Welcome to the land of thunder dragon! This is Bhutan. This mystic country is land locked along Himalayan Mountain. Bhutan’s highest mountain peak is about 7,000 mts above sea level. These year long snow capped peaks have many glaciers. India and Tibet are Bhutan’s neighboring countries. The endless Himalayan Range, deep valleys, green pastures, rich culture, architectures, monasteries attract people from all around the world. The climate of Bhutan is cold round the year.
The tranquility at the foot hills is perfect for meditation. Capital of Bhutan is Thimphu. There are more than 5,000 varieties of floras found here. Bhutan Himalayas shelter many kinds of wild animals. The monasteries are examples of centuries old architecture. There is one air port in Bhutan. It is in Paro. Many tour operators help you in finding you the best accommodation, travel and food that suits your budget. . The unique cuisine and the hospitality of Bhutan make your trip a memorable one.
Since Bhutan had a history of spiritual importance, the only way of education till 1949 was monastic system. The western education system started its roots along with monastic form of education. The first Five Year Plan in 1960’s modified the basic education in Bhutan. The economy of the country depends only on the development of human resources which leads to the change in education system. Within this period, the modern education system started spreading to many schools country wide. The government’s interest in educating the civilians increased the number of students enrolling in modern education. Government gave all the facility for all the students to complete at least their primary education. The value of education brought awareness among many parents and students in Bhutan. They made use of the modern education system.
The formal education system is 7 years of primary education, 6 years of secondary education and 3 years of degree course. Royal Bhutan Institute of Technology offers 4 year degree program for the interested candidates. For school promotions, minimum attendance, term exams are considered. 8th class and 10th class students appear for board exams and their promotion is based on their performance in exams.
Primary education in Bhutan insists only on basic numeric skill and literacy. Apart from academics, country’s history, landscape and the importance of tradition are also taught. Now the modern curriculum includes fundamentals of agriculture, health, hygiene, moral science, value education etc in addition to regular academic curriculum. The right brain concentration is increased by the activity based learning adopted all over Bhutan.
Monsoon determines the climate of Bhutan. An average of 75% of Bhutan’s rainfall in its western side is because of these monsoon changes. The landscape of Bhutan is so varied and so its climate. For ex ample, Southern Bhutan is subtropical and humid just like its foot hills. Inner Himalayan Valleys are more temperate and the Northern part of Bhutan always has snow capped mountains and so the climate is too cold there.
The temperature variations can be felt according to their altitude. The highest part Thimphu has a warm climate during June to September. You can feel the temperature fall between 17° C and 26° C during summer and monsoon where as the temperature falls down to – 4° C. The climate of central Bhutan is almost cool and temperate where as the Southern part of Bhutan is Hot and Humid all through the year. Snow can be visible above the elevations of 3,000 meters from mid of December till mid of February.
Bhutan is land locked between many Himalayan ranges. India, Nepal and Tibet are the neighboring countries which may be crossed while entering Bhutan. The diverse cultures of these countries offer some unique experience for the tourists. If you wish to spend your holidays in this mystic land of Thunder Dragon, you need to apply in advance for the visa to travel in Bhutan. Authorized travel agencies help you to move your application papers to get the approval first. After your travel with this approval papers, you will get your visa stamped once you arrive Bhutan. You can not get a visa through embassies outside Bhutan. This may sound complicated but if understood, this process is very easy to get your visa’s stamped. Immigration department of Thimphu should approve your visa request to enter Bhutan.
Once you get the application approval papers, this should be shown to the authorities at Paro airport or at Phuentsholing if you come by road ways. All the details in the passport are verified here. Name, date of birth, place of birth, nationality, passport number, expiry date and issued date of passport details should match the information you gave when you applied for visa.
Tour operators like “Wind Horse Tours” forward the applications to the DOT (Department Of Tourism) in Thimbhu. They check the payment for the whole trip and sign the first process. And with these approved papers in hand, the tour operator again meets the Immigration Department to process the visa. These activities consume a week time. But for emergencies the visa can be issued on special expedited request.
