Adventure Tour

Adventure to Central Bhutan: This is explore and adventures site in Panbang under Zhemgang Dzongkhag near river side. This Luxury Jungle Lodge is comfortable for all adventures like River Rafting, Kayaking, Birdwatching and other Suffari adventures.

Radhi Village, Tashigang

Radhi is located 30 km east of Trashigang Dzongkhag on a north facing slope. It is partly a dry Chirpine belt in its lower part and the upper part is covered with a cool broadleaf forest. It is drained mainly by two small rivers systems, namely Chongdiri in the east and Yudiri in the west. It covers 29 square km within an altitude ranging from 1,080 m to 3,220 m above the sea level.

The Gewog is surrounded by the pastoral dominated Gewog of Merak in the North-east and mixed pastoral and arable farming in Phongmey and Shongphu Gewogs in the east and west respectively. The small commercial town of Rangjung is in south-west of the Gewog. It is famous for its rice and Radhi-Buray textiles. The main agricultural crops that are grown by people of Radhi are paddy, maize, soyabean, potatoes and vegetables, which are mostly used for household consumption except for rice which is mostly sold.

Radhi is a relatively small Gewog, it has 21 villages viz Tsangkhar, Dekiling, Radhi Pangthang, Khudumpang, Jonlapam, Jonla Tsatse, Tangthrang, Bongman, Chema, Melongkhar, Tsamang, Tonglingpam, Khatoe, Kadam, Drung Gonpa, Langteng, Tokshingmang, Naktshang, Phajogonpa, Langteng Sotshong with 758 households and total population of 5437.

The gewog has total number of eight Lhakhangs and Nunnery Institution. Six of them are public owned and two of them are owned by private Kuenzang Theckcho Choden Nunnery Institute was established by Dungzin Garab Rinpoche in the year 1991 . It is located at Khardung village under Radhi Gewog. Presently the institute has 105 nuns, two Khempos, four teachers and a Lama making offerings and residing in the institute. They make offering and perform rituals for the well being of the people and sustaining harmony, peace and prosperity in the country and the king.

Namdrol Choling Lhakhang at Radhi, Tashigang

View of Radhi Lhakhang, Photo by Bhutan Traveler

Namdrol Choling Lhakhang was established in the year 1908 by the initiative of Dronyer Ugyen Dorji and labour contribution from the people of Tshangkhar and Bongman villages. Before the Lhakhang is benefiting two villages but now the Lhakhang is spiritually benefiting seven villages via Tshangkhar, Melongkhar, Bongman, Chema, Radhi Pangthang, Dekiling and Langteng. They perform different celebrations and ceremonies on special occasions in this Lhakhang, by contributing labour and financial assistance from the people of the benefited villages.

SAKTEN, TASHIGANG

In Traditional dress code of Highlanders, Photo by Kezang

Best view of Sakten Village, Photo by Kezang

The trip to Sakten was memorable which is about 54 km (4 hrs)  driving distance towards the border of Indian Arunachal Pradesh to the  east of Trashigang at an altitude of 3,000 m above sea level. The most eastern region of the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan depends for its livelihood almost entirely on sheeps and Yaks. This nomadic/Brokpas or highlander community has maintained its own unique dialect, dress and culture. This Brokpas land has recently opened its door to outsiders so they might share their culture, natural resources and scenic outstanding beauty.

The road ends up to Nangzor and started our trekking through Rodhadendron and cheer pine forest its about one hour to moderate trek within the Sakten Wildlife Sanctuary area. It consists of typical diversity of Himalayan terrestrial ecosystems, combining alpine meadow, temperate forest and warm broadleaf forest; more than 203 species of plants, 119 species of birds and 18 species of mammals have been confirmed as mentioned by park forest official of Sakten.

Barshong Goenpa, Khaling, Bhutan

View of the Barshong Goenpa, photo by Bhutan Traveler

Barshong Goenpa/Monastery is located between Khaling and Yonphula can be reached new Barshong Goenpa within 20 minutes drive from Khaling about 10 kilometres. The Monastery was established in 2002 by Zorig Trulku Rimpoche, the Monastery has more than 130 monks under the Guidance of Zorig Trulku Rimpoche. Inside the Temple main statu is Buddha in middle, right hand side is Guru Padmasambhava and left handside is 8th Gelwa Karmapa. 

Above the New Monastery there is small temple located in dense forest is origin of Barshong Temple and at present it's indanger to visit the Temple as monk of New Monastery mentioned.

THEGCHOG KUNZANG CHODEN NUNNERY

View of Nunnery Monastery photo by Bhutan Traveler

View of the Khardung Nunnery Monastery.

