Bhutan, “The land of the thunder dragon” as its known is a nature lover’s paradise and an environmentalist’s dream. With 72 percent of the country under forest cover, Bhutan’s pristine ecology is home to rare and endangered flora and fauna. It’s the main center for the Vajrayana school of Mahayana Buddhism which around 750,000 people follow and abide by. Bhutan is a unique blend of the old and new and slowly opening up to the modern world in a fine balance with its ancient traditions.
The Gangtey valley sightseeing includes a visit to Paro. You’ll see the ruined fortress of Drugyel dzong which defended the Paro valley from the Tibetan invasion from the north in the early 17th century. On clear day Mount Chomolhari 7320 meters can be seen towering over the dzong. You can proceed through the beautiful valley to the watch tower locally known as Ta-Dzong which was housed into the National museum in the 1960s by the third King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. The seven floors museum highlights various aspects of Bhutanese culture and history dating back to the 7th century.

You can drive down to Thimphu, and visit the Memorial chorten built in the memory of the late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. The 15th century Changangkha monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in the Thimphu valley and was by a descendant of Lama Phajo Dukgom Shigpo. The main statue at the temple is of Avalokiteswara (the eleven-headed Buddha manifestation with 1000 arms and 1000 eyes). The temple is located on the top of a steep hill and visitors gain access up a long flight of stone steps. Entrance to the temple requires an authorised written permit that should be handed to the caretaker monks.

Visit Motithang mini zoo to see the rare “Takin” national animal of Bhutan and drive further down with good view of the Thimphu valley. Other attractions are the Choki Traditional Art School established in 1999, which is a non-profit school which offers free boarding and lodging facilities & education to underprivileged children and the Handicraft center which is a Non-Government Organization which functions as a marketing arm to the rural artisans and entrepreneurs of Bhutan.

The only Nyingmapa monastery in western Bhutan is located in the Gangtey Valley. This beautiful valley is also home to the rare Black Necked Cranes migrating from the Tibetan plateau to escape the harsh winter. Drive down to Punakha to visit the Punakha Dzong which is a remarkable fortress is built between two rivers and has survived many glacial floods and fire. Every year during the month of February a procession known as the Punakha Serda takes place to commemorate the victory over the Tibetans.

You can ride horse back to Taktsang monastery or go hiking for 2-3 hours through villages and pine forests. The monastery is perched on a huge granite cliff 800 meters from the Paro valley. It is believed that the great saint Padmasambhava came in the 7th century on a flying tigress and meditated in a cave for 3 months. During the end of the 17 century a monastery was built on the spot where the saint mediated and it is a pilgrimage site for every Bhutanese to visit once in their life time.

Best time to Visit: During February to May and September to November.   The other months are either cold or rainy but they too have their own flavor.
How to Reach from India
By Air: Paro is the international airport of Bhutan. Regular flights operate between Paro and Delhi and Kolkata.
By Road and Rail:  Take a train up to Siliguri. The point of entry to Bhutan is the border town of Jaigon which is 150 km from Siliguri, the furthest that you can get near Bhutan by rail. A gate separates the Indian town of Jaigaon from the Bhutanese town of Phunsoling and cars are available for hire from Siliguri to Jaigaon.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 16th, 2010 at 3:48 am and is filed under Romantic Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.