In 1907, after several centuries of divided rule by various influential families, his majesty Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck unified Bhutan under the name of Druk Yul – Land of the Thunder Dragon. The year 2007 will mark 100 years of monarchy in Bhutan. But as the year 2007 is a very inauspicious year according to the Bhutanese calendar it will be only in 2008 that Bhutan will celebrate the 100 years of Kingdom. Many festivals and much revelry have been planned to celebrate this momentous occasion. Visitors to the Kingdom in 2008 will be given a unique opportunity to experience the real Bhutan through the Centenary maxim of “Meet the Bhutanese”. Visitors will be given the chance to immerse themselves into the soul of Bhutan through things such as the opening of areas normally closed to tourists, and the development of specialty tour programs. For those yet to experience the magic that is the Kingdom of Bhutan, 2008 presents the perfect opportunity.

Across the Kingdom with Royal Trek in Central Bhutan:

We have designed this program as the part of the centenary celebration with the short trek in between as you move across the Kingdom of Bhutan from the historic west to the spiritual central valleys and to the far remote Eastern Valleys. For the Royal Trek, it was Bhutan Wilderness Travels who have done the exploration before anyone else from the tourism industry had the least idea about it though it is being used by some other companies today but we are proud that they uses the same name for the trek which we named years ago. We have named it as the Royal Trek as on this trek one will get to walk along the historical route that the royal family used with hundreds of people and mules when moving between the winter palace in Trongsa and the summer palace in Bumthang in the early days of Bhutan’s monarchy. The visit to both the summer and winter palaces are included in this trip besides the usual sightseeing. The royal household moved to its Summer Retreat in Bumthang when Kuenga Rapten hotted up, and the heat and humidity brought out flies and insects, and move back from Wangdicholing palace to avoid the coldness of Bumthang. This route had been abandoned ever since the accessibility of road to this part of the country which is about thirty years ago, and the path is back into its complete wilderness form as nobody uses it now.

 

Day 01: Arrive Paro

On a clear day; the flight to Paro is one of the most spectacular of all mountain flights. You will see major Himalayan peaks such as Everest, Kanchenjunga and Makalu, and then on the final approach to Paro Bhutan’s own snowy peaks, Jhomolhari, Jichu Drake and Tserimgang will come into view. Bhutan’s first gift to you as you disembark from the aircraft will be cool, clean fresh mountain air. You will be met by your Bhutan Wilderness Travels representative, and after completion of arrival formalities will be taken to your hotel. Paro is a most picturesque valley, with quaint hamlets clustered amidst terraced paddy fields. The town still maintains tradition by way of its architecture and simple way of life and your afternoon sightseeing includes; visit to The National Museum, formerly a watchtower holds unique and varied collections, ranging from ancient armor to textiles, thangkha paintings, stamps, coins, and natural history. Visit the Paro Dzong (Rinpung Dzong) built in 1646 during the time of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. It now houses Paro’s monk body and the offices of the civil administration. Rinpung Dzong is the venue for the famous Paro Tsechu, held annually in the spring.

Overnight: Hotel in Paro.

Day 02: Hike to Taktsang Monastery

After breakfast your car will take you to the starting point of the hike to view the spectacular Taktsang monastery (Tiger’s lair). The trail to the monastery climbs through beautiful pine forest, many of the trees festooned with Spanish moss, and an occasional grove of fluttering prayer flags. You stop at the cafeteria for a rest and refreshments and continue the hike (if not tired) for short while until you see, clearly and seemingly within reach, the remains of Taktsang monastery. Built in 1600s, this incredible monastery clings to the edge of a sheer rock cliff that plunges 900 meters into the valley below. The history states that Guru Padmasambhava, the Tantric mystic who brought Buddhism to Bhutan, landed here on the back of a flying tiger. Looking at the monastery flying tigers doesn’t seem so impossible after all. On the way back, we will visit Kyichu Lhakhang, established in the 7th century and one of the two oldest shrines in the kingdom (the other is in Bumthang), marking the introduction of Buddhism in Bhutan.

Overnight: Hotel in Paro.

Day 03: Paro – Thimphu

After breakfast, drive to Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu, passing through idyllic countryside, with villages and paddy fields on either side of the road. En route visit Semtokha Dzong, one of the oldest fortresses of the country, which now houses the Institute for Language and Cultural Studies. Afternoon sightseeing in Thimphu includes visit to: Tashichhodzong, the seat of the government; the National Memorial Chorten, within which there are finely executed wall paintings and delicately fashioned statues which provide deep insight into Buddhist philosophy; and the Handicrafts Emporium, which displays a wide range of the traditional handicrafts for which Bhutan is renowned. You may also be able to catch a game of archery in progress at the Changlimethang sports ground, just below the town.

Overnight: Hotel in Thimphu.

Day 04: Thimphu – Punakha

In the morning, visit the following: the National Library, with its extensive collection of priceless Buddhist manuscripts; the Institute for Zorig Chusum (commonly known as the Painting School) where students undergo a six-year training course in Bhutan’s 13 traditional arts and crafts; the National Institute of Traditional Medicine (outside only), where Bhutan’s famed traditional herbal medicines are compounded and dispensed.

