Bhutan Tourist Places | Bhutan Tour | How to Reach Bhutan | Bhutan Travel Guide | Thimphu Bhutan
For a long time, a neighbor was calling me saying come and meet our people and get some fresh air. We also said, will come. Had to give you a problem, we will take this fresh air and these views of yours with us.
Welcome to Bhutan's border, right now I am in India and on the other side is Bhutan. So how will I enter? where have to roam there? what will be the expenses? I will tell you all the details and show you Bhutan. I am doing this whole trip through Tour Kingdom. So you will get to know all the information in detail. Let's go and explore Bhutan. There are 2-3 borders to go to Bhutan.
But the most convenient route for tourists is from West Bengal's Jaigaon route. Jaigaon's nearby railway station is Hasimara where direct trains come from Delhi. And from here you can easily reach Jaigaon at a distance of 14 km. Nearby airport is Bagdogra which is 150 km away.
And 150 km away is Siliguri and some people also get down at New Jalpaiguri railway station. From where travel agents provide pick-up facility. However, you can also reach Bhutan by flight about which we will know later. I have already set foot on Bhutan's land and let me show you the initial glimpse. This is how it looks. It is completely green like and the road is well built. Now let me tell you a little about the procedure.
There are 2 counters inside, one for general entry and one for tourists. We have gone to the tourist counter and your Aadhaar card will not work here. You will need to have your voter ID or passport. You can enter from that. But if you visit casually, you can go through the general entry.
And your Aadhaar card is acceptable in that so keep this in mind. So let's go and explore, for now, I won't explore We have to go to Thimphu from here our car is parked here. Let's go to the car and let's travel till Thimphu and when we reach Thimphu, let's see how it is. We will also see what is on the way. As soon as you enter Bhutan, you enter a city named Phuentsholing. Indian tourists do not need a visa to visit Bhutan. But you have to go to the immigration office in Phuentsholing.
To visit Bhutan, it is compulsory that you have to book a guide and here the counter on which I am standing is called SDF counter, Sustainable Development Fund, you have to pay this in Bhutan.. and it costs RS 1,200 per night. That means if you are coming for 5 nights so for 5 nights, you will have to pay as per person. Suppose you are 2 people, so for 2 people, you will have to pay Rs 12,000 for 5 nights.
You get a guide with you and he guides you all the time. So this is a compulsory thing you have to pay it if you are coming to Bhutan. As soon as you enter Bhutan, your mobile network is lost. So you take the sim from here and move forward. - So Mr. Reddy is with me here and he also has a channel and will travel with us.
- Tell the name of the channel first. - My channel name is Telgu Traveler. - So you can also take a sim card here. What's the procedure for that? - Just pay Rs 250 and take your sim. - Okay. - 1 GB data and you can do all this from outside. -
- You can get it on the SDF counter and you have to pay in Indian Rupees. - Needs to give passport? - No, you don't have to give your passport. - You will get the sim easily. - So the whole process is complete. The stamp on the passport has been applied. We can visit the country and rain has welcomed us.
Bhutan's capital is Thimphu and from Phuentsholing or Jaigaon, the distance to Thimphu is about 150 km. It can take 4 hours to reach there. But these roads are seen completely empty. On which there is no Maggi point like in the mountains areas of India. In Jaigaon, where the temperature was 36 degrees, it is half here of it. So while stopping and looking at them, it takes about 5-6 hours to reach Thimphu.
I don't know where I have stopped on the way. The place called Gedu which is 25 km away from here. And there is a viewpoint here. Although you can stop anywhere here.
You will see all the views and there is such a peace. Peace is because the entire population of this country is only 8 lakh. The population in Mirzapur where I live is even higher.
So you can imagine how empty this country will be. By the way, the weather is very good. And from here to Thimphu, it is still about 120 km but we are enjoying the journey. If you are wondering if you can go to Thimphu by bus from Phuentsholing, then tourists cannot go by bus. Because Bhutan's government gives permission to tourists to explore with some criteria to control the increasing population and crowd.
