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We are now safely home in Singapore after our Bhutan adventure
We are now safely home in Singapore after our Bhutan adventure, and I'd like to thank you very much for organising everything for us - we had a splendid time!
Bijay asked me to give some feedback, so here we are…
Our itinerary was a lovely mix of different and intriguing things, and thanks to Bijay we were able to add in a few extra visits. For example, Simon read about a tree planting scheme in the Druk Air magazine during the flight, and decided he would like to do this himself. Bijay made a series of phone calls to fix this up, and we managed to fit it in during our stay in Paro. He also took us to see the Red Panda brewery and adjacent cheese factory, both of which were very interesting, and he arranged both a delightful rafting trip down the river in Punakha and a hot stone bath in Paro.
In fact, Bijay really made our trip special. He was charming, cheerful, funny and very caring, quick to take my daypack and offer a helping hand over the difficult parts of the path. I literally could not have managed the trek or the hike up to Tiger's Nest without his help, and I was deeply grateful when he altered the schedule of the trek to match my slow pace.
He went out of his way to find us different places to eat outside the hotels, cleaned up and mended Simon's hiking boot when it started to fall apart on the trek, and became an expert bird spotter once he realised I was interested in 'collecting' some new species. Of course he was also very knowledgeable about all the dzongs, temples and monasteries we visited, and told us many fascinating stories and legends about them all.
Mr Tsering our driver was also very kind, endlessly patient with me calling out for him to stop multiple times along the route, so I could leap out and take photos. He made many very early starts and drove long distances to ensure we saw everything we possibly could, and he kept the car in immaculate condition. It was so nice to see him again as we were nearing the end of the trek - he walked up the trail to meet us, and had brought cold bottles of mango juice as a treat, which we were very grateful for. He also deserves a special mention for standing holding an umbrella over me whilst I was sick beside the road in the rain. (I'm afraid that Bhutanese chilli cheese did not agree with me…)
We were very happy with the hotels, and the excellent service we received from the lovely staff at all of them. The Dharma Siddhi in Punakha was exceptional, but we also loved the Dekyll in Bumthang, where I arrived unwell and was really looked after with ginger tea and sympathy. Everywhere we stayed, we were impressed by the service and the home-grown, home-cooked food, plus the fact that very early breakfasts or packed snacks were catered for without fuss. I have many happy memories of smiling faces eager to please.
On the trek, we were also amazed by the level of service and support (especially in comparison with previous treks in Nepal and Tibet). Each camp was skillfully organised to provide every comfort, from the hot towels at the end of each walk, to the little solar charged lights set up to guide our way in the dark. We were very comfortable in our tent, with a mattress as well as a rug beneath us, and cosy sleeping bags with a hot water bottle every night. I was not cold in bed, which was great!
What utterly astonished us was the food on the trek. I cannot begin to imagine how Sangyey the chef managed to produce the meals he did with the limited resources available. Every meal had multiple courses, with so much choice we found it hard to believe. Amongst the most outstanding offerings were sushi rolls and decorated bright red momo at base camp, pumpkin soup served in a large pumpkin, sizzling platters of glazed chicken and vegetables, an apple pie with a latticed pastry top, and a heart-shaped caramel-soaked cake topped with a cloud of spun sugar. Even 'simple' meals like the 3pm tea came with a variety of snack bowls, and the 5-tiered lunchtime tiffin box, warm in its vacuum flask, was always a treat.
Nima the 'staff' was like our personal butler, there with tea, juice, hot water, a backpack full of lunch, or whatever else we needed, serving all the meals with a smile. He accompanied me on my mini trek from base camp to the twin lakes whilst Bijay took Simon to see for himself that the high pass was blocked with snow. Nima carried my bag, became my bird-spotter for the day, and showed me various places where I could see marmots peeking from their dens. I was very grateful for his help and company.
Honestly, we had the most amazing time, and are enjoying reliving it all now as we tell our friends about our experiences. Bhutan was the 100th country I have visited - I wanted to pick somewhere very special to mark that milestone, and I think I made a great choice!
Many thanks again for all your help in making this happen for us.
With best regards, Julie Chadwick
