Backpacking around Bhutan - Snippets from our travel journal

Day 1: The journey......
A lot of people choose to fly to Paro while going to Bhutan. Understandable considering the amount of time that can be saved. But given a choice we would always prefer to take a train from NJP to Hashimara and cross the border on foot.

Why, you may ask....

The train ride from NJP to Hashimara passes through lush green forest and crosses several rivers and tiny villages. It's a refreshing journey that cannot be missed.

You can observe the stark difference between India and Bhutan at the border. And it's always fun to know that you can be in 2 countries at the same time ( Hint: put one foot on Indian side and the other on the Bhutanese side)
The drive from the border to Thimphu is divine as you navigate through untouched, pristine Himalayas.

Day 2: At the capital city, Thimphu......
Thimphu took us by surprise. At first glance we regretted out decision of coming here. "Not another populated Himalayan town", we thought. Well, they say first impressions can be wrong. Thimpu is refreshing, rejuvenating and beautiful. It has all the elements of a modern city while retaining it's traditional aspects. It's green, lush and fresh.

Presenting a glimpse of this beautiful city to you from our eyes. 

Would we come back again? Yes :D

 
The highlight of Punakha is the Punakha Dzong. Located at the confluence of two rivers and set against the backdrop of the magnificent Himalayas, this Dzong, with it's beautiful architecture and design will make your jaws drop.

 

Don't forget to click as many pictures as possible under the lilac coloured Jacaranda flowers 😃

DAY 4: Exploring the rugged town of Punakha on foot....

If you see two girls walking across Bhutan, that'd be us. How can you not walk in these beautiful valleys?
Today our 10 km walk took us to Lobesa, famously known for the Chimi Lhakhang temple.
As bluntly put, Chimi Lakhang is a temple that worships the God of fertility and hence the village of Lobesa is obsessed with the "penis". There are phallu paintings on the walls, shops selling phallu souvenirs and at the temple you can even get blessed with a wooden phallu.

 
But the highlight of the day is not the phallus ( you get used to it) but the Homestay that we found. This tiny house is what we were searching for and we knew we were at the right place when we were served popcorn ( without asking) with our evening tea. And the food. One of the most delicious meals we have had so far!

Day 5: Hiking is in our blood......
You can't help but fall in love with the beautiful homestay at Lobesa. Hence we decided to stay an extra day here. Yesterday while walking around the valley we spotted a Stupa on top of a mountain and a clear trail leading to it. The trekker in us rose and we HAD to explore that trail. So today morning, we woke up at 6 am and hiked up a steep trail to the Stupa. We could not help but beam with joy at finally doing a hike in Bhutan ( even a small one)

Radiating with positive energy we decided to visit a souvenir shop to pick up gifts for our friends. Little did we know that we would make friends with the owner of the shop who not only helped us in arranging our next transportation but also took us for walk around the beautiful valley, invited us for tea at their place and made our decision of staying an extra day at Lobesa worth it.

P.S We have set a target of walking 10km minimum everyday in Bhutan and we are proud to announce that we crossed our 50 km mark today😄

Day 6 -The rawer side of Bhutan. At Phobjikha Valley......
After much uncertainty on how to reach Phobjikha we finally made it and boy, we are so happy that we did.

If there is a paradise on Earth, it would be Phobjikha. This glacial valley stretching for kms is mesmerising and beautiful. The fresh air, the meadows, the unending trails is what we were searching for.
Famous for the elusive black necked crane, a visit to this valley has to be added in your Bhutan trip

P.S don't touch 10000ft and straight away walk 21kms. You might feel tired :P ( total 74km done)
  

Day 7 - We could not help but go outdoors....
Today, we felt the effects of our impulsive decision of hiking 21 kms yesterday. It took a lot of convincing to get out of bed, but we had to. This valley deserves to be explored and it would have been a regrettable decision if we had spent the entire day in the comforts of our homestay.

So we went for a 11km hike on the other side of the valley, through trails passing through dense forests and remote villages. It was a leisure hike and we spent a lot of time taking pictures of the valley.
Two days are less to explore Phobjikha but we have to, with a heavy heart, leave the valley tomorrow. We promise to come back here again
  

Day 8 - Isn't traveling all about creating new memories?
Bhutan, the land of happiness, is not just about the mountains but also about it's people. Our journey to this sacred nation was made confortable thanks to the beautiful souls that we met along the way. From helping us get discounted stays at beautiful locations to arranging transportation for us to remote valley, the people here have been extremely helpful.
People are eager to tell us stories about their nation and most of the nights we land up indulging in meaningful conversations with the locals. We can't help but notice how proud they are of their country, their beliefs and especially their king.
Is backpacking in Bhutan easy? Well not as much as it is back home. There isn't much information available online and the public transportations are limited. But it's possible. The few buses that run here are punctual. There are shared taxis available at reasonable costs and all you need are kind souls that will help you figure out your journey.

Day 9 - Tigers Nest Trek, 2 hrs 50 mins up and down, baby!!!!!
We woke up early in the morning, it was raining. Oh how easily we got an excuse to steal an extra half an hour of sleep. Our aim for today was the iconic Tigers Nest monastery. Did we dare to trek up in the rain. Without breakfast or even a sip of water ( yes, we are that stupid) we ventured out to the roads of Paro to figure out if we could hitch a ride to the trails starting point. We found a wonderful driver who dropped us all the way at a very reasonable price.

And then our trek started. There is this joy that both of us feel while trekking. No matter how steep the climb is or how heavy the rain falls, nothing can dampen our spirit. We knew that the chances of a good view was close to impossible but we still pushed ourselves. Little did we know that the rain Gods would have mercy on us and open up the sky just as we reached the view point. We got a spectacular view. We could not help but beam with joy and take as many pictures as possible.
And the icing on the cake was we finished the entire trek, to and fro, in 2 hrs 50 mins ( sans food and water). Yay! We did it and it surely was worth coming to Paro just for this trek.

PS : we completed 100km on foot in Bhutan. Yay!

Day 10 - Discovering laziness.....
Today, being our last day in Bhutan, we wanted to visit Haa Valley. But unfortunately we could not find any transportation to it. So we landed up having an extra day in Paro and nothing to do. So, that's exactly what we did. Nothing. For the first time in our Bhutan trip, we relaxed. No hiking. No 10 km targets. No randomly walking on the streets.
We found a cafe, chilled, grabbed a book and had a relaxing last day in this beautiful country.