Its time to bid farewell to Bhutan, this is the last post from the land of the thunder dragon – Bhutan.
After Thimpu, we moved along to Punakha over the Dochula pass which has the 108 stupas. The 108 stupas were built by Her Majesty the Queen Mother in honor of His Majesty the 4th King and his people for their victory in the war fought in 2003 in Southern Bhutan and for peace and prosperity of the nation.
The Dochula pass also offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Himalayas on a clear day.
108 stupas at the Dochula Pass
108 stupas at the Dochula Pass
After the 108 stupas, we moved along to Punakha.
The Punakha Dzong is arguable the most beautiful Dzong in Bhutan. Punakha was earlier the capital of Bhutan and the dzong was the center of religious and political power in Bhutan. Currently the head of clergy and his entourage of monks spend their winters here. The dzong is also known as Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzong (meaning “the palace of great happiness or blissâ€Â)
The Punakha Dzong is located at the confluence of two rivers Pho Chu (father) and Mo Chu (Mother)
Click to read the Wikipedia article on Punakha Dzong
Punakha Dzong at the Confluence of Pho-chu and Mo-Chu
Punakha Dzong – Across the bridge
Punakha Dzong
Heavy rain while we were at the Punakha Dzong
Punakha Dzong under a veil of rain
With this we bid adieu to the beautiful Kingdom in the clouds. The trip was altogether wonderful. Got to know some old friends better, made some new friends, learned a whole lot about Bhutan (and want to go back there very soon). Managed to make friends with a bunch of cyclists at Thimpu and got a chance to do a beautiful 25kms cycle ride with the group…
Thanks to everyone who made this trip absolutely wonderful… I do hope to see all of you very soon : )
Interested in visiting Bhutan? Why not join our next trip there.
Bhutan is a beautiful place i have been there with my family last year i have been to dochula not punakha may next time i will visit there.Its a beautiful place really.one should visit this place.
We had a fantastic week-long trip to Bhutan in late October, 2011covering Thimphu,Punakha, Dochula and Paro. Really enjoyable! I must confess, however, the Dochula resort was a bit run-down, stinking and service was poor.The morning view of the mountains was, however, breath-taking though the next morning was cloudy. must make another trip to cover Trongsa and Bumthang.
Hey Prasad…
October is a very good time to visit Bhutan. The country is simply beautiful and so is the hospitality.
We’ve been to Bhutan 3 times now, and each time we love her more.
-Saurabh
GoMissing Team