Cestovatel Diáře : Bhutan - The Land of the Thunder Dragon!

How do I start talking about this amazing nine day bike trip, it was quite exquisite. The air was so refreshing, panoramic skies, pleasantly chilled weather, fresh water river streams, evergreen landscapes and the land of most spiciest chilies.

We started our journey towards the mystical and magical Bhutan in the month of December, 2019 from Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri, West Bengal which is the most common land route to head to the border of the country via Jaigon. Now this was purely a group bike tour planned in advance from Mumbai. Maximum tourists from India hire a min van or private vehicle with a tour guide from Bhutan. I booked the tour from Deyor Camps for two people and hired a 500 cc Royal Enfield Thunderbird. The bike is pretty comfortable for two people and riding style is apt for hilly roads. As soon as we came out of the airport, the group instructor was waiting in parking lot with bikes, helmet and a van to carry luggage. This is one of the advantages of going in group bike tour that you get a luggage van and no need to strap luggage yourself on bike and carry the extra weight.

The first day was a good six hour ride (176 km) from Bagdogra airport to Phuentsholing in Bhutan and roads were superb and weather was pleasant. Got pretty chilly in the evening. This day you get adjusted to riding in groups, knowing your fellow riders and getting accustomed to following instructions from your tour leader. Our group was quite nice and diversified, people from across towns and cities in India. Always a good cultural experience this way. Now we were supposed to reach our destination by 6 pm however, there was a couple whose flight had got late and they were coming alone from the airport. So had to wait about 2 hours in between. Unfortunately they had a horrendous experience being alone, as their bike faced some issues and they had to carry luggage themselves. Thankfully they made it to our stop and took some rest before we resumed our ride. Once we were about to enter Bhutan via the border gate, all spirits got lifted again. The gate was really surprising as it seemed so easy to enter and pass. Our resort was booked on the upper side of the town so it was away from main market zone and quite relaxing.

Phuentsholing has no restrictions for entry, anyone can come and go as they please, so there is a huge market with Indian shopkeepers and restaurants. Only to go ahead, you need tourist visa which your tour operator has to arrange for you. Do note, Bhutan cannot be done on your own, you need a Bhutanese guide as per law during your entire trip. The embassy is near the main town and be ready to face lot of crowd and waiting as tourist season is almost throughout the year. This town has many Bhutanese locals but the feel and charm of the country starts once you go ahead. Your tour guide will definitely keep one day in itinerary for obtaining only visa and rest of the day just explore the town. After the visa is done, you can try some local cafe and also there is a monastery at the top which offers aerial view of the town. Now something very unique you notice about the culture here is, no matter what shop or cafe you go to. They have pictures of the king and queen, and now the prince as well. This was seen across all the country and seemed to show how patriotic and devoted the locals are toward their leadership. The next day we started our main journey. The itinerary was fairly simple for nine days.

Siliguri - Phuentsholing – Thimphu – Punakha – Paro – Phuentsholing – Siliguri

This ensured we had enough time for sightseeing and taking breaks in between our daily rides and on top of it, enough time for leisure as well. It was not at all a tiring trip, was well balanced and enjoyable. Our Bhutanese guide and bike group leader were both very helpful and polite.

The first riding route in Bhutan was itself quite a thrill once we started ascending from Pheuntsholing. Landscapes started becoming more beautiful. You see more of bulkier and friendly hilly dogs who are quite adorable. Roads were very smooth and in 'a okay' condition with the locals following traffic rules in a disciplined manner. Stopping for a hot tea or coffee is a must. Riding the roads along the twist and turns is more surreal and every bikers dream. There was no need to speed at all, you can go at a decent pace as there is a van at the end who will always make sure nobody is left behind. Still obviously most of us being from cities, there was a always a need to hush a little and be ahead, but overtaking with signals was followed religiously. Phuentsholing to Thimphu was a good five-six hour ride (150 km) but quite pleasant as many breaks were taken and in between we stopped at a waterfall too. One interesting thing to notice was when royals are passing by in their vehicles everybody on the road gives way without any hesitation. You can hear the siren of police vehicles leading these royals in advance and everyone gives way by default. Before entering Thimphu, the weather got a little more chillier and even full padded riding gloves and jacket were not helping much. Thermals are a must from this point.