After lunch, proceed to Punakha across Dochu-la pass (3,088m/10,130ft). The highest point on the road is marked by a large Bhutanese Chorten and prayer flags fluttering on the hill. On a clear day, there is a breathtaking view over the high peaks of the eastern Himalayas from this spot. Punakha served as the capital town of Bhutan until 1955, and it is still the winter seat of the Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot). Visit Punakha Dzong, built by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the 17th century and situated at the junction of Pho Chu and Mo Chu rivers.

Overnight: Hotel in Punakha.

Day 05: Punakha – Tongsa

After breakfast, drive to Wangduephodrang and visit the Dzong which is perched on a spur at the confluence of two rivers. The position of the Dzong is remarkable as it completely covers the spur and commands an impressive view both up and down the valley. Wangdue district is famous for its fine bamboo work, stone carvings, and slate which is mined up the valley a few kilometers from the town. Then drive up a winding mountain road through oak and rhododendron forest, and over a high pass to do the detour of the Phobjikha valley, surely one of the loveliest high altitude valleys in Bhutan. Phobjikha is one of Bhutan’s few glacial valleys, and chosen winter home of black necked cranes, migrating from the Tibetan plateau. Explore Phobjikha valley and also visit Gangtey Gonpa (Monastery), the only Nyingmapa monastery in western Bhutan. Later, drive to Trongsa across Pele-la pass (3,300m/10,830ft). This pass is traditionally considered the boundary between western and central Bhutan. Further down the road, stop to visit Chendebji Chorten erected in the 18th century by a Tibetan lama to cover the remains of an evil spirit that was subdued at this spot. It is built in the Nepalese style, with painted eyes at the four cardinal points. The landscape around Trongsa is spectacular and its impressive Dzong, stretched along a ridge above a ravine, first comes into view about an hour before the winding road suddenly leads you into the town.

Overnight: Hotel in Tongsa.

Day 06: Tongsa – Kuenga Rapten

This morning, we will take a drive for about an hour towards south to the starting point of our trek and spend a day at Kuenga Rapten and its vicinity. It’s an interesting drive along the road to the border town of Gelephu in south, passing Takse Goemba and a large expanse of rice terraces in the lower Mangdechu valley. We will visit Kuenga Rapten Palace which will give us an intimate insight into life of Bhutan’s monarchy in its early days, and we will also see the villages nearby the trail head of the trek. In the afternoon, take a drive further down to see golden langur along the bank of Mangdechu. Golden langur is a highly endangered monkey species which can be seen nowhere else in the world other than in Bhutan. Overnight: Camp or Farm stay.

Royal Trek Begins:

Day 07: Kuenga Rapten – Zangrongpang (4-5 hours)

Today the first day of the trek, though it’s not a long one the ascent is going to be quite strenuous, it’s up all the way to the camp through the sparsely scattered households of Samchiling before we get to the meadow on the outskirt of the village which is used as the pasture for the cow herds. From here, the vegetation gets thicker to the forest of oaks and rhododendrons through which the trail goes along till we get to the camp at Zangrongpang which is another stretch of meadow used as the summer cow pasture, a spot facing Black Mountain. In the old days, it was here where the royal entourage or the caravan halted for the first night of their three day trip to Bumthang. Clusters of tents were pitched for the royal family and at a distance sufficient for the noise to be inaudible to the royal family, the porters - hundreds of men and women sought their protective camp sites mostly under trees, some near bushes and others near rocky caverns to avoid frost. The stopover for the second night used to be at Zangrongpang as well when the court moved from the other direction and it was here where the nyerchen (store-master) of Kuenga Rapten Palace had to come with a big reception party to welcome the entourage.

Overnight: Camp at Zangrongpang (2200m)

Day 08: Zangrongpang – Tongle La (6-7 hours)

This morning, we start with a steep short climb on to the ridge straight above our camp from where you can have the last view of Kuenga Rapten and the vast area of sun-drenched terraced rice fields around. From here, there is a long stretch of path reasonably flat but quite narrow over the edge of the precipice and quite often we will come across old stone steps laid along the path which are badly in need of repair. After this long stretch of fairly flat path, we get on to a ridge along which we will gradually ascend through the forests of bamboo, spruce, hemlock, rhododendron, birch, fir and lots more till you get to Tongle La (pass) which is marked with a chorten (stupa). There is a long stretch of beautiful meadow running along the ridge that divides Tongsa and Bumthang valley, and the view is superb from here, be it of great snowcapped mountains or the valleys far beneath. It’s so special and so difficult to put into words; for me an intangible air of sadness tends to fill my mind while looking around from the pass all alone by myself. Not to forget to come back to the pass to see the sun getting behind the Black Mountain, and to wake up early in the morning the following day to see the sunrise.

Overnight: Camp at Tongle La (3950m)

• You can spend one more night here but you will have to let us know before you actually come to Bhutan.

