Tour Photography Tour Of Bhutan - Land Of The Thunder Dragon

Others

With the exception of the items mentioned in exclusions, the price of this trip is has no hidden extras. Your Bhutanese Visa is included as is the daily tourism tax which is compolisvary for all visitors to Bhutan. Your flights (listed separately but included), transport, food, tea/ coffee and water; accommodation, local guide and driver. Photographic tuition and guidance is included by your professional photographer. You will need some cash for drinks with meals and to buy some local crafts perhaps, other then that you will rarely get your wallet out of your bag.

Guide

Our expert local guides and drivers are included in the price. Our main guide is a keen photographer himself so has a good idea of the images we will be after. We are in the habit of tipping our guides and drivers for great service. If you would like to join us we will do this as a group with a card for us all to sign with personal comments. We will give these to them at the appropriate time.

Transport

You are responsible to get your self to Bangkok, Kolkata or New Delhi at your own expense. The flights from and back to those ports and your internal flights have been listed separately as the prices change but we will arrange them with the local agent. All other road transport is included. Once on the ground we will be transported in comfortable mini buses or people movers. Experienced local drivers will drive us.

Accommodation

All accommodation in Bhutan is included. Our accommodation will vary from homestay to 3 star hotels. All rooms with the possible exception of the homestays will be ensuite. Please note: We recommend your staying overnight at an airport hotel in Bangkok on the night of April 30th as we have an early flight on May 1st. This accommodation is not included.

Flights

It is mandatory to book your flights to Paro with us as it is not possible to book them using an agent based outside of Buthan. Flights are excluded from the overall price but we have listed the flight price separately as we will have to arrange your flights into Bhutan with our local agents. Most of the group will fly from Bangkok into Paro but there is also the option of flying from New Delhi which might be easier for guests travelling from Europe or North America. Please let us know if you want to fly from India as this will alter the price. You are totally responsible for your flight into Bangkok or India from your point of origin.

Meals

All main meals are included when we are together as a group. Bhutanese food is largely vegetarian and generally served buffett style or served with each dish in a separate bowl so you can have as much or as little as you’d like. They do use chillies in a number of traditional dishes but there are other options if you do not like spicy food. When we are out and about our guide and driver will organise a picnic lunch but don’t expect cold meat sandwiches or such like, the picnic will be a tasty hot meal. If you do something outside of a group activity then your meals for that time may not be covered. If you need to snack between meals this is not supplied.

Not included:

Optional

If you wish to use a horse to take you up part of the walk up to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery this is arranged at your own expense. There is a weight limit, which the horses can carry which is approximately 85-90 KGs. The ride costs approximately $US 25 and is paid to the owner of the horse on the day in cash. Hot Stone Baths are a local tradition and are offered in some hotels and nearby farmhouses. These are great to relax any sore muscles. It is a generally a basic looking arrangement reminisant of a wooden trough but it works! Large stones are heated in a fire for hours and added into the water at one end of the bath which is separated to the other end by a metal grid. It is very effective at heating the water with no risk to the bather. We can arrange these for you in most locations but we will need to have notice to make sure that stones have been heated on that day. It costs in the region of $US25 which is your own cost.

Insurance

We do not supply insurance but you cannot travel with us without comprehensive travel insurance. We will require a copy of your insurance at least 6 weeks before travel. Our Bhutanese agents recommend should cover helicopter evacuation services and medical assistance. We also recommend that you see your Doctor before you book for permission to travel. Bhutan is in the foothills of the Himalayas so you will be at high altitudes most of the time. This means that the oxygen levels are lower then you may be use to so you will find that you can get out of breathe just climbing a flight of stairs. We leave our Tiger’s Nest trek to the end of the trip to give us time to acclimatise. The is a risk of altitude sickness when at higher altitudes

Others

Alcohol or soft drinks with your meals Tips laundry Photographic equipment is not provided although a tripod can be hired with prior notice

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Day 1 Day 1: Arrival In The Land Of The Thunder Dragon
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Arrival In The Land Of The Thunder Dragon

Depart Bangkok Arr Paro

Please note: We will organise your flight into Paro with our local agents. Most of the group will meet in Bangkok Airport but we do not include your overnight stay in Bangkok. We need to be at the airport to check in at approximately 3am.

After an early departure from Bangkok we should get a grandiose view of the Himalayas from the plane, as you can see some of the highest peaks in the world such as Kanchanjunga, Everest and Jomolhari.

