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GANGTEY TREK |
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A trip that
incorporates an exploration of the
historical and cultural highlights of
Bhutan and a short trek, which reveals
Bhutan 's natural beauty and visits
several remote villages and monasteries.
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Itinerary of Gangtey Trek in
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Days 01 - 02 :
Flying into Kathmandu is an unforgettable experience
with the Himalaya spread out before you. You will be
met at the airport on arrival and transferred to
your hotel. In the morning of day 2 a half-day city
tour will introduce you to some of the highlights of
Kathmandu. |
Days 03 :
The flight from Kathmandu provides a most dramatic
view of the Himalaya as you fly alongside the
world's highest mountain range. The tiny town of
Paro is bursting with colour and tradition
overlooked by a dramatic dzong. Fields, cover most
of the valley floor, while hamlets and isolated
farms dot the countryside - the houses here are
considered to be among the most beautiful in the
country. Paro is believed to be one of the first
valleys to have received the imprint of Buddhism.
In the afternoon visit the National Museum (Ta-Dzong)
and Paro Rinpung Dzong. |
Days 04 - 05 :
Thimphu lies in a wooded valley, sprawling up a
hillside on the west bank of the Thimphu River .
Quiet and peaceful, w ith its streets lined with
traditional shop fronts, this town seems almost too
small to be a capital - it is often said to be the
only one without traffic lights. Beautiful textiles
in wool, silk and cotton, basketwork, silver
jewelry, thangkas and other traditional crafts of
the Kingdom are available in various Handicraft
Emporiums.
Sights include the Memorial Chorten (built in memory
of the third King of Bhutan), the Textile Museum ,
The Arts and Crafts School , the National Library
where ancient manuscripts are preserved, Trashichho
Dzong is the Secretariat building, which houses the
Chief Abbot and central monastic body. It also
houses the Throne Room. Thinphu's oldest fortress,
Semtokha Dzong, still houses a few monks and is also
the center for Cultural and Language Study. |
Days 06 :
The road to Punakha and Wangdue crosses the Dochula
Pass (3150 m), offering a great view of the Eastern
Himalayan Mountains.
Wangdue Phodrang Dzong is perched on a spur at the
confluence of two rivers, completely covering the
spur it commands an impressive view over both the
north-south and east-west roads. The main road
climbs the length of the spur and on the left,
across the river, comes the first glimpse of the
picturesque village of Rinchengang whose inhabitants
are celebrated stonemasons.
Punakha Dzong is the winter residence of Bhutan 's
spiritual leader, the Head Abbot, and the Central
Monastic Body. The Dzong is built between two rivers
known as "Phochu" ( Male River ) and "Mochu" (Female
River). |
Days 07 :
Retracing the route towards Trongsa and Wangdue the
road diverts to Gangtey Valley. Descending through
fields of bamboo a glacial valley on the western
slopes of the black mountains. The valley is a
designated conservation area and borders the Black
Mountains National Park. Because of the large flock
of black-necked cranes that winters here, it is one
of the most important wildlife preserves in the
country. In addition to the cranes, there are also
muntjacks (barking deer), wild boars, sambars,
Himalayan black bears, leopards & black foxes in the
valley and surrounding hills.
To the Bhutanese, going to Gangtey is like going
back in time, an interesting perspective given that
they themselves live in a country not rushing
towards modernization.
Gangtey Goemba overlooks the large green expanse of
the Phobjikha Valley. The extensive complex consists
of the goemba and several other buildings, which
include monk, quarters, meditation centers, school
and small hotel. In the front of the yellow roofed
goemba is a Tibetan style chorten with a wooden
roof. |
Days 08 :
Trek through juniper and rhododendron forests,
gently ascending to the Tsele Pass. Gogona Lakhang
houses statues of Chenresig, Atish and
manifestations of Guru Rinpoche and the walls are
covered by elaborate paintings. Camp in a green
valley near Dangchu, a pretty village where women
weave lovely carpets. |
Days 09 :
It is a 2-3 hour climb through lovely forests to the
Shobe Pass. The it is down hill, often crossing a
small road used by tractors to transport the timber
logged in this region, via a rock, said to be a
demon, where the marks made when Guru Rinpoche beat
it with a stick are still visible. Above the quiet,
rustic village of Kokotkha are the large new
Rinchenling Monastery and Dolay Goemba. |
Days 10 :
Pass by the top of the Tashila Ropeway, which brings
rice and building supplies up and carries lumber
down. From here it is a steep, but lovely, descent
through one of the finest bird watching areas of
Bhutan. From the bottom of the trail it is only a
short drive to Wangdue Phodrang. |
Days 11 - 12 :
Drive to Paro. Taktsang is the most famous of all
Bhutanese monasteries. It is perched on the side of
a cliff 900 m above the floor of the Paro valley,
where the only sounds are the murmurs of the wind,
and water and the chanting of the monks. The name
Taktsang means 'Tigers Nest'; the Guru is said to
have flown on the back of a tigress to the site of
the monastery where he meditated in a cave for three
months.
The monastery itself is closed to tourists except by
special permit. However the one-hour walk to the
viewpoint, where there is a small wooden teahouse
provides a close-up view of the monastery. It's also
a good warm-up hike if you are going trekking.
Nearby Paro are the ruins of Drugyal Dzong, a site
of great historical significance. It was from this
fortress that the Bhutanese repelled many Tibetan
invasions. The name means the victorious Bhutanese.
It offers a magnificent vista of Mount Chomolhari ,
"Mountain of Goddess" (7329 m). A short distance
south of the road is Kyichu Lhakhang. This temple is
said to be one of the 12 great geomantic temples
ordered built by King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet in the
7 th century. It holds down the left foot of an
ogress whose body is so large that it covers Bhutan
and most of central Tibet. |
Days 13 :
The early morning flight back to Kathmandu leaves
the rest of the day free for shopping and
sightseeing. |
Days 14 :
Depart. |
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