Part I - Bhutan - rightly called the last Shangri La

Saint Augustine's quote: "The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page" 

I am passionate about travelling, so much so, that even a trip to the market rejuvenates me. I am lucky my husband shares this passion, even if it's restricted to the surreal places on earth. I visit the mundane by myself ;-)

Part I - Research, Planning and Reaching Bhutan

Our family of 3 started planning a trip to Bhutan. Due to lack of time we could not squeeze in a trip to North Sikkim (and maybe it was for the better otherwise it might have been too taxing a travel along with our 4 year old). We researched and came to know that Indian citizens require a travel permit (issued on the basis of either a valid voter's id card or valid indian passport) to travel inside Bhutan. We did not check at permit office in Bhutan whether aadhar card can be proof - but so far as we know, it is not. If travelling by road, Indian citizens have free entry into the border town of Phuentsholing in Bhutan (Jaigaon on Indian side) - the permit is issued in Phuentsholing and only then can you travel further. If flying into Paro, we are told, the permit is issued at the airport. My passport was out for renewal and voter's id had spelling mistakes. Fortunately the passport came in 2nd week of May. By then we had completed most of the research and so booked return flights to Bagdogra between June 5th and 13th. We surfed http://www.ixigo.com/ and http://www.goibibo.com/ to get quote of lowest combo fares. We could finally book from the spicejet website – as we prefer booking from airline website if fares are similar to ones quoted on travel sites. We had plans of taking connecting flights to/from Paro. Please note that Paro is a valley and only certified highly skilled pilots are allowed to operate the Druk Air flights (it is also the only airline allowed to fly in Bhutan). As such, flights are scheduled only in the 1st half of the day. We were reaching Bagdogra post lunch and hence we missed out on flying into Bhutan.

Indiamike has one most popular post by Mr. Ashish Das - "Our trip to Bhutan - A Senior Citizen's Effort to Backpack" which helped us apart from many other travel sites, blogs and wikitravel/ wikipedia. A list is given below:

1. http://www.ankionthemove.com/2012/10/paro-bhutan-placesphotos.html

2.http://www.indiamike.com/india/crossing-the-border-f57/bhutan-travelogue t153068/#post1318670

3. http://alonetraveler.weebly.com/bhutan.html

4. http://sudarmuthu.com/blog/things-to-keep-in-mind-while-traveling-in-bhutan

5. http://tatkalticket.blogspot.in/2011/11/bhutan-bumthang-valley.html

6. http://elusive42.windforwings.com/2011/10/bhutan-trip-part-1-crossing-border.html

7. http://royalvilla.blogspot.in/2006/05/bhutan-day-3-thimphu-punakha.html

8. http://travel.paintedstork.com/blog/2012/09/spending-weekend-thimphu-bhutan.html

9. http://tidbitsfromnowhere.blogspot.in/2008/01/bhutan-diary-3-thimphu-capital-with-no.html

10. http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowTopic-g293844-i10038-k5107501-Gantey_or_Haa_Valley-Bhutan.html

11. http://www.hungrysher.com/2012/04/bhutan-phuentsholing-paro-thimpu.html

12. http://www.traveldudes.org/travel-tips/what-place-paro-taktsang-monastery-tigers-nest-bhutan/1783

13.http://books.google.co.in/books?id=s-L8NUlW_QgC&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&dq=hotel+Tandin+contact&source=bl&ots=it0pdIacBm&sig=_23HubusarUSIIWchyOiltKhrGI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=r4uPUde0JIvSrQenk4DAAQ&ved=0CIABEOgBMAk#v=onepage&q=hotel%20Tandin%20contact&f=false

14. http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Siliguri

As per our itinerary, we were going to change hotels almost every day so we decided to travel light and simple. Even then, we did carry an umbrella and the child’s raincoat (especially since we were going mostly towards the rainy season) and some light weight jackets. Regarding money, we carried substantial amount of cash as per budgeted expenses. Denominations we carried were Rs.500 and Rs.100. We did not have Rs.1000 notes - however we were advised to carry less of them in case of problems due to fear of counterfeit. 1 Ngultrum (pronounced “knew- L-trooms”) or Nu is equivalent to 1 Re. and indian currency is readily accepted all over Bhutan. So there is no foreign currency exchange needed if carrying indian rupees. Later towards the end of our travel we withdrew some Nu currency from a PNB atm in Paro – however we restricted the withdrawal to the amount that was surely needed within Bhutan. As it would have otherwise been difficult for us to exchange back for Indian Rupees.

Day 1 - June 5th: Early morning 7.20 a.m. flight from our home town took us to Delhi and then to Bagdogra - reaching there at 1.30 p.m.

