Hola World,
I just got back from a wonderful holiday and i felt this immense necessity to share with the world what a beautiful time i had. The idea had been to take a time out and travel with my mother and 3 friends to an exotic location where we could all unwind from the hectic pace of our daily lives and something we all terribly needed!
The first choice had been Thailand but then torrential rainstorms hit there and so we decided to change destinations. Bhutan was decided and i must confess initially i was pretty pissed off. Their was a tinge of curiosity since i love Ladakh but i kept it to myself and continued to show i was miffed!!!
We flew out from Bombay to Calcutta and from their Paro (Bhutan) is a 55 minute flight. The Bhutan airport is n the Guiness Book for two reasons-the shortest runway and the smallest international airport. i was fine with the second but the first (shortest runway0 seemed to scare the crap out of me!) The flight was amazing, you see the himalayan range and fly past 'Kanchenjunga'. All you see is mountains and i could see no runway anywhere.The approach to the runway is phenomenal, you start decending and before you know it you are flying through mountains making sharp lefts and rights and then as you make a right you see this short airstrip and wonder how this boeing is gonna land it. IT WAS A PERFECT SMOOTH LANDING!!!
Bhutan does not encourage tourism and you have to have it all worked out before you enter the country with prior permissions from the Government all arranged. Though it is a visa on entry, if you do not have the paper work ready they will very politely have you board back the same flight to India!!
We had finally landed and the first thing i was struck by was the architecture. Bhutan sets you back about 200 years in the way it is. Rooted to maintaining its rich heritage and tradition they are more than content to preserve the way they are today with no desire for modernisation of any kind.
We travelled through Bhutan starting off in Paro and then covering Thimpu, Punakha, Bumthang and Gangtey all by road. The road etiquette was a learning lesson for all indians and where ever we went we were greeted with warmth and affection. We had a wonderful Prado which was amazingly comfortable for the terrain and all in all must have driven a total of 3 and a half days to cover Bhutan.
We visited Dzongs and Monasteries and were treated to some exquisite food. One of my favorites was the Taktsang Monastery (an 8 hour climb!) in the mountains which is one of the holiest places for all Buddhists and Bhutanese. It is a place they must visit once in their life time. The Taktsang to Buddhists is like what the Mecca is to Islam. It was a mind blowing experience.
Bhutan is a must see for those who love nature and want to be in a country far away from the hustle and bustle of life. For peace go to the Gangtey Valley which visually looks like an 18 hole golf course set between two mountains. It is a famous place where the endangered Black Cranes come to rest. A MUST SEE....
There is so much to say but i shall end this article for now....
An important note for Indians when travelling to Bhutan:
Please carry a lot of cash with you. There are no ATMs in Bhutan and they do not accept Debit or Credit Cards. They also do not accept 500 or 1000 rupee notes. The currency equivalent is the same as that of the rupee.
