Bhutan Photographic Adventure
2020
22nd to 31st of October
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Bhutan is alive with mystery, color and culture. The history is all around you. Creating images with the locations and people will be unlike any other place in the world.
Bruce Byers, Professional Photographer
has worked extensively with great guides in Nepal, Gopi Chandra Bhusal and in Bhutan, Kinley TTshering to design this trip to ensure that you will be able to create once in a life time images.
The friendly locals and rich culture will embrace you with its kindness, music and art. We’ll travel from the busy city, to a private farm, all while being transported to the villages of the past. Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or just want a group of like-minded people to travel with, this trip caters to all.
BHUTAN:
This beautiful tour around Bhutan’s most scenic places takes us to the country’s finest locations with an unparalleled diversity. We will be in the right places at the right times to capture with our cameras. This is the perfect trip to experience the delight of crossing high hills as well as the wide windswept meadows filled with wildflowers, across sleepy hamlets, through fragrance filled forests, rice fields and orchards. There is no real trekking that requires outdoor camping with exhaustive long day walks; but it has moderate hikes and excursions to villages from the comforts of your Hotel. An active vacation without roughing it! The itinerary covers the regular tourists’ sites, as well as many off- the-beaten places. Walk out to visit villages, farms, and monasteries and ancient temples from the towns of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Wangdue Phodrang and travel as far interior as to the Bumthang District. Between the drives, we shall make unplanned stops at local villages. All of our small group departures are scheduled to attend the local festivals and therefore some parts of the itinerary may be revised slightly to incorporate these colorful.
BUMTHANG JAKAR
FESTIVAL-2020
Bumthang Jakar Tshechu Festival lasts for three days. Its official Jakar or Bumthang District’s Official Festival of the year and the Festival happens inside the gigantic Jakar Dzong. The whole district of Jakar or Bumthang remains closed for three days to witness the annual Bumthang Jakar Tshechu Festival. Tshechu are always conducted or ending on the 10th Day of a Bhutanese Calendar month as the term Tshechu means the tenth, which is widely celebrated as Birth Anniversary of Guru Rimpoche, The Second Buddha. Tshechu’s are organized in all 20 Districts of Bhutan and each district performs at different months from one another and it’s more like a New Year Celebrations and it’s both happy celebrations for the citizens as well as big day of offerings to the Guru Rimpoche and other local deities.
BUMTHANG JAKAR FESTIVAL
IS FROM 24TH TO 26TH OCTOBER, 2020.
Paro International Airport, the only Int’l Airport in Bhutan, has a very good connection with Kathmandu International Airport with just 50 minutes flights passing by alongside of the Himalayas including Mt. Everest, Mt. Kanchenjunga in Nepal and Mt. Jhomolari and many others in Bhutan. The flight itself is a life time memory for those who are fond of mountains and natural landscape.
Price of workshop $4250 Double occupancy
$400 plus for single occupancy
Sign-up by July 3rd for $150 off trip cost.
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DAY TO DAY ITINERARY
DAY 1/ 22ND OCTOBER:
FLY TO PARO AND SIGHTSEEING
Breakfast at hotel and timely transfer to Kathmandu International Airport to fly(50 minutes) into Paro which presents you with views of the awesome peaks, including Langtang Range, Mt. Everest, Mt. Kanchenjunga etc in Nepal and the sacred Jumolhari 7314m and Jichu Drake 6794m peaks in Bhutan. On arrival our representative will greet you. Upon arrival in Bhutan, drive to hotel. Later on, proceed for sightseeing of Paro Dzong and walk to the wooden bridge. Walk around to the Paro town.
Overnight at hotel in Paro. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
DAY 02/23RD OCTOBER:
FLY TO BUMTHANG AND SIGHTSEEING
After breakfast drive airport and fly to Bumthang for 30mins over greater Himalayan Mountains of BHUTAN. 30mins flight offers magnificent views of valleys, human settlements in different locations of the country. The high peaks standing on the boarder of Bhutan and Tibet are the only opportunity to get so close to these peaks. Upon arrival to Bhumthang check in hotel for lunch and after lunch drive to nearby valley for photography.
Overnight at hotel in Bumthang. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
DAY 03/24TH OCTOBER:
BUMTHANG FESTIVAL
After breakfast, drive to Jakar Dzong. The District headquarters of Bumthang, which takes close to 10 minutes. Today, you will spend entire day witnessing Jakar Tshechu. The Tshechu or Festival is truly dedicated to the Great Guru, Rimpoche. The whole district of Jakar or Bumthang remains officially closed for the entire festival season as ot’s the official District Festival. The festival mask dancers are all monks and local woment join by dancing traditional dance and singing local songs. The Jakar Tshechu Festival is an annual event where the villagers, monks, laymen, nuns and folks who are originally from the village but now reside in cities comes together for the festival and enjoy talking serious matters and family welfare and most important as being Buddhist festival they all pray for good year, good harvest and good health.