THEGCHOG KUNZANG CHODEN NUNNERY:

Monastery was built on the hill top of Pakaling village under Radhi Gewog, Tashigang Dzongkhag later in 1993, the number of nuns increased to the extent that a seperate nunnery had to be established in Radhi, Pakaling, Eastern Bhutan.Thereafer, Rinpoche has been exploring for sponsors from abroad. With the blessings of the Buddha and the kind assistance and contribution from the donors and supporters, Rinpoche has successfully constructed the Thegchog Kunzang Chodon Nunnery to cater to the needs of the nuns.

Garden of Phallus (Wangchuk Chenmoi Dümra)

This garden is very fertile. 

Within the living museum of Simply Bhutan in the country’s capital of Thimphu, you’ll find a garden rather unique in its flora.

Phalluses are not an uncommon sight in Bhutan. The symbol is meant to bring good luck, promote fertility and harmony, and ward off evil spirits. They’re painted in and on buildings, displayed on the headgear of Atsaras (masked clowns), and even used as scarecrows. A traditional housewarming ritual involves hoisting a basket of wooden phalluses onto the roof on the new home.

The symbols date back to the 15th century, when the eccentric Buddhist teacher Drukpa Kunley, known as the “Divine Madman,” popularized the symbol when he brought Buddhism to Bhutan (showcased by his “penis-focused monastery,” Chimi Lhakhang).

The Garden of Phallus is found in Simply Bhutan, a museum, restaurant, and photography studio built to resemble a Bhutanese village. Larger-than-life phallus statues mingle with plants in front of a mural which features several hanging smiling faces whose noses look an awful lot like, well, we’ll let you guess what they look like.

Know Before You Go

The garden is inside the Simply Bhutan museum and restaurant complex on Genyen Lam.

Kyichu Lhakhang

Kyichu Lhakhang (also called Lho Kyerchu and Kyerchu) is a majestic seventh-century temple revered as one of the most magnificent sites of worship in Bhutan. Located in the town of Paro, some sources reference the temple as one of the oldest in the nation; others name it the oldest.

The original temple is said to have been built overnight on the left foot of a colossal ogress—otherwise referred to as a demoness—who intercepted the spread of Buddhism as she lay across the land. It’s thought to be one of over 100 temples established to overpower her so Buddhism could flourish far and wide.

Kyichu Lhakhang is believed to have been a smaller structure when the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo erected this sacred building in the year 659, but a number of Buddhist saints and gurus added to the site until it became the spectacular temple it is today. Legend has it that the Second Buddha, Padmasambhava, was one of the important historical figures who paid pilgrimage to Kyichu Lhakhang in the eighth century, and that he hid treasure teachings around the temple.

The building underwent a round of renovations in the 1830s, and in 1968, the Royal Queen Mother Ashi Kezang Choden Wangchuck ordered its expansion in the way of Guru Lhakhang: a neighboring chapel that houses statues of Padmasambhava and Kurukulla, a female lotus deity, clutching a bow and an arrow made of flowers.

Beyond the exquisite gilded door to the main temple of Jowo Lhakhang is an original statue of Jowo Jamba (also Jowo Shakyamuni or Jowo Rinpoche) forged in the seventh century. His likeness constitutes the most sacred sculpture in the region, and the wooden planks on the floor in front of him manifest the wear and tear of centuries of worship at his feet. Nearby, a statue of Chenrezig, an all-knowing deity said to embody the compassion of all the Buddhas, bears 11 heads and 1,000 arms.

The cloisters that fortify the temple foster a contemplative space populated by fruit trees and prayer wheels, which monks spin quietly as they circulate the space. The inner courtyard conceals a mural portraying King Gesar of Ling, a warrior who is said to have conjured the longest poem in history.

Know Before You Go

Kyichu Lhakhang is a 10-minute drive from Paro proper. Visitors are welcome between 9 a.m. and noon, and 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Entry & Exit of regional tourists through 5 border towns

Assamese

Bhutan to allow entry & exit of regional tourists through 5 border towns

Bhutan endorses opening of direct flights between Guwahati to Yongphula, Bumthang and Gelephu

In order to boost tourism sector in Bhutan, the National Assembly of Bhutan endorsed entry and exit of regional tourists through the border towns of Samdrup Jongkhar, Gelephu, Samtse, Nanglam and Panbang.

According to a report posted on the official website of the National Assembly of Bhutan on Friday, currently, regional tourists are not allowed to enter from other than Phuentsholing.