Please note: If you are joining our trip from Europe or the USA we can arrange your flight into Bhutan from Delhi as an alterative to flying with the main group from Bangkok. This may make a difference to the price. Our local guides will meet you at the airport before you meet the rest of the group.

Arriving in Paro we will be greeted by our Bhutanese team in traditional costume and we hope to have a chance to stretch our legs in the town of Paro before we take our short internal flight to Bumthang Valley, Central Bhutan over the mountains we will drive through later.

If we have the energy we will spend some time in the local town of Jakar for street photography, visiting the Swiss Cheese factory and a local brewery where the entrance fee is the price of a bottle of Red Panda beer.
Day 2 Day 2: Domkhar Tshechu Festival And Bumthang Valley
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Domkhar Tshechu Festival And Bumthang Valley

We transfer to the village of Chumey to attend a small local festival which, hopefully, will still be ignored by larger tour groups. The dances are performed by lay monks in bright coloured costumes and carved wooden masks, the villagers attend in their most beautiful national outfits. The local women will sing traditional songs. For the village children there is no school so they are attend in costume to enjoy the event. The venue is small and we can move around easily to get the photos we want. The event goes on all day, we take a picnic with us so that we can stay in the village as long as we want too and will return to hotel when we are ready to rest or explore more of the Bumthang Valley.
Day 3 Day 3: Mountains, Monks And Monkeys!
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Mountains, Monks And Monkeys!

Jakar - Trongsa

We now start our return by road through the mountains that we flew over. We hope to set up a visit to a local primary school which will give us an opportunity to photograph children all in traditional costume which is also the school uniform. The road West will take us through the Yotongla Pass at 3425 meters. Upon arriving in Trongsa, we will visit the Trongsa Dzong, which once served as a summer residence for the royal family. Built in the 17th century, this Dzong has a very strategic position; its construction took 150 years. Two hundred monks reside there year-round; it also houses the officials of ten different ministries.There are many monkeys that live around the Dzong so be careful not to put your lens cap or sunglasses down somewhere as it might well not be there moments later!
Day 4 Day 4: Yaks, Handicrafts And Valley Walk
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Yaks, Handicrafts And Valley Walk

Trongsa – Phobjikha

After breakfast, we continue to Phobjikha Valley, winter home to rare Black Necked Cranes, which migrate from Tibet during the late autumn months. Although we will only see one crane, is a resident of the information centre, it is a beautiful valley well worth the visit regardless.

As we cross the mountain Pass we will see the Grand Stupa of Chendepji and nearby we hope to see nomadic Yak herders. They may have already headed up the mountains to their summer pastures if they are still around they sell their beautiful handmade goods on the side of the road.

We’ll stop in the village of Gangtey to visit Gangtey Monastery with its magnificent carved facade after which we will take a short walk from the monastery to a viewpoint over the beautiful Phobjikha valley, before we descend into the nature trail below. The full walk takes around 1hour and 30 minutes but if you wish you can ride with the driver from the viewpoint to visit Crane Information Centre.
Day 5 Day 5: Phobjikha-Punakha
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Phobjikha-Punakha

Phobjikha-Punakha

We will continue the road to Punakha. Visit the beautiful Punakha Dzong built in 1637 between two rivers, Po chhu (Male River) and Mo Chu (Female River). This fortress monastery is the winter residence of the spiritual leader of Bhutan, Je Khenpo, as well as 350 monks who accompany him.

After lunch we walk through rice paddies and a small village to go to Khamsum Yulley Namgyel temple. On the way back, we will make a stop at Lobesa for a short hike to Chhi – Med Lhakhang in this picturesque valley, we will be able to visit the temple of one of the first Saints of Bhutan, the lama Drukpa Kuenley, better known as the Divine Madman. His teaching is the reason that many houses are painted with large phallic paintings.
Day 6 Day 6: Himalayan Views And Strange Animals
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Himalayan Views And Strange Animals

On the way to Thimphu we will stop at Dochula Pass (3150m). If there is no cloud we will have a panoramic view of the Himalayan high peaks of Bhutan. Close by on top of a small hill are 108 chortens built in honour of the peace and stability brought to Bhutan by the 4th King.

We are unlikely to see the Bhutanese National animal, the takin in the wild so our only opportunity to see these unusual animal is Takin Park. This used to be the City Zoo but it was considered not in keeping with the culture to cage animals so they released them to the wild but the takin kept coming back to Thimphu and caused so many problems that they were returned to park.