Thimphu is a proper city on a hill with a well planned infrastructure and pass ways to reach east from west part of the city easily. The first day it was difficult to even step out in the night as our body was getting used to the new cold temperature, it was I think around 6 degrees in the night. We were thinking, if this is like this what will happen in Paro where it is easily 1 to 2 degrees all day. However next day which was planned for sightseeing in Thimphu, got us used to the temperature. An early morning picturesque walk definitely helps. Thimphu has good amount of sightseeing namely the Buddha Dordemma, a 51 m tall statue of Buddha overlooking the Thimphu city and 'Simply Bhutan' (a small museum or culture society) where one can indulge into the Bhutanese culture. Simply Bhutan, you are met by two-three guides who get you acquainted with the culture followed by a full tour of Bhutanese life, how a traditional kitchen is setup, red chilly history and in the end some archery game and the famous butter tea. It is interesting to notice there are so many types of bowls for meals. For married and single person there is a different type of bowl. Also they show how butter is churned to add in tea. There is a nominal fee around 200 INR per person to take this tour. They also perform an agricultural folk song and traditional dance during the tour.

At the archery practice, if you hit a bulls eye, there are three-four people specially allotted to celebrate your victory in again a type of a traditional ceremony, obviously you can join them. It's quite intriguing and will definitely leave some memories. After all this, they take you at the cafe where butter tea is served and you be an audience to the group dance. You spend a whole two-three hours here and its totally worth it. At the end of the tour, you feel much aware about the culture and the society.

Then one can head to the the tall statue and enjoy the picturesque view of the city. Do note there are many steps to climb, its like a warm up for the trek in Paro to come. The entire statue complex is quite humongous and offers 360 degree view of Thimphu. Inside the monastery, you can observe beautiful paintings and carvings. Its mostly in monasteries where you will find display of 'Druk' the Bhutanese Thunder Dragon on sculptures or carvings. It also appears on the flag of Bhutan, holding jewels to represent wealth. From here to main town is a good descend offering panoramic views. You can also take a pit stop to see king's palace from a top view as entry is not allowed for tourists. Lunch there are many options in Thimphu, would be a good idea to try local delicacies here. In the evening, one can visit the local markets for shopping, as usual touristy shopping area is costly, so go to the crowded market to get best prices. Thimphu is known for good nightlife, so its a good idea to do pub hopping here.

Next day was the ride to Punakha via Dochula Pass(3150m) which has the 108 memorial stupas for their martyred soldiers. Remember this place was in news when one of the bikers climbed up on a stupa and took a pic, it is highly against their law, tradition and most obviously it was unethical. The route to the stupas from Thimphu was completely foggy. There is one check post here before ascending to the stupas. Now, one of our fellow bikers had lost his way and using google maps he thought, he will rendezvous with us directly at the Stupas. All the paperwork was with our tour leader and unfortunately when he was asked to stop at the check post by police, he couldn't hear them or realized they were signalling him. So he went ahead and immediately one of the police officers followed him and ensured he was bought back to the check post. Even though he explained the situation, he was fined 1200 INR. So its always better to be within the group while riding in Bhutan and following the law strictly, slowing down at junctures and check posts. Once this fiasco was over, we headed to the Stupas. The Stupas from far looked hidden in the dense fog, but when we got closer got a good look. There was a small cafe located opposite the stupas where there were good desserts, snacks and off course a nice hot cup of coffee. One good thing about Bhutan is there is no commercialization, which means everything is local. So no MCDs or Starbucks of the world. You get a nice local experience with pleasing hospitality.

After visiting the stupas, the ride continues to Punkakha and on reaching, its best to visit suspension bridge directly. From this terrain you start noticing the clean fresh water river streams which look very refreshing. There is no sign of any pollution or contamination in the water, just pure plain old mountain water. Suspension bridge is quite popular and touristy for clicking pics and noticing the views. Also when you walk over, it moves with yours and other people's weight, so its quite fun as well. Then you can also visit the Punakha Dzong (castle) which famous for its architecture.

After Punakha the ride to Paro continues with fresh river streams surrounding all roads and the terrain keeps changing from time to time. Again well constructed roads to really enjoy riding a bike through eye-catching landscapes. We had stopped at a riverside to enjoy the scenery and freshness of flowing mountain water. Again the river is see through as there is no contamination and pollution. Water tastes a little sweet and very pure. There were times where I felt we should not stop only riding, just carry on and keep exploring. It was so mesmerizing, that it can be experienced and believed only once visited. On route just before reaching Paro, one shoud go to Chele La Pass, the highest motorable point in Bhutan, sitting at 3,988 metres (13,083 ft) above sea level. The pass is located 35 km from Paro. The road upwards is narrow and steep, with sharp turns and sheer drops. This was one of my most memorable routes in Bhutan and probably in lifetime too.

