Bhutan Itinerary

Paro is a beautiful small town located in the valleys of Bhutan, about a two-hour drive outside Thimphu, the capital city. With stunning views of the rolling hills from the Galing Resort where we stayed, and awesome scenic viewpoints of the Paro Chhu and the Rinpung Dzong only an hour-long hike up in the hills, it is a fantastic place to visit. 

The locals are extremely welcoming and there are very few tourists. In the town of Paro, the shops offer a variety of local treats as well as custom-made traditional fabrics & garments. The Champaca Cafe is owned by an incredibly kind man and his family, and they have many cakes and coffee drinks that became essentials each time I went to town. There is a local fabric store from which you can choose your favorite fabric to have tailored to make a Kira or Gho, the traditional dress for Bhutanese women and men, respectively, which is required in ceremonies and Dzongs.

Phobjika is a scenic glacial valley located in central Bhutan, home to the revered Black-Necked Crane in the months of November to February. The Black-Necked Crane is very special in Bhutan as they are the world's only alpine crane species, endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, and a small portion of them migrate to the Phobjika Valley in the winter, traveling at altitudes of almost 5000 meters over the Himalayas. We were very lucky to arrive on the very first day of the cranes' arrival, seeing the first three cranes to arrive from the viewpoint of an ecological center. 

We also stayed with a Bhutanese family during our time in Phobjika and got to see the ways in which they live. We helped to prepare and ate momos, traditional Tibetan dumplings filled with cabbage, onions, and sometimes meat. These, as always, were delicious. The stay was quite comfortable apart from the extremely chilly weather, requiring many heavy blankets to sleep at night. Lastly, we visited a local high school and played a thrilling game of volleyball with the students. 

During our three-day trek through the mountains of Bumthang, we traveled more than ten miles and reached altitudes of almost 4000 meters. In this northeastern region of Bhutan, the weather was very cold, and camping was quite difficult, though our evenings were brightened by delicious meals and s'mores for dessert. At the peak of our hike, after almost eight hours of hiking in one day, we were delighted to see herds of yak grazing at these high altitudes, as well as bounties of high-altitude wildflowers. It was quite magical, and I would recommend this trek to anyone traveling to Bhutan. 

We also visited the Trongsa Dzong, built in 1644 and the largest dzong fortress in all of Bhutan. We met monks who reside at the Dzong and got to learn all about the experience of monks in Bhutan.