Sajan Rai
TOUR GUIDE CULTURAL & TREKKING Sajan Rai CID NO: 11807003679 L NO: TCB/TB(C/T)-08/0550 Mr. Sajan Worked as a senior tour leader in the company managing office works. He designs the best and suitable tour plan for the visitors and it’s fully customize tours, both flexible and reasonable without compromising the services. Sajan is a professional Trekking Guide, Birding Guide, Photography Guide and a Nature Guide in Bhutan for decades now.
Ganga Ram Chamlaghai
TOUR GUIDE CULTURAL GANGA RAM CHAMLAGAI Ganga Ram Chamlaghai CID NO: 11804001755 L NO. (TCB/TG) – 12/0885 Mr. Ganga has been working in tourism industry since 2005. He is not only passionate on guiding but also he is a mixologist! He is charming and hardworking and he speaks fluent English, Hindi and Nepali Language. He loves hiking and trekking too.
Famous Bhutan Festival Tour
Famous Bhutan Festival Tour Most amazing festival tours in Bhutan falls on October and November Most amazing festival tours in Bhutan falls on October and November. Festival is known as “Tshechu” in Dzongkha, meaning which is held on the auspicious date 10th of the 08th month in Bhutanese Buddhist calendar every year which falls in October. Most famous and holy Thimphu Dromche is held on 06th, 07th and 08th of October and the most crowded Thimphu Tshechu is held on 11th, 12th and 13th of October each year. All festivals gives you an opportunity to interact with the locals with their most attractive dresses and you would collect hundreds of beautiful photogenic portrait pictures of old and young Bhutanese. I as a Cultural and Trekking Guide of Bhutan, i feel always proud of my compassionate King, country’s reach tradition and friendly people. I love my profession and i bet there is no other interesting job like guiding the tours with the people from all around the world. It gives us so much of touching memories after a week of tour with the tourist in Bhutan. In this course of more than nine years of guiding, there is not a single day which made me feel upset! But what makes me sad is to see the tearful eyes of my guest to say good bye for us, at the end of the tour. This time, i received a guest from Poland, Solo women for 14 Days whole Bhutan tour, from western Bhutan to Eastern Bhutan. Day 01 | 6th October, 2016 | Paro Sightseeing | Overnight at Paro | Altitude 2200 MetersIn the morning we received the guest from Poland, who took the Bhutan Airline B3701 from Bangkok and arrived at 0955 hrs in Paro international airport. We have warmly welcomed her at the Airport and stop for the cup of Tea at cozy corner in Paro town. We started our sightseeing of the day with the National Museum, which houses the most historical Tangkas from 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries. Quick video documentary of Bhutan was refreshing. Intricate statue sculptures are also displayed here. Most beautiful among all is the quick information about the Bhutan’s reach biodiversity’s flora and fauna with it’s short documentary. Beautiful and famous Paro Dzong was the next highlight of the day. Impressive Paro Dzong, known as Paro Rinpong Dzong is famous because of the film called “Little Buddha” which was shot here by Bernardo Bertolucci. It also has a beautiful view of the tiny down town of Paro surrounded by the lush green paddy fields. From the Dzong window you can also see the historical palace of our third king, where Royal flower exhibition is held here every year from 4th June. Walking ten minutes way down from the Dzong gives you fantastic views through the old wooden cantiliver bridge. We stopped for the lunch at Organic Resturant and played Archery and Drats games to set our mind with the peace and happiness. One can also hire the Bhutanese dress, Gho and Kira and take a pictures around the paddy fields. Late afternoon we went to visit the Kichu Temple, the most oldest temple, from 659 AD which marks the history of Buddhism in Bhutan built by Tibetan king Songtsen Gyanpo. It is also the home for his holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, the spiritual adviser of royal family. Kichu temple is one of the most to visit/see place in Bhutan which has some of the oldest paintings on the wall. late evening we went up to Drukgyel Ruine Dzong which is under construction today to celebrate the birth of our royal prince. It was built in early 17th century to fight against the enemy and evil forces. Overnight stayed at Meta Resort Day 02 | 07th October, 2016 | Paro – Paro Taktsang hike – Thimphu | Overnight at Thimphu | Altitude 2300 MetersIt is always good to start early hike to holy Tigress Nest Monastery. Starting early has lot of advantages that you can bit the strong sun rays, so it is easier for you to walk the 30 degrees switch back steep mountain trail. In the morning the pictures are better, there will be lesser animals, lesser people and you can take more rest maintaining your own slow pace. You will also get more time to meditate in the Tigress nest temple. We were lucky enough to see some of the highly respected Buddhist lamas were chanting the prayers inside the temple along with interesting sound of the trumpets, flutes, drums and couch shell. The Highest point of the Tigress Nest hike is 3100 Meter but the temple stands around 3080 Meters on the sheer granite cliff. From the highest point we also have 780 steps