Visa extensions can be arranged by paying extra fee. This extension period should not be extended more than six months.
If you are planning to visit a place which has a picturesque landscapes, green forests, snowy mountains, beautiful sculptures, famous monasteries with ageless culture, then plan to visit Bhutan this time for your holidays. This place is a fine blend of culture and vibrancy. So, festival time is the best time to visit this place. The peak season falls during March, April and then on September and October. So booking flight tickets in advance helps to make your trip pleasant and memorable. Although there are many places to see in Bhutan, it is according to your budget, you plan your number of days staying there. Here are some of the main attractions of Bhutan which you should not miss during your tour.
Monasteries are the most sought sight seeing places in Bhutan for its rich culture and history.
Kichu Lhakhang – Tibetan kings believed that Demoness lay along the Himalayan Mountain due to its tranquility. So to drive away those ill creatures, a Tibetan king built 108 monasteries. Kichu Lhakhang is one of the famous Monasteries among them.
Taktsang Monastery – Many people often visit this place. No tourist will miss this place because of its scenic beauty. This Monastery is located amidst green forest. Visitors can get a memorable experience while walking through the stunning view of this place. This place is also called as “Tigers Nest”. The story behind this mystic place is quite interesting it is said that Guru Padma Sambhava who bought Buddhism to Bhutan, flew on the back of tiger to reach this place. The tiger is said to be Dorji Drolo, his favorite companion.
The Tango Monastery – You need to walk more than an hour to reach tango Monastery as it lies at the altitude of 280 meters. Although this monastery was built in 12th century by Lama Gyalwa, it was again rebuilt by “Divine Madman” in 15th century. Unlike a noisy tourist place, this place is best known for its tranquility. This is the reason why this place is chosen as the place for meditation is Bhutan.
Chimi Lhakhang- This is famous for its “Fertility Temple”. Many childless women from far away places worship in this “Temple of Fertility” to be blessed to get a child. This famous place was built in 15th century by the popular “Divine Madman” who use to drive away the Demoness with his “Magical thunder bolt”.
Wangdiphodrang Dzong Monastery and Chendebji Monastery are other monasteries which are worth visiting.
Gangtey Gompa – This famous black necked Cranes are known for its mystic behavior. When they migrate to Phobjikha, they make three circles in the sky, in the clockwise direction before landing in the valley. Before returning to Tibet they make three circles again. This scene can be witnessed if you plan your trip during winter.
Myths surround the history of Bhutan. It is not clear to understand the ageless history which takes you behind 2000 B.C. only with the spread of Buddhism to Tibet during 9th century, brought light at this mysterious Bhutan. But it took 3 years for Buddhism to built Drukpa Kagyupa School in Bhutan. Bhutan’s history has linked with monasteries and other religious schools which were established by Tibetan Buddhist monks.
This independent country was never conquered by any other powerful countries. No out side power took pleasure to govern this little heaven on Earth. But some people say that Tibet took over this country during 8th century. But during 17th century a Tibetan lama Nawanag Namgyal invaded this country and took power in his hands. He made his own rules and became the ruler of all civil administration and religious administration. After some time, soon after Lama was dead the fighting among the people for administration power lead to the fall of such rule.
After 200 years when British were ruling India, Ugyen Wangchuk of Bhutan became the ruler with his links with the British rulers of India. Then he became the hereditary ruler of Bhutan. “The Treaty of Punaka” was signed between him and the British in 1910, which states that the British stay away from Bhutan’s internal issues if it accepts the external advice from the British. After his demise his son Jigme came to power. When India got independence, “Treaty of Peace and Friendship” was signed between Bhutan and India in 1949. According to this, India would no longer interfere in Bhutan’s affairs but guide Bhutan in its external policies. But Bhutan came into limelight only after his son Dorji came into power in 1952. It took more than 18 years after that to become a member of UN. This paved way for the establishment of National Assembly and Royal Bhutanese Army.
