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Located in the heart of the high Himalayan mountain range, Bhutan is a landlocked country surrounded by mountains. The sparsely populated Greater Himalayas, bounded to the north by the Tibetan plateau, reach heights of over 7,300 m, and extend southward losing height, to form the fertile valleys of the Lesser Himalayas that are divided by the Wang, Sunkosh, Trongsa and Manas rivers. The entire country is virtually mountainous, the 7554-m Kulha Gangri on the Tibetan border being the highest. North to south, Bhutan features three geographic regions, namely, the high Himalayas of the north, the hills and valleys of the interior, and the foothills and plains of the south. Its great rivers helped to carve its topography and their enormous potential for hydropower has helped shape the economy. Monsoon influences promote dense forestation in this region and alpine growth at higher altitudes. The cultivated central uplands and Himalayan foothills support the majority of the population. In the south, the Daurs Plain drops sharply away from the Himalayas into the large tracts of semi-tropical forest, savannah grassland and bamboo jungle. Forests and woodlands cover 70% of Bhutan's total area.
The climate of Bhutan is variable from region to region. While it is tropical in the southern plains, in the central valleys one experiences cool winters and hot summers. On the other hand, in the Himalayas severe winters and cool summers are prevalent.
Among the rare and exotic faunas found in Bhutan the golden langur, red pandas, black-necked crane, snow leopard, takin, musk deer, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan marten, tiger, hornbills, pheasants, mountain goats and timid blue sheep are some.
Places to go:
Thimphu
Thimphu is Bhutan's capital city. The population of Thimphu is estimated to be about 30,000. It is located in the west of Bhutan. Thimphu is modern in age only: new buildings are still based on traditional designs with elaborately painted trefoil-shaped windows and nailless wooden frames. Among its sights are the Memorial Chorten (dedicated to the king’s late father Jigme Dorji Wangchuck) and the Tashicho Dzong a 350-year-old structure built by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and refurbished in 1961 to house government departments and ministries.
The king's throne room is in this Dzong. As the nation's largest monastery it is the summer quarters of 2 000 monks and the Je Khenpo, the spiritual leader and head of the monk body. Next to the Dzong is Thimphu's only golf course.
Also in town are the Changgankha Monastery and the early-17th-century Simtokha Dzong (fortress-turned-university of the Buddhist studies).
Shop for local crafts at the multilevel Government Handicraft Emporium (where you can also cash traveler’s checks) or at one of several privately run emporiums (Choeki Handicrafts is a good choice for its wide selection and reasonable prices). Budding painters and sculptors can be seen at work at the National Art School and tours to the National Library Jungshi Paper Factory and Royal Academy of Performing Arts are rewarding cultural experiences.
Stop at the Swiss Bakery, a frequent hangout for tourists and expatriates for pastries and coffee.
The Thimphu Domche (festival) which lasts for five days is in late September.
Bumthang
Located in the east-central part of the country this small town is surrounded by heavenly apple groves (the juice is fantastic). Bumthang is one of the most beautiful places in Bhutan. It has very beautiful undulating landscapes with many fruit trees and temples. Bumthang is in the area where Buddhism first took hold in Bhutan. The town has several temples including Kuje Lhakhang (dating from the 8th century) Jampey Lhakhang (associated with Guru Rimpoche who brought Tantric Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet) and Jakar Dzong (which alone makes Bumthang worth a one-night stop). There are two interesting festivals—Tamshing Phala and Thangbi Mani—in late September. It is located to the east of Thimphu. It will take about 9 - 10 hours from Thimphu by car. It is about 250 km from Thimphu.
Wangdiphodrang
Set in a curving valley with fields of grazing cattle Wangdiphodrang has a beautiful dzong. It also has a very spectacular bridge over the river. We recommend it as a day trip from Thimphu. It holds the Wangdi Tsechu (festival) in mid September. 19 mi/30 km east of Thimphu.
Tashigang, located in the east of Bhutan is the largest district of Bhutan. It is comprised of many valleys and villages. Compared to the valleys in the west like Paro and Thimphu, the valleys in the east are narrow and steep.
The only college in Bhutan which confers bachelor and honours degrees in arts, commerce and science fields is located in Kanglung under Tashigang district, about 2 hour's drive from Tashigang town. Students qualifying to study in Sherubtse college are considered as the cream of Bhutanese youths.
