Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [106]
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HAA TO CHHUZOM (79KM)
From Haa village it’s 6km to Karnag (also called Karna), and then Jyenkana. After a long stretch of forest the road reaches Nago, with its picturesque water prayer wheels. It’s 4km to Bietakha, past a small landslip area and then another 5km to the two small restaurants at Rangshingang and then the large village of Gayshina.
Now high above the river, the road swings into a huge side valley, passing below the village of Susana en route to Mendegang. Near the houses and basic restaurants of Tshongkha is a road leading to a radio tower and a trail leading uphill to Phundup Pedma Yowzing Goemba. The road traverses in and out of side valleys, passing above Dobji Dzong, and then descends into Wang Chuu valley to join the main road at Chhuzom. From Chhuzom it’s 24km (45 minutes) to Paro or 31km (one hour) to Thimphu.
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PUNAKHA DZONGKHAG
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THIMPHU TO PUNAKHA (76KM)
The 2¾-hour drive from Thimphu to Punakha, along the National Hwy and over the Dochu La, leads from the cool heights of Thimphu to the balmy, lush landscapes of the Punakha valley.
Thimphu to Dochu La
23km / 45 mins
From Thimphu the road goes south to Simtokha (2250m). The route to the east leaves the road to Paro and Phuentsholing and loops back over itself to become the east–west National Hwy. About a kilometre past the turn-off there is a good view of Simtokha Dzong (Click here). The route climbs past the forestry research station at Yusupang, then through apple orchards and forests of blue pine to the village of Hongtsho (2890m). Ngawang Chhogyel founded a goemba and meditation centre here in the 15th century; he was a cousin of Lama Drukpa Kunley and also founded Druk Choeding in Paro. At the village of Hongtsho there is an immigration checkpoint that controls all access to eastern Bhutan. You must have a restricted-area travel permit to proceed; this is arranged as a matter of course by all tour operators.
High on a ridge across the valley to the south is Trashigang Goemba (Click here); you can make a nice half-day hike from the Dochu La to the goemba, ending at Hongtsho (Click here).
The road climbs to Dochu La (3140m), marked by a large array of prayer flags and an impressive new collection of 108 chortens. On a rare clear day (only really likely between October and February) the pass offers a panoramic view of the Bhutan Himalaya and some groups make special pre-dawn trips up here to catch the views. The collection of chortens were built in 2005 as atonement for the loss of life caused by the flushing out of Assamese militants in southern Bhutan. A new Zangto Pelri Lhakhang is under construction at the pass.
The hill above the chortens is covered in lovely rhododendron forest, part of the royal botanical park. If you are here between mid-March and the end of April it’s well worth taking some time to wander in the forest and take in the wonderful blooms. The forest is also a good area for bird-spotting. If you have more time, you can make an excellent half-day hike to Hongtsho via Lungchuzekha and Trashigang goembas – Click here for details.
On the hill just below the pass is the Dochu La Hotel ( 02-390404; breakfast/lunch Nu 130/260), actually a restaurant, where many people break for tea. The proprietor also has a business making embroidered thangkas, including some large thondrols for tsechus, and there’s a small gift shop here.
There is a powerful binocular telescope here, a gift from the Kyoto University Alpine Club after members made the first ascent of Masang Gang (7165m) in 1985. A photograph on the wall above the telescope labels the peaks on the horizon (with