There is a pattern of visiting Bhutan. Many people get confused about bhutan that like people go to Nepal they just pack their bag and show the Aadhar card there and you enter and roam. But it is not like that here. Here, you will not need Aadhar card to roam. You will need a voter ID and passport. And secondly, you have to take the package here, pay the SDF and also take the tourist guide.
These are compulsory things, so keep this in mind. And you can take the package from Tour Kingdom, where I have taken it from. They are a reliable travel agent and they will arrange everything for you. You will get a car, sightseeing, dinner, breakfast, hotel, in this package. So you will get a lot of good services. I have given the contact details. Contact them and book and roam around Bhutan.
In a while, we reached Gedu, which is the only town on this entire route. Where there are some restaurants to eat. However, we stopped at a restaurant a little ahead of this. And there was no pure veg restaurant on the entire route. So here I had ordered French fries and this is for RS 80. And look at the size of the French fries, a whole potatao..
They must have got such a big potato that they have cut it so big. And I ordered tea for Rs 50 rupees and this is a non-alcoholic drink for Rs 120. So prices are like this and let's find out whether they accept Indian currency or not. Because we don't have Bhutanese currency here. - You can give me Bhutanese? Indian? - No.
Bhutanese is of same value as Rupees. So, take this. This is how the 100 currency notes are here. I left for Thimphu at around 12 noon and as I was coming closer to Thimphu, I could see a little crowd. But not a single two-wheeler was visible on these roads. Enjoying the views, we soon entered Thimphu city.
And as soon as I came here, I found out that there is not a single traffic light in the entire Bhutan. We left at around 12 PM and right now it is 7 PM and we have reached our hotel.. I will show you the room. I will give you all the information. And it is a very luxurious hotel. You will see everything here.
And we will show you the views and everything. And tomorrow we will have a great trip of Thimphu. To visit Bhutan, you have to book a minimum 3-star hotel according to the government's rules. When I woke up in the morning, the entire Thimphu city was in front of my eyes.
Which was located in the middle of the entire valley, was glowing completely different. It is 9 in the morning and we are leaving to cover all the places in Thimphu today. The sun is shining very brightly, which is a good sign because it's a bit cold here. And it feels good to bask in the sun in the cold. The weather is just amazing. Let's go on a journey and see what all is there in Thimphu. Our Thimphu's first place was 'Simply Bhutan' which is in the main city.
Entry fee is RS 1,000 here. You can decide if it's worth it or not you'll know after we going inside and based on our investment of this Rs 1,000 notes each. - Indian currency? Yes, it's acceptable However, the Indian Army soldeir gets a ticket for 40% discount for Rs 600.
Bhutan is a democratic country and the king is the head of state here. In 'Simply Bhutan', you are welcomed with wine and as soon as you enter, you are shown old tools and pictures of all the past kings. After this they also present their local dance. - This is our fertility garden, we have presented fertility in a form of garden. - So you don't need to be shy or angry.
- You can see their portrait here, he is our fertility god. - We call him ' Shri Drukpa Kunley', Shri Jai means a Yogi or a Lama Drukpa Kunley is his name. - All our gods have different weapons and powers to kill the devil. but our fertility god use phallus as a weapon - That's he is known as the Divine Madman or Crazy Yogi in Bhutan. - When you visit Bhutan you can see the phallus shape on the door or on the four corners of the roof It's to protect yourself from evil eyes.
- In some parts of India, people believe that placing Nimbu-Mirchi on the door or Kala Tika can protect you from evil eyes. In Bhutan, we believe in the phallus shape .. - So don't get shocked if you see buddhist people with phallus shape something.. - In Bhutan, we carry phallus shape like a pendant, necklace or a small key chain. - Thanks - What's your name? Sabina? - Sabina, Okay.
- What's this? - This is butter tea - Okay, and what do you call it in Bhutan? - We call it Suja. Old kitchens are also shown here. And you can also try Bhutan's national game, Archery.
