Bhutan

https://youtu.be/T5ewPNDWUIk

Podcast conversation with Rishi Sarma.

Main areas

• Western Bhutan – Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey, Paro
• Central Bhutan – Bumthang
• Eastern Bhutan – OTBP, multi-day white water rafting/camping, visiting with nomadic yak herders

Experiences in Bhutan are vast. A few suggestions…

• One of the biggest Buddhas in the world at 177 ft tall.
• Markets, opportunity to meet with locals, cooking lessons with a local family.
• Beautiful architecture and cultural immersion.
• Private blessing ceremony for long life and wish fulfillment.
• Temple of fertility (or divine madman)
• Rafting on the glacier-fed rivers.
• Beautiful hikes overlooking valleys and snow-capped peaks.
• Private guided meditation session with a monk.
• Private picnic overlooking the valley.
• Experience forest bathing.
• Tigers Nest Monastery (Taktsang).
• Hiking in the Himalayas – Short/ Day hikes.
• Yoga

Off the beaten path places & other favorites

• Eastern Bhutan
• Merak & Sakteng to understand the ways of the yak herding community
• Helicopter ride to Mt. Jhomolhari or any other high-altitude lake for a picnic champagne breakfast.
• Rafting down the Drangme Chu with camping by the river and coming out in India
• Horse riding in the valley exploring an old nobles household which is now a museum
• Westernmost valley in Bhutan. A great place for guests to get away from the usual circuits to explore rural Bhutanese life and spending a night in one of the old renovated farmhouses.

Fascinating people that you can meet while you are in Bhutan:

• Mynak Trulku Rinpoche* (on my personal list)
• Dasho Karma Ura

Insider Access:

• Private breakfast at a monastery followed by a blessing ceremony and a private tour of the monastery by the head monk
• A Private masked dance festival (Tshechu) for a group in a remote village.

A few of Rishi’s personal favorites (watch the show for more)

Cafes/ Restaurants

• Project ZZA – a fusion restaurant that incorporates Bhutanese dishes into an international menu
• Cloud 9 – Brilliant burgers with a Bhutanese twist.
• Chig Ja Gye – Bhutanese fine dining restaurant in Bhutan. o Namgay Artisanal Brewery in Paro – Excellent place to sample local beers especially the Red Rice Lager.
• Mojo Park – the bar to go to in Thimphu for live performances and to meet locals
• Handicraft market in Thimphu for some locally produced handicrafts

Picnic spots:

• Picnic by the riverside in Talo/ Cherry area in Thimphu
• Picnic breakfast the Gangtey 360 point
• A hot stone bath in the potato fields of Gangtey

HOTELS 5-star Luxury

• Thimphu – Amankora, Six Senses
• Punakha – COMO Uma Punakha, Amankora, Six Senses, andBeyond Punakha River Lodge (to open in 2022)
• Gangtey – Gangtey Lodge, Amankora and Six Senses
• Bumthang – Amankora, Six Senses
• Paro – COMO Uma Paro, Amankora, Six Senses, Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary 4 star
• Thimphu – Taj Tashi, Zhiwaling Ascent, Druk Hotel
• Punakha – Dhensa
• Paro – Le Meridien, Naksel, Zhiwaling Heritage

Takeaway tips

• Best time to visit – March to June & October to Dec are considered peak season. Our favorite time is winter (Dec – Feb) when we get clear blue skies and snow-capped mountain views.

Other areas that can be combined with Bhutan

• Nepal – natural add-on before Bhutan, great places to visit like Chitwan National Park for Rhinos, snowcapped mountain views from Pokhara and Dhulikhel, Heritage in Kathmandu.
• Tibet
• Sri Lanka

 

• Government has mandated minimum spend ($250pppd)
• Altitude – be mindful of the destination order of your trip
• Paro is the only international airport
• There are only 2 airlines, both Bhutanese, that fly into the country. Between them, there are only 6 planes! Plan ahead. Because there may be hotel space, but you can’t actually fly in.