It’s very easy to drive along the road than sitting and writing a travelogue. Still, I will try my best to jot down the memories created throughout my Kolkata to Bhutan road trip.
It had been quite a long time since I made any road trips. This trip was overdue since I drove down to Kolkata from Gwalior in 2015. With Durga Puja approaching this year, the road trip itch returned with vigor. Initially, the plan was for Himachal but considering many reasons, we settled down for a road trip to Bhutan.
Once the plan was made and finalized, it was time to make the itinerary. After some research work through the internet and with help from many threads in this group, the same was also finalized within a couple of days.
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Road Trip to Bhutan from Kolkata
The finalized travel plan look liked below.
- Kolkata to Malda (Stay at WBTDC Tourist lodge, Malda) – Day 1
- Malda to Siliguri (Stay at WBTDC Tourist Lodge, Siliguri) – Day 2
- Siliguri to Phuentsholing (Stay at Park Hotel, Phuentsholing) – Day 3
- Phuentsholing to Thimphu (Stay at Hotel Bhutan, Thimphu) – Day 4
- Sightseeing in Thimphu – Day 5
- Thimphu to Phobjikha (Stay at Kichu Resorts, Phobjikha) – Day 6
- Phobjhika to Punakha (Stay at Hotel Vara, Punakha) – Day 7
- Punakha to Paro (Stay at Golden Roots Resort and Spa, Paro) – Day 8
- Taktsang Monastery Trek – Day 9
- Chele La and Exploring Paro – Day 10
- Paro to Jaldapara (Stay at Jaldapara Eco Stay) – Day 11 & 12
- Jaldapara to Malda (Stay at a friends place) – Day 13
- Malda to Kolkata (Home sweet home) – Day 14
Day 1: Kolkata to Malda
Initially, the plan was to cover the entire stretch from Kolkata to Siliguri in one go. But as I was traveling with my five years old daughter and considering this trip was to be her first major one, I decided to make a night halt at Malda instead and then proceed to Siliguri on the next day.
My plan was to reach Phuentsholing on 14th October (Monday). So keeping that in mind, we started from Kolkata on 12th October so that we can reach Phuentsholing on 14th Morning from Siliguri. Booking was already done in advance at WBTDC tourist lodges in Malda and Siliguri in advance.
We left Kolkata at 7.30 A.M and after a brief stopover at Shaktigarh, turned on the Bardhman – Moregram stretch. We also crossed the beautiful ROB at Bardhman on our way. The road is in good condition barring few stretches. Around 1.45 pm, we reached COCO BP Moregram and had lunch there.
Further journey till Malda was smooth. Roads are good leaving few sections before Farakka. Crossing Farakka was very smooth as we did not encounter any traffic. But we had a tough time negotiating traffic on the outskirts of Malda, especially at Kaliachak. I had to tailgate a long queue of trucks. We finally reached Malda tourist lodge around 5 pm.
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Day 2: Malda to Siliguri
The next morning we left Malda tourist lodge at 8.30. The day being Sunday, we had to negotiate less city traffic along the Malda roads and soon we were on the highway.
The road condition was not very bad with occasional potholes which were very difficult to anticipate and then negotiate. On a couple of occasions, I had no other option but to drive through them and doing so, once I heard a loud thud from the front left wheel side. My initial reaction was ‘OMG the shocker must have been damaged badly’. But after driving for some time and then a visual inspection did not reveal anything. The build quality of TATA stood apart.
Finished our breakfast at a roadside dhaba with some puri, sabzi, and then a hot cup of chai. There I met a couple of bikers from Kerala who were also riding to Bhutan.
After crossing Raiganj, we took the Botolbari route, and soon I was driving through some very good countryside roads. The road condition is very good for most of the stretch and manageable for the rest. I thoroughly enjoyed my drive through the Botolbari stretch.
Just before joining NH 27, there is no road for almost 400 meters. Instead of following Google at this point I just took a left turn and followed a couple of other cars through a narrow lane and joined NH 27. The point of left turn seemed to have an Auto stand and thus can be easily identified. I have marked the spots on the map below.
Bagdogra to Siliguri
We had lunch at Islampur and proceeded towards Bagdogra. The drive till the Bagdogra was beautiful. We spotted some beautiful tea estates on our way and couldn’t resist the temptation to explore one of them. Below are some pictures of us enjoying at a tea estate.
We reached the WBTDC tourist lodge at Siliguri at 4 PM. I must say that the lodge is very good. I never expected a state-owned property to be so beautifully maintained.
During the evening, we went to explore the famous Bidhan market at Siliguri. But the day being Sunday and also because of Laxmi Puja, most of the shops were closed.
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Day 3: Siliguri to Phuentsholing
The D day has arrived. I got up very early as I was super excited. Till that day I had only watched many YouTube videos of people crossing the iconic Sevoke Bridge and driving through Dooars and entering Bhutan through Phuentsholing. But now I was going to do it myself.
