From Nepal To Bhutan (Bhutan Day 1)

<<Previous Post: Nepal Day 7 - Boudha Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple & Swayambhunath<<

We're supposed to go back to Malaysia after spending 8 days in Nepal, however, one of my friends and I intended to prolong our trip. We decided to visit Bhutan from Kathmandu. For your information, the only way to get into Bhutan is either flying from Singapore, Bangkok in Thailand, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai in India, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Kathmandu in Nepal. Since we're already in Kathmandu, my friend and I were thinking, "Why not extend our trip to Bhutan instead?" So here we are, our impromptu trip to Bhutan from Nepal.   

Not that really impromptu anywhere, as both of us did preparation earlier such apply for Bhutan's visa and tour arrangement prior to our trip to Kathmandu. And because of this, immediately we changed our flight ticket for the route from Kathmandu back to Kuala Lumpur and luckily for us, the additional charge for changing flight only cost each of us RM200. Consider fairly affordable cause if I'm not mistaken, we changed our flight 2 months before flying to Kathmandu.  

Since our flight to Bhutan were quite early, we bid goodbye to the rest of my friends who will catching their flight back to Malaysia in the evening. The ride from where we stayed in Kathmandu which is Thamel to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport wasn't that really long - the journey was approximately 20 minutes.

#1: Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport - It's not that really huge but at least my friend and I managed to find a seat. 

Now let's talk about Bhutan. How many of you ever heard of Bhutan before? Neither do I, not until Juno from Runaway Juno, a Korean avid traveller where I met in Kota Kinabalu and she passionately shared about her travel adventures and experienced around Bhutan. Since then, I was so intrigued to know more about Bhutan. She even so kind to help me to get information and introduced me to Bhutan local licensed tour operator. Do take note that all foreign visitors must book their trips through a local licensed tour operator and each visitor is required to pay minimum daily tariff (USD200-250 per person per night). Only those visitors who hold passport from India, Bangladesh or Maldives, they are exempted from applying travel visa nor sign up for a tour to visit Bhutan. I will share more about the total cost we paid in order to get to Bhutan as well as the local licensed tour operator I engaged with by end of this travelogue.

#2: All foreign visitors must book their trips through a local licensed tour operator and apply visa before entering Bhutan. 

Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked country between Tibet and India. Geopolitically sits in South Asia, Bhutan is consider to be one of the least visited countries due to the hefty tag of daily tariff imposed to the visitors. Honestly speaking, it's one of the most expensive country I've visited so far, but by end of the trip, I never regret with my decision to visit this stunning and unique country, in both culturally and enviromentally.


#3: The flight from Kathmandu to Paro. Never got bored with this Himalayan mountain view.

Paro International Airport is the main airport of Bhutan. It is served by two airlines; Druk Air which we flew with is the government-run carrier and private airlines of Bhutan Airlines. Airline schedules change at least twice per year. Hence, it's best to check from your respective local licened tour operator for the latest update schedule.

#4: We flew with Druk Air, the country's flag carrier. In Bhutan, Druk indicates the mythical thunder dragon and it is the important symbol of Bhutanese culture. It's pretty obvious as you can see this huge Druk symbol reflected on the plane.


#5: Paro International Airport. The first thing I noticed when I arrived Bhutan: Just like the Thais, the Drukpas love their king and queen so much. Such a handsome king and beautiful queen.

Our flight from Kathmandu was actually delayed for few hours due to the adverse weather conditions. However, both of our tour guide and driver patiently waiting for us at the airport. When we came out from the arrival hall after went through the short immigration clearance and collecting our luggage, we were welcomed by a very young and fairly tall gentleman holding a card with our name on it. Just because the tour only consists my friend and I, we thought they will use a small and compact car throughout the trip but turned out, they drove a SUV type vehicle. And the car seems pretty new too. Impressive and excellent service! Regarding language in Bhutan, the country's national language is Dzongkha, a sino-Tibetan language spoken by more than half a million people in Bhutan but fret not, they are well-versed in English cause English is their second language and was thought in school.


#6: A brief stop for photo opportunity before heading to Thimphu.


#7: The untouched nature - that's what make Bhutan so unique and special.

