I read that this beautiful and very old Dzong, perched on a ridge overlooking two rivers, was gutted by fire yesterday. 🙁 I remember passing by the Dzong either on our way to Punakha or back from Punakha. We didn’t
Prayer Flags
These ubiquitous prayer flags, or dorji, can be found everywhere in Bhutan – on ridges, bridges, hillcrests and mountain passes. I was, and still is, fascinated by them. There are four different types of prayer flags and the ones shown
Bhutan: Men In Skirts Shooting Arrows
It is a sexy look! Archery (known as dha) is the national sport of Bhutan and practically every male Bhutanese learns the sport from young. We had a chance to watch a weekend archery competition in Thimphu and I was amazed how
Bhutan: The Bumdrag Trek
When our local travel agent included an overnight trek in our itinerary, I didn’t think very hard about it. At that time, I thought trekking would be a great way of experiencing the mountains and enjoying what nature had to
Azaleas
^ From the Punakha Monastery in Bhutan. Azaleas are part of the Rhododendron family. Pretty!
Surrounded By Pine Trees
Eversince we returned from Bhutan, we have been asked by a number of people if we would recommend Bhutan as a holiday destination. I get the sense that many people I know associate Bhutan with “the so-romantic wedding of Tony Leung and Carina Lau” because the
Rhododendrons
At the start of our trip, our Bhutan guide told us that there are some 50 rhododendron species in Bhutan and we would see plenty of them during the trip. Driving up and down the mountain roads, we did see
Bhutan: The Campsite Dinner
We were driving towards the Queen’s Monastery in Punakha one morning when we got to know 3 Chinese girls on the road. Literally. They were doing a 10km (I think) cycling trip that morning and were cycling in the opposite direction from us when our
Bhutan: The Gho & The Kira
Ha! Guess what was it about these two guys (or maybe it’s just one of them) that fascinated me? The national dress was introduced during the 17th century by the unifier of Bhutan to give the Bhutanese a unique identity.
Lovin’ Them Pine Cones
I wasn’t sure if I could bring these coniferous things out of Bhutan. As pine cones can be seen lying on the ground nearly everywhere in Bhutan, I figured I wasn’t committing an illegal act by bringing some of these lovelies home. Our guide
When I First Heard Of Bhutan
Paro Airport I was 16 going on 17 (yeah, so tacky-sounding) – and about to embark on the best two years of my life – when I first heard of Bhutan. From my first-year civic tutor in college who also taught
Back From Bhutan: Back To The Basic
Ha Ha. Bee is back. Within minutes of arriving home from the airport (at 1am), I logged onto Youtube to watch Rain’s latest live performances of two songs from his latest album Back To The Basic. It has been a long while since
Logging In From Punakha
I was intending to stay Internet free during my stay in Bhutan. But what was I thinking? Here I am, checking Facebook and my email account in Punakha, reading the blogs that I visit daily and yes, blogging away at