In the heart of the city, there is a memorial Chorten was built in 1974 in memory of the third king of Bhutan, which will make an excellent subject for some night photography.
Day 7 Day 7: Explore Thimphu - The Only Capital City Without Traffic Lights
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Explore Thimphu - The Only Capital City Without Traffic Lights

Thimphu although being the Capital still retains the feel of Bhutan with most of the building still are built in traditional style. There are no traffic lights but the busiest traffic junction is controled instead by smartly dressed policeman with white gloves who direct the flow of cars with dramatic arm movements.

We hope to visit some lovely nuns who live in a small private nunnery, where we hope to get some images of them at their morning study.

We will stop at the Centenary Farmer’s Market to photograph the colourful stalls and local characters. Close by is a traditional cantilever bridge which will give us opportunities for some great images of locals about their day.

We will allow some time for shopping for local crafts.
Day 8 Day 8: City Life Before Rural Quiet
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: City Life Before Rural Quiet

We will have a quick visit to the market before visiting the largest Buddha statue in Bhutan, it is 51m high and offers views over the City. We will leave the City and drive via Chhuzom (Tri-junction) of three district Paro, Thimphu, and Haa. There is a lively food stall by the bridge which over looks 3 unique Stupas surrounded by colourful prayer flags. There is usually a troop of monkeys in the area too.

The fertile Haa Valley was once closed to Westerns and still has less visitors then other rural areas. We will drive through farmland, stopping for views of monasteries, farms, mountains and in some lovely small towns on route. In evening stroll around the Haa town for Photography. We will stay at a lovely local guesthouse with views over the surrounding mountains.
Day 9 Day 9: Touching The Heavens
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Touching The Heavens

We continue through the Haa Valley and then up and over the mountain on a series of switch back roads. The Pass is close to 4000mtr our highest yet, it is often in the clouds which gives a feeling of touching the sky! We then descend into the Paro valley where we hope to be able to view a plane coming through the valley before landing at the international airport.

If we have time with will visit Paro Dzong was built in the 17th century but largely burnt down in 1906. It has been rebuilt retaining the entirety of the original design. Nowadays it houses the district administration office and the monastic school where 200 monks live. We will access this magnificent Dzong over a wooden cantilever bridge

We will return to the River after dinner to photograph the Dzong at night, the river will give lovely reflections of the lights of the monastery.
Day 10 Day 10: Tiger’S Nest Monastery
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Tiger’S Nest Monastery

Trek to Tiger’s Nest Monastery

We aim to leave early and drive 40min to the foot of the famous Tiger’s Nest. The walk is not differcult as far as terrian is concerned but it steep. The trail climbs through the forest to Taktsang Monastery, which was built in 1692. It seems to hang off the cliff face 1000 meters above the valley. The full climb takes between 5-7 hours but we can use horses (at your own expense) for the climb as far as the café. We take the walk slowly so we can take photographs along the way. There are several points that you can stop if you have had enough and wait for the rest to return. Firstly the Cafe which offers a fine view of the monastery. The final push to the Monastery is via hundreds of steps down a steep valley and up the other side. The decision to visit the Monastery is yours alone, the view from the top of the stairs is enough for many. You can not take your camera into the Monastery so it is for you to decide when you get there.

In the evening we visit farmhouse for our final dinner and have a hot stone bath to ease any aching muscles.
Day 11 Day 11: Homeward Bound
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Homeward Bound

For those with some energy left after our big trek yesterday we can go to the Dzong for an early morning shot before we take our leave from our wonderful guide and driver.

11 days tour

Photography Tour Of Bhutan - Land Of The Thunder Dragon

This tour includes:

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Itinerary of your trip Photography Tour Of Bhutan - Land Of The Thunder Dragon

Day 1: Arrival In The Land Of The Thunder Dragon

Day 2: Domkhar Tshechu Festival And Bumthang Valley

Day 3: Mountains, Monks And Monkeys!

Day 4: Yaks, Handicrafts And Valley Walk

Day 5: Phobjikha-Punakha

Day 6: Himalayan Views And Strange Animals

Day 7: Explore Thimphu - The Only Capital City Without Traffic Lights

Day 8: City Life Before Rural Quiet

Day 9: Touching The Heavens

Day 10: Tiger’S Nest Monastery

Day 11: Homeward Bound

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