The decision has been taken after the Member from Dewathang-Gomdar constituency moved a motion to institute special and targeted measures to promote tourism for balanced regional development in the country.

The Members of the National Assembly said although tourism has benefited the country in terms of revenue and employment generation, only a handful of Dzongkhags have reaped the benefits.

The House agreed on the need to promote tourism and balanced regional development in the country and deliberated in details the advantages and risks of opening up additional entry and exit points for tourists.

The House passed the motion to introduce regulations for entry and exit of regional tourists though the border towns of Samdrup Jongkhar, Gelephu, Samtse, Nanglam and Panbang while ensuring security concerns by incorporating conditions that the tourists use Bhutanese vehicles and guides.

While the motion was passed with 40 ‘Yes’ votes and 2 ‘No’ votes and 1 abstain out of the 43 Members present and voting.

The Government is also likely to consider the entry and exit points through Lhamoizingkha and Jomotshangkha as well.

The House also endorsed opening of direct flights between Guwahati to Yongphula, Bumthang and Gelephu.

However, the Government will carry out consultations with relevant stakeholders such as the civil aviation authority and the airlines in this regard.

EASTERN BHUTAN TRAVEL

Eastern Bhutan

International tourist numbers to Bhutan are creeping up every year but the majority of travellers visit the well-known areas of Western and Central Bhutan. Eastern Bhutan is opening up, and there is quite a bit that is truly off the beaten track. Take a trip focusing on more remote regions for November, including a short trek in Merak-Sakten and a visit to the ancestral village of the Royal Family. Bhutan is one of the most underrated travel destinations in the Far East and there is much to be explored.

A LAND OF SMILES

"Bhutan has moved from nothing in terms of communications to the height of social media and information. There is no censorship when it comes to foreign channels and the inter­net"

A land of smiles: The Bhutan landscape is spectacular, a more or large impressive  like Switzerland, and it’s quiet – aside from the dogs barking at night and run after cars and manside. Bhutan has strong traditions and the culture, festivals and way of life style are well preserved and kept harmonies but at the same time we live in the contemporary world.

After completed my 38 years old in this mother  land of Shangri-la, "Bhutan has moved from nothing in terms of communications to the height of social media and information. There is no censorship when it comes to foreign channels and the inter­net. We have 4G almost every­where, people are on social media, everyone uses WeChat, Facebook and WhatsApp even in rural area made very very very, easy and convenience for offical and their owned personal works and saved for everything.

"I smile a lot in Bhutan, Smile all the time". My country is where my heart is.

Vibgor waterfall at Thakthri

Background view of Sakten

ECO Tourism

World best-ever Eco Tourism friendly Project to watch the Birdwatching place in between Tashigang and Rongthung from the top of tree and also best spot for Lunch place and people's can enjoy natural life experience at the foothills of Himalaya  at Bhutan. 

RANGSHEKHAR GOENPA

On dated 09th January, 2019. With the team of Bhutan First-Ever Economic Census had visited to RANGSHEKHAR GOENPA under Samkhar Gewog in Tashigang Dzongkhag  was kept as an great memorable sightseeing  and Goenpa which is located on the hill top toward North of Tashigang and 17 km feeder to Goenpa. From the Monastery penaromic view of Sherabtse Collage, Kanglung and Rongthung Village and as well Yonphula Domestic Airport too. As an team works, there were 07 members with 2 cars are deployed and visited to the site.

Trip to Rangshekhar Goenpa in Tashigang

Rangshekhar Goenpa: Goenpa is located on the hill top of the mountain and it's 17 km from the Pam Village to Rangshekhar Goenpa. Goenpa which was built in 2002 and completed recently, story here begins all about life cycle of Buddha which is similarly to Boudhgaya in India.

Lone female archer makes it to seeded list

Dorji Dema the first female archer competing among men is one of the 18 contenders for the best archer’s title in the on-going Paro open archery tournament.

She made it to the top 18 after hitting 22 kareys, including three bull’s eyes and two dobjeys in the 45 rounds. Her team lost in the quarterfinal.

Hundreds of people came to witness the top 18 archers’ shootout at the Paro archery range yesterday. She managed to hit nine kareysincluding two dobjeys in 15 rounds securing the 8th position. Choki Langkong took the first position after hitting 16 kareys in 15 rounds.

All top 18 archers are those who managed to hit the highest number of kareys in 45 rounds during the league round.

Dorji Dema said she has gained confidence, experience and knowledge about archery, especially in counting the points.

“As we play with different teams and players, it helped me build a network.”