We left the guest house at 6.30 am. The guest house staff was generous enough to pack our breakfast. The drive through the Sevoke forest area was really awesome which can’t be described in words. We crossed the Sevoke Bridge within no time.
The road is very good and I thoroughly enjoyed driving on the surface. We had to negotiate a little bit of traffic near the Hasimara railway station. My excitement was growing gradually as we were getting closer to Bhutan. Finally, we entered Phuentsholing through the entry gate at around 11 am (Indian time) and drove straight to Park Hotel.
Bhutan entry point
I had done the reservation in advance through MMT and also had contacted an agent in advance to help us through the Immigration process.
The day being Monday and the time being after Durga Puja, I was expecting a heavy rush at the immigration office at Phuentsholing. By the time we reached the Immigration office, it was already lunchtime. So we decided to finish lunch as we all were feeling very hungry.
We went to Zmorky Restaurant, just opposite the immigration office, and ordered some Bhutanese Red Rice, Ema Datsi, and Kewa Datsi. Aditri, my daughter and the youngest member of the group, was in no mood to taste the Bhutanese Cuisine, so we ordered some noodles for her.
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Phuentsholing
The food was awesome. By now we were already feeling the difference. The Jaigaon side being so noisy but just a few meters away we were standing at a place that was so calm and quiet. People were all crossing the roads through the designated ZEBRA crossings, which we find very difficult to include in our daily habits.
I just spotted the rate of petrol at the adjacent petrol pump and was shocked to see that Bhutan which is a dependent economy, offering Petrol at Rs. 63; even though they import Petrol from us.
Immigration Office at Phuentsholing
Ooops I need to take the vehicle permit before that. But by that time RST Phuentsholing was already closed for business. So I planned to obtain the vehicle permit the next day at the earliest and proceed towards Thimphu.
So the next main job was to obtain a Bhutanese SIM card and without further delay, I got myself the Tashi SIM with added Data from the Tashi center, which was just at the backside of our hotel.
I was eager to visit the nearby Karbandi Monastery during sunset time but the plan ultimately did not come through and instead, we explored Phuentsholing town in the evening.
Day 4: Phuentsholing to Thimphu
I was at the RST Office by 9 am and got the vehicle permit within 15 minutes. Now we were officially permitted to explore Bhutan. We started for Thimphu at 11 am. As the journey was progressing, my excitement level was rising as this was my first hill drive.
We got our documents stamped at the first check post which is roughly 5 km from Phuentsholing. The roads were very good and were becoming scenic as we were gaining heights.
In between, we tanked up my Nexon at Gedu. The second document verification at Chukha was also completed without any hassle. Soon after that, we had a brief stopover at the Dantek canteen for lunch. This place offers some beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.
Our further journey to Thimphu was very comfortable and smooth. By the time we reached our hotel, the whole Thimphu city was lit up and looking awesome.
Throughout the journey from Phuentsholing, I relied upon Andriod Auto which was working flawlessly and it didn’t disappoint me this time too. Google nicely guided me through the lams or lanes of Thimphu city to my Hotel. I had made a reservation at Hotel Bhutan through MMT. The hotel is located very close to the Immigration Office in Thimphu.
Our hotel at Thimpu
The Check-in process was very smooth which is kind of unexpected in India. We wanted to explore the Iconic Clock Tower Square so without wasting any time just kept our luggage in the room and drove down to the Clock Tower Square.
It was getting late and cold and the shops were bringing the shutters down. We found a nice restaurant named “The Rice Bowl” and finished our dinner with some sumptuous Bhutanese cuisine. The Samu Datsi was out of the world.
Day 5: Thimphu Local Tour
The next morning I woke up to some stunning views from the window. Just after breakfast, we proceeded towards the Immigration office to get our stay extended and get the entry permit for Punakha and Phobjikha. It was just 5 minutes away from the hotel by walk. All the required formalities were completed within 1 and a half hours. Now the next job was to obtain the vehicle permit from the RST office and got it done by the afternoon. The rest of the day was spent exploring Thimphu city.
Day 6: Thimphu to Phobjikha valley
Considering the distance from Thimphu to Phobjikha valley, I decided to start a bit late from Thimphu. We got up early in the morning as usual and went for a walk to explore the neighborhood. Throughout the walk, we experienced some awesome morning views and clicked a lot of photos.
We started for Phobjikha at 11 am and soon after crossing the Thimphu city joined the highway. The road I must say is well maintained and smooth. It’s a sin if I don’t mention the beautiful Dochula Pass.
Often a violent history and dark times encourage people to create something inspiring and beautiful, and this is exactly what the people of Bhutan did. They created Dochula Pass, Bhutan in honor of 108 Bhutanese soldiers who died in a 2003 military operation.
