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Western Bhutan
Duration :- 6 Nights / 7 Days
Places to See : - Bagdogra - Phuntsholing - Thimphu - Punakha - Wangdiphodrang
- Paro
Day 1: Bagdogra/Phuntsholing, 156 km
Meeting
and assistance at Bagdogra airport or Siliguri and drive to Phuntsholing.
Pass through the lunch green tea gardens enroute.
Arrive Phuntsholing, the gateway of Bhutan, situated directly at the base of
Himalayan and the commercial centre of Bhutan.
Dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Phuntsholing - Thimphu, 172 km/6 hours
After breakfast, proceed to Thimphu. Visit Kharbandi Gompa, 5 km out of Phuntsholing,
this beautiful monastery was built by Royal Grandmother.
Road further climbs steeply and winds in innumerable bends, upwards to an altitude
of approx. 2000M providing beautiful view of the Brahmaputra plains and the
Toorsa river. After 2 hours drive through light mountain jungle, the road descends
and scenery and vegetation changes. Enroute you pass Chukha Hydel project and
the small town of Chimakothi. Lunch will be served enroute.
The highest point on this route is at 2800 M and then steeply descends along
the Wang Chu till the Chuzom river confluence.
Shortly before entering Thimphu city, visit Simtokha Dzong, the oldest fortress
of the Kingdom built by Shab Drung Ngawang Namgyal in 1627 which is now the
School for Buddhist studies.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 3: Thimphu
Full day sight-seeing of Thimphu valley, visiting Taschihhodzong; the seat of
the Government, Memorial Chorten, the Stupa built in the memory of Bhutan's
third King and Handicrafts Emporium displaying rich traditional crafts of the
Kingdom, National Library which has fascinating collection of ancient Buddhist
manuscripts and texts, the Painting School: famous for traditional thankhas
paintings and traditional Medicine Institute where centuries old healing arts
still practiced.
Day 4: Thimphu - Punakha, 57 km/3 hours
Morning
proceed to Punakha across Dochula pass (3050 M) which provides a superb view
of the highest peaks of Bhutan, such as Gangkar, Puensum, table Mountain, Masakhang
etc. On arrival check-in at the hotel.
A low lying sub tropical valley, Punakha served as the capital of Bhutan until
1955 and still it is the home of Chief Abbot in winter months. Punakha Fortress
was built in 1637 by Shabdrung Ngawang, Namgyal in 17th century who played prominent
role in civil and religious life of the Kingdom. Destroyed four times by fire
and an earthquake in 1897, the Dzong has been now fully restored in its original
splendor and is situated at the junction of Pho Chu and Mo Chu rivers.
Day 5: Punakha - Wangdiphodrang - Paro, 120
km
After breakfast drive to Wangdiphodrang, 17 km to visit Dzong which is pierced
on a spur at the confluence of the Sunkosh and Tangmachu rivers. The dzong was
built in 1638.. The position of the Dzong is remarkable as it completely covers
the south and east-west. Wangdi district is famous for its bamboo work, slate
and stone carving.
After lunch, proceed to Paro and on arrival, check-in at the hotel for dinner
and overnight.
Day 6: Paro
After breakfast, drive to Drukgyel Dzong, a ruined fortress where Bhutanese
warriors fought Tibetan invaders centuries ago. The snowy dome of sacred Chomolhari,
"mountain of goddess" looms directly over the dzong. Along the way,
see the 7th century Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the 108 temples built by Tibetan
King Songtsen Gampo.
After lunch visit Ta Dzong, originally built as watch tower, now houses National
Museum of the Kingdom. It boasts antique thankhas, textile, weapons and armory,
household objects and a rich assortment of natural and historic artifacts. Then
walk down the train to visit Rinpung Dzong, meaning 'fortress of the heap of
jewels" which has a long and fascinating history. Along the wooden galleries
lining the courtyard of the Rinpung Dzong are fine wall paintings.
Day 7: Paro - Dep.
Transfer to the airport for flight to onward destination.
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- - -› About
Himalayas - - -› People
& Tribes of Himalayas
People & Tribes of Himalayas
The
population, settlement, and economic patterns within the Himalayas have been
greatly influenced by the variations in topography and climate, which impose
harsh living conditions and tend to restrict movement and communication. People
living in remote, isolated valleys have generally preserved their cultural identities.
However, improvements in transportation and communication, particularly satellite
television programs from Europe and the United States, are bringing access from
the outside world to remote valleys. These outside influences are affecting
traditional social and cultural structure.
Nearly 40 million people inhabit the Himalayas. Generally, Hindus of Indian
heritage are dominant in the Sub-Himalayas and the Middle Himalayan valleys
from eastern Kashmir to Nepal. To the north Tibetan Buddhists inhabit the Great
Himalayas from Ladakh to northeast India.
In central Nepal, in an area between about 1830 and 2440 m (between about 6000
and 8000 ft), the Indian and Tibetan cultures have intermingled, producing a
combination of Indian and Tibetan traits. The eastern Himalayas in India and
nearby areas of eastern Bhutan are inhabited by animistic people whose culture
is similar to those living in northern Myanmar and Yunnan province in China.
People of western Kashmir are Muslims and have a culture similar to the inhabitants
of Afghanistan and Iran.
The economy of the Himalayas as a whole is poor with low per capita income.
Much of the Himalayas area is characterized by a very low economic growth rate
combined with a high rate of population growth, which contributes to stagnation
in the already low level of per capita gross national product. Most of the population
is dependent on agriculture, primarily subsistence agriculture; modern industries
are lacking.
Mineral resources are limited. The Himalayas has major hydroelectric potential,
but the development of hydroelectric resources requires outside capital investment.
The skilled labor needed to organize and manage development of natural resources
is also limited due to low literacy rates. Most of the Himalayan communities
face malnutrition, a shortage of safe drinking water, and poor health services
and education systems.
Agricultural land is concentrated in the Tarai plain and in the valleys of the
Middle Himalayas. Patches of agricultural land have also been carved out in
the mountainous forested areas. Rice is the principal crop in eastern Tarai
and the well-watered valleys. Corn is also an important rain-fed crop on the
hillsides.
Other cereal crops are wheat, millet, barley, and buckwheat. Sugarcane, tea,
oilseeds, and potatoes are other major crops. Food production in the Himalayas
has not kept up with the population growth.
The
major industries include processing food grains, making vegetable oil, refining
sugar, and brewing beer. Fruit processing is also important. A wide variety
of fruits are grown in each of the major zones of the Himalayas, and making
fruit juices is a major industry in Nepal, Bhutan, and in the Indian Himalayas.
Since 1950 tourism has emerged as a major growth industry in the Himalayas.
Nearly 1 million visitors come to the Himalayas each year for mountain trekking,
wildlife viewing, and pilgrimages to major Hindu and Buddhist sacred places.
The number of foreign visitors has increased in recent years, as organized treks
to the icy summits of the Great Himalayas have become popular. While tourism
is important to the local economy, it has had an adverse impact on regions where
tourist numbers exceed the capacity of recreational areas.
Historically, all transport in the Himalayas has been by porters and pack animals.
Porters and pack animals are still important, but the construction of major
roads and the development of air routes have changed the traditional transportation
pattern.
Major urban centers such as Kathmandu, Simla, and Srinagar, as well as important
tourist destinations, are served by airlines. Railways link Simla and Darjiling,
but in most of the Himalayas there are no railroads. The bulk of goods from
the Himalayas, as well as goods destined for places within the Himalayas, generally
come to Indian railheads, located in the Tarai, by road. The pack animals and
porters transport goods from road heads to the interior and back.
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