Bhutan: Royally hospitable

The best way to get to Bhutan, we had been told, was through India. This Shangri-La of the East is a tight-lipped land-locked Himalayan Lilliput, home to extraordinary sights and peaceful serenity. The original name of this petite country is ‘Druk Yul’ which translates to the ‘Land of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon’. It was Marco Polo who named it ‘Bootan’ during his famed peregrinations. It was only in the early 70s that the cloistered country threw open its doors to foreigners and visitors. And a good thing too, as Sue and I discovered.

Traveling to Bhutan was an impulsive decision on Sue’s part who wanted to see part of the Himalayas and the lovely Buddhist monasteries, the vaunted boast of this near-hidden land. We were still in Delhi where we contacted a tour agent who arranged our visas for us (Indian nationals do not require them, we learnt) which were stamped in Thimpu, the capital of the country. For $ 474 (per head) the tour operators booked us seats with Druk Air and we landed at the Paro International Airport. The drive up to the hotel was scenic and beautiful and it got quite dark by the time our friendly cab driver drove us to this place called the Kichu Resort, which is one of the world’s best resorts. We were both charmed by the hospitality and warmth of the hotel staff that immediately welcomed us with hot tea and snacks.

The next morning we set off for Thimpu. Another scenic drive that drove our senses wild. The Yeezdin Guest House booked by our agent is centrally located and very large. While the city is certainly picturesque with some really beautiful spots we could see large-scale construction taking place almost everywhere. For a capital city it is really small but efficiently run.

Like the Indians the Bhutanese too love their food hot and spicy as we discovered when we stopped by at a place called Bhutan Kitchen. I liked the cheese-baked dishes, though. I also liked their local beer called Arrakh. Tastes mild but what a bite!