Restrictions to visiting Tutankhamuns Tomb

A HIDDEN SURPRISE

Paul Taylor’s recent journey took him from the heat of Calcutta’s plains to the cool, clean air of Darjeeling, Sikkim… and onto the Land of the Thunder Dragon - Bhutan!

Bhutan - A hidden surprise

Having never visited Bhutan (or indeed Darjeeling and Sikkim), I was incredibly excited about seeing a country I had heard a lot about and always been fascinated in exploring the Buddhist charm that it had to offer.

Darjeeling, with its famous tea plantations, cooler climate and colonial feel is the quintessential hill station of India. Originally an army camp set up by the British, it has now become a sprawling town with an incredible panorama of Himalayan peaks which can be viewed from Tiger Hill at sunrise – the best view you will get without visiting Nepal or Tibet.

Travelling east I entered into Sikkim, to the capital Gangtok, with its spectacular view over to the Khangchendzonga range. This ancient Buddhist Kingdom is remote and has an amazing mountainous terrain and a state that gets left off most travellers’ itineraries, which is a shame as it is both fascinating and rewarding.

Crossing the border by road into Bhutan at Phuentsholing, is a unique way to enter the country with great views across the various valleys you drive through. With a population of only 640,000 people, in an area the size of Switzerland and with 70% forests being covered in forests, you really get the sense of what the Himalayan Kingdom has to offer.

I started my journey in Thimpu, the capital, where there are no traffic-lights and only white gloved policeman orchestrating the proceedings, which is unique for a capital city. I continued east over the Dochu La and Pele La passes where, weather permitting, you will get uninterrupted views of Jhomolhari mountain standing at 7,314 metres high. I continued east to Trongsa with its traditional Bhutanese architecture and into the Bumthang Valley, famous for its amazing hikes and the rare and endangered black-necked cranes.

Bhutan is definitely a hidden surprise, with its stunning flora and fauna, red rice, incredibly hot chilli’s, fantastic monasteries, incredible Dzong’s, deeply rooted Buddhist beliefs and compulsory national dress. There is nothing like it and I would highly recommend it to any traveller!