Due to our flight delayed, we unable to visit few of the attractions which had been planned earlier. The only tourist spot we managed to cover is Tashichho Dzong, a Buddhist monastery and fortress on the northern edge of the city of Thimphu. Unfortunately, we're only allowed to take photos from outside cause it's closed to public from visiting the inside of the building.


#8: The Utse, or Central Tower of Tashichho Dzong.


#9: A lovely manicured rose garden in front of the building welcomes the visitors to the fortress.


#10: The main structure of the whitewashed building is two-storied with three-storied towers at each of the four corners topped by triple-tiered golden roofs.


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Besides serves as a monastery, Tashichho Dzong is also a central secretariat of the present government. It has been the seat of Bhutan's government for more than 50 years. It presently houses the throne room and offices of the king, the cabinet secretariat and the ministries of home affairs and finance. During our visit there, something out of our expectation occurred. A long and exclusive black car passed through us and our tour guide required us to bow. Only to find out that their beloved Royal King was inside the car. What a lucky day on our first day in Bhutan!

Talking about Bhutanese food, I barely remember what was the first meal we had there. And wondering why I didn't take photo of it. But at least, I managed to take photos of the hotel we stayed in Bhutan and it was totally exceeded our expectations.


#12: Hotel Pedling in Thimphu


#13: Our stay in Bhutan was totally exceeded our expectations. 

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Nepal Day 7: Boudha Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple & Swayambhunath

<<Previous Post: Nepal Day 6 - Kathmandu Durbar Square<<

The first thing we do right after we woke up to a very cold weather in Nagarkot is to take a peek of the view outside of our hotel room. Oh boy! It's absolutely amazing and beautiful. Immediately we changed our clothes and put on extra and thick jackets before stepping out from our room. All of us were keep shivering but it can't stop us from keep taking the excellent view of the mountain range. Glad that we chosen to stay in Hotel View Point of Nagarkot cause we can get an equally good view just from the rooftop of the hotel without going further. 

#1: Excellent view of the mountain range from the rooftop of the hotel we stayed in Nagarkot


#2: View of other hotel guests standing on the rooftop waiting for the sunrise.


#3: In case you miss out my previous post, Hotel View Point is where we stayed in Nagarkot.

Without wasting any time, we packed our bags and check-out cause we only left one-full day to do sightseeing before leaving Nepal on the following day. This round, the ride was shorter than the rest of our journey as it took approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from Nagarkot heading down to Kathmandu. 

Boudha Stupa

Located 8km to the east of downtown Katmandu, Boudhanath Stupa is not just one of the most imposing landmarks of the city but it also enlisted as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The 36-meter high white stupa of Boudha is massive and dominates the skyline in the area making it is the largest spherical stupa in the Kathmandu Valley. 

#4: The white inspiring Great Stupa

The location of the stupa is pretty interesting as it once lay on the ancient trade route to Tibet and it was here that Tibetan merchants have a rest and offered prayers for many centuries. It is one of the major pilgrimage sites for Buddhists around the world. Till today, you will see many monks and people ritually walking around the stupa. Some even lighting up the butter lamp and give their prayer. Whereas for visitors like us, we prefer to stroll around looking for some catching-eye souvenirs and even observe the stupa from a nearby rooftop restaurant for lunch. Boudha is not just one colourful sight, but it always full of live and energy. 

#5: Not just colourful, Boudha is always full of live and energy.

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#7: The Eyes of Boudha Stupa


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Travel Tips of Boudhanath Stupa:

• Entrance fee for the foreign visitor is 400 rupees. 
• Do remember to walk clockwise around stupa.
• Keeping the stupa to your right. 
• Prayer wheels should also be spun clockwise. 
• You are allow to enter the stupa and climb up to the white dome for a view of the entire square.

#9: One of the best lunch we had in Nepal. We went to a restaurant where it has a view of the stupa from the rooftop. 

Pashupatinath Temple

Claimed to be the oldest, largest and holiest Hindu temple complex in Nepal, Pashupatinath Temple is situated on both banks of Bagmati River and on the eastern outskirts of Kathmandu. Built in the 5th century, Pashupatinah Temple is one of the four most prominent religious site in Asia for devotees of Lord Shiva. The main pagoda style temple has a gilded roof, four sides covered in silver and exquisite wood carvings.  However, only Hindus are are allowed through the gates of the main temple. 

