Calcutta
Day 1 In transit
Day 2 Arrive Calcutta, night train to Siliguri
Calcutta is the largest city in India and the capital of the state of West Bengal. Here you may enjoy delicious curries and find souvenirs at one of the city's many markets. Calcutta is one of the only cities in India where you will find manual rickshaws, but it is also the only city in India with trams, and until recently, the only one with a metro. A number of stately buildings such as the Writer’s Building, the post office, and the Victoria Monument represent the city’s colonial past. Thousands of cars, rickshaws and other vehicles and innumerable pedestrians make the Howrah Bridge across the Hooghly River the busiest bridge in the world. Along the river you will find crematoriums and “Dobiwallahs” beating tons of dirty laundry clean on stones in the river. When you are in Calcutta you also ought to visit one of the homes of Mother Theresa.
After we arrive in Calcutta we will leave in the evening and take the night train northwards to Siliguri. We will travel in a tourist class sleeper train in reserved seats. To travel by train in India is a unique experience. It is very easy to meet fellow passengers, especially on this route to the popular Indian vacation destination of Darjeeling.
Day 3 Arrival Siliguri, bus to Darjeeling Day 4 Darjeeling
Day 5 Darjeeling
In Siliguri we will get a private bus that we keep until the border of Bhutan. We will drive immediately up to the Himalayas toward Darjeeling. On the way you will continuously have magnificent views of the Indian plain and the mountainous region. Situated on a mountain ridge, surrounded by beautiful tea plantations, is Darjeeling, a delightful place to recoup from the first few days of travel. Its location at the bottom of the Kanchenjunga Mountains made this town in the days of the British Rai a haven for the English who wanted to escape from the heat of the Calcutta summer. On the railroad dated from those days a mini steam train, the “toy train,” regularly crawls up the slopes. One of the options during your days in Darjeeling is a train ride to the monastery of Ghoom. In town you may stroll around the central square among Indian families. Generally people feel cold in Darjeeling and they wear hats, shawls and gloves. In the many shops around the square you may acquire a beautiful Indian hat or scarf for yourself. A short walk downhill will take you to the Tibetan refugee camp, where the Tibetans will welcome you in a friendly way and where you may observe their old trades. Naturally Darjeeling is best known for the tea with the same name. The city is totally surrounded by tea plantations, one of which we may visit before we leave for Sikkim.
Gangtok, Kalimpong
Day 6 Darjeeling - Rumtek - Gangtok
Day 7 Gangtok
Day 8 Gangtok - Kalimpong
Sikkim has been an independent state inside the Indian Union since 1975. Due to the spectacular mountain landscape, the flora, fauna and the Buddhist monasteries Sikkim remains a true “Shangri La.” Thanks to an enormous variety of orchids Sikkim received the designation “Garden of the Himalaya.” After the formalities at the border we will drive on winding roads along cardamom plantations up to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. This small busy town offers several possibilities. The Institute of Tibetology is worth a visit. The adjacent museum is very interesting and has a valuable collection of Tibetan books, paintings and ritual objects.
Before we arrive in Gangtok we will visit the famous Rumtek monastery, the official main seat of the Karmapa Lama who flew from Tibet some years ago and who presently resides in India. Sometimes you may be able to attend a ceremony in this monastery.
Unfortunately the former royal palace of Gangtok is a strictly forbidden area. Next to it is the royal temple, the Tsuglakhang, which is not only a shrine where monks gather but also a library. Kalimpong has an attractive daily market where you may want to stroll around in search of special souvenirs. This town used to be the trade center of the region and the meeting place for Tibetans, Bhutanese, Indians and English. In our peacefully situated hotel in an old-fashioned colonial atmosphere you may quietly prepare yourself for the upcoming introduction to Bhutan.