Overnight at hotel in Bumthang. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
DAY 04/25TH OCTOBER:
BUMTHANG SIGHTSEEING
After breakfast, drive to north of Bumthang valley where you will reach Kurey Monastery. The Monastery was built on 8th centure by Guru Rimpoche. He visited Bhutan many times but the very first time he visited Kurjey Monastery and meditated inside the rock cave and left his body print on the rock. Guru Rimpoche bought Buddhism to Bhutan and also helped spread it throughout the kingdom and besides he subdued all evils and demons those were hampering the lives of Bhutanese. Afterwards, visit the Bhutan’s oldest Monastery; Jambay Lhakang built in 7th century by Tibetan King Songtsen Gonpo in order to subdue a Orgress. He was told to buide 108 monasteries over the body of the orges of which two are in Bhutan, Jambay and Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro. Late afternoon, drive to mebar Tsho, burning lake invented by Great Treasure Discoverer Pema Lingpa and discovered some precious treasures from the lake and its one pf the holy auspicious lake. Around 5 pm in the evening, attend evening prayers of t he nuns just 2 kms drive from the lake. This is a special tour to see or experience yourself with nuns sitting together while they do their prays but one cannot takes photos by using flash lights or move freely around them while they are praying.
Overnight at hotel in Bumthang. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
DAY 05/26TH OCTOBER:
DRIVE TO GANGTEY VALLEY VIA TRONGSA (5 HOURS)
After breakfast, drive to Gangtey, enroute visit Trongsa Dzong and Chendibgi Chorter for lunch. which will be served in a local restaurant famous for its cuisine. The day is going to be full of driving but make sure to stop for photography and shorts walks to keep your legs and arms.
Overnight at hotel in Gangtey. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
DAY 06/27TH OCTOBER:
SIGHTSEEING IN GANGTEY
After breakfast at the hotel, drive around 15 to 20 minutes in the villages to see and take good photos of the people, farm houses, and people working in the field harvesting their crop of the year. Sometimes we may see different activities happening like ritual ceremony or village gathering to make offerings to local bon good because it’s time of year usually happens. Drive back to hotel for lunch and after lunch visit Gangtey valley, evening your own time to explore.
Overnight at hotel in Gangtey. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
DAY 07/28TH OCTOBER:
DRIVE TO PUNAKAHA
Drive to Punakha for 2 hours, visit Punakha Dzong and lunch at Lobesa. After lunch, drive to the resort at Wangdi. Evening explore own time or hike around Eco lodge would give good time to take photos of rice terraces and local people harvesting rice.
Overnight at hotel in Punakha.
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
DAY 08/29TH OCTOBER:
DRIVE BACK TO THIMPHU AND TO PARO
After breakfast, drive back to Thimphu for around 3 hours. Cross Dochula- Pass with 108 chortens and gives a magnificent view of mountains and valley. After some time, drive further down to Thimphu for 1 hour.
Drive to Giant Buddha Statue, Memorial Chorten and walk around to the Thimphu city which is the capital city of Bhutan.
After lunch at Thimphu, we drive to Paro ( 1 hour). We visit the Ruined Fortress the Drukgyal Dzong meaning Bhutanese Victory Fortress built in 1649 by great fortress builder and also the man who unified Bhutan in 17th Century. On the drive back to hotel visit the Bhutan’s oldest monastery the Kyichu Lhakhang, built in 659 AD by Tibetan King Songtsen Goenpo in order to subdue the Orgress in Tiber, he built 108 Stupas in Twenty Hours of time of which two are here in Bhutan, the one built on Left Knee is the Kyichu Monastery and next built on Left Toe is in Bumthang and it is called Jambay Lhakhang. The main deity inside the Monastery is the Buddha Maiteria which is commonly known as Future Buddha or referred as Jow Jamba the same in Jokhang in Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.
Overnight at hotel in Paro. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
DAY 09/30TH OCTOBER:
FLY BACK TO KATHMANDU
After breakfast, drive to airport and fly back to Kathmandu. Free day in Kathmandu. Evening, we visit Thamel. Thamel is a tourist hub and famous for multi cuisine restaurants, bars, clubs and for shopping.
Evening, we host a farewell dinner at one of the nice restaurant in Thamel.
Overnight at Manaslu hotel in Kathmandu. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
DAY 10/31ST OCTOBER:
DEPARTURE FROM KATHMANDU
After breakfast at hotel, rest of the day is free. Before 3 hours of your flight time, our representative will transfer to airport for your flight back from Kathmandu. (Meal: Breakfast)
END OF THE ARRANGMENTS!!!
BHUTAN COST INCLUDES:
1. 08 Nights/09 Days Bhutan Tour in a regular 3 star hotels with breakfast, lunch and dinners and a English Speaking Tour Guide throughout the tour with all entrance fees in a Deluxe Van as per the itinerary.
2. 1 last night in Kathmandu with breakfast inclusive of taxes and local charges.
3. All meals as mentioned in the program.
4. Bhutan Visa fees.
5. Kathmandu/Paro/Kathmandu Airfare
6. Paro/Bumthang Airfare as quoted separately.
BHUTAN COST EXCLUDES:
Changes in Airfare to Bhutan.
Personal nature of expenses, like tips, bar bills, insurance etc.
