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Bhutan |
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 The
name ‘Bhutan’ appears to derive from the Sanskrit
‘Bhotant’ meaning ‘the end of Tibet’ or from
‘Bhu-uttan’ meaning ‘high land’. Though known as
Bhutan to the outside world, the Bhutanese
themselves refer to their country as Druk Yul or the
Land of the Thunder Dragon. ‘Druk’ meaning ‘Dragon’
and extending from the predominant Drukpa school of
Tibetan Buddhism.
The documented history of the Kingdom begins with
747 A.D. with Guru Padsambhava also known as Guru
Rinpoche who made his legendary trip from Tibet
across the mountains flying on a tigress’s back. He
arrived in Paro valley at Taktsang Lhakhang also
known as Tiger’s Nest. Guru Rinpoche is not only
recognized as the founder of the Nyingmapa religious
school but also considered to be second Buddha. In
the ensuing centuries, many great masters preached
the faith resulting in full bloom of Buddhism by the
middle ages. Although sectarian at first, the
country was eventually unified under Drukpa Kagyupa
sect of Mahayana Buddhism by saint/administrator
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the 17th century.
Ngawang Namgyal codified a comprehensive system of
laws and built a chain of Dzongs which guarded each
valley during unsettled times and now serving as the
religious and administrative centre of the region. |
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Entry Points to Bhutan |
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There
are only two entry points to Bhutan. Most travelers
arrive by air at Paro; some arrive by road at
Phuntsholing on the southern border with India. |
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By
Air
The easiest way for visitors to enter Bhutan is by
air on Druk Air, Bhutan's national carrier and the
only airline operating in Bhutan. Druk Air's fleet
consists of two British Aerospace jets, BAe 146s,
which are specially specially designed for Bhutan.
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Flights
to Bhutan are available from Bangkok in Thailand,
Kathmandu in Nepal, Delhi & Calcutta in India, and
Dhaka in Bangladesh several times each week. Latest
flight schedules are available on request. |
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On clear
days the flight into Paro offers spectacular views
of the Himalayan mountain range, including Mt.
Everest, Mt. Kanchenjunga, Chomolhari, Kula Kangri
and many other peaks of the Himalayas. Paro Airport,
located in the mountains, is subject to the vagaries
of nature, and weather conditions sometimes prevent
flight landing and take off. Druk Air itself has an
impeccable safety record, without a single mishap
since its inception in 1983. We can book your
air-seats in and out of Bhutan well in advance,
avoiding last-minute rush during the peak tourist
seasons of Spring and Autumn. |
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By
Road
Tourists wanting to combine a visit to Bhutan with
Sikkim & Darjeeling (or other places in India) can
enter Bhutan by surface through the border town of
Phuentsoling. This is the only other entry point to
Bhutan other than flying into Paro airport. In the
reverse order visitors can fly into Bhutan and exit
by surface to India through Phuentsoling. |
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For
those travelling to far Eastern Bhutan there is a
option to exit out of the country through the border
town of Samdrup Dzonkar to Guwahati Airport in Assam
of India. Only exiting out of Bhutan is allowed from
here not entry. From Guwahati there are flights
available to Calcutta and Delhi. |
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PLACES OF INTEREST |
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 Paro
The first thing you will notice as you disembark is
the transparent purity of air and the absence of
noise. The Paro Valley has kept its bucolic nature
in spite of the airport and the existence of
development projects. Fields, brown or green
depending on the season, cover most of the valley
floor, while hamlets and isolated farms dot the
countryside. The houses of Paro Valley are
considered to be among the most beautiful in the
country. Paro is believed to be one of the first
valleys to have received the imprint of Buddhism. |
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Places to visit in Paro
● Kyichu Lhakhang [Lhakhang means Temple]
● Taksang Monastery (Tiger's Nest)
● Drugyel Dzong [Dzong means Fortress]
● Dungtse Lhakhang
● Ta Dzong [National Museum]
● Paro Dzong |
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 Thimphu
Thimphu lies in a wooded valley, sprawling up a
hillside on the West Bank of the Thimphu Chhu [Chhu
means River]. Thimphu is unlike any other world
capital. Small and secluded the city is quiet and
there are never the traffic jams familiar in other
Asian Capitals. It is often said that Thimphu is the
only world capital without traffic lights. Thimphu's
main shopping street is a delight not so much for
what you can buy there, but for the picturesqueness
of the architecture and national costume. Beautiful
weaves in wool, silk and cotton, basketwork, silver
jewelry, thangkas and other traditional crafts of
the Kingdom are available in various Handicraft
Emporiums. |
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Places to visit in Thimphu |
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●
The Memorial Chorten [Chorten means Stupa]
● Changlimithang [Battle Ground]
● Weekly Market [Saturdays and Sundays]
● Tashichoe Dzong [The biggest fortress in Bhutan]
● National Library
● School of Arts and Crafts
● Royal Academy of Performing Arts
● National Institute of Traditional Medicine
● Zangto Pelri Lhakhang
● Zoo
● Changangkha Lhakhang
● Drubthob Goemba [Nunnery]
● Dechencholing Palace
● Pangri Zampa Temple
● Tango Goemba
● Chari Goemba
● Simthoka Dzong |
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 Punakha
Rinchen build a temple there which can still be seen
today opposite to the great Dzong. Shabdrung Nawang
Namgyel a key figure in the History of Bhutan built
the Punakha Dzong and his body is preserved in one
of the Dzongs temples, Machen Lhakhang. The Dzong
was damaged six times by fire, once by floods and
once by earthquake. The coronation of Ugyen
Wangchuk, the first king of Bhutan, took place at
Punakha Dzong on 17th December 1907. |
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Places to visit in Punakha |
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●
Punakha Dzong |
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Associate Member |
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