On a clear sunny day, the pass offers a panoramic view of the Himalayan ranges but I was not so lucky to witness the beauty as it was cloudy.
After spending almost an hour we proceeded further towards Punakha and crossed Punakha on our way to Phobjikha valley. In between witnessed some rain and a full-fledged rainbow thereafter.
One must take a sharp U-turn from the Bumthang – Ura highway to proceed towards Phobjikha valley. This road is comparatively narrow and the climb is steep. Two vehicles crossing each other on this stretch can be tricky at times. Gradually the Gangtey valley became visible as I drove further. My plan was to visit the Gangtey Monastery first and then Phobjikha. It was twilight when we reached Gangtey Monastery and all of us were spellbound after seeing the beautiful landscape. It seemed like someone must have painted them nicely on a canvas.
Also Read: Bhutan – From the Eyes of a 12-Year-Old
Phobjikha
After exploring the monastery, we proceeded towards our hotel in Phobjikha. It was already dark by the time we left the Gangtey monastery.
The road to Phobjikha is not very good and it being dark, at times it was getting difficult to negotiate. Our reservation for the day was done at Kichu Resorts and while following Google maps I missed a right turn and instead landed at the Black Necked Crane Visitor center.
We rectified the mistake in no time and checked in to our hotel at 6 in the evening. Kichu Resorts is a new property and nicely maintained. As it was already dark and the outside the temperature was hovering around 1 -2 Degree C, we chose not to venture out and settled for the day in our rooms after having some delicious snacks and dinner thereafter.
The next morning our plan was to do a nature trail and visit the Black-necked Crane visitor center on our way to Punakha.
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Day 7: Phobjikha Valley to Punakha
The morning greeted us with some mesmerizing view from the resort balcony. For one moment I thought “God, I wish I could stay here permanently.” One just can’t take his eyes off the beautiful landscape. The hamlet was gradually waking up. The experience of the nature walk was out of the world.
Now it was time to bid adieu to Phobjikha and after completing all the formalities for the morning we checked out from Kichu Resorts with a promise of coming back again, I made to myself. We visited the Black Necked Crane Visitor Centre and proceeded towards Punakha.
The reservation was done through Bhutan Bookings. The hotel is located a bit away from Punakha City but it offered a stunning view of the valley and the river. After keeping our luggage we left for the Punakha Dzong but couldn’t enter it for the day as the ticket issuing time was already passed.
So we explored the nearby places and waited for the lights to come up. Once it was dark and the lights were on the Dzong offered altogether a different look. We returned back to the hotel after spending some quality time at the Dzong.
Hotel in Lobesa
Punakha Dzong at Sundown
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Day 8: Punakha to Paro
As usual, the urge of viewing the early rays of the sun on the mountains didn’t let me sleep for long and I woke up very early and looked through the window and I must say the view didn’t disappoint me. The novice photographer within me was very eager to capture each and everything through the lenses.
The Nag Yul Bum Temple adjacent to the Dzong. It houses the original volume of the Kanjur, which is the golden holy book of the Drukpa School of Thought.
Famous suspension bridge at Punakha.
We decided to skip the plan for Chimi Lakhang and proceeded straight to Paro.
Creating memories.
From Chuzom the beautiful Paro Chu accompanied us almost throughout our drive to our hotel. I had booked our stay at the Golden Resorts and Spa through MMT. This resort is around 6 km away from Paro city and very near to the famous Taktsang Monastery aka Tigers Nest. The monastery was visible from the balcony of my room. The next day our plan was to visit the monastery.
Day 9: Taktsang Monastery trek
The early part of the morning was spent in experiencing the sunrise and capturing it through the lens.
Our plan was to reach the starting point of the trek as early as possible. Likewise, we stuffed our tummies with aloo parathas and proceeded for the trek. We carried some snacks and dry fruits along with us for the trek. As my five years old daughter was also going to trek the whole stretch with us, I was a bit nervous about her. I thought to hire a pony but the kid insisted upon trekking all the way up on her own.
The trekking path is tricky and it demands you to be fit, if not the fittest. We saw many people gasping for breath in between. But everyone who was trekking was determined to complete it and visits the sacred monastery. It was really admirable. I even saw a couple who might be in their 70s were trekking along with us.
After trekking for almost 2 hrs, we reached the cafeteria and that means we might have already covered 65-70% of the trek. My daughter didn’t show any signs of fatigue till now and she was all busy running around. We spent 30 mins at the cafeteria, refueled ourselves, completed the bio breaks, and resumed the trek.
The route after the cafeteria is more steep compared to the route till the café and one needs real stamina to trek the remaining part. Now I understood why many people at the café were talking about returning back. But we were all for completing the whole trek and finally, we reached the point from where the stairs start and one can get the prominent view of Tigers Nest.
