km from the tourist cafe .

Needless to say, this was also the perfect place for our club sticker!

The road to Paro is unbelievably beautiful. We were happy to stop every now and then and just sit and stare.

We were in Paro, well in time for an early lunch and were welcomed by the first of many rainbows in Bhutan.

Finding a hotel was not very difficult as Paro is a small town with just two roads running parallel to each other. The river runs alongside the town and provides a great place for evening walks. The hotel in Paro was just Rs.1200. with an extra mattress. We stayed at the Paro hotel where the staff was very helpful and the place was very clean.

There are a lot of places to eat in Paro. We soon found one that we loved. After walking around the town in the evening, we came across the karaoke bar called Insomnia.

 This is the usual watering hole for the youngsters of the town and is a great joint for meeting locals and chatting over a bottle of any of the local Bhutanese beer (Druk Lager, Druk supreme, Druk 1100 and Red Panda). 

The bartender was also happy to let us try a selection of the Bhutanese whiskies. The whisky they have on offer are local ones, called special courier, highland and k5. There’s also a good red wine by the name of Takin.

Right above Insomnia is a family run restaurant with amazing food and surprisingly pocket friendly. We ended up paying less than Rs.500. for a meal for four. Well fed and happy, we walked back to our hotel for a good night’s sleep, in preparation for the next day’s ride.

The next morning we started for the ride through the picturesque Haa valley, travelling all the way to Chele La pass (the highest point of the Dantak roads) and then back to Paro, a total distance of about 90 km. It is a good idea to pick up a road map from any of the shops in Paro.

The route to Chele la from Paro is about 35 km , but we instead took a slightly longer route to Haa . we started from Paro, and took the road to Chapcha , then Shari , Sangkari and then on wards to Haa valley . Haa is a beautiful place which also acts as a base for the army.  Though the road from Paro to Chele la isn’t very long or strenuous , id  still suggest you take the longer route when heading to Haa and then take the Chele la pass back to Paro .

By the time we reached Chele La, it was already dark but it was worth the ride. We were surprised that our bikes could manage the steep climb up. Chele la Pass is at an altitude of 3988 meters and is one of the highest motor able roads in Bhutan. Make sure you have enough warm clothing on as Chele la Pass can get very chilly.

Our plans for the next day in Paro consisted of going to the Tiger’s nest Monastery or the Paro Taktsang monastery. Located on the Cliff-side of the upper Paro valley, the legend has it that Guru Rinpoche flew to this location on the back of a tigress.

This is one of the most serene monasteries of Bhutan and also one of the most difficult to get to. Visiting it involves an hour and a half trek up the mountain. A small cafeteria waits just before the last stretch of climb to the monastery, offering coffee, tea and biscuits to the visitors.

 

There are ponies available to take you up till the Monastery at a cost of Rs.500-800. But the Ponies do not carry people back as the trip down can be too steep. So if you have a bad Knee than you should avoid this trek. The Monastery closes for lunch between 1:00 to 2:00 pm.

We decided to spend another day in Paro just to walk in and around town and meet with the locals.

  Paro, like Thimphu has a weekend market for fresh produce. You can find everything from chilies to dried meat and cheese here.

Archery, being the national sport of Bhutan is often seen being practiced around Paro.

  The Paro Dzong is a great place to visit if you are up for a walk. It is surrounded by gardens with walnut trees and the river for company.

 The next day, we were ready to start our ride to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. Covering a distance of 54 km, the road from Paro to Thimphu is one of the best.

We passed rows of apple trees laden with fruit and were glad to have come across quite a few make shift stalls selling fresh apples.

 Thimphu is located in the constricted, linear valley of the Thimphu river.

Being the largest city in Bhutan, Thimphu is more modern, with a town square and an international stadium. Yet, the traditional Bhutanese architecture and clothing can be seen everywhere.

Hotels are a little more expensive here, yet a little bit of search got us a nice place overlooking the central market area for Rs.1500. The name of the place was Hotel Singye, and was very comfortable. Our room was on the 4^th floor and we always had a lovely view of the market place below. The only problem with being there was that the hotel doesn’t have an elevator, and carrying 30-40 kilos up was a little tough.

This is a view from the room.  There are lots of places to eat and relax at in an around here. We became regulars at a place called The Tibetan kitchen. This is to the left of the amphitheater here. They have great food and are lovely people too. The quantity of the food is more than one would expect, so do order carefully. 

The picture above is our first meal there at Tibet kitchen. The main food you get in Bhutan is cheese, chilies, beef and pork (served with rice or noodles). We hardly came across any chicken or mutton throughout our journey; vegetarians have a choice of mushrooms, potatoes and other vegetables. An interesting item to try is the Tingmo buns which are basically buns that have been steamed instead of baked. They are heavy and fill you up nicely.

After having made friends with the locals, we spent our first evening at a pub called Mojo Park. They have good live music (classic rock and indie pop) almost every evening.

 The owner/manager is a person called Kinley, a very sweet and helpful guy.  Right next door to Mojo park is the Zone Cafe. The yak Burger here is a must have.

Thimphu has the most places to see. So we decided to start off early the next day and make the most of it.