If you hit the target, they celebrate it. - What do you call in bhutani when you welcome someone here? - When we welcome someone, we call it Kuzu zangpu. - And for goodbye? - For respect, it is Kuzu zangpu la. - And what do you call boys here? - Butsh - And what do you call girls? - Bum ( Boom) - And what if you want to say goodbye? - If you want to say goodbye, we can put our hands behind our back. and freinds we can say tata bbye.. - For greetings? - Yes, it is same..
- And for thank you? Kadrin chhe la - Kadrin chhe la - Okay, Kadrin chhe la. - Kadrin chhe la. Ultimately, even though the entry fees of 'Simply Bhutan' feels high, but it is a must visit place where you get to see and know a lot about Bhutan, which makes this place worthwhile for you. 75% of Bhutan's population is Buddhist, while 22% is Hindu and rest are of other religions. Now, since most of them are Buddhists, you will get to see a lot of monasteries here.
And many small mini stupas in the shape of these monasteries will be seen on the roadside here which people keep for well wishing. The place where I am sitting right now is called Buddha Dordenma. Many Indians come here, the guide was telling me that they pronounce this place as Buddha Point.
But they don't like it. You should call it whatever name it has. And this statue you are seeing is 169 feet high. It looks very high. You won't be able to understand it through the camera, but it is very high.
And when you go inside, where they are sitting, you can say it is a complete museum. There are small Buddha statues there. Photography is not allowed inside, so I can't show you but it will look great. And it is made to sit there I also sat there and meditated for at least 10-15 minutes. It was amazing.. So, when you go inside, there are paintings.
You will get to see the whole story of the life of Lord Buddha. And there are guides here, so they guide you. It is an interesting place and you can see the views from here, of entire Thimphu. This place is quite high. In Bhutan, there is a rule of every temple or monastery. As soon as you take off your shoes or slippers to go to the monastery, the camera or mobile phone is also turned off from there.
And they take care of their culture so much that TV was banned here until 1999. Because they thought that this would have a bad effect on Buddhism lifestyle. I have just come to the market of Thimphu and this is the clock tower market here. You will see the clock tower behind.
And on this side, shops are there. Now I feel like I am in Bhutan. As I imagined, there will be mountains, valleys, a small market and will be organized.
Everything looks the same here as I imagined. Bhutan's GDP is measured not by production but by people's happiness. Which is called Gross National Happiness.
And it was also seen in the market here. They were fundraising by playing games. - Thank you, do you know hindi? - Yes - Which game is this? - Its name is Baara house.
INAUDIBLE - Where have you come from? - India - When did you come? - I came yesterday. - When will you go back? - I am here for 2-3 days. - Have you come to visit? - Yes - How did you like Bhutan? - Very amazing. - Sit here and do rest.. - What is your name? - Siri The national animal of Bhutan is Takin, which I have never seen before.
And in the Royal Takin Preserve, you will get to see this unique animal for Rs. 300 entry fee. You can see many Takins behind me and it is quite big. I had imagined that it would be small, but it is bigger than the buffaloes and it has horns . At first I thought that it is black because it is in mud. But its color is black from below and brown from above. He is eating grass and there are many behind me.
And it is interesting to see it. With them, there are some deer's as well and small and big Takins are also seen here. There is a story about Takin.
When people asked a local saint to prove his powers, he created a living Takin by combining the supernatural power of a goat and a cow bone. That's why half of this animal's body is like a cow and half is like a goat. In Bhutan, there is lunch time from 12 to 1. The shops become empty. Everyone goes for lunch. Such a system is there here. And we are also following this here. And we came here during lunch time and our guide also went for lunch.
- He just went now. - The restaurant where we came is here. I mean, I noticed one thing.. - Whether it is a shop or a restaurant or whatever, there is a photo of the king.
One can marry many times here.. Do as you wish. Now we will tell you one more important thing. Whoever is a pure vegeterian like us, this is new grand restaurant.. I will tell you the price here.
