We had a very early morning today, as there was the long drive to Punakha – a distance of about 200km – ahead of us. We were now heading back the same way that we had come in two days before – so, there were only limited stops along the way. We reached Punakha and Wangdue Phodrang Dzong around midday – and had a quick tour of this dzong – that sits nicely on top of a cliff overlooking the valley and offering great views. The dzong was originally built in 1638 – but did burn down in 2012, the re-building only finished in 2022 (now with proper firefighting equipment in place).
A monastic Afternoon
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We spent most of the morning at Jambay Lhakang temple – before making our way to a nearby homestay, for a chance to try some archery and the Bhutanese version of “darts” (to me it felt closer to ax-throwing than … Continue reading
Temple Festival at Jambay Lhakhang
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Today started with great views of the valley from our hotel and a great breakfast (with great bread and cheese, plus home-made jam and yogurt). The drive was local today, we were just heading for Jambay Lhakhang, a temple believed … Continue reading
Continuing to Bumthang
We were already well into the afternoon by now – so it was time to continue the journey towards today’s destination – Bumthang … another good 60km to go.
En-route we had a short stop at the border between the Trongsa and Bumthang regions at Yotongla Chorten – to then proceed to a weaving mill, to get an introduction to weaving and an opportunity for souvenir shopping. We made it to Bumthang only after dark – again with well heated rooms, a great dinner and (in my opinion) the best hotel of the whole trip waiting for us.
Trongsa Dzong²
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We had made it to Trongsa – and were now looking at a visit to Trongsa Dzong, the largest fortified monastery in Bhutan situated high above the river with spectacular views. We had the usual tour through the dzong (well … Continue reading
Heading for Trongsa
This morning we had a drive of about 80km ahead of us. First heading back up to the monastery and across Lawala pass and then heading East towards Trongsa. The drive was broken up by a few stops along the way – shorter photo/ toilet stops, one at Pele La pass (at 3420m above sea level) and a longer one at Chendebji Chorten, a bright-white stupa dating back to the 18th century.
As we reached the Mangde Chhu River valley we got a first glimpse of Trongsa Dzong from a view point – with the dzong about a kilometer away (as the crow flies). We however had to follow the street along the valley – making this a 13km drive (plus a stop at a waterfall cafe en-route with probably the best espresso on the trip) – taking us a bit less than an hour.
From Gangtey Monastery into the Valley of the Black-necked Crane
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We arrived at Gangtey Monastery in the afternoon – had a quick tour around the monastery and its temples – before hitting the Gangtey Nature Trail for a bit of a physical workout. We kicked it off at the monastery, … Continue reading
On the Road across Bhutan
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We left the capital in the morning for the 125km drive (about four hours – plus stops) to Gangtey Monastery and the Phobjikha Valley. Our first stop was already less than an hour into the drive, as we made it … Continue reading
Simply Bhutan
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After lunch it was time for some lighter content – and Simply Bhutan, a museum resembling a Bhutanese village showcasing some of the country’s traditions, hit the spot. After a welcome with a shot of local liquor (arra) we were … Continue reading
A Buddha-heavy morning in Thimphu
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Today we had an action-packed day ahead of us – set up similar to our day in Gangtok with the morning on Buddha-heavy and the afternoon more profane. We kicked the day off with a visit to the National Memorial … Continue reading