to reach the inner meditation place called Dup Khang in which 465 steps are down to the stream where you can see the beautiful waterfall and 315 steps climbs up to the monastery. We were the first one to start by 0630 hrs. in the morning and kept the record with the solo lady 62 years old from Poland, walking way down while everyone walking uphill. We had our lunch at Charo and Doro Resturant at Paro. Afternoon we started our drive to Thimphu. Visited oldest suspension iron bridge on the way, took picture at the confluence of the river and reached my home to have a quick tea. After a short conversation with my wife and son, we went to check in to our hotel. Overnight at Pedling Hotel Thimphu. Day 03 | 08th October, 2016 | Thimphu – Thimphu Festival | Overnight at Thimphu | Altitude 2300 MetersAfter our leisurely breakfast, we went to the Tashichoe Dzong, meaning fortress of the glorious teaching. We were lucky enough to witness the most holy Thimphu Dromche in the inner courtyard of the Dzong interacting with the locals, mask dancers, atsaras, monk and tourist. Just witnessing the festivals Bhutanese believes that it helps us to get rid of all the sins. Mask dances, the spiritual dance of the masters can prolong life span of the individual. It also closes the door to
Jomolhari Mountain Festival Trek – From USA to Bhutan
Jomolhari Mountain Festival Trek – From USA to Bhutan If you find yourself smiling with the gentle breezes around you, than you are actually with the nature! Jomolhari Mountian Festival takes places at the Jomolhari’s base, the highest mountain of Bhutan. It is initiated by the community for the conservation of endangered snow leopard and other rare species of animals like himalayan blue sheep etc. Jomolhari Mountain festival is held around 24th of October and 25th of October every year starting from year 2013. This Jomolhari mountain festival is quite unique than other annual festival. In this festival you could see lot of interesting and unique activities of the locals like, Dances preformed by the students, villagers, horse riding competition, pulling the rope, shot-put competition and gathering of the nomadic people with their yaks and animals. Day 01 | Arrival in Paro International Airport – Thimphu excrusion – Paro | Altitude 2200 metersafter the arrival in paro international airport, we have taken them for city sightseeing in Thimphu. In the evening we came head back to Paro. Evening we stroll around the Paro town and checked in to our hotel. Day 02 | Paro Tigress Nest HikeWe started the hike to Tigress Nest early morning rite after our quick breakfast. It is always good to start early morning hike to tigress nest monastery because you have to bit the strong sun rays, it will be less people and less horses, you have to maintain a very slow walking pace, and you can take lot of beautiful pictures of the Tigress Nest Monastery. If you reach in the morning you can get better space for meditation inside the monastery. We also stopped in the half way cafe on our way back for tea and snacks. Lunch we had in Organic Resturant in Paro. After lunch, we stopped refresh ourselves with the best cozy coffee conner called Champaka cafe in the heart of Paro town. In the late evening we started our drive to reach our first camp site in Gunitsawa. It is just the drive upto the starting point of your trek. Here our trekking crew has well organised our dinner, tea and every thing in detail. Day 03 | Gunitsawa – Thangtangka | Overnight Altitude 3500 Meters | 810 Meter Accent and 10 Meter Decent after our early breakfast, we started our trek with just our light day pack, like camera, sunglasses, walking stick, bottled drinking water, sun scream, hand gloves, warm woolen hats and warm jackets. The it is mostly a switchback kind of trails following the river in Paro. The clolourful vegitaion in Autumn makes our day quite easier. It is long 8 hours walk to reach Thangtangkha. Here the night is quite cold depending upon the weather, if the sky is clear and if you see the stars than that night is chilly cold, but it is cloudy night than it’s quite better. Day 04 | Thangtangka – Jangothang | Jomolhari base camp | Altitude 4200 meterToday with the early breakfast, we started our trek to Jangothang, the Jomolhari base camp, where we could reach for the lunch in the festival venue after 5 hours of walk. It’s quite tiring but because of the the festival it refreshes everything. We could sit around with the locals there in the festival venue and eat with them. We got lot of beautiful portraits of locals with their beautiful costumes. Day 05 | Jangothang – Thantangka Today we were really blessed with the clear beautiful blue sky which made our day hike worth to Tshophu the twins lakes with the mind blowing views of the Highest mountain of Bhutan. Jomolhari and Jichudarky. We came back for our lunch in the Jomolhari base, Jangothang and retrace way back to Thangtangka again. Day 06 Thangtangka – Gunitsawa – Uma ParoToday we had easy descend down for 7 plus hours to reach the end point of the trek. This trek was so much enjoyable and blessed with the perfect weather, we could see the interesting festival called jomolhari mountain festival. Day 07 | Paro – BangkokIn the morning after our leisurely breakfast at Uma Paro, we bit farewell to our guest in Paro international airport.
