After playing late night games with the troupe (Yes, My trip leader Sakshi never lets anyone sleep easily on her trips! She has countless interesting stories from every trip) and well rested we started towards Punakha which is around 73kms away from Thimphu. We started off vibing the mountains and music all along.
Dochula Pass: A Dreamy Encounter
The Chortens of DochuLa
Our first stop for the day was Dochula pass which is at 10000+ft above sea level. The clouds keep covering the pass making it look dreamy! The specialty of this place is the 108 Chortens built by the current eldest Queen mother to honor the sacrifice of the soldiers who fought the war against the Assamese insurgents who had occupied the area in 2003. The Druk Wangyal Chortens were inaugurated in 2004. We explored the chortens taking photographs and filming videos for reels. There is also a monastery built on the opposite feature but the entry for tourists is restricted. There is also an anniversary park built to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The park consists of multiple view points of the chorten complex, Café, ring of Reign and 11 meditation caves. The significance of each construction at this park holds significance. The 16 stairs at the entrance signify the age at which the H.M the Fourth Druk Gyalpo ascended to the throne. The 34 spokes in the ring of reign signify the total years of reign and the number of caves, 11 is the birth date of the king. The Anniversary Park is very quiet and serene. One can spend good silent time here. It is very rare to find such a peaceful place at a famous tourist spot. There is a also a café where one can sip hot beverages and have snacks. The traditional clothes of Bhutan Gho and Kira are available for rent for the tourists.
The 60th Anniversary Park
Journey to Punakha to a calm evening
The Journey!
We started our further journey towards Punakha which was equally serene which lasted for another 90 mins and we reached the town just in time for lunch. Punakha is a small town nestled on the banks of two rivers, Pho chhu & Mo chhu. The restaurants in Punakha will prepare food only on order so make sure you order in advance. Your guide will surely help you with that. After our lunch I met these cute children on my way out of the restaurant and asked them if they want a picture all of them nodded their head with eyes filled with joy and posed for me. I and my roommate Vivek decided to retire to our rooms and rest while others decided to head to rafting for which Punakha is famous for. We got up in the evening and decide to explore the area. We started scouting for our dinner place and also visited the local market. One interesting fact about Bhutan is almost all businesses are run by women while the men travel for work either within or outside the country. Even the apparel shops contain mostly contain clothes for women and little to no options for men. Our troupe was back and we had our dinner at a mess which was run by a former chef from Taj in Kolkata. The food was definitely fantastic and very economic. The owner was very generous to not charge for the soup which one of us did not like. We ended up playing games late night after our dinner.
The cute kiddos of Punakha!
Discovering Punakha Dzong
Punakha Dzong
Inside the Punakha Dzong
Kel and Bhavin on the bridge
The next day started with visiting the Punakha Dzong which is the second oldest & largest Dzong of Bhutan built in mid of 15th century. This Dzong is called as the Pungthang Dewa chhenbi Phodrang (meaning “the palace of great happiness or bliss”). This Dzong like all others are built without a proper design. It is built based on the guidance of the Abott. The basis of design is very similar like Vastu in India. Dzongs are built on the banks of rivers making them to have natural defence. They are built at a height to protect the areas against floods and also attacks from the enemies. The Dzong is connected to the mainland by a wooden cantilever bridge. The Punakha Dzong has a museum about the entire history of it. This Dzong houses the sacred relics of the southern Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, including the Rangjung Kharsapani and the sacred remains of Ngawang Namgyal and the tertön Pema Lingpa. The Tibetans have tried to capture this relic for ages and were successfully pushed back by the brave Bhutanese. The coronation of the king always takes place in this Dzong and also all the other royal functions are held here. One should also visit the Dzong during the annual festival of Domche to witness the grandeur of Bhutanese culture and traditions.
The Museum of Dzongs and Bridges, Punakha Dzong
After the Dzong we headed to visit the suspension bridge built over the Po Chhu River. It is at a walking distance from the Punakha Dzong. One can enjoy the panoramic view of the Punakha valley. At the other end of the Bridge there are some cafes and restaurants where you can enjoy your food with a view! Post this we headed towards Paro stopping outside a beautiful restaurant built over a cliff with delicious food! We reached Paro at night after stopping outside Thimphu at another wonderful café for tea. The next blog is going to be the best and highlight of this trip! Catch up with my other stories here!
The suspension bridge of Punakha
Cafes with a view!
As usual the list of hotels and restaurants one must visit are:
A Million Moments 
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