Life On The Road Day 188: Our road trip from Paro to Thimpu, Bhutan

We left Le Meridien Paro, Riverfront (after 2 nights staying there) in the morning straight after breakfast and headed for Thimpu (the capital of Bhutan). It was only about an hour or so drive so we had plenty of time to stop for photos on the way.

We stopped at an ancient monastery that could only be accessed by the oldest rope bridge in the country.

Before checking into Le Meridien Thimphu, Mr Tashi (Aiming Bhutan Tours) took us to see the biggest Buddha statue in Bhutan, Buddha Dordenma, which overlooks the valley and city of Thimpu. It's a beautiful site at the top of a hill and painted in bright gold. This Buddha is 169 feet tall!

As we arrived in Thimpu to check into our hotel, we passed the main Buddhist Stupa of the city, where there was an important spiritual event happening, 7 lines wishful feeling chanting mantra of Guru Rinpoche.

Hundreds of local residents had arrived and were waiting to make offerings, to recite mantras and to receive the blessings of the Guru Rinpoche. We were really lucky to have the chance to be there at just the right time!

From there it was only 2 minutes to the hotel, where we found we had another huge suite, with a separate living room and a bedroom and a marble bathroom! It was the perfect place to relax for an hour or two before getting out and seeing a little bit of the city.

Next post: Dressing up with Local Bhutanese clothes and walking around Thimpu. ❤️

There are a lot of hiking routes here but hope to do it on our visit next year with a group so watch out on our mrandmrshowe.com for the tour details!
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P.S. Bhutan requires a tourist visa for most nationalities excluding some of SAARC countries and a mandatory minimum $250 ($200 for low season) per day is required to pay to get a route permit (except for Indian citizens) plus the other expenses on your tour itinerary - this fee covers your tour guide, entry tickets, 3 meals per day, $65 government fee and a 3 star hotel or homestay. You’d need to pay extra if you want to stay in 5-star hotels and if you’re less than 3 people then you have to pay a surcharge.

You can only get the entry visa and travel permit from a registered agency, getting an agency directly from Bhutan can save you money so feel free to contact Mr. Tashi at aimingbhutantours@gmail.com (and mention Kach or Two Monkeys). The fees are required to avoid mass tourism so you’d definitely enjoy most of the attractions.❤️