There is an option to travel by cab or bus to the border. Hiring a taxi directly to Phuentsholing would cost approximately Rs.3,000. To take a bus, one needs to travel to Siliguri (12 - 14 kms from airport) and then either take the Bhutan Government Transport bus or private buses. Please note that the prepaid taxi from airport / agents outside Bagdogra airport will quote Rs.500+. We negotiated with an agent and hired a non ac indica vista at Rs.350/-. Later we realised that the taxi stand was right outside and we could have directly approached a taxi and probably lowered the quote a bit more. There are only 2 government buses leaving Siliguri Bus Stand on Hill Cart Rd. at 7.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. Since we were reaching only at 2.30 p.m., we had to reach P. C.Mittal Bus Stand on Sevoke Road to take a private bus. The bus stand is a sad sight and the bus an adventure ride. Highly recommended for adventure seekers but not so much for those who have trouble with crowds, sweat, claustrophobia, etc. We thoroughly enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed paying Rs.285 for 3 exclusive seats :) - we took the 3.30 p.m. bus to Jaigaon.
On our return journey for the same route upto Siliguri, we paid Rs.2700 for an AC Indica Vista from border.

taxi stand outside the airport

P.C.Mittal Bus Stand, Siliguri - no comments ;-)

The Bus Ticket

Our Bus - luggage is stashed in cabin behind the bus

Sign from Saint Augustine

Coronation Bridge over the mighty Teesta River near Siliguri      

Conductor's unique style of sorting "change"

The driver - he could beat a Jet

The route in kms from Siliguri to Joygaon/ Jaigaon

Sights in Siliguri and Jalpaiguri

 alas....rocks from river bed

Traffic

Tea Estates enroute

Cycle Rickshaws

In Jaigaon the bus reached a godforsaken bus stop at 8 p.m. However, there was no need to worry since the local 6 seater autorickshaw drivers are tuned into the bus arrival timings and they will be waiting for you to board and will drop you to the border in 10 minutes for Rs.5 per adult (incl luggage fare). The Jaigaon side is pretty mundane and stinky. We wanted to throw some garbage and were searching for a bin. Then a person told us to simply cross the border and find as many bins as desired – very sad and funny. The Phuentsholing side is neat, clean and as many previous travellers have noted, you immediately feel like having stepped into a different country. If walking through the border, there is a walkway entrance and if travelling by taxi, you might be able to drive upto your hotel through the entrance arch. Please note that Bhutan is half hour ahead of India time and you will need to adjust your watch accordingly.

Vehicle entry gate - Phuentsholing 

We had booked Hotel Sinchula non ac room for Rs.900/- The hotel is 2 lanes parallelly behind the walkway entry into Bhutan. The guards at the gate helped us with the directions. We surfed http://www.hotel.bt/ for researching hotels however it is not an exhaustive list of hotels. Rates given on website are the same as quoted by the hotels. We also saw Hotel Pelri opposite Sinchula had a better looking exterior and the rates were similar to Sinchula. However, we liked our stay at Sinchula – it does the job of overnight accommodation with comfortable beds, sheets and blankets, dressing table, wardrobe, clean sanitized bathroom, etc. The reception and attendants are helpful and courteous. Food at Sinchula is also good and we ordered for a Bhutanese meal of Rice, pork datshi (cheese curry) and pork stir fry. After a hearty meal we retired for the day. 

Hotel Sinchula Restaurant

Our first Bhutanese meal at Sinchula - Rice, Pork Datshi and Pork Stir Fry

Next morning it was raining cats and dogs and we started wondering if we have come at a wrong time to Bhutan.

Day 2 - June 6^th, 2013:

Next morning we got ready and after a breakfast of cereal and omlettes in Sinchula, reached the permit office around 8.45 a.m. just in time for opening hours. We got the permit application forms from the guard and filled them in the first floor office. We were required to submit 1 application form, original passport + 1 photocopy and 1 passport size photograph for each traveller. We were asked to return in 45 minutes to collect the permit. They also took a picture of each of us for permit.

immigration office 200 mtrs from Bhutan Gate 

(lot of indian labourers waiting for work permit)

Permit for Thimpu and Paro

(Application form has similar fields)

We hired a cab for Rs.200 for a round trip to take us to the crocodile breeding centre (Amo-chu) which is about 15 minutes from the permit office, then to the bus stand for booking tickets in the Toyota Coaster bus to Thimpu and then back to the permit office. We completed all this in 1 hour and collected our permits. Permit is valid for travel to the capital Thimpu and to Paro. To visit other parts of Bhutan you need another permit available in Thimpu office. 