Hiking Tiger’s Nest Monastery – Taksang Hike, the most iconic site in Bhutan
Hiking Tiger’s Nest Monastery – Taksang Hike, the most iconic site in Bhutan Let me take you to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery – Taktsang Goenpa – The most iconic site in Bhutan! Things to know before we hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery/Taksang Goenpa: About the trials: It’s the mountain trails, uneven, with switch back turns until the highest point and than we have almost 760 steps along with the railings to the security check point of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. Among 760 Steps, 465 steps are down and 295 steps up. Mode of Transportation: The only ways to reach Tiger’s Nest Monastery is on foot, but we have an option to ride the horse until half way up to cafeteria. Distance covered: 5.1 Kilometers to the temple (10.2 Kilometers To – and – fro) Packing suggestion: The important things to include in your day packs are; Sunglasses, sun-scream, trekking pole, handkerchief or tissues, hand sanitizer, hats, energy bars and water of course. The roof-sack has to be much lighter for the successful trek! Dress codes: Long sleeves (for round neck T-shirts) and polo shirts are accepted but however the jackets with the sleeves will work out and long pants of course (same for the women) or long skirts. On the way any intended dresses are considerable.Difficulty Level: Grade 2+ (Moderate)Shall we start our hike to the most holy and revered Buddhist temple in Bhutan known as Tiger’s Nest Monastery? We have to start it quite early morning, specially if we are traveling with the group, because we may not know the pace of our companions. Therefore sometime we even make a pack sandwiches and start immediately. Starting early can also avoids the crowds and get sometime for taking mediation at the top, otherwise it is so crowded and congested. There are even the mountain pennies walking up the same way, therefore if you are hiking up on foot, we must start early. The pictures above is taken from the car parking. The myth has it that the whole of the granite looks like the face of the powerful deity, known as Guru Dorjee Drolo, the wrathful appearance of Guru Padmasambhava to scare the demon. Our car will drop us at the parking and than we hike up along with our tour guide to the temple and back. We have to take our own pace and should not hurry for any reason. Always slow and steady wins the race. Hike at a pace where you can talk while walking. If you want to hire the horse up to the cafeteria, you should do it from the car parking itself. This is a view from the half way, cafeteria. After 1 hours or so, we will be able to reach the half way cafeteria, where we have the best view of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. If you have any health issue or breathing problem you should rather stay here and rest, enjoying the view of the temple, because the whole group may get delayed. If our fitness level is high and energetic, we should not stay too much at the cafeteria because the hit of the sun makes it difficult for us to climb, however tea, coffee or lunch on our way down is must. In the spring and late summer, there are lot of beautiful flowers and easily attracts lots of birds around the cafeteria. The must common visitor among the birds here is Yellow Billed Blue Magpie, they are such a lovely long tailed bird. There are lot of red blooms of rhododendron alongside the trials making it worth hiking up. cafeteria would be our meeting point if in case in the big group if anyone is using the mountain ponies. The ponies can come until the cafe point, hereafter everyone must walk on foot for another 1 and half hours or so. In the late autumn, the tree creeper plants looks different in their autumn colors. Its amazing to walk when the vegetation changes as we gain the altitude. The different shapes and size of the mountain brown oak with loosely hanging lichens would be another attraction on our way up after our cafeteria. First half is difficult than second half of the trail, however the trails keeps ascending further for next 20 minutes and improves. The lichens are the sign of the fresh airs without pollution, anyways Bhutan is blessed with the carbon negative! After we cross this densely populated mountain brown oak by next 15 minutes or so, we will be at the highest point of the trail, about 3050 meter above the sea level. The view here is such a breathtaking, you will finally get to feel that it’s worth hiking. We will feel such a relief! However the picture is not over! The stone stair ways downhill will starts here with the railing in the side. almost 465 steps descends down to the stream, where we will see the waterfall in between the two granite cliff. If you make down few hundreds steps down, the view is even more breathtaking! indeed it’s awesome! These are the steps down from the highest point until the waterfall, but believe me each