– Travelogue –

BHUTAN 2019

Embrace Bhutan Cultural Tour

November 06 – 19, 2019 | 13 Days

Trip to Bhutan – How Did it Happen?

It all started with our winter 2017 visit to Chiang Rai, Thailand. We were wanting to visit the area primarily to see the sunrise on Phu Chi Fa mountain (check out our post, Sunrise on Phu Chi Fa Mountain). After researching hotels and homestays, we settled on the highly rated Lanna Thai Villa, Ban Salawat (check out our post, Lanna Thai Villa).

It was here that we got to meet the wonderful husband and wife team, Steve & Sermsri Wilke (owners and operators of Lanna Thai Villa). After an incredible week of sightseeing around Chiang Rai with Steve and Sermsri providing some of the best northern Thai food, we’ve ever had, it was brought to our attention that they also provide yearly autumn tours to Bhutan! We couldn’t believe it because we had just recently talked about how we wanted to go to Bhutan. We didn’t know how or when, but it was something we hoped to do one day.

Furthermore, we told Steve we were very interested, but we probably could not do their next planned trip in autumn 2018. So we set our sights on Bhutan for autumn 2019.

Who Are the Tour Organizers?

WorldViews2000 is based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and run by husband and wife team Roger & Nancy Harmon. Lanna Thai Villa is based out of Chiang Rai, Thailand, and run by husband and wife team Steve & Sermsri Wilke. Embrace Bhutan Travels is based out of Thimphu, Bhutan, and run by Tashi Topden.

These three partner groups work together to plan and organize the travel arrangements for all the members touring in the group.

Roger and Steve are the main organizers and contacts for the tour group. They act as liaisons between Tashi and the members of the group. The two also work together to handle the travel logistics from the US to Bangkok, Thailand (airline tickets, hotels, travel insurance, etc.).

Tashi, in coordination with Roger and Steve, takes care of things on the Bhutan side – bookings, travel logistics, and flights to Bhutan (Druk Air). Once in Bhutan, Tashi is the main tour guide and his company Embrace Bhutan Travels (and staff) provides all tour operations and functions.

With the exception of Steve, Sermsri, and ourselves (due to living in Thailand) all the other members of the group were traveling from the United States. Everyone flew into Bangkok, Thailand, where we all gathered at Abloom Exclusive Serviced Apartments Bangkok before departing to Paro, Bhutan.

Tour Organizers/Partners

The links below are the three tour organizers/partners that were responsible for putting together our amazing trip to Bhutan.

WorldViews2000

Roger & Nancy Harmon
Awesome husband and wife team, based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Details

Lanna Thai Villa

Steve & Sermsri Wilke
Amazing husband and wife team based out of Ban Salawat, Chiang Rai, Thailand

Details

Embrace Bhutan

Tashi Topden
Our exceptional tour company & guide based out of Thimphu, Bhutan

Details

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Begin Trip Eve
- Abloom Exclusive Serviced Apartments Bangkok
- Meet & Greet Meal | Tour Group & Co-Tour Guides (Roger & Steve)
Day 1
- Flight | Bangkok to Paro Bhutan
- Paro Airport Arrival | Meet Embrace Bhutan Tour Guides
- Drive | Paro to Thimphu
- Norkhil Boutique Hotel and Spa
- Bhutanese Folk Performer Jigme Drukpa
Day 2
- Exploring Capital City Thimphu Bhutan
- Bamboo Supported Construction Site Thimphu
- National Memorial Chorten Thimphu
- Bhutan Institute of Traditional Medicine
- Bhutan Gross National Happiness (GNH) Centre
- Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan
- Lunch in Thimphu
- Motithang Takin Preserve Thimphu
- Tashichho Dzong Viewpoint Thimphu
- Centenary Farmers Market Thimphu
- Return to Norkhil Boutique Hotel and Spa
- Evening Lecture with Kuenzang Dechen
Day 3
- Drive | Thimphu to Punakha
- Dochula Pass | 108 Druk Wangyal Chortens
- Lunch | Divine Cafeteria Punakha
- Chimi Lhakhang
- Punakha Dzong
- Drubchhu Resort Punakha
Day 4
- Visit Local Village Temple – Dompola Lhakhang
- Lunch with Elderly Monks at Guenzhu Kepiling Centre Tshochasa Punakha
- Return to Drubchhu Resort Punakha
Day 5
- Drive | Punakha to Gangtey
- Tea at Hotel Kuenphen Norbuding Restaurant
- Lawa La Pass
- Picnic Lunch Black-Necked Crane Festival Gangtey Monastery
- Gangtey Nature Trail – Black Necked Cranes
- Black-Necked Crane Education Center
- Wangchuk Dem Village Homestay Gangtey
Day 6
- Morning Walkabout | Wangchuk Dem Village Gangtey
- Drive | Gangtey to Trongsa to Jakar
- Passing By Chendebji Chorten
- Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Dam Trongsa
- Riding on the Edge of Bhutan’s Lateral Road
- Trongsa Dzong
- Lunch in Trongsa
- Hotel Ugyen Ling Jakar
Day 7
- Drive | Jakar to Tang Valley
- Jambay Lhakhang
- Kurjey Lhakhang
- Nature Walk to Tamshing Lhakhang | Swinging Bridge | Local Weaving | Handicrafts
- Tamshing Lhakhang
- Lunch in Jarkar – Noryang Restaurant & Bar
- Mebar Tsho -The Burning Lake
- Pema Choling Nunnery Tang Bumthang
- Ogyen Choling Manor and Museum Bumthang
Day 8
- Ogyen Choling Lochoe Home Ceremony
- Group Prayer Flag Ceremony at Ogyen Choling Manor
- Ogyen Choling Village Countryside Walkabout
- Lunch at Ogyen Choling Manor
- Bhutanese Dance Demonstration
- Ogyen Choling Manor Museum
Day 9
- Ta Rimochen Lhakhang
- Local Bhutanese Archery Competition
- Passing Through Chamkhar Town Bumthang
- Prakhar Tshechu at Prakhar Lhakhang
- Local Bhutanese Store
- Kiki La Pass Prayer Flags
- Return to Hotel Ugyen Ling Jakar
Day 10
- Begin Return Drive – Bumthang to Trongsa to Punakha
- Roadside Overlook | Group Photos Trongsa
- Mountainside Overlook Trongsa
- Roadside Gift Stand
- Grey Langur Monkeys Trongsa
- Four Boutique Hotel Punakha
Day 11
- Begin Our Return Drive – Punakha to Thimphu
- Roadside Prayer Flag Overlook
- Return Visit – Dochula Pass – 108 Druk Wangyal Chortens
- Thimphu Craft Market
- Lunch in Thimphu
- Visit with Dr. Sangay Thinley | Former Bhutan Health Secretary Thimphu
- Visit Bookstore in Thimphu
- Return Drive – Thimphu to Paro
- Janka Resort Paro
Day 12
- Hike to Tiger’s Nest
- Kyichu Lhakhang
Day 13
- Flight | Paro to Bangkok
End of Trip