#10: The main temple of Pashupatinath - only Hindus are allowed to enter. 

One thing that caught our surprise here is there were a rituals of cremation performed here. Don't say I never warn you - the rituals of cremation is not for the faint hearted as we able to see pretty clearly of a dead body fully wrapped in yellow or gold by the river bank. Some of the foreign tourists were indeed watching curiously from across the river from the hillside, but not for us. We ain't ready for it, neither do we're expecting for it and so, immediately we walked away from standing still and watching the whole funeral rituals. 

#11: Pashupatinath Temple is also a cremation site where the last rites of Hindus are performed. 


#12: Interesting and fascinating Hindu culture but not for the faith-hearted one.

The thing that really caught our attention are the sadhus. Sadhu is a holy person in Hinduism and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. It literally means one who practices a "sadhana" or keenly follows a path of spiritual discipline. But do make sure before taking any of photos of the sadhus, seek for permission or else, it comes with a price. Yes, they were asking for money from us when we took photos of them.  

#13: Sadhu, a holy person in Hinduism. 


#14: Some of sadhus covered their body with ashes from firewood and faces painted with Tikala.

Swayambhunath Stupa

Our final stop of the day is an ancient religious architecture atop a hill in the Kathmandu Alley - the Swayambhunath Stupa. Mobbed by monkeys and soaring above the city on a lofty hilltop, the "Monkey Temple" has stood as a hallmark of faith and harmony for centuries with Hindu temples and deities incorporated in this Buddhist site. 

#15: Swayambhu, one of the holiest Buddhist stupas in Nepal.


#16: Visiting the temple at night.


#17: Swayambhu also known as the Monkey Temple. Now you can figure it why.


#18: Spin the prayer wheels clockwise.

It was indeed one long and exhausted day for us after covering three attractions in a day. Can't wait to check-in to our last and final night hotel in Kathmandu, do some last minute shopping and then, have a good rest. 

#19: Bag Packer's Lodge of Kathmandu - It's not that bad but because it's facing the main street, so it can be quite noisy and if you are light sleeper, probably you will be having some sleeping issue.

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Nepal Day 6: Kathmandu Durbar Square

<<Previous Post: Nepal Day 5 - Sunrise Viewing & Tandem Paragliding in Sarangkot<<

Spending two nights in Pokhara is fairly sufficient to cover most of the top tourist attractions; like strolling along Phewa Lake, take a guided paddle boat from the lakeside to visit Tal Barahi Temple, sunrise viewing and tandem paragliding in Sarangkot, and also dropby at the well-known Devi's Fall. If you are interested with trekking, then you should consider staying longer here cause Pokhara offers plenty of hill trek such as Poll Hill, Annapurna Circuit and more. But because our travel period was short and limited, we need to move on to our next destination, Nagarkot. 

Because the journey from Pokhara to Nagarkot takes approximately 7-hours ride, hence we deserve a break before continue for this long and windy journey. Since we need to pass through Kathamandu in between the journey, hence our driver suggested to drop us to visit one of Kathmandu's popular attractions which is the Katmandu Durbar Square. 

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Durbar, literally means Royal Palace in Nepali language - is a home to temples dating back to third century. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, Kathmandu Durbar Square is one of the three squares within Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. Guess we're luckily we managed to witness the whole place before the devastating earthquake took place a year after we left. The aftermath caused several buildings in the square collapsed and heavily damaged. Though there are undergo post-earthquake renovation and restoration, but it will never be the same as before again. 

#1:

Surrounded by both Hindu and Buddhist temples, ancient statues, fountains, ponds and countless of courtyards, Kathmandu Durbar Square is arguable the largest concentration of ancient buildings and the greatest achievements if the Malla Dynasty. If you are into architecture, this place is highly recommended to see the real Nepal architectures with multicolours engravings on the doors and walls. Even exotic and erotic carvings can be seen at this part of the region.  

