Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [126]
Norling Hotel (Map; 521171; fax 521178; s/d Nu 1050/1200) This concrete hotel occupies a spot somewhere between a local and tourist hotel. The food in the pleasant dining room is quite good and there’s BBC World on the TV.
Ugyen Chholing Hotel (Map; 521400; r Nu 250-400) This family-run inn is probably the best of the cheapies, with a decent restaurant, western-style bathroom and hot-water geyser.
Several small, friendly places offer simple wooden rooms upstairs and Tibetan-style restaurants and a shop downstairs. These include the Yangkhil Hotel (Map; 521126), Nidar Karsum Lodge (Map; 521133) and Hotel Shambala (Map; 521135). Expect to pay about Nu 60 for a meal of rice, curry and vegetables or Nu 250 for a double room.
The Oyster House (Map 521413) This new upper-floor restaurant is popular with young Bhutanese attracted to its full-sized snooker table. The Indian and Bhutanese dishes are good but they only really serve a fraction of the stuff on the menu. There are a few basic rooms out back.
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AROUND TRONGSA
Kuenga Rabten
The winter palace of the second king, Jigme Wangchuck, is 23km (one hour) south of Trongsa. It’s an interesting drive, passing below Takse Goemba (after 17km), several huge waterfalls, and the fertile rice terraces of the lower Mangde Chhu valley. It’s a good half- or three-quarter-day side trip from Trongsa and could even make for a fine bike trip if you can arrange to be picked up at Kuenga Rabten. Traffic is light and it’s all downhill from Trongsa!
The palace is under the care of the National Commission for Cultural Affairs so you don’t need a special permit to enter. The first storey of the U-shaped building was used to store food; the second was the residence of royal attendants and the army; and the third housed the royal quarters and the king’s private chapel. Part of this floor has been converted into a library and books from the National Library are stored here. Sandwiched between the king’s and queen’s quarters is the Sangye Lhakhang, with statues of Sakyamuni, the Zhabdrung and Guru Rinpoche (take your shoes off for this chapel).
A 15-minute hike uphill from the building is the Karma Drubdey Nunnery, which is currently being expanded by its 85 hard-working anim (nuns).
A further 25km down the valley is Eundu Chholing, the winter palace of the first king, Ugyen Wangchuck. From Kuenga Rabten the road drops down in huge loops, past Refey village to the river and road camp at Yourmu, and then 2km later branches up a dirt road to the palace. The building belongs to a local dasho (nobleman) but is looked after by the dzongpen (master of the dzong) and tourists can normally visit. The second-floor goenkhang (chapel devoted to protective deities; men only) has a highly venerated chorten of Pema Lingpa, as well as a fabulous collection of arms and a lovely dramnyen (lute). The entry chapel has some of the finest murals you’ll see, depicting the mythical kingdoms of Zangto Pelri and Sukhavati.
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BUMTHANG DZONGKHAG
The Bumthang region encompasses four major valleys: Chokhor, Tang, Ura and Chhume. Because the dzongs and the most important temples are in the large Chokhor valley, it is commonly referred to as the Bumthang valley.
There are two versions of the origin of the name Bumthang. The valley is supposed to be shaped like a bumpa, the vessel of holy water that is usually found on the altar of a lhakhang. Thang means ‘field’ or ‘flat place’. The less respectful translation relates to the particularly beautiful women who live here – bum means ‘girl’.
For a more detailed map of the region, Click here.
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TRONGSA TO JAKAR (68KM)
The 2½-hour run between Trongsa and Jakar, the main town in Bumthang, is one of the easier and more interesting drives in Bhutan because it passes numerous villages and goembas as it winds through the Chhume valley.
Trongsa to Yotong La
28km / 1 hour
The road quickly switchbacks up the ridge above