Next year Dorji’s son, Singye took over the kingdom when he was just 16 years old. Education system, governance, hydro electricity and tourism started developing during his reign. His “Gross National Happiness” is very famous all round the world. It insists not only economic growth but also over all development mostly in rural areas. After witnessing Bhutan’s all over transition towards prosperity, he resigned in 2006 and his son Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck took over the power. The democratic and full fledged government occurred in 2008 which assures that the peace, security sovereignty in Bhutan will continue in future too.
The concrete jungle phobia is yet to enter this beautiful, picturesque Bhutan. 80 % of Bhutan’s landscape consists of forest which is preserved by the Government. This greenery that is found everywhere in Bhutan is a pleasing site to the eyes. Apart from this greenery, the picturesque landscape and snow capped mountains are the nature’s blessed attractions. The tall monasteries and the vibrant festivals are examples of its rich culture. If you wish to spend your holidays in this unpolluted environment, then select this place as your choice. Definitely you are going to get an exotic experience.
There are only two ways to enter Bhutan. One is through Paro. The only international airport is in this Paro. So the Government’s rule of flying with Druk Air is possible when you get into this place. This National Carrier flies into Paro, so the rule can be easily followed by the tourists. Bangkok, Katmandu and New Delhi are some of the places that are connected by Druk Air twice a week. Try to take this Druk one way at least as flying in this Druk itself is worth experiencing. But almost all the flight tickets are booked under any agency which needs your visa documents and other related details to fly, stay and travel within Bhutan. Everyone gets mesmerized by the scenic beauty of the valleys and mountains when they take the Air Way.
Bhutan saw proper roads only during 1961. Till then people of that place used to travel on mule back or horse back. Now in this century the traveling hours has been shrunk to notable size. Another way to enter Bhutan is through Siliguri of West Bengal. The road leads to the town of Phuentsholing. If you are planning to travel from Katmandu, then you need to travel whole night from Katmandu to Kakarbhitta a city which lies in between Nepal and India. Because of the mountainous landscape and deep valleys, the road journey may be tiresome. Once reached Kakabhitta after 15 hours of travel, you need to proceed towards Indian Border “Pani Tanki”. Here the authorities verify your papers and from there many other varieties of transport are available to reach Darjeeling or Silugiri. From here, Public buses and share taxis are available at reasonable costs. From Silugiri, you can take the local mini buses to reach Jaigoan. This is how you can travel on road to Bhutan.
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The National sport of Bhutan is Archery. There are many ranges of archery adapted in each village. Archery competitions are common during weekends and festivals. Along with sporting spirit, the Bhutan people enjoy the banquet and the music at the end of the competitions. Initially bamboos were used to make the traditional bows. Now modern compound bows are replacing these bamboo bows. The shooters should stand 120 mts away from the target which is hardly 30 cm in diameter. This sport is played among noisy supporters who encourage their own team.
But they do not take the competitions serious as there are no fans or followers of any team. The archers themselves are the enthusiasts who are in high spirits during competitions. This tourist sport draws lot of income to the tourism department. Nobody can stay away from the music, dance and jeers which accompany any archery competition in Bhutan. There are lots of sentiments linked with the winning of this sport. The players consult the astrologists about the stars to favor them. They even park their vehicles and shoot in the direction according to their belief. The annual tournament brings out the best archer of the year award to the out standing archer. Apart from Archery Foot Ball is the sport that is played and enjoyed in Bhutan. The climate and landscape does not favor many other games. The advantage of deep valleys and snow capped mountains make trekking and mountaineering as one of the most sought sports of Bhutan. Basket ball is also gaining popularity among young men who are growing taller than their forefathers.
The only airport in Bhutan is in Paro. This airport starts its service in 1983. the Airport code is PBH ( Paro, Bhutan). The runway of this airport is around 4935 ft at the altitude of 7332 ft. This is around 65 kilometers away from Bhutan’s capital Thimphu. From the Capital, it takes around 2 hours to reach the airport on road. The only Airway that operates its flight from this airport is Druck Air. These flights flew few times a week to Bangkok, New Delhi, Katmandu, and Kolkata. But during peak season times, these flights operates frequently to meet the visitors need. It is a rule by the Bhutan Government to the tourists that they have to use their air service at least one way during their journey.
