FESTIVALS OF BHUTAN

Day 1
Depart London.

Day 2
Arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to our hotel. The evening is free to relax.

Day 3
Today we fly to Paro. The flight is one of the most spectacular mountain flights in the world and takes us over the Eastern Himalayas. If the weather is clear, we should get a fantastic view of much of the eastern half of the Himalaya, including Everest, Kanchenjunga and Chomolhari (Jhomolhari). From Paro we drive to Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan. Thimpu is a fairly small town, with a population of around 90,000, and is easy to get around. There is a certain quaintness to it and all the houses and shops are painted in traditional Buddhist styles. (Depending on the flight timings from Kathmandu to Paro it may be late when we arrive in Thimpu).

Day 4
We spend the day in Thimpu visiting the main sites. We will visit the impressive golden-spired Memorial Chorten, built in 1974 by the Royal Grandmother in memory of the Third King, H M Jigme Dorji Wangchuk who died in 1972. We also view the magnificent Tashichoe Dzong (fort), visit the National Library and the newly built Textile museum. There will also be time to visit some of the shops selling Bhutanese souvenirs and the Post Office has a collection of Bhutan's famous stamps.

Day 5
We leave Thimpu in the morning and drive east to Punakha. The route climbs steeply in places to the Dochula Pass. At 3050m (10,000ft) the views over the eastern Himalaya are magnificent although the clouds may obscure this spectacle. We descend to the valley floor and continue to sub-tropical Punakha. At an altitude of 1350m the difference in temperature and flora is apparent. Punakha was the old capital of Bhutan and the dzong was the second one to be built in Bhutan. This remarkable fortress is built between two rivers and it has survived many fires, an earthquake and a glacial flood. Along the way it has been repaired and added to and it has several interesting features to protect it against invasion. Overnight in Punakha.

Day 6
This morning we hike up to the Chime Lhakhang (monastary), a 15th Century monastary built to honour one of the more folkloric saints of Bhutanese tradition, Lama Drukpa Kuenley. The Lama was known for his foul-mouth, alcohol-smelling breath and insatiable lust towards women. Yet he is revered as a great saint by most Bhutanese and women who cannot conceive believe that if they get blessed by the wooden phallus they will get pregnant. From here we continue towards the Gangtey Valley, visiting the imposing Wangdi Dzong, en route. Arriving at the Gangtey Valley, we will visit the the Gangtey monastary, the summer residence of the followers of the treasure hunter, Pema Lingpa.

Day 7
This morning we will go on a hike through the Gangtey Valley. This glacial valley is made up of farmlands, pastures and Blue-pine forests. We will cross herders lazily caring for their yaks as the smelly beasts chew on the dwarf bamboo which grow in the area. In the afternoon we drive onto Wangdi Phodrang.

Day 8
In the morning we drive back to the beautiful broad, fertile Paro Valley, with its famous dzong overlooking the rice fields and scattered houses. The Paro Valley is considered to be one of the most beautiful valleys in Bhutan, with blue pine-covered hills and attractive solidly built houses among the paddy fields. After lunch we will spend the afternoon taking in the Paro Festival. Hundreds gather to see the monks dressed in colourful brocade, silk costumes and wearing painted masks re-enact the story of the gompa's particular divinity though music and dance. For several days there are masked dances, prayer meetings and a general carnival atmosphere as many villagers arrive to meet old friends and catch up with the mountain gossip. The festival culminates with the unfurling of a giant Thangka, three stories high, which has to be carefully folded away before the rays of the morning sun catch it.

Day 9
We spend today at the festival and there will also be time to look around the outside of the Kyichu Lhakhang, and visit the National Museum. This is housed in an ancient watchtower with a superb view over the valley and contains many interesting historic and religious objects, as well as a fine collection of Bhutanese stamps. A little below the museum is the Rimpung, or Paro Dzong, the political and religious centre for the Paro district, which we should be able to visit.

Day 10
First we visit Dzongdrakha and the ruined Drukyel Dzong, commanding the route to Tibet, which was destroyed by fire in the 1950s. We then drive to the car park below Taktsang monastery, where we set off walking. It is an uphill hike taking 2 - 3 hours to the viewpoint cafe and is steep in places. The famous monastery, whose name means 'Tiger's Nest', is only accessible on foot but is well worth the effort. The monastery clings to a huge granite cliff 800 metres from the paro valley. It is believed that the great saint Padmasambhava came in the 7th century on a flying tigress and meditated in a cave for 3 months. The demons who were trying to stop the spread of Buddhism were subdued and he converted the Paro valley to Buddhism. During the end of the 17th century a monastery was built on the spot where the saint mediated and it is a pilgrimage site for every Bhutanese to visit once in their lifetime.

Day 11
We transfer to the airport to check in for our flight back to Kathmandu. The rest of the day is free for individual sightseeing or shopping. You may want to visit the famous Durbar Square in the heart of the old city. Here is the old royal palace, with its intricate woodcarving and four fine towers. Or you may wish to visit the monkey temple at Swayambunath or take an optional trip to Bhaktapur, the medieval city a few miles east of the capital. Bhaktapur has its own Durbar Square with many temples and statues and a maze of narrow streets, which are generally quieter than the capital.

Day 12
End Kathmandu after breakfast.