TRIP DETAILS   10 days   Dates: April 17-26, 2010 Arrival: Saturday, April 17, 2010. Tour begins in Bangkok with an early morning flight to Paro, Bhutan.   Airport Code: PBH   Departure: Monday, April 26. Tour ends in Bangkok upon arrival flight from Paro, Bhutan at 3:45pm   Price: $3075   Single: $480   Extras: $122 per night at the Arnoma Hotel, Bangkok. For nights beyond the tour dates.   Fitness Level: moderate   Meals: All meals included   Includes: 9 nights accommodation Ground transportation throughout tour Sightseeing with local guides Local Bhutanese guide Entrance fees to sites and museums Government taxes and fees All meals Bhutan Visa fee $20 USD Not included: international airfare, round-trip airfare from Bangkok ($830), departure taxes, gratuities, alcohol and other premium beverages, items of a personal nature like laundry and phone calls, trip insurance   Bhutan: Overland Journey to a Remote Himalayan Kingdom April 17-26, 2010 For centuries, Bhutan remained in self-imposed isolation from the rest of the world. The kingdom is located in the remote Himalayas between India and Tibet. Since its doors were cautiously opened in 1974, visitors have been mesmerized. OutWest’s tour features a hike to a mountainside monastery, visits to local markets, a land journey over mountain passes, and sightseeing in the capital Thimphu. Join OutWest for a journey to this once forbidden country.   Highlights: Visiting Buddhist monasteries in a remote mountain region Hiking on trails nestled beneath the Himalayas Experiencing a society mostly uninfluenced by the West Being one of the limited number of tourists allowed in Bhutan each year   Aaron Kampfe An avid outsdoorsman and adventure traveler, Aaron Kampfe founded OutWest Global Adventures in 1995.

FULL ITINERARY:

Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by our local hosts and taken sightseeing in the Paro valley. We start with Ta Dzong, a monastery/fortress that was later converted into the National Museum in 1967. A Dzong is a fortress-like structure that functions as a monastery. Inside the museum you will find many antique paintings, carvings, statues, textiles, and jewelry. We’ll drive to the Rimpung Dzong which was built in the 17th century. This dzong is now the administration center and school for the monks. In the afternoon, we’ll check into the hotel.

DAY TWO.   PARO, DRUKGYEL DZONG, AND THE HIKE TO TAKTSANG (THE TIGER’S NEST).  Today, we’ll visit the Drukgyel Dzong, a 17th century monastery ruin. This fortress was built in 1649 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in a location chosen for its control of the route to Tibet. The Dzong was named Druk (Bhutan) gyel (victory) to commemorate the victory of Bhutan over Tibetan invaders in 1644. On a clear day one can get a glimpse of Mount Chhomolhari, the Mountain of Goddess (24,000ft).

Today’s hike will bring us to the Taktsang (Tiger’s Nest) Monastery on the side of a cliff 900m above the floor of Paro valley. As believed by the Bhutanese, Guru Padmasambhava (a very famous Buddhist saint) flew here on a Tigress's back in the 8th century and meditated for three months. Guru Padmasambhava was the one who later converted the whole Paro valley into Buddhism.

DAY THREE.   PARO TO PUNAKHA AND WANGDUEPHODRANG.  The drive to Punakha takes three to four hours and crosses over Dochu La, a mountain pass. At the summit one gets a panoramic view of the Himalayas. Punakha Dzong is one of Bhutan’s most important historic and religious structures. Construction was started in 1637 and completed the following year. The Dzong is 180 meters long and 72 meters wide and rises six stories. For much of Bhutan’s history, Punakha was a center of political, social, and religious life.

That evening will be spent in Wangduephodrang, the site of another impressive fortress. Set atop a hill and above a river, the Dzong was strategically placed in the valley. The evening is spent at a hotel in the area.

DAY FOUR.   THE JOURNEY TO BUMTHANG.  Today’s six hour overland journey will take us up a wide valley and over a 3,400 meter pass. The route brings us through Black Mountain National Park and the heavily cultivated Mangde Chhu Valley before descending into the evergreen forests of the Longte Valley. Along the way, we’ll stop to view flora, fauna, panoramic vistas, and Buddhist sites.

DAY FIVE.   BUMTHANG.  In the Bumthang region, Jakar Dzong is one of the highlights. According to legend, when the lamas assembled in 1549 to select a site for a monastery, a big white bird rose suddenly and settled on a spur on a hill. This was interpreted as an important omen and the hill was chosen as the site for the monastery. Jakar Dzong roughly translates as “castle of the white bird.”

Today’s itinerary will feature a visit to Jakar Dzong, a Swiss farm and cheese factory, and Buddhist temples. We may have some time for some hiking in the area and shopping in the village.

DAY SIX.   TRONGSA.  The Trongsa Dzong is one of the most impressive in the country. It can be seen from great distances from the Mangde Chhu Valley. It has been described as perched so high on a mountain that the clouds float below it. It is one of the most aesthetic and magnificent works of traditional Bhutanese architecture.

DAY SEVEN.   PHOBJIKHA VALLEY AND GANGTENG.  Today’s overland route will bring us back on the same road that brought us to Bumthang Province. We’ll pass over Pele La and detour into the Phobjikha Valley. The Phobjikha is a glacial valley on the western slopes of the Black Mountains. The valley is a designated conservation area and borders on the Black Mountain National Park. Black-necked cranes winter there. Other wildlife include muntjak (barking deer), wild boar, Himalayan black bear, leopard, and red fox.

Gangte Goemba is a Mahayana Buddhist monastery on a ridge overlooking the large green expanse of the Phobjikha valley. The extensive complex consists of monks’ quarters, meditation centers, and schools. We spend the night in this area.

DAY EIGHT.   THIMPU.  Continuing on the same roads we came, we’ll pass through Wangduephodrang and over Dochu La, and finally into Thimpu, Bhutan’s capital. Perhaps the only world capital without traffic lights, Thimphu keeps many of its traditions rather than adopting modern ways. In this case, they prefer traffic circle cops to the electric lights.

DAY NINE.   THIMPU SITES AND PARO.  Today the tour includes visits to a variety of types of sites- religious, political, intellectual, and commercial. The Memorial Chorten is a Tibetan-style shrine and a place of devotion for Buddhists. In the National Library the old and the new converge; Tibetan texts written on long strips of handmade paper are housed near recent English-language books. The Handcrafts Emporium is the market where you’ll find locally made crafts and souvenirs. In the late afternoon, we’ll drive down the valley to Paro and our hotel, which is close to the international airport.

DAY TEN.   DEPARTURE.  From the Paro airport, you can fly to Bangkok and connect to other parts of Asia or return home. Happy travels!