Bus booking should be done keeping in mind some margin for delay in getting the permit - as advised by our taxi driver. There are private buses every half hour between Thimpu and Phuentsholing between morning till evening 4 / 5 p.m. These are Toyota Coaster very smooth and comfortable buses. Passengers are charged Rs. 210 per seat. It is advisable to book as much in advance as possible as seats fill up fast.  We got the 1 p.m. bus. Next, we went to the photocopy shop opposite the permit office and took 3 copies of each of our permits for Rs.2 per copy. Then we walked to the Tashi Cell office in the building behind the photocopy shop, purchased Rs.200 (full talk time) sim after submitting one copy of our permit. We then went to the monastery behind the Tashi Cell office, saw the inexpensive Toego (pronounced tehu) and Kira (for females) and Gho (for males) - national costumes for sale in the shops around the monastery and then proceeded to our hotel for check out. There is another monastery uphill and one can take a cab there but we did not go. Before leaving we checked with Hotel Sinchula for any hotel references in Thimpu since we had not booked any hotel. They obliged saying they will book Hotel Wangchuk for us at a discount of Rs.500 from normal rate. However Wangchuk had no vacancy. We hired a cab for Rs.60 (starting meter in Bhutan) to drop us till Om Restaurant opposite the bus stop. We took our vegetarian lunch (because the holy month of Saka Dawa was on upto June 9^th) of fried rice and cheese momo’s and then took the bus to Thimpu. Om Restaurant is highly recommended for value for money delicious simple fare.

Amo-chu crocodile breeding centre

Baby alligators in a pond

Bus Stop at Phuentsholing

(there are many private bus operators like Meto, Karma, Khorli, Bumpa, etc.)

Monastery (behind the Tashi cell office)

A trivia about Phuentsholing and Jaigaon is that Indians drive into Phuentsholing to fill up petrol (gas) because it is Rs.15/- cheaper there ; vice versa Bhutanese visit Jaigaon for shopping because everything else is cheaper in India. 

There will be atleast 2 or 3 check posts enroute Thimpu and the permits need to be stamped at these for further travel. The route from Phuentsholing to Thimpu is one of the most scenic drives. Most roads in Bhutan are maintained by Dantak, an Indian Army operative. Dantak's main camp is on this route and the entire road journey is pure bliss.

The bus takes a 20 minute halt for a tea / lunch break and we stopped at this nice place.

inside Karma

outside Karma :)

We reached Thimpu around 7 p.m. and started hunting for a place to stay. Most budget hotels are on the main street called Norzin Lam (Lam means Street). I felt the streets were like terraced farm on a hilly slope – they are all one below the other accessible on foot by going up or down a few steps. Taxis however have the one way restriction on Norzin Lam and some other streets. Initially we checked once again with the most popular and best budget Hotel Tandin (they even have a ceiling fan in every room). Then we checked R Penjor Lodge at Ambient Café but they were full too. Then we found a room at Hotel Destiny (Rs.1500) – ok place, good room, nothing exceptional. We finally booked at Centre Lodge (Rs.1100) above Chopsticks Restaurant – this place is next door to Hotel Tandin. However, it is recommended only if you are in dire need of a place to stay for one night. It is in a sad state in terms of leaky patches on the wall and broken switch boards. The biggest problem was lack of fan (not installed in almost all hotels in Bhutan) and the musty (unused) smell in the room. The only plus was a large room and the big windows that gave view of entire Norzin Lam and the picturesque hills and mountains – view next morning. The bathroom had hot/ cold water – we returned the towels and asked for better ones. The bed was ok and sheets were ok, not the most clean. We later wondered whether Hotel Destiny was indeed not destined for us since that would have been a better bet. Since Thimpu is the capital it is difficult to find a good budget hotel room at short notice. We had other options of slightly pricey Galingkha and Pedling very near from our place and thought of visiting them next morning. Hotel Druk in the clock tower square of 1^st half of Norzin Lam is expensive and so are Hotel Jomolhari and Kisa.  

At Chuzom (junction of Paro and Thimpu river) - Thimpu starts

The place we did not get to stay on 6th June

Centre Lodge - we finally settled for

Our take away: If you want a budget place in Thimpu, better book atleast 2 months in advance at Hotel Tandin.

Hotel Tandin is at the steps (it is on first floor though) that can be seen on the left - very next to centre lodge. Most blue sign boards you see are hotels - either above some shop or entry from inside the lane, etc.  

In Bhutan the last orders for dinner are usually between 8 and 9 p.m. else you will inevitably miss dinner. We went to Ambient Café and quickly realized that they were a Cafetaria and not a dinner place. They proved us right when they served bland and tasteless pumpkin soup, asparagus and spinach quiche and red beans and rice baked dish – which were not value for money either. However, there are 2 plus points at Ambient Café – you get to use free wifi and the pastries are good. We loved the chocolate caramel pastry – rich, creamy, soft and supremely tasty.

We did not have trouble falling off into a deep slumber disturbed intermittently by dogs barking in the street.

Looking forward to your comments and suggestions. Part II will follow shortly. Until then keep visiting receipesnmore.blogspot.in for receipes and more...........