Day 9 Kalipong -Jaigaon Day 10 Jaigaon - Thimphu
Day 11 Thimphu
Day 12 Thimphu - Punakha - Wangdi
Our first encounter with Bhutan is in the border town of Phuntsholing, a melting pot of ethnic groups. Here we still spend the night on the Indian side in plain accommodations. You may walk to Bhutan through the colorful gateway and get an impression of Phuntsholing. The lively street image here is formed by Bengalese dressed in light dhotis, Nepalese with their typical headdresses, the” topis”, and the traditionally clothed Bhutanese.
Bhutan cannot be compared to any other travel destination. Not only is Bhutan the worlds only Tibetan-Mahayana kingdom, Bhutan is also culturally and scenically exceptional. Law mandates that the Bhutanese always go dressed traditionally and that they keep themselves to the centuries-old traditions of religion and society. In the sixties it still took more than a week to reach the capital of Thimphu from the Indian border. Now it will take us about six to eight hours.
On the bank of the Wang Chu River is the largest “dzong” of Bhutan, the Tashi Cho Dzong. The nun cloister and the stupa are also worth a visit. Even the gas station is built in a traditional style, which turns it into a very unusual sight. At the Painting School, where young Bhutanese learn a trade, you may buy souvenirs such as the renowned thangkas (hand-woven fabrics) and folk art objects made of bamboo, wood and silver.
It’s a short ride to Punakha, the winter capital of Bhutan for 300 years. Once in the valley, rivers that wind crossways through the beautiful rice fields and dense forests with semi-tropical vegetation dominate the landscape. Punakha is a sacred place where the embalmed body of the founder of Bhutan is preserved in the local dzong. We will definitely visit this enormous Punakha Dzong unless it is still under restoration from recent floodings. We will spend the night in a small family hotel near Wangdi.
Day 13 Wangdi - Jakar
Day 14 Jakar, excursion to Bumthang Valley Day 15 Jakar, excursion to Ura Valley Day 16 Jakar - Wangdi
Via different valleys with unique bird species and grazing yaks on passes with beautiful views we will drive to the Bumthang Valley, the furthest east we will go on this tour. Along the way the painted fertility symbols on the houses catch the eye. We may take a short break at one of the prayer wheels that are kept in motion continuously by the running water. In this valley, where hardly any foreign visitors come, Buddhism was introduced and therefore it still is one of the most sacred places of Bhutan. The imposing Dzong of White Bird is at the front of the valley. Around Jakar, the largest village, are several monasteries dated from the 8th century. Smoking is forbidden for the inhabitants of the Bumthang Valley and there are no cigarettes for sale in the entire valley. However there is delicious apple wine (penjola) and peach wine for sale. We will go on a magnificent day excursion to the Ura Valley, where you can take a hike if you choose. In the spring the rhododendrons are in full bloom here. On the way back west we will pass the Dochula Pass again at 10,662 feet with splendid views if the weather is clear and see the 24,740 Foot high Gangkhar Punsum, the highest peak of Bhutan. We return to Wangdi to spend the night before departing for Paro.
Day 17 Wangdi - Paro
Day 18 Paro, flight to Calcutta Day 19 Calcutta
Day 20 Calcutta
Our last accommodation in the small kingdom is Paro. In the valley of the same name we will visit, among other things, the national museum of Tsa Dzong and the ruins of the Drukvel Dzong fortress, where in the past many a Tibetan invasion was halted. In the museum are several centuries-old religious objects to admire. You may get an impression of the special, colorful and world famous collection of stamps known by every philatelist. Paro’s street image is often colored by the red hot peppers that hang to dry in the windows of the houses and that are the main ingredients of the dish called “hemadatsi”.
In the area of Paro in the last morning in Bhutan, hiking enthusiasts may take a hike to the Tiger’s Nest. After three hours of steep ascent you will approach this spectacular monastery that is stuck on top of a mountain. Several years ago the monastery burnt down, but now it has been renovated with royal support.
We will fly from Paro to Calcutta. After another full day in this city, with an abundance of indelible impressions you will fly back to the United States.
