Bhutan

- The Mighty And Magical Journey Across Eastern Himalayas

By Meera

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As we drove down from Bagdogra in India to Phuentsholing, the gateway to Bhutan, crossing Siliguri, Darjeeling and the eastern periphery of West Bengal - dusty plains followed by terraced fields in the bordering district, the journey did not seem laborious or difficult.  On the way, we passed through the beginning of the eastern Himalayas while it was a pleasure to watch the meandering Teesta River, the Dooars forest and innumerable tea estates.

 

Far from Bengaluru, it was a pleasant escape from a grimy and choked city to twisting hills, rivers, forest and tea gardens dotting the landscape. One has to travel a distance of 165 kilometres from India to Bhutan by road and it takes about five hours even as we took two breaks for tea and snacks.

 

Actually, if you travel by road, one loses almost two days of sightseeing in Bhutan. Further, road conditions in West Bengal are deplorable, however, it improves as we cross over to the mountainous kingdom. The moment you leave India and cross over the gate to Phuentsholing, the difference between the two countries is starkly visible as this small Bhutanese town is not only beautiful but also very clean.

 

There is a marked contrast in the sounds and chit-chatter as it turns melodious with people talking softly and birds chirping in and calling out in the fading sun. As we reached Phuentsholing town and took rest, we had to stand in long queues at the immigration office, the next morning to get our permit cards to visit Thimphu and Paro. However, it seems now they have launched an online regional permit system for Indians but one should travel through registered Bhutan tour operators. If you are planning to visit Punakha also, you will have to get a permit for this in Thimphu but that is another story.

 

After having a sumptuous lunch at the Border Roads guesthouse, we left Phuentsholing at 3 pm and crossed this charming entry point of Bhutan in our vehicle which was driven by our tour guide Rehman from Siliguri. Even as we left this beautiful township and crossed a few checkpoints at varying heights, one gets an introduction to the stark mountain ranges of this country that has borders with India on three sides and Tibet on the northern side.

 

By the way, Bhutan has ended free travel to their country for Indian passport holders and they are levying a fee of Rs 1200 per day per person from July, this year. For Indians, this country has been a mesmerising destination with its stunning mountains and gorges, its trekking routes and Buddhist heritage. They have introduced this Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) basically to regulate the heavy tourist footfalls from India especially from the eastern states. If you are travelling by road, then one has to obtain an entry permit on the basis of valid travel documents from the Immigration Office of the Royal Government of Bhutan at Phuentsholing.

Because of its proximity to Jaigaon, one can find a lot of Indian workers from West Bengal, Bihar and other states working in Phuentsholing. In fact, as we passed from one range to another – the road maintenance work as also building of new roads (the Ha Highway) was going on at many places. Speaking to a few women at one of the highways, they said they were looked after by Dantak and also paid well as also provided rations, clothes and other necessary items.

 

Another important place which one should not miss is Chukha that is considered as the gateway to the south. Here there are two hydroelectric projects on the rivers of Wangchu and Paachhu. They are absolutely crucial to the country for providing power. Here we can see water falling from one slope to another and in the process, the river water forms a nice pool on the highway. I got down to take a closer look at the dam and the amazing falls.

It is the Border Roads Organization from India which has built all the roads in this country and maintains connectivity throughout the year. So therefore, one can see only Indian road workers throughout Bhutan working all the year round be it rain or snow. So, after travelling for more than 65 kilometres, we got down to have tea and tasty hot samosas and it was none other than a Dantak canteen run by our countrymen serving it.

 

As we crossed from one range to another across varying altitudes, the weather got cooler and cooler and we got more and more hungry. The less said the better about visibility and we began to see dense clouds sweeping over the verdant mountains. OMG! I would give anything to see such views and treasure it for ever. Every hour it was a different sight across the hills, some places, it was foggy, sometimes dipped in different lights of the sun. It was such a contrast to our earlier journey from Siliguri to Phuentsholing.

 

One can see mountain slopes covered with lush greenery but as winter was setting in, it becomes bare. As I got down from our vehicle at the power project site, it was cold despite a sunny morning. Weather is extreme here and the high peaks have perpetual snow while the lower mountains and hewn gorges – one can feel the freezing high winds. Even as we travelled across the country, the valleys are usually verdant due to the rivers fed by glacial melt as also the monsoons.

 

How To Drive Down

 

One can hire vehicles at Bagdogra itself and we did it for our entire trip to and from Bhutan. The route which we took was from Bagdogra (W Bengal) to Phuentsholing and from there to Chukha and further to Ha and Paro and finally to the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu.  While the return drive was from Thimphu to Phuentsholing direct and after a night halt at the Dantak guest house, it was back to Bagdogra