Tashigang town itself is a very small town, with about 40 or 50 shops, one school and a general hospital. The town itself is cramped into a very uncomfortable area of little space with no more space left for expansion. The main reason for the town being there is that the Tashigang Dzong, which houses the district's administrative centre is located there.
Like all other Dzongs, Tashigang Dzong is a beautiful and imposing structure built on a ridge overlooking the Dangme chhu river.
Tashigang is surrounded by barley, rice and wheat fields as well as tropical-fruit orchards. The best time to visit is between October and April—you'll avoid the leeches, mosquitoes and landslides.
While one night is enough to see everything, allow two because it's so remote and unusual. The Chortenkora festival is in mid March. From Thimphu, Tashigang can be reached in two ways: via Phuntsholing and Samdrup Jongkhar in the south (taking 3 days by public bus with overnight stops), or via central Bhutan taking about 2 days. Be warned that Tashigang does not have good hotels.
If you come to Bhutan by air, you'll probably land in Paro. Western Bhutan is the heartland of the Drukpa people and you will be confronted with the largest, oldest and most spectacular dzongs in the kingdom and you will immediately realise you are well off the beaten track of world tourism.
The town of Paro lies in the centre of the rich, fertile Paro valley, with beautiful landscapes, scenic villages and historic buildings all within a few kilometres. Immerse yourself in Bhutanese culture in the National Museum close to the town centre - the building itself was completed in 1656.
Phobjika Valley
Phobjika is a glacial valley on the western slopes of the Black Mountains. It borders the Black Mountains National Park which is one of the most important wildlife preserves in the country because of the large flock of rare, endangered black-necked cranes that winter there.
These birds have a special place in Bhutanese folklore and you can learn more about the cranes at the Crane Observation and Education Centre and view their roosting place. It's an awesome spectacle at dusk when all the birds from the valley congregate for the night.
You can visit Punakha as a long day trip from Thimphu this former capital of Bhutan offers superlative views of the Himalaya, nearby Wangdiphodrang Dzong and Punakha Dzong. The latter is the winter home of the largest group of monks in the country (some 500) and the Je Khempo ( spiritual leader of the monk body). Punakha Dzong is built on the confluence of the two rivers Pho chhu (meaning - Male river) and the Mo chhu (female river). Although renovations and extensions were carried out later, the Dzong was first built by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal who unified the country under one government in the 17th Century.
The drive to Punakha is breathtaking. Although there are two ways to go we recommend the impressive Dochula Pass (Dochula La). The Punakha Domche festival is in late February. Punakha is some 30 km northeast of Thimphu.
Culture
In many ways, Bhutan seems to teeter between contemporary and medieval: monks transcribe ancient Buddhist texts into laptop computers, traditionally-dressed archers use alloy steel bows and arrows, and video rental shops did a brisk trade before television was finally introduced in 1999. Bhutan has been described as 'a living museum' because its ancient dzongs and temples are still the focus of modern life. Although it is the last Buddhist Himalayan state you won't find a nation of saintly, ascetic, other-worldly monks, but a vibrant, fun-loving and well-educated population. Every aspect of life in the kingdom is guided by the ethics of its official religion, Drukpa Kagyu Buddhism, and without a rudimentary understanding of this you'll never get a handle on Bhutan.
Menus in Bhutan are a fantasy concocted of the ingredients a restaurant would like to have and what is actually on their shelves. As your trip will be an all-inclusive package, expect to eat most meals at your hotel (buffet fans are in for a treat). Your guide can arrange dinner at local restaurants but beware: traditional Bhutanese food always features chillies and the most popular dish is ema datse made with large, green hot chillies in a cheese sauce. Though there is plenty of white rice, Bhutanese prefer a local, slightly nutty, red variety. At high altitudes, wheat is the staple. Several Tibetan-style dishes are common, including momos (dumplings) and thukpa (noodles). Pork fat is popular in the wilds because of its high energy content - visitors find it almost inedible because it's usually stale. There are no slaughterhouses in Bhutan, and only a few cold storage facilities, so even the keenest carnivores should consider going veggie for their stay.
Last edited by Anna (1:27, 08 July 2006)
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