If you come to Cloud Tower, you will get it if you put it on the map. Tea costs here for Rs 30, Masala Dosa is available here for Rs 200, and Dal Fry is for Rs 95, Veg Fried Rice is for Rs 140. It is a very genuine price. I mean, you are getting it at right price.
And Paratha is available here for Rs 100. Peas Paratha. So, all these prices are here. You can have according to you. For vegetarians.
There is a view point at a distance from Taken Preserve from where you can get a beautiful view of Thimphu in just one glance. Amidst this changing weather, after many years, I got to see rainbow here in Bhutan. Let me show you my hotel room in Thimphu. It is a beautiful room with beautiful views. Let me show you my bed. It's a double bedroom with a TV.
I don't need AC because it's cold. Yes, I have a table fan here. And this is washroom, it is quite big. Gyser is there because it is cold here. Important is balcony here and view from there. I have come outside and it is night time now, I will show you the view in the morning too.
There are chairs here you can sit comfortably. And enjoy these views. It's a very good property. The hotel I have booked and I have taken tour package of Bhutan from Tour Kingdom. And you will get such good service and good hotels. We will tell you the prices at the end of the video.
If you want to book, I will give you the contact details. You can contact them and book. It's said that gold is very cheap in Bhutan but how true this thing is came to light only after visiting the gold shop. - How much is the price of gold? - Rs 88,000/12 gram - 12 grams? Rs 88,000/12 gram? - Yes -For 24 Karat, Right? -Yes.
- Here it is only Rs 600 less than India - Yes - Earlier it was more difference? - Yes - Here everything comes from India, Bhutan doesn't have its own salt. - Ohh really? - Yes, everything comes from India. - It comes from Siliguri, darjeeling, Sikkim etc.. - How you like India? - India is very good. It's crowded.
- And a lot traffic jam in India, look here, there is traffic jam but not a single horn sound. - In India, there is very noise pollution... - It is peaceful here. - Here at lunch time, one leaves shop etc.. - Yes
- There is no theft here? - No, nothing. - Look, I am wearing so much gold, I am comfortable, there is no fear. We found out a little It is said that you get cheap gold at the duty free shop nearby. If you come here then this liquor is also available and inside there is counter where gold is also available.
Gold is available in two forms, one in 1 gm and other in 20 gm. 1 gm of gold in today's rate according to India, In India it is Rs 76,000. But if you buy 1 gram gold here then It costs Rs 88,000. Rs 88,000 means per 10 grams costs Rs 88,000 But you will get it in 1 gram form only so you will have to buy 10 different coins.. But if you buy 20 grams then in India it is Rs 76,000 and here it costs you Rs 72,000.
Which means you will get discount Rs 4,000 according to today's gold rate. But according to the custom rule if you are living in a country for more than 6 months then you can only bring gold for a maximum value of Rs 50,000. So if you are going as a tourist don't buy gold. You won't even get liquor at the duty free price here. Because Thimphu's duty free is only for government officials of here. So if you want to buy liquor then at Phuentsholing or Paro airport you will get cheap duty free.
The government in Bhutan Is ruled by the king and queen. And people worship them here like God. And the prime minister is also here but people have great faith in king. Behind me you can call it a view point, else it is a important place. If you look at this structure, this is Parliament of Bhutan, buiding at the back is Parliament And below this is the palace where the king and queen reside. On the other side, there is also the Supreme Court.
So you can call this is a view point where this highway, car, clouds, greenry is visible. On this side there is a river too and there are houses too, so you can see everthing in a single view. This is a good place..
So you can come here in evening and sit here and look at these views. You will enjoy it. Chang Yul Park of Thimphu is also a place worth visiting in the evening, which is located on the banks of the river. In the upcoming parts of Bhutan, we will visit other cities like Paro and Punakha.
And will explores places of here, will also know about facts of here bhutan's itinerary and budget. So do watch next part and don't forget to subscribe the channel and like and share the video.
2024-09-18 19:04