She said that one of the women who never played archery bought a bow and asked her to teach her play archery. Two of her friends have also asked her to inform them if there are any archery matches so that they could form a team and participate.

“I am happy that I have inspired women to play archery,” she said.

Tournament organiser Ugyen Dorji said that, to enter in the top 18, an archer has to hit above 27 kareys in the 45 rounds. “However, Dorji Dema being the only lady, we decided to give her a chance to compete for the title.”

Ugyen Dorji said he has promised to give her a special prize. “The condition I made was the number of kareys she hit in 15 rounds.”

All spectators at the archery range came to witness the female archer competing for the best archer. “More than 30 percent were women and all came to cheer for Dorji Dema,” he said.

The finals will be played on December 17.

Gangtey Gompa in Bhutan

Gangteng Gompa

This 17th-century Bhutanese monastery is ensconced in Buddhist legend. 

Gangteng Gompa.

Gangteng Gompa is a historic monastery in the Black Mountain region of Bhutan. Built in the early 17th century, the monastery was established by Gyalse Rigdzin Pema Thinley, the grandson of the canonized Bhutanese “treasure revealer,” Pema Lingpa. Today, Gangteng Gompa is the largest Nyingmapa monastery in Western Bhutan.

Buddhist mythology recalls the narrative of an ancient guru who hid terma (sacred treasures of Buddhist wisdom) for select terton (treasure finders) to reveal in the future when the time was right. The terma were hidden for their protection so that the terton could transmit Buddha’s teachings through the generations should his knowledge ever be lost or destroyed.

Pema Lingpa, the grandfather of the monastery’s founder, was understood as an incarnation of that ancient guru. Following a series of revelations, he astoundingly unearthed over 100 terma across Bhutan in the mid-1470s. Rendered “King Terton,” Pema Lingpa made a pilgrimage to the imposing Black Mountain range, where he envisaged one of his descendants would build a monastery.

Gangteng Gompa was established in 1613 by Pema Lingpa’s grandson on a spur in the Black Mountains called the Gangteng Sang Nga Chöling, which translates to “summit for the teaching of the dharma.” Local timber was used for the temple’s beams, doors, pillars, and windows. Delep, a guardian deity, supposedly created a landslide in the mountains for better access to stones. A team of community artisans embellished the space with exquisite technicolor detail.

The monastery was restored between 2002 and 2008. Conservators worked to preserve the temple’s original detail with the addition of over 100 new pillars. Upon the temple’s completion, it was re-presented as Gangteng Sangngak Chöling, and consecrated by the ninth Gangtey Trulku, who is considered the current incarnation of Pema Lingpa.

Know Before You Go

On November 12 of each year, Gangteng Gompa hosts a Crane Festival to mark the annual arrival of black-necked cranes from the Tibetan plateau. Hundreds of cranes, which are sacred in the region, return to the monastery to roost, thought to bless the space by circling it three times.

Come and Explore Indian Nationality to Eastern Bhutan

View of Mask Dance, Photo by Bhutan Traveler

Bhutan

When Land of the Thunder Dragon calls, you answer. Bhutan is definitely on any travelbug's wishlist. Indians are lucky for no visa is required to visit Bhutan and all we need to carry with us is either a passport or a Voter Identity Card. Those who are entering by land are required an Entry Permit which one can get from the border town of Phuentsholing. This Entry permit is valid only for Thimphu, Paro and Phuentsholing. Visitors who wish to explore further can get a Route Permit from the Royal Govt. of Bhutan Immigration Office at Thimpu. DO NOT think of travelling on Saturdays, Sundays and any Govt. holidays because Phuentsholing Immigration Office will remain closed. Phuentsholing is a 4-hour drive from Bagdogra Airport and 3 hour 45 minutes from Siliguri. You can even take a direct bus from Kolkata, run by the Royal Bhutanese Government (daily 7:30am and 1:30pm), to Phuentsholing. Once you reach the border town, there are plenty of local buses that will take you to Thimphu.

Why Visit Bhutan

Why not? Bhutan is popular for its monasteries, beautiful landscapes, culture, traditions and food. A visit to Bhutan is incomplete without a visit to Taktsang monastery, also known as Tiger's Nest.

Where to stay in Bhutan in 2019

The much-awaited launch of Six Senses Bhutan offers a new circuit for wellness lovers

Six Senses Hotel in Punakha, Bhutan.

Bhutan has a new pilgrimage of sorts in the circuit of five lodges that Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas is set to launch between January and May 2019. The mountain kingdom’s pristine scenery will be matched by the hotel chain’s wellness offerings in Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang.

