Thimphu Tshechu/ Drupchen, 2009 (11 Nights/12 Days)
Thimphu festival is one of the most crowd luring festivals held in the Kingdom of Bhutan. The festival is held in the open courtyard outside the Thimphu Dzong and people from across the country as well as from out side come to witness the festival.
The festival is held in the honor of Guru Rinpochhe and people come to witness the festival in their finest attire and jewels. People often carry hot pack lunch and in fact it is also one of the ways to gather with friends and family.
Prior to the festival, the central monastic body carry out the Thimphu Drupchen this will last for few days. The festival will be followed after the cessation of Drupchen and will last for three days.
Day 1: Arrival Paro international air port and drive to hotel for the arrival tea/refreshment and transfer to hotel. Visit Paro Ringpung Dzong and National museum. Lunch will be served in the local restaurant in Paro town and after that visit to Drugyal Dzong, Kichu Monastery and Druk Chhoeding Lhankang. Overnight at hotel in Paro
Day 2: Early break fast in the hotel and drive to Thimphu, the present capital of Bhutan. Transfer to hotel on arrival and refreshment will be served in the lobby centre. After a brief fresh up in the hotel begins the orientation tour including you visit to the Memorial Chhorten, Folk Heritage Museum, painting school and National Library.
Evening leisure time in the main town of Thimphu, visiting the local shops and seeing the busy town life, overnight at hotel in Thimphu.
Day 3: Break fast in the hotel and drive to north of Thimphu where the first Buddhist university was instituted in the seventeenth century. The temple is isolated from the town amidst the serene natural ambience. The temple was built to house the death ashes of father of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the great Tibetan saint who introduced dual system of government in Bhutan in seventeenth century.
It is a short hike and you will enjoy walking through the forest until you make to the temple. You will be visiting the temple inside the monastery to offer prayer and wishes for your good and healthy life ahead. Today you will be either served hot pack lunch or will be driven to the local restaurant in the town.
Evening, after the office hour visit the courtyard and the Kuenray inside the Thimphu Dzong built in seventeenth century. The Dzong also houses the throne room of fifth king and the offices of district administration. Overnight at hotel in Thimphu
Day 4: Early drive to the open courtyard located at the back side of Thimphu Tashichhoe Dzong, to reserve the seat to witness the Thimphu Drupchen/Tshechu. Your guide will escort you and will be by your side explaining about the significance of the festival. You will see different kinds of masked dance followed by folk dances performed by the Royal Academy of Arts and Performance. The elderly women from Thimphu valley puts up a typical traditional dance (zhungdra) simultaneously with the festival masked dance.
Today you will be treated with picnic lunch and your team will spot the venue, which in fact will be in the vicinity of the Dzong amidst the local people. This is a moment to experience the true Bhutanese culture and tradition.
After the lunch resume seeing the festival dance and in the evening you can either have leisure in the town or take a short walk from, behind the coronation ground to the man made park situated by the rive side. In the park you will enjoy the silence and seeing the wangchu flowing to the south. Over night at hotel in Thimphu
Day 5: Your early arrival at the courtyard will give you the reference for the seat selection. Due to the limited seat and heavy crowd, you will be driven early in the morning, so that you get the right place in the courtyard, either to take a photograph or to see the ongoing festival dances vividly. Your local tour team will ensure that you will be always accompanied to deliver the explanation on festival and its importance in the lives of Bhutanese people.
Lunch will be served in a local restaurant in the town and after the lunch drive to the south of Thimphu to see the Royal Botanical Garden. The garden comprises of several exotic species of unique flower and plants and also carries out the mass production of flower and plant saplings. The place also serves as picnic spot for most of the Thimphu resident, where people come to this place with their family and spend their week end. Over night at hotel in Thimphu
Day 6: Trongsa, the home to the legends who dominated the kingdom in the early part of the unification of Bhutan had left fame in bring the unification in the country. The father of the first king of Bhutan, Jigme Nalgyal was destined in this place and later he rose to post of Trongsa Peoplop, the powerful post amongst the all the regional chieftain within the country. The chieftain of Trongsa and the people of Trongsa were considered to be the most powerful in the country and they unified the entire nation starting from the east to the west under them.
There fore in the linage of Wangchuck Dynasty, it is mandatory that every ascending king to the throne had serves as Trongsa Penlop prior to their kingship, for the duration of one year.
Today the place has many things to unveil to the tourists as our forefather and the legends had cultivated their heroic deeds in the history of Bhutan. While in Trongsa you will be privileged to see the courtyard and the temple inside the Dzong. Besides the majestic Ta-Dzong that lies above the Dzong has been converted into Museum where one will behold the age old antiques and textiles.
Overnight at hotel in Trongsa
Day 7: Early drive to the south of Trongsa en route the historic and legendry based valley of Bubja, to see the winter palace of the Second King of Bhutan. Kuenga Rabten Palace literally defines the perfect ambience that made the winter stay of the Royal Family a heavenly one. The place unfurls the story of the prominent philanthropic price of India who was on exile in the Himalayan dominion. The giving away of the eyes of the prince to the blind person and the child to childless family derived the name of the two village as Bubja (separated from child) and Chanray (given away eyes). These two villages are located in the vicinity of the palace and one can interact with the local people to know more. On the way one will get chance to see the golden langure, the rare of its kind found in Bhutan.
Break fast will be served in the hotel and drive to Phobjikha, the winter home of the Black Necked crane that flies in late autumn from Tibet. The rolling topography will fascinate the tourists to opt for a hike around the valley. Over night in farm house experiencing the rural way of work and life.
Day 8: Take up early morning hike around the Phobkikha valley and explore the fresh ambience of the winter morning. The hike is a gentle hike and it will take you around the park and black neck crane sanctuary.
After the break fast visit to Gangtay Goemba and proceed to Punakha, the winter resident of Chief Abbot and the central monastic body. En route drop by at Wangdue to visit the Dzong and to dine for the lunch. After the lunch drive to Punakha and while in Lobesa take a short hike to the temple of fertility. Few minutes drive will reach you to Punakha where you will visit the temple and the courtyard inside the giant Punakha Dzong.
After that retire in the hotel from the day’s program and settle down preparing for the leisure hour. Overnight at hotel in Punakha
Day 9: Drive back to Thimphu to catch up the afternoon festival held in the open courtyard of Thimphu Dzong. Tea will be served at Dochula cafeteria followed by lunch in the local restaurant in Thimphu. Full time attend the festival after the lunch and overnight at hotel in Thimphu
Day 10: Morning hour visit the handicraft shops in Thimphu doing shopping and lunch will be served in the hotel. After the lunch head to Paro for night halt
Day 11: Early breakfast in the hotel and drive to the north of Paro to hike to the Tiger’s nest. The hike is four hour hike and one will experience the bliss of Himalayan mysteries. Visit to the Tiger’s nest will bring peace, happiness and success in ones life. The place had been blessed by a great Indian saint who introduces Buddhism in Bhutan, in eight century. Lunch will be served in the Taktshang cafeteria and leisure hour in the Paro town in the evening. Over night at hotel in Paro
Day 12: Early break fast in the hotel and drive to Paro international air port to board your flight for your onward voyage to BKK
