Punakha Bhutan Places,Photos

10.05.2012

To read all previous posts on Bhutan : Bhutan All Posts

Punakha Dzong


To my horror

After my busy day at Thimphu,Bhutan last night,we were all ready to witness the grand Punakha dzong at Punakha..But wait,I was shivering.Did I have fever,did the grand tour of Kolkata,Darjeeling,Kurseong,Bangalore,Kanyakumari and the hectic train journeys finally made me sick.I felt weird because I wanted to enjoy,but I had the worst fever and headache the next day along with some pea size red spots on my body.Measles,chicken pox or just allergy!

I decided to not risk,and went straight to the IMTRAT hospital at Thimphu. We were all given visitor numbers and we were all in a queued chair at the side of the clinic.The wait wasn't as long as I thought of,but that half an hour made me realize how sweet the ladies of Bhutan are.Yes,the charming Bhutanese lady beside me had respect for Indians,and she was a traveler too.We had the best half an hour conversation and when I proceeded to the doctor's chamber "I just wished it's nothing serious" but when he said Chick - en -pox ,take rest,water,don't exert,it felt like shit! Yes shit.

For a moment,the people I met in my last trip came to my mind,is it because of him,is it because of her..because chicken pox is contagious..how could I possibly get it!I had no answers.

I know by now,most of you might have forgotten about my first video on Bhutan,here it is for a quick recap




Where To Stay In Punakha

You need not stay in Punakha.Punakha is a day trip from Thimpu,and while visiting all the sightseeing places,its best to get back to Thimpu to proceed to Paro the next day.

The Punakha Journey and 108 Chortens







Thimpu - Punakha -Thimpu by taxi takes around Rs 2000-2500.The first stop after passing the pine and oak trees on the way was 108 chortens at Dochula Pass.

108 Chortens  were constructed in 2004 to honor the dead, from a conflict between the Bhutanese army, and Indian insurgents who were using Bhutan as a sanctuary.

The chill and the drizzle added to the magnificent view,not to miss the snow clad Himalayan mountains as the backdrop.The cold wind was icy and rude,blocking our ears and noses.But we were enjoying every bit of it.This is one of the places which looks really great in winters in the snow,and looks equally promising in summers.

The irony of going to Punakha is even if every other part of Bhutan is pleasant,this particular stretch on Dochula pass is really really cold,at 3150 meters.



The Huts and Houses Punakha

We were surprised to see so many identical homes in Bhutan.All of them had the similar architecture designs and artistry.Out of curiously we asked our driver,and he replied "We in Bhutan respect our culture and we abide by rules set by the government,how do you think it is possible that the people wear the same kira and taego even kids in the modern age ,how do you think we have almost 0 crime rate,how do you think we have similar homes?"Our king is kind enough to support us with the land,construction and safety we abide by his rules.You see,we love our king,he has given us so much.

The Punakha Dzong





If you ask me to choose 2 places for a must visit in Bhutan,I would suggest Punakha Dzong and Tiger's Nest.Tiger's Nest is in Paro and we go there tomorrow. Punakha dzong is one such place where we entered the wooden cantilever bridge crossing the Mo Chu river to enter the Dzong complex which is surrounded by greenery and lilac colored jacaranda trees.The place is postcard picture perfect.The interior of the dzong is huge,it took us around 2 hours to cover the interiors still we couldn't complete the whole dzong. And believe me mom and me literally lost ways to exit the dzong,but finally managed to spot the blue colored guards for direction.It's that huge!

Punakha Dzong is also where royal wedding of the King of Bhutan, Jigme Wangchuck, and his fiancéJetsun Pema, was held in October 13, 2011.

Confluence of Mo Chu And Po Chu


A park is situated by the side of confluence of two rivers (River Mo & River Chu). The Park, which has been developed very recently is strategically located from where we can see two rivers meeting together and at the back drop, the grand Punakha Dzong, the religious Headquarters and the first capital of Bhutan.As we were already aware that we wouldn't get anything to eat in Punakha,we already had got ourselves the packed food from Thimphu.Otherwise you can try chicken curry at Punakha Market Hotel "Restaurant".But best is to carry your food from Thimphu,there are not many options to eat in Punakha,and the few ones are based on your pre order(order while going,and eat while coming back) and are closed during lunchtime.

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong



Wangdue Phodrang Dzong is a project funded by government of India.It was like, more or less, same as other Dzongs but very very old and was under construction.In fact when we went inside,we could spot the carpenters carving the intricate designs and they were surprised to see us at the under construction site.

If you are wondering what happened to my Chicken Pox,well with the best things to enjoy in life,it's good to forget the pain and carry on.I would've taken rest the whole 5 days,as doctor suggested,but I would've missed Bhutan.And if I would've missed Bhutan,I wouldn't have written an article on Bhutan.Sometimes it felt like giving it all,I felt more chill than the others,and felt more weak too.But at the end of it "Yes I did it :) ".

And when I write it,I know amongst the humble appreciation of few genuine souls,there will be many others who will think,she writes to build up an emotional quotient,in fact my brother said "don't write about CP" but cummon this is my blog,and not a newspaper article.It's what I write is what is truth according to me.I hope my article was helpful, tomorrow we go Paro,and discover the majestic Tiger Hill And the highest motor able pass in Bhutan.

10 comments

  1. Excellent post. Well narrated.

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2012/10/gokarna-ten-things-to-dosee.html

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  2. Beautiful place and beautifully captured in your photographs :)

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  3. @Niranjan:Thanks Niranjan,love the photographs too on your blog!

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  4. @Puru:Thanks so much.Are you planning to go Bhutan??Its so cheap..go man :)

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  5. well Bhutan has been on my wishlist for long... .good post...

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  6. Hi Anikta, Which month did you travel to Bhutan. We are planning to go soon, so wanted to inquire about the weather and clothing required for end of this month.

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  7. Congrats you are travelling in Autumn(late September-November) which is the best season for mountain panoramas, photography, and trekking. Spring (March-May) is somewhat dustier and more overcast, but ideal for trekkers, botanists and bird-watchers.The days can be warm and sunny, and the light is superb, but the nights are very cold.Although it can rain in Bhutan at any time of the year and you should always carry an umbrella.surprisingly, therefore, international visitors also peak in autumn, indeed about half of the total annual tourist numbers arrive between September and November. Avoiding the busiest tourist seasons can save you money and hassle. Cottons and light woollens should be worn in summer (June-September), and heavy woollens and jackets the rest of the year. Since it may rain at any time of the year, take an umbrella (not only for the monsoons), and a pair of comfortable walking shoes. The air temperature in Bhutan can change very quickly with a passing cloud and the coming of the night. A flexible system of ‘layered’ clothing is recommended.I hope I answered your queries.

    We were to Bhutan in May,My travelogue is running a little late due to backlogs :)

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  8. Thanks Anikta, For all your details. Yes will pack an umbrella now. Will also carry a heavy jacket, to cut out the cold....and yes the layered clothing idea was neat.

    Also do update me on an average cost(per person) for taxi and food for the whole trip for 5 days. Hotels are booked separately.

    Thanks Again

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  9. It would be 5k per person for taxi and food.For us we did the trip in 6.5 k per person including our stay,but ours was a little off season.Since oct is peak,please keep 5k pp for travel expenses.

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  10. Nice post. I went to Bhutan in 2005. Then, blogging was never on the cards. I hardly have any notes or pictures.
    Was great to relive a few moments by reading your blog!

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