1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #257 - Bhutanese Hotels

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #257

- Bhutanese Hotels

 

(We were put up in 4 hotels, each with its own comfort and style. Our 1st at Thimphu was Namseling Hotel, situated conveniently from the main street - only a10min walk. But the view from the room was the impressive Golden Buddha perched up high - nice. We also stayed at Jumolhari Hotel here on our return journey, which was right inside the town centre, and which seemed a little more expensive. But our Punakha stay at Drubchhu Hotel was unique inside, with beautifully painted timber on the ceiling and an inviting bay-window - just look at that setting sun. But the scenery from our Paro stay, Mandala Hotel was unbeatable, with the gorgeous Paro Valley right in front of us and the imposing Rinpung Dzong at eye-level - simply wow! [Well done, CTC Travel, our tour agent] )

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #256 - Bhutanese cuisine

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #256

- Bhutanese cuisine

 

(So what is Bhutanese food like? Frankly, all the meals we had during our trip here were good. While none of them were outstanding, all were tasty enough, with large portions of vegetables in every sitting. The lunch we had at the Druk Wangyel Cafe at Dochula Pass was easily the most satisfying, with fried chicken and their string beans as standouts. The freshly-cut local cucumber, bought from the roadside from Punakha, were amazingly refreshing - a must-try. Our final dinner at the song-dance restaurant in Paro was also delicious, with flat-breads being dipped in their local curry. Our best buy, foodwise? The home-made marmalade from the Drubchhu Hotel in Punakha - the hotel manager was kind enough to bundle us a bottle of her not-for-sale marmalade, yum!)

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #255 - Tiger's Nest Monastery (Taktsang), Paro

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #255

- Tiger's Nest Monastery (Taktsang), Paro

 

(To fully appreciate the true beauty of this monastery, one has to climb it. No words can fully describe the breathtaking beauty of Tiger's Nest Taktsang Monastery. It simply defies logic - that a monastery of this size can be built on a cliff-edge, almost 3200m above sea-level. To get to it requires a heart-thumping 3-hour uphill hike, and another 2hours coming back down. With the thin air here and forgoing the donkey-ride, it was pretty tough for me - almost as tough as my hike up Huayna Picchu, Peru last year [click here: Huayna Picchu climb]. Once up there, it was a pure visual feast, with even a 200ft waterfall right before entering its gate - watch the video below for a real feel, as we saw it for the 1st time. We took the opportunity to say our prayers in 1 of several ornate prayer halls inside, saying thanks for a safe and unforgettable journey in Bhutan. As Hillary said, I conquered myself. But our guide,Tashi, said it best, "You will leave here a little bit changed, like a small drop of water will change the surface of a lake". Yes, I made it to Tiger's Nest, post-cancer - and I am changed!)