{"id":653,"date":"2019-03-27T16:00:47","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T10:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajaymreddy.com\/?p=653"},"modified":"2022-06-06T09:21:53","modified_gmt":"2022-06-06T03:51:53","slug":"a-week-in-the-land-of-the-thunder-dragon-bhutan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajaymreddy.com\/a-week-in-the-land-of-the-thunder-dragon-bhutan\/","title":{"rendered":"A Week in the Land of the Thunder Dragon – Bhutan"},"content":{"rendered":"
This blog was written after my trip in February 2013, but somehow missed publishing it here at that time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n It is not hard to not have Bhutan on your mind. A nation which is not often in the news, Bhutan is often an enigma to most world travelers. In a world where everyone is trying their best to get attention, this tiny nation and its people swims against the current. A nation of incredible natural beauty and some of the friendliest people, it flies under the radar of tourists, and prefers to keep it that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My connection with Bhutan is nearly 12 years old. I had two classmates from Bhutan, Karma – a quiet thoughtful guy and Dawa – a bubbly outgoing girl, in my undergrad college at NIT, Jaipur. Karma and I were good friends, and having heard so much about Bhutan from him, I had always wanted to go there some day. With a lean work period coming up, I decided to finally fulfil my long time dream in early February and booked flight tickets to Bagdogra. With a lean work period coming up, I decided to finally fulfil my long time dream in early February and booked flight tickets to Bagdogra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why not fly into Bhutan, one might ask. It is indeed an excellent idea to fly in – I am told the view while landing at Paro airport (the nearest airport from Thimphu, the capital city) are incredible. Moreover, the land route from Bagdogra to Thimphu does not make for an easy journey. You travel 3 hours in a train to Hasimara, then by road to Jaigaon, cross over the international border to Phuentsholing and then travel on an arduous 7 hour, motion sickness inducing road journey to Thimphu. However, I had booked my tickets just two week ahead, which meant flights were really expensive, and Druk Air (the national carrier and the only one flying into Bhutan) flights into Paro were completely booked. Add my preference to backpack and travel cheap, and you get the complete picture. Thankfully, my friend and travel partner, Amin, enjoys a bit of roughing it out himself and took it all in good spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike in many countries, being an Indian citizen is of distinct advantage in Bhutan. The permits are easy to secure and you can manage traveling on a budget, unlike tourists from other countries. Bhutan is virtually off the table for backpackers because of the cost involved – tourists have to mandatorily book a package and spend more than $250 per day in order to secure a visa. It is, in fact one of the most expensive tourist destinations in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n