of these steps are worth taking picture of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, the most iconic site of Bhutan, which is seen literary hanging on the sheer granite cliffs. This is the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, the most revered temple in Bhutan. It is amazingly constructed on the granite cliff. Hundreds of devotees visit this holy Buddhist site each day. Here’s the unique statue of Guru Padmabhava, which is commonly known as ‘Spoken statue’, the Guru Sungjem. Therefore, not only the history but also the idle and relics here is the most unique among all. Later after we cover 465 steps, now we have another 295 steps ascending up till the entrance, where we have the security check point and few more steps to the inner shrine even, which we consider as ‘Stair ways to heaven’. Reaching here at the security check point of the temple, non of the
Kuensel Phodrang Nature Hike – Scenic Hike in Thimphu
Kuensel Phodrang Nature Hike – Scenic Hike in Thimphu If you find yourself smiling with the gentle breezes around you, than you are actually with the nature! There are many hiking trails in Thimphu, but the most beautiful and scenic nature hike overlooking the whole of Thimphu downtown is not other than Kuensel Phodrang Nature Hike. There is no other better hike other than Kuensel Phodrang Nature Hike where the trail admits the blue pine forest. About the Kuensel Phodrang Nature Hike:Starting point of the hike: Buddha Point, Kuensel Phodrang Nature Hike & End Point of the Hike: Changangkha Lhakhang, the oldest temple in Thimphu (Either way round)Walking Distance: 5 Kilometers | Duration: 2 Hours | Difficulty level: 0 – 1 Grade (Easy – Flat, Gradual climb and down) Preperation: Walking Stick, hats, Sunglasses and sun scream, Candy and energy bars, juices and water It’s refreshing hike that everyone would love it! This hike can be done from either way round. You can start it from the Buddha point or from Changangkha Lhakhang but it’s much easier to start from Buddha point. Since I have done this hike several times with our guest but this time I did it with my family! Two of us with two kids (Son 7 Years old, Daughter 3 years old) and we started from Changangkha Lhakhang to Buddhat Point. This view was from the starting point of the hike, little above the oldest temple. It’s amazing indeed, even both of my kids loved it! But of course i was helping my little daughter with some climbs.look at those awesome Bhutanese intricate architecture, isn’t it amazing! Most of the Architect loves to spend hours to see those buildings specially the new construction with bamboo scaffolding. After 10 minutes of walk, we have this view, where everyone loves to pose for the pictures even the kids on full mood. The trails ascends gradually admits the blue pine. You can also start hearing the birds and breezes. Than the way leads up to the green dwarf bamboo bushes where sometime we could see the Himalayan Kalish Pheasants, Spotted Nut Crackers, Green Backed Tits etc. We had a wonderful tea break, were we took it in the hot thermal flask. we got some fruits and nuts along with us even for energizing our kids and also we can encourage them blackmailing. Later after two hours of hike we could manage to reach here, the most beautiful viewpoint with the giant Buddha statue overlooking the valley. This is so picturesque with the colorful prayers flags around. We can even plan this hike along with the picnic lunch, depending upon the weather. Even if you cant’ go for the full hike, you could at least come in this Kunsel Phodrang Nature Park. It breathtaking! The picture above is taken with my friends, where we met them collecting the top soils for the flowers and he was helpful enough to render his car services to drop us home. Amazing view of the whole Thimphu City. For this view, you don’t need to do the whole hike. Just walk for 10 minutes from the Buddha statue and you can get to see this! It’s refreshing hike, you must do this if you have time and if you like hiking. Kids where rejoicing themselves looking at the birds and their flights of course. They are nice oriental dove of alpine regions. You must love the nature and they comes to us!The must important things that i wanted to share with you all, Please take care of your trashes! It’s a serene nature, it’s the clean home for those species – If you do not litter, than only we assume that you love the nature. Kuensel Phodrang Nature Hike is also a cycling trails, therefore it’s quite flat and wide. If you like cycling, you should also try this, its quite an adventure. Finally you could also visit the Biggest Statue of Buddha, which is of course the main highlight of the hike. It is 169 ft tall, which is considered to be the biggest Buddha statue of the world. Descending down by these stairways has amazing view of the Buddha. There are almost 298 steps, so we can consider this as a stairways to heaven. Cheers! Hope to see you here….