 First stop, the textile museum. The museum houses various clothing items specially handcrafted and belonging to members of the royal family, worn by them at various important occasions. Photography is not allowed inside the display area although we were allowed to take pictures in the part of the museum where the cloth was being made on the looms. The museum also has a shop where you can purchase anything from the traditional clothes, to locally collected honey and various little mementos.

  

 Next, we went to the Zorig Chusom institute of art and craft. Students here train in the traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan like painting, sculpture, sword making, wood carving etc. visitors can visit the classrooms and see the students at work. Photography is allowed though taking videos isn’t.

  

We then visited the Takin reserve. The Takin is the national animal of Bhutan. It is a strange looking animal and is curious by nature. After having walked around the entire reserve and having seen the Takin only from a distance, we decided to sit near the fencing at one point. 

After we had sat there quietly for about fifteen minutes, one of the bigger males of the herd started to get curious and walked right up to where we were sitting. He finally settled down for a snooze and we could take as many pictures as we wanted. 

We were also fortunate enough to come across a deer and its newly born baby.

By the time we finished here, it was getting near sunset, so we decided to ride up till the sitting Buddha statue. 

This statue is situated in the Thimphu valley on top of a hill and is a 15-25 minute ride up. The gigantic statue is made of brass and gilded in gold and is visible from most of the locations in Thimphu. 

The ride to the Buddha point in itself is beautiful as we could see the entire valley and the Thimphu town below us. There were also many joggers and cyclists going up along the way and we soon realized why; the government has built many open air gyms along the road going to the Buddha point for people to enjoy their workouts in the fresh air and with a view that is unrivaled.

 

Our immigration permit was going to expire and the office where we could get it extended is in Thimphu. So the next morning, we first set out to get that done. Also, if one wishes to travel any further than Thimphu, then an extended permit has to be made. Once that was done, we had to also get our vehicle permits extended. The entire process takes little over 30 minutes.

 Through the rest of our stay in Thimphu, we decided to visit other places in the city like the walking Buddha statue, the stadium, the Thimphu Dzong etc.

After Thimphu, our itinerary included travelling all the way to the central Bhutan town of Bhumthang. Unfortunately, everyone we met in Thimphu advised us against it as there was major road construction work in progress along that stretch and it would have been dangerous for bikes to do it.

Still, since we had extended permits now we decided to go ahead till Punakha at least.

As expected, the road till Punakha was also pretty bad with a lot of construction work going on. 

We crossed the famous Dorchula pass on the way with 108 Chortens. The view from the top of the pass is amazing. When we reached it was cloudy. Yet, we could not help but be amazed by the beauty of it all. A small yet well maintained cafeteria called the Druk Wangyel cafe offers a nice place to rest and eat before continuing any further. The cafe is located right in front of the Chortens.

We reached Punakha by late afternoon but after a light lunch and a visit to the Dzong, decided to head back to Thimphu as we could not find any available accommodation for the night.

The Punakha Dzong is one of the most beautiful in Bhutan

We finally got back to Thimphu city late at night and with the help of a few locals, managed to find a place to stay as everything in Bhutan shuts by 9:00 pm. The very next morning, we started for our journey back to Phuntsholing. Below are a few pictures from the return journey.

We did another night halt on the way at hotel Ghalley and decided to ride straight back to Jalpaiguri the next day after a lunch break in Phuntsholing.

Visiting Bhutan on a bike is an experience that we believe, is unlike any other. The air is so clean that we could not even imagine wanting to be locked inside a car. Unlike people visiting from other countries, Indian travelers in Bhutan have the freedom of travelling without a tour guide provided all the permits are in check and all the traffic rules are followed.

Between the four of us, we had a combined budget of Rs. 5000 per day including the hotel stay. Although it would be wise to travel with an additional budget for a couple of days as you would surely want to stay on for just a little bit longer.

Since our trip included having a backpacker’s budget, we did not plan on carrying back any mementos. You can buy the traditional clothing or sculptures from the Thimphu handicraft market to take back with you. These can cost anything between Rs. 1500-6000.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that only the axis bank cards work in certain ATM's in Bhutan (we came across only one in Thimphu). So we carried along the cash for the entire trip as none of us had axis bank accounts.

Indian Sim cards do not work beyond Phuntsholing. We purchased a Bhutanese Sim card of a company called Tashi cell. They provide internet services as well and for a total amount of Rs. 700, we could get enough talk time for our entire trip. Make sure you have photo identity as well as your immigration permit and passport size photo handy when you go to buy the sim card.

The people of Bhutan are extremely peace loving, honest and polite and do not take kindly to anyone being rude. So, try and avoid bargaining at shops and being loud in restaurants. Everybody greatly respects each other and wants to make tourists feel welcome, so any kind of help is always available.

Bhutan is one of the cleanest countries of the world so beware of littering. The locals take great pains in keeping their surroundings clean and are proud of it.

Although we visited Bhutan in the months of July-September, this is not really the best time to travel there as the monsoon is still ongoing. Between October and November is when the most tourists visit Bhutan.

This is a brief summary of our journey. if there are any doubts or queries , then feel free to get in touch with us over facebook, or send us an email (khalilkhan13@gmail.com, yaatradvivedi@gmail.com) . We would be more than glad to be of any help .