Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [131]
* * *
Kaila Guest House (Map; 631219; kailaguesthouse@druknet.bt; s/d Nu 1300/1500; ) This is the closest hotel to Jakar and is frequented mostly by NGO workers, who get a 40% discount. The rooms open onto the parking lot, motel style, so get an upper-floor room. The owner was the cook at the Swiss Guest House for many years, so the food is good. In retrospect, the Hello Kitty bedspreads were probably a mistake.
Several new hotels are planned, including a branch of the Druk Hotel (www.drukhotels.com) near Namsey Goemba, and an as yet unnamed hotel just north of the River Lodge.
The Wangdichholing Lodge (Map) is a new BTCL luxury option next to Wangdichholing Dzong. The new Amankora (Map; www.amanresorts.com; s/d full board US$925/1000; ) is just next door. Both places are due to open in 2007.
BUMTHANG VALLEY
The following hotels are outside Jakar in the Chokhor valley but still within easy reach of the town and with quiet rural locations.
Gongkhar Guest House (Map; 631288; tsheringgong@druknet.bt; s/d Nu 850/1000; ) This excellent hotel, 1.5km southeast of Jakar, has spacious and comfortable rooms with bukharis and abundant hot water in super clean bathrooms. There’s a good view of the dzong, garden seating, excellent service and the food is some of the best and most varied in the valley.
Lodge Rinchenling (Map; 631147; jampel@druknet.bt; s/d Nu 1500/1750; ) This recommended place, run by Dasho Jampel Ngedup, has spacious rooms, with comfortable mattresses and large bathrooms, either in the main farmhouse or the modern ‘L’ block out back.
Yangphel Guest House (Map; 631191; fax 631176; s/d Nu 1100/1300; ) Near the Jampa Lhakhang, Yangphel is a lovely guesthouse in traditional style with a large hot-stone bath, cosy open-plan dining hall and balcony seating. The carpeted rooms vary in size and the shared bathrooms are clean. Some stylish decorative touches add a boutiquey feel.
Wangdicholing Resort (Map; 631452; wangdicholingresort@druknet.bt; s/d Nu 1200/1300) This is another good place, on a bluff overlooking the valley to the south of town. The main building has a relaxing balcony festooned in climbing flowers. Rooms are a bit old-fashioned but fine.
Leki Guest House (Map; 631231; lekilodge@druknet.bt; s/d Nu 1200/1500) The Leki is one of the oldest hotels in the valley and is showing its age. There are 20 rooms, in a three-storey house or separate cottages, and a dining room decorated with homemade weavings (for sale). Some rooms have shared bathrooms. Some Japanese dishes are available.
Other places are used mostly during tsechu time. These include Udee Guesthouse (Map; 631139; udee@druknet.bt; s/d without bathroom 850/1000, with bathroom s/d Nu 1200/1300), a small family-run farmhouse with simple rooms; Sidhartha Guest House (Map; 631774; s/d Nu 1400/1600), a place whose pine walls make it look like a giant sauna; and the secluded Tamshing Tourist Lodge (Map; 631184;s/d Nu 850/950), on a bluff overlooking the valley, with great views but so-so rooms.
Eating
Because of the altitude, buckwheat is the crop of choice in Bumthang and buckwheat noodles and pancakes are a Bumthang speciality. The Bumthang Chhu is also famous for its large stock of trout, and despite Buddhist prohibitions on the taking of life, fish do mysteriously appear on hotel dinner plates.
There are plenty of small bars and local restaurants along Jakar’s main street, the best of which by a long way is Pema Tshomo Restaurant (Map; 631128), with excellent Bhutanese dishes.
There are a few places to try if you’re craving Western-style food.
Himalayan Pizza (Map; 631437; pizza slice Nu 30) At the south end of town, this place produces decent pizza as well as spaghetti and roesti. There is no menu and the owner speaks fluent Swiss-German but no English. Give your order an hour or more in advance if possible.
With prior notice the Swiss Guest House (Map; 631198; swissguesthouse@druknet.bt) can produce Swiss specialities such as roesti (crispy, fried, shredded potatoes),