Chorten Ningpo at Six Senses Hotel in Punakha, Bhutan

Six Senses Thimphu, located within apple orchards and pine groves, is the largest with 20 lodge suites and four villas; doors open by January 1, 2019. Six Senses Punakha—nicknamed the flying farmhouse for its setting amid rice fields—and Six Senses Paro, at the site of 12th-century ruins in a valley, will open by February 15, 2019. The Gangteyproperty, in the winter home of the elegant black-necked cranes, and theBumthang outpost in a pine forest, are the most intimate with eight lodge suites and a villa each, and are slated to launch in May 2019.

Lodge Suite bathroom at Paro, Bhutan.

Each lodge will have a spa and wellness centre and immersive local experiences. The Thimphu lodge has a hot stone bath and its Prayer Pavilion overlooks the valley and the 52m-high Buddha Dordenma statue. Guests at Six Senses Punakha can bicycle down to the revered Punakha Dzong, picnic riverside and dine on paddy terraces. The Gangtey resort has a glassed-in area to observe black-necked cranes swoop into the valley. The Paro property is next-door to a 15th-century monastery, and also has a 17-acre sustainable village adjacent where guests can learn about traditional agriculture practices and pick ingredients for a cooking class. Beekeeping and strawberry picking await at the Bumthang resort. Six Senses Bhutan offers a 14-night journey between all its five properties with visits to palaces, monasteries and breweries.

Six Senses Hotel in Thimpu, Bhutan.

Doubles from $1,010/Rs72,870 per night across properties.

Wildlife affects rice production in Bhutan’s Rhadi

TRASHIGANG, Bhutan (Kuensel/ANN) – It’s harvest season in Radhi county, Trashigang, and the rice bowl of the east has turned golden. Group of farmers are seen threshing paddy on blue-orange tarpaulins spread along the terraces.

Dechen from Tongling village is busy storing the grains into sacks and transporting it to her house some 300 metres from the field.

For the 50-year old, this would be the final harvest for the year.

She scans her one-acre field before settling down for a quick break. “This is it. I was expecting the harvest to be the same as last year but it was a difficult year with wild animals including monkeys and porcupines constantly attacking the field.”

She said she harvested some 600 chagdhi (a measuring container) of paddy, which is about 1,200kg of rice last year. “We had a good harvest then. I was expecting a similar produce this year,” she said.

Farmersarmers in Radhi, Trashigang, harvest paddy. – KUENSEL/ANN

However, without a proper irrigation system and the increasing incidences of human-wildlife conflict, the harvest is likely to decrease.

She said farmers have to mostly depend on monsoon during transplantation since most irrigation canals are washed away or have become defunct.

The biggest problem faced by the farmers in the gewog is wild animals.

Another farmer, Sherab Zangmo, said that all their hard work is destroyed by the wild animals at night. “You lose the zeal to work when such things happen,” she said. “But since this is our only means of survival, we don’t have any option but to redo it all over again.”

The 55-year-old farmer said that many villagers have received solar fencing through government support. “The fencing has proven effective. We hope the gewog would provide us too.”

The county agriculture extension supervisor, Pema Wangchen, said human-wildlife conflict in the gewog is increasing.

About 13km of solar fencing works was provided to the gewog this year. “We expect the crop production to further improve next year with the fencing works completed,” he said.

He, however, said the paddy production of the gewog is expected to increase this year. “If not, it should remain the same as last year.”

Pema Wangchen reasoned that because of timely monsoon during the transplanting season, they didn’t face any delay in the transplantation.

According to statistics with the district agriculture sector, Radhi produced 2,553.59MT of rice in 2017-2018 from 1,236.16 acres of wetland. The yield per acre of land was recorded at 2,065.75kg.

Apart from producing one of the largest quantities of rice in the east, Radhi is also known for its different varieties of rice. The county produces some nine varieties of rich of which Sorbang and Sung-sung are popular varieties in the country today.

The Sorbang, meaning lemongrass look-alike rice, also known as Radhi rice, fetches about Nu 65 per kilogramme while the red Sung-Sung rice fetches Nu 70 to 75 per kilogramme.

“Even when it gets cold, the rice is still soft. This is why people, mostly in the west prefer Sorbang rice,” said another farmer. “We receive orders for large quantities but most of the time, we are only self-sufficient.”

Meanwhile, Sherub Zangmo said these are new varieties grown recently in the county.

“The rice native to Radhi was called Aassu and was grown since my great-grandfather’s time,” she said. “Now that rice is no more grown because we have better varieties that grow well. Sorbang and Sung-Sung are the new native rice of Radhi.”