Day 09: Tongle La - Jakar

Today, we will start quite late as it’s just about 3 hours easy downhill walk to the roadside in the first valley of Bumthang known as Chumey and from there it’s a little over 1 hour drive to Jakar to have shower in the hotel. The path is much wider from here as it is being used by the herds of yaks and the cows from Bumthang, and it goes through a lovely forest of firs occasionally passing through patches of meadows.

Overnight: Hotel in Jakar.

Day 10: Jakar

Bumthang is the general name given to a group of four valleys – Chumey, Choekhor, Tang and Ura, with altitudes varying from 2,600 to 4,000m/8,530 to 13,125ft. In the morning we will visit Kurje Lhakhang, one of the most sacred places in the kingdom as Bhutan’s “patron saint”, Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) meditated here. From Kurje monastery, a tarmac road heads south along the right bank of the river to Jambey Lhakhang. This temple, erected by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century, is one of the two oldest in Bhutan (the other being Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro). After lunch, we will visit Tamshing Lhakhang, founded in 1501 by Pema Lingpa. It contains interesting and ancient Buddhist wall paintings. Later on we will visit Jakar Dzong, “the castle of the white bird”, and then take a stroll through Bumthang’s market area before returning to the lodge.

Overnight: Hotel in Jakar.

Day 11: Bumthang – Mongar

The journey continues eastwards, winding through more rugged terrain. The drive to Mongar takes about 6 hours, with spectacular views en route. We will drive up into the hills above the valley and then past Ura village, before climbing sharply to the highest point on Bhutan’s motor able road network, Thrumsing-La pass (3800m). From here, the road gradually descends to the alpine valley of Sengor, with wonderful views of cascading waterfalls and the hills of eastern Bhutan along the way. Vegetation changes from alpine to subtropical with the loss of height, and bamboos and luxuriant ferns overhang the road as we drop down to the valley floor. The descent stops at 700m/2,300ft, where we cross the Kuri Chu (river). We ascend again through pine forests, maize fields and eastern hamlets to reach Mongar town, high on a gentle slope above the valley. Picnic lunch at a scenic spot en route to Mongar. We visit Mongar Dzong, built in the 1930s and one of Bhutan’s newest dzongs, but constructed in the same way as all previous dzongs, without either plans or the use of nails.

Overnight: Hotel in Mongar.

Day 12: Mongar (Excursion to Lhuntse)

Today we will take a drive to Lhuntse which is one of the most isolated districts in Bhutan. The landscape is spectacular, with stark cliffs towering above river gorges and dense coniferous forests. The region is famous for its weavers, and their distinctive textiles are generally considered to be the best in the country. The Kurtoe region of Lhuentse is the ancestral home of the monarchy. In the morning, we will visit the Dzong which sits high on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Kurichu valley. Lhuntse Dzong is one of the most picturesque in Bhutan. After lunch, we will take a short drive to explore Menji village for its distinctive textiles before we start heading back to Mongar.

Overnight – Hotel in Mongar

Day 13: Mongar/Tashigang

This trip of about 96 km. takes only 3 hours. The first part of journey is through leafy forest filled with ferns. After driving through the Kori-la pass (2,450m/8,040ft), marked by a pretty Chorten and a Mani wall, we descend rapidly through corn fields and banana groves to reach the famous road zigzags just below Yadi, a fairly recent and now fast-growing settlement. After zigzagging down the hillside, the road east runs along the Gamri River. A turnoff on the left leads up to

Drametse. The temple, perched on top of a steep hill above the village, was founded by Choeden Zangmo and is the most important monastery of eastern Bhutan. This is the place of origin of the famous Drametse Nga Chham, a masked dance with drums. About 30 km. onwards lies Trashigang (1,100m/3,610ft), which clings to a steep hillside above the Gamri river. Trashigang is the principal township of the biggest and most populated district in the country. After lunch, we will visit Trashigang Dzong, standing at the extreme end of a rocky outcrop far above the river gorge. It serves as the administrative seat for the district and part of the Dzong is occupied by the local monastic community.

Overnight: Hotel in Trashigang.

Day 14: Trashigang – Samdrup Jongkhar

The Trashigang – Samdrup Jongkhar road was completed in 1965, and the journey down it to the Indian border takes about 6 hours. Along the way, we pass by Sherubtse College in Kanglung, which was founded in 1978 and is a degree-granting institution affiliated to the University of Delhi. We also visit the nearby Zangtho Pelri temple representing Guru Rinpoche’s paradise, built in 1978 by the late Minister of Home Affairs. We then drive on to Khaling, home of the National Institute for the Disabled and the Weaving Centre. From here, it is a further 80 km. to Deothang, which is remembered in history as the site of a famous 19th century battle fought during the Duar Wars, in which the forces of Jigme Namgyal defeated the British. The road then descends fairly rapidly to the plains through dense tropical forest with an abundance of teak, bamboo and ferns.

Overnight: Hotel in Samdrup Jongkhar.

Day 15: Samdrup Jongkhar – Gauwahati

After breakfast, drive to Gauhati, the capital town of the Indian north-eastern state of Assam, for flight to Delhi/Kolkata or onward program in that region. The drive to Gauhati takes about two hours through the tea gardens and the endless rice fields.