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#5

Travel Tips:

1. Entrance fee of Katmandu Durbar Square for foreign visitor is 1,000 rupees. If you are interested to visit the square more than once, do bring along passport and a photo to get a Visitor Pass which allows you to visit many times for free.
2.  There are many entrances to Durbar Square. Do ask your tour guide first before enter.
3. The Nepalese are quite conservative. Hence, do not wear backless costumes.
4. Take off your hat and sunglasses when visiting the palace.
5. Before taking any photos of the local people, seek for their permission. 

#6: Kumari Ghar - A huge brick building on Durbar Square


#7: We requested the driver to stop here. Isn't it so beautiful and serene?

The entire visit of Kathmandu Durbar Square took us more than 3 hours - told you the square is indeed significantly huge. However, I'm not so sure with the current situation of the square cause I heard there are several temples and palaces are closed as they are dangerous to visit due to the earthquake aftermath. Right after the visit, we continue with another 1 hour and 30 minutes road trip to our last stop of the day. 

#8: Hotel View Point - where we overnight in Nagarkot.


#9: Cozy and comfortable beds. Just that quite cold cause Nagarkot is located quite high on the hill.

#10: Asians always be Asians. Not even reach a week, but we already craving for Asian food.

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Nepal Day 2: From Kathmandu To Chitwan National Park

<< Previous Post: Nepal Day 1 - Kathmandu <<

Woke up to another day in Kathmandu, the largest and capital city of Nepal.

Probably due to the long hour of flights we had a day earlier, hence we had a very good night rest. We slept pretty early without we realised. 

And the best part once you got out from the bed, there's a hearty breakfast awaiting for you. Such a heartwarming and attentive services served by the host of the guest house we stayed.

#1: The breakfast might seems pretty simple but we're truly appreciated the heartwarming services.

It's going to be one long and winding journey on our second day in Nepal as we're heading to Chitwan National Park, the first national park in Nepal. The ride is estimated to be around 5-6 hours and luckily, my friend has booked a private car with air-conditioned and the jeep they got for us, it is perfectly to fit in 6 of us along with our bags. 

#2: Our private car with air-conditioned and it can fit 6 of us.

As for our driver who drove and accompanied us throughout the trip, though his English is quite limited (he could only understand few words), at least he did try his best to accommodate with whatever our need and request. Oh well, after we left we're indeed kinda miss him. A young man but very funny and thoughtful.

#3: We stop here for photo opportunity but I not sure what's the name of this place. It's really stunning. 


#4: Can you spot what we saw on the top of the bus? Oh my goat!

After went through a number of bumpy roads with few stops for toilet break, glad that finally we have arrived our destination with safe and sound. We went and checked-in at Jungle Wildlife Camp where we are going to stay for two nights here.
   

#3: Jungle Wildlife Camp, this is where we stayed in Chitwan.

#4: This is how our room looks like. There's no air-conditioning within the room but you don't need it anywhere cause it will get cold during the night time. 

#5: Our lunch served by our lodging.


#6: The map of the national park.

Right after lunch and adequate of rest, it's time to check out what Chitwan has to offer. The first place our driver cum our tour guide brought us to was Tharu Tribal Village which not far away from our lodging.

The Tharu are an ethnic group indigenous to the Terai region of Nepal and have lived in Chitwan for hundreds of years. They called themselves as "The People of The Forest". They farm rice, corn lentil and hunt for animals such as wild boar, deer and rabbit along with river fish for their living. The village people might have a very simple and basic life but they are rich in cultural heritage.  

#7: Tharu Tribal Traditional Village

#8

While walking through the village, we saw the village people were busy with daily life activities but still, we were pleasantly greeted by them, especially the young little kids. We greeted back by saying "Namaste" which means Hello. After all, that's the only Nepalese word we know. Haha.. And to our surprise, the Tharu are still rely on elephants to transport their goods. 

#9


#10: What a beautiful sunset in Chitwan?

To end our night, we were bought to watch Tharu Cultural Show. The show starts at 8pm and last for almost an hour. Most of the students and some adults are involved in performing the local dance, including their signature Peacock dance. By the end of the show, visitors are invited to dance along. We're indeed having tons of fun that night. 

#11: Tharu Cultural Show to showcase their culture through dance and performances.

And with that, goodnight to Chitwan! Looking forward for our next day adventure in this national park.

>>Next Post: Nepal Day 3 - Canoeing & Elephant Riding in Chitwan National Park>>

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