While going up it is still OK, you realize roads are too narrow and your speed is under control. However same doesn't apply while coming down. Once you reach up its quite beautiful, you get surrounding views of valleys and a place dedicated to prayer flags. These flags hold a lot of meaning, Very tall white prayer flags, Manidhar, are also vertical and attached to poles. They are raised on behalf of a deceased person, as a way of remembering the person who died. We also met some Indian armed force personnel as well. Was good to speak to them, asking them about how they manage the weather and other things. True salute to these men. Again there is a vendor here for Maggi and coffee. It goes without saying you need to have it to embrace the fierce cold. We saw little snow but not much of icy roads luckily. There is something called as blind ice where the roads get slippery with snow however are not noticeable to naked eye, good we didn't experience this. I was feeling so cold at this point, decided to go down all by myself without the group. It was good at the start but then the sharp turns while coming down, you need to have proper control. And then all of a sudden I realized brakes are dead, both front and rear. Being a little experienced in bike riding, I knew how to control speeds using gears so still continued. But if something like this happens, best to wait for tour leader and get the bike fixed. Because I did have a close call once with another vehicle coming in front.

However the entire ride was eventful and once I reached down, brakes started on their own again. Maybe because of cold weather they must have got jammed temporarily. From here we headed to Paro city which is quite beautiful and charming. Paro has the international airport which does count as one of the smallest in the world as the runway is very short. The main street in Paro has many pubs with live music. Paro gives you a good feel of Bhutan and is a very calm city. In the night some pubs do feel alive with live music, Park Street Cafe is one such place with live bands and awesome food.

The next morning in Paro was surprising and left us bewildered. It started snowing suddenly, temperature dropped down to a good 1-2 degrees and heater in the room was necessity. But sky was so overwhelming and hotel had a good view of the main street and overview of Paro. The most important part of itinerary is the trek to Tiger Nest Monastery while in Paro. Everybody does this no matter what. Its just a short drive from the main city to where you can start off the trek. The views from the top are mind blowing. Rest of the time in Paro can be spent on shopping for souvenirs and Bhutanese artifacts if interested. Mountain cafe was a good stopover in the main street for continental snacks like pizza. A break from traditional and Indian food. Also there is a Dzong in this town as well surrounded by river stream. A must visit for appreciating mysterious beauty and charm of Bhutan.

After Paro, was our last leg of the ride back to Phuentsholing (126 kms – 5-6 hours) and then from there journey to Siliguri for an overnight stay. We left our bikes in Phuentsholing and vans were arranged to reach Siliguri. Now something very funny happened in the van, as it was the last day we were making lot of noise, playing songs on full blast and the driver did warn us, that before crossing the border please stay well behaved. So just before reaching the border one cop stopped our van as so much noise was coming. He said you can do all this once you cross but not in Bhutan territory. He was trying to speak to one of the passengers who was listening to music on earphones. The fellow passenger ignored this and shut the van window on the cop's face. The cop got so angry, he made us wait for sometime and unloaded his frustration on the driver. The driver apologized and somehow the cop let us go. Then the journey was smooth towards our Siliguri hotel and like all good things come to an end this too did. It felt good having proper Indian food after a long time that night. No matter where you go, the flavors and spices of India will always come back to you.

Next day morning flight was booked for return to Mumbai. This was definitely one of the best bike trips I had and the journey down Chele La Pass was unforgettable. Bhutan being so close to India is so different and unique in culture. It was a very eventful trip with loads of memories which will be cherished for times.

Few important and useful tips about Bhutan:

INR works as local currency except 2000 notes last time I checked, you pay in INR everywhere and they might give Bhutanese currency in return for smaller denominations.
Indian food available easily and both veg and non veg options. If possible stick more to veg food, as meat mostly being processed frozen meat tastes not as good as fresh.
Bhutanese food like Phaksha Pea, Ema Datshi and dim sums are must try but can be spicy
We booked bike trip via Deyor Camps which costed Rs.30,000 per person approximately inclusive of accommodation, bike rental, petrol, immigration, bike paperwork, breakfast and dinner meals. The cost will also vary depending on bike you choose and as a couple you get twin room accommodation but as a single you will need to stay in triple room accommodation. There is no major competitor to Deyor Camps yet, so cant really comment whether some other group tour would have been better, Deyor Camps was just a mediator who are completely dependent on their Bhutanese contacts. Their own staff does not come for the trip. Their Bhutanese support team is jolly, polite, helpful and that matters a lot. Also bear in mind that lunch is not inclusive and the group leader will decide the place you halt at.
If doing bike trip, please carry own helmet, armored jacket and riding pants/gear with very good protective boots
During December season, weather was quite cold so essential to carry thick warmers and thermals
Accommodation: