Bhutan Photo Special with Colin Prior
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel in Delhi. Complimentary airport transfers are provided on this day. KE group package services begin with a tour of the city. Overnight in Delhi.
Day 2: Transfer to the domestic terminal for the onward flight to Gauhati in Assam. We meet our vehicles here and drive (3 hours) across the border at Samdrup Jongkhar. We check in to our hotel.
Day 3: We drive through the wooded Himalayan foothills to the small town of Trashigang below an imposing fortress monastery (dzong). Here we will stay in a basic lodge.
Day 4: We drive for approximately 20 miles to the town of Radi which is famous for its silk, and a little way beyond we start the trek in this recently opened area. We trek through rich forest to our first night's camp at Charbaling.
Day 5: We cross the Thumbursa La (3273m / 10,735ft) and make a steady ascent to the village of Merak (3400m. / 11,155ft.). Camp.
Day 6: A longish day today, crossing the Nyakchung La, (4300m. / 14,108ft.) to reach Sakteng. We make our camp in the fields of the village. 6 - 7 hours.
Day 7: A day to look around the village, its gompas and environs. The local people will no doubt be just as interested in us since this place was closed to foreigners until 2009. We spend our second night in the village.
Day 8: Leaving Sakteng our route takes us steadily down valley. We have to make a climb to negotiate a 3000m. / 10,000ft pass before dropping to the village of Jyonkhar (1767m. / 5800ft.) and our camp.
Day 9: We continue easy trekking for around 2 hours and then with a final climb of 1 hour we arrive at the end of our trek at Phong Me where our transport will be waiting. We drive via Ranjung to Trashigang where we check into a basic lodge.
Day 10: We have a long but highly scenic drive today to reach Bumtang. Heading west the road winds through the hills passing Mongar and crossing the Thrumsang La at 3750 metres. A full day of driving with photographic stops along the way. Arriving in Jakar we check into our hotel.
Day 11: We have a day to experience the tsechu (festival) held at Jambey Lhakhang, one of the oldest monasteries in Bhutan. The whirling masked dancers and the throngs of people dressed in their finest kos are the stuff of photographers' dreams. We spend a second night in Jakar.
Day 12: Another opportunity to capture the atmosphere of the unique Bhutanese tsechu. This morning we attend the Prakhar Festival and in the afternoon we continue our journey westwards for 3 hours to Trongsa where we visit the dzong and the watch tower. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 13: Another longish day of driving and another day of spectacular scenery as we cross the Pele La (3300m.) and the Dochu La (3100m.) to the capital Thimpu. En route we will stop at Punakha to photograph its important and pictursue dzong. Overnight in a hotel in Thimpu. 7 - 8 hours driving.
Day 14: We complete our journey across Bhutan with a short (1 hour) drive to Paro. Here we make the 3 - 4 hour round trip hike to the famous 'Tigers Lair' monastery of Takstang which clings to a cliff face high above the wooded valley. It is a sensational sight and photographically, it is a fitting climax to an exceptional tour. Overnight in a hotel in Paro.
Day 15: We take the morning flight to Delhi and transfer to the group hotel. Tonight we will have a celebratory meal. Overnight in Delhi.
Day 16: KE land only package services end after breakfast and transfer to the airport.
