Bhutan – The Land of Thunder

You all must have heard about magical door during the childhood stories. I was finally able to find that door during April month of year 2024 after travelling to multiple destinations.

I am talking about the Indo-Bhutan border gate located in Jaygaon town of West Bengal state, which connects with Phuentsholing city in Bhutan, while this Indian town is full of mob and chaotic streets wherein the landscape gets completely changed post crossing the door; the clean streets, less population, less pollution, respect for pedestrians and so on.

Bhutan- A small landlocked country, with approximate population of 8 lakh people is the only net zero emission country in the world. Bhutan doesn’t promote mass tourism in order to prevent its culture and tradition. This high end tourism destination country collect USD $100 per night stay in the form of SDF (sustainable development fees) from each foreigner while Indians just have to pay INR 1200 per night per person, due to friendly political relationship with neighbouring country.

Over and above to SDF there are few more regulations i.e. Mandatory Travel Guide which cost approximately INR 4500 per day, a foreigner must stay in 3 star or above property (approximate cost for a 3 star property per room per night would be odd INR 3000, which may vary depending on the month and tourist footfall).

An approximate cost for an Indian couple travelling to Bhutan would be INR 17,400 per day (2400 SDF, 4500 Guide fees, 4500 Cab rental, 3000 Hotel tariff, 3000 Food expenses), though cost may be reduced if you opt for fixed tour departure with any leading travel company.

How to Reach

Though Bhutan has an international airport in Paro. As of 2024, only 8 pilots globally are trained to fly from this airport due to geographical constraint, hence limited flights served by Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines fly from this beautiful airport, surrounded by mountain peaks.

The economical alternative is to catch flight till Bagdogra airport, located in West Bengal state of India, followed by 4 hours drive until Phuentsholing.

Itinerary

Considering the limitation of a week, we restricted our trip to popular travel destinations of the country- Thimpu, Paro and Punakha.

So now you must be aware about how we reached Phuentsholing (Flight from Delhi to Bagdogra, followed by 4 hours taxi ride)

Day-2

Post spending night stay in Phuentsholing and completing the immigration formalities, we started heading towards Thimpu on the very next day, this mesmerising journey comprises of 4-5 hours. Enroute we covered Chukha waterfall and Chuzom bridge.

Thimpu is the only capital in the world, which doesn't have traffic signals.

Pro Tip: Must try Karaoke at any club, Momo’s at Zombala-2 restaurant and ice cream at the Thimpu city centre.

Day-3

This day was reserved for full day sight-seeing to Punakha valley, We started early post breakfast and covered Dochula pass (3150 meters), this beautiful pass is a concentration of 108 memorial stupas. The next stop was at Punakha Dzong, it's second oldest dzong in the Bhutan. Post visiting Dzong we enjoyed mouth watering Bhutanese lunch next to the Punakha Suspension bridge, the longest and oldest bridge in Bhutan.

Last but not the least- we visited Fertility village while heading back towards Thimpu.

Tip- You may like to experience River rafting in Punakha.

Day-4

Thimpu to Paro

With heavy stone on heart, it was time to say good bye to the beautiful city- Thimpu, though the transit was more off a sight seeing trip. Enroute we took halt at Buddha Dordenma statue, National memorial chorten stupas and Simply Bhutan museum.

It was chilly evening in Paro (5* celsius), Paro is an ideal city for purchasing authentic Bhutanese products.

Day-5

Hike to Tiger's Nest

Tiger Nest- The most awaited day is here, Tiger nest is a Buddhist temple. Hike comprise of 5 kms distance in each direction, average level of fitness is more than sufficient to complete this trek in 4-6 hours. Tiger Nest’s picture is globally used while representing the Bhutan tourism.

Best time to visit

Considering the terrain and weather condition of the country, it is strongly recommended to plan your visit during summers, April to June are the perfect months to plan your vacation to Bhutan.

What else to take care off

Ensure to carry sufficient cash as Indian ATM card’s and UPI doesn’t work in Bhutan.

Refrain from making any political comments.

There would be entry fees to visit most of the monuments, Tiger's nest- INR 1000, Punakha Dzong- INR 500, Simply Bhutan Museum- INR 1000.

About the Author

Dr. Prateek Sapra is based out of New Delhi. A crazy nomad who loves to explore unexplored and offbeat destinations. He believes that every destination has a message that communicates with him. With each trip, he tries to convey the message he receives from each destination to his readers. "Be what you are. There's no need to be like others" This is what he lives by and hopes that he can inspire others to live their best lives too. Happy exploring!