Taktsang Monastery
We entered the monastery at around 1 pm. Here one needs to submit cameras, mobile phones, and other valuables. After doing the formalities we were greeted by a lady guide who explained everything about the monastery to us. All the fatigue of the trek vanished instantly once we entered the sacred monastery. After spending some quality time at the monastery, we started our journey back to the base point.
I must say the return trek is not so easy and it also demands strength and stamina. Although it takes lesser time, one can’t take things easy. It took all of us 6 hrs to complete the whole trek and my daughter successfully completed this. She deserved a treat on that day.
Now we all were feeling hungry and planned to venture into the city instead of getting back to our hotel. As decided, we drove to Paro City and started looking for a good restaurant to fill our empty stomachs.
We checked into the Sonam Toppel Hotel and Restaurant and ordered some momos. Man, I must say those were the best momos I have ever had.
You can’t keep the ladies away from shopping. Despite being damn tired the female gang (my wife Sharmila and my friend’s better half Moni) was ready to explore the market and drill holes in our pockets. The evening was spent nicely and we went to bed with the satisfaction of completing the trek to Tigers Nest.
The next day my plan was to drive to Chele la. This trip, being my first hill drive, driving up to Chele la was kind of an achievement for me which I wanted to do at any cost.
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Day 10: Chele La and Exploring Paro
I got up early in the morning but the day was cloudy. I saw clouds covering the hills. After some time even the Tigers Nest was also not visible. After searching through a lot of youtube videos, I knew that on a clear sunny day one can see the snowcapped peaks of the mountains from Chele la.
We started for Chele la at around 10 am. I was feeling a bit nervous as many youtube videos have termed Chele la drive to be tricky and the road to be dangerous.
Soon after leaving the Bondey – Haa highway for Chele La, the road became narrow but the surface was good. The road offers a stunning view of the lush valleys, pine, and rhododendron forest. The route is almost entirely covered in the forest.
The more we proceeded through the road, the nervousness gradually converted into confidence, and finally, the sight of the prayer flags of Chele la greeted me. Soon I was atop the Land of Thunder Dragon. The sense of accomplishment can’t be expressed in words.
It was very windy on top of the pass. The weather god was not kind to me and the mountain peaks remained covered under the cloud. Couldn’t help.
Soon it was time to say goodbye to Chele la and drive down to Paro City. En route to the city, we spent some time at the Paro viewpoint and later visited the Paro Dzong and adjoining museum.
This was the last day of our trip so all of us were feeling a bit sad. The good time really passes off so quickly. It was time to pack our stuff again and get ready for the return journey.
Day 11: Time to Return Home
Today our plan was to halt at Jaldapara for the night. We finished our breakfast and checked out of the hotel by 9.30.
The day was going to be a hectic one as driving from Paro to Phuentsholing was going to take almost 6 hours. Then I will have to negotiate the Jaigaon traffic en route Jaldapara. The drive, as usual, was beautiful but the joy was missing as it was time to come back and get back to our real life.
After crossing Gedu the weather suddenly deteriorated and all of a sudden the whole road was covered with clouds. The visibility was reduced drastically and it was really getting tough driving in that condition. It was altogether a great experience driving through the clouds.
We reached Phuentsholing by 4.30 pm and allowed 1 hour’s time to the lady gang for their shopping. We crossed the Bhutan gate around 6 pm and entered the busy Jaigaon area with unruly traffic. Reached Jaldapara Eco Stay by 8 P.M. This property was booked through OYO Rooms and it is very close to Jaldapara Reserve Forest.
We spent the next two days at Jaldapara Eco Resort. This property is well maintained and in the lap of nature. Our plan of doing a safari at Jaldapara reserve Forest could not materialize. We just spent the time there and Proceeded towards Kolkata on 24th October. Reached Kolkata on 26th October after spending 25th at Malda at a friend’s place.
Also Read: Bhutan Travelogue – One Step Closer to my Soul
Few Observations:
Hyundai and Kia Motors seem to be the most favored brands of the Bhutanese people. Most of the cars I noticed in Bhutan was either Hyundai Creta or Kia Sportage. TATA motors don’t seem to have any foothold in Bhutan. I don’t know why. The presence of Maruti cars is negligible.
People are very punctual, friendly, and helpful.
The most important observation is about the coverage of Tashi Cell. Its 4G coverage is superb without a single drop in signal. Throughout my journey in Bhutan, I relied upon the Android Auto through the Tashi Cell and it didn’t let me down, not for a single moment.
Turn by turn the navigation through the mountains was accurate. So people visiting Bhutan with cars should not worry about the navigation and need not to download offline maps.
Conclusion
I hope the travelogue and the information above on a road trip to Bhutan were of help. If you have any questions or need any other details, please feel free to ask in the comments section below, or at our Community Forum, and I will be glad to answer.
