Bhutan is a wonderful country - full of scenic value,
warm hearted people and distances which take hours to reach!
Roads. Distances appear close by but do not forget that Bhutan is a mountainous country. You need to go up a mountain and then come down that mountain. There are no tunnels or direct routes. Not once, but many times, before reaching your destination. From Thimpu to Phubjikha was 134 kms. One would think that we could do this in may be THREE hours??
Excluding a break for lunch and a pit stop, it took us actual travel time of SIX hours: an average speed of 22.50 kmph.
The roads are being re-constructed. You pass major road work; you have to wait at certain places where the work is going on. You have to go at walking speed at certain places as the drop down is many thousand feet. So, reaching your destination is an activity where you need patience.
Here are the actual driving times for the places shown along with distances. No stops included.
The
worst stretch is the stretch going towards Punakha before you go towards
Phubjikha. Don’t travel in anything less than a 4 x 4 if you can. Travel in
Eastern Bhutan is more difficult as we were told the roads are worse. To go
there, you require 2 to 3 days by car though distance is not much. So, plan the
trip carefully.
Ensure that your car has excellent tyres, good brakes and that your driver is careful on the roads - following all standard precautions rather than being a Schumaker in the making !@@
Our first road block with rocks from the hill side being cut and displaced.
These are some of the pitfalls you avoid en route
Dust is your constant companion.
Slush and muck are made worse with the rainfall which happens
Raging streams roar past below.
excavation work all the time
You find that despite the stiff curves and the occasional burst of speed , most Bhutanese drivers are restrained and do not honk / blow the horn on their roads. Thats a pleasant surprise.
this was one of the most scary parts where we were on the edge for a long part of the route. There are NO barriers. But equally there were no sights of any road accidents.
Did someone check the suspension ?
a series of U Turns all the way. 
Suddenly you are blinded by the glare of these white cliffs .................
When you finally arrive into Phubjikha's environs, you breathe a sigh of relief - more from the stress and time taken to reach than the actual danger - where there was none. It pays to be like the Bhutanese - take life gently and as it comes.
Text and photographs copyright of the author. No part of this article or photographs maybe transmitted or reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Do contact the author on email -- helpthesun@gmail.com
Roads. Distances appear close by but do not forget that Bhutan is a mountainous country. You need to go up a mountain and then come down that mountain. There are no tunnels or direct routes. Not once, but many times, before reaching your destination. From Thimpu to Phubjikha was 134 kms. One would think that we could do this in may be THREE hours??
Excluding a break for lunch and a pit stop, it took us actual travel time of SIX hours: an average speed of 22.50 kmph.
The roads are being re-constructed. You pass major road work; you have to wait at certain places where the work is going on. You have to go at walking speed at certain places as the drop down is many thousand feet. So, reaching your destination is an activity where you need patience.
Here are the actual driving times for the places shown along with distances. No stops included.
- Thimpu
to Phubjikha 134 kms 6 hours
- Phubjikha
to Punakha 73 kms 3.50 hours
- Punakha
to Paro 103 kms 3.00 hours
The
worst stretch is the stretch going towards Punakha before you go towards
Phubjikha. Don’t travel in anything less than a 4 x 4 if you can. Travel in
Eastern Bhutan is more difficult as we were told the roads are worse. To go
there, you require 2 to 3 days by car though distance is not much. So, plan the
trip carefully. Ensure that your car has excellent tyres, good brakes and that your driver is careful on the roads - following all standard precautions rather than being a Schumaker in the making !@@
Single lane at times with hardly any room to pass!! This happens many a time but nothing to worry about.
tree roots are a constant danger as they are just left by the roadside.
You find that despite the stiff curves and the occasional burst of speed , most Bhutanese drivers are restrained and do not honk / blow the horn on their roads. Thats a pleasant surprise.
When you finally arrive into Phubjikha's environs, you breathe a sigh of relief - more from the stress and time taken to reach than the actual danger - where there was none. It pays to be like the Bhutanese - take life gently and as it comes.
Text and photographs copyright of the author. No part of this article or photographs maybe transmitted or reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Do contact the author on email -- helpthesun@gmail.com
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Text and photographs are copyright of the author. No part of any article or photographs maybe transmitted or reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Do contact the author on email -- helpthesun@gmail.com