Traveling to Bhutan is a unique experience in many ways and the adventure starts even before you touch the land. While traveling to Paro by Druk Air, you get to see breathtaking view of Himalyan Ranges - kanchanjunga muntains & Mount Everest. Left window seat is what you should opt for if you want to have the privilleged view. I grabbed the left one and this is what I captured:
Another shoot till the time plane lands is here:
Paro, apart from scenic beauties of Mountains & Gorges, has other places of interest such as world famous Taksang Temple & National Museum of Bhutan. Although I did not have time to travel to these places, One should never miss out. Preferably, the base city for travel purpose should be the Capital - Thimphu, which is an hour drive from Paro. During the drive, you will have a exotic feeling of traveling into mountains. Here is one such feeling:
Panoramic view of Thimphu city is unrivaled. Here is one glimpse of the city:
At Thimphu, and all the other places in Bhutan, the unique style of architectural design is the mark of its cultural heritage. The mandatory architectural design is among the various enforcements put in place by Bhutan Government in order to preserve their cultural heritage. They fear that excessive globalization would lead to anarchy & corruption as happened in Nepal. This country measures its output in terms of GNH (Gross National Happiness) unlike other countries who measure it in terms of GDP. This is why, Bhutan is the Happiest country in Asia & Eight Globally.
There are various mountain peaks in Bhutan which are treat to the Eyes. One among these is Dochula, where you get to see wide mountain landscape. One other such place is Bumthang which is close to China. During winters, snow can be seen all over the place. Yaks also appear during these times. Although my timing was not right for perfect snowy experience, I could capture a bit of it. I shot it while passing Dochula.
I can't resist myself from sharing another shoot of drive into the moutains
There are many other locations in Bhutan such as Kingdom Palaces & Monasteries that are worth watching and you should use travel guide based on the time that you may want to spend. For Tourists, one major concern out here could be non-acceptance of plastic money. This country still primarily runs on Physical Money and cashless transactions are rare. Also, apart from obtaining visa, you also need to get various permits to travel places other than Paro & Thimphu as those places come under special zones.
Honesty, Humility & Innocence is the mark of Bhutanese People. With about 3M sq km of hilly terrain, 64% of the country under forest cover and Just about 6.5L Population, the tranquility can never get more Pristine.
Enjoy the Slide Show of my Picasa Album
(For enlarged pictures, simply click on the running slide show and get redirected to my original album)
