I originally wrote this in Feb, 2006. You can download a PDF (with images) of this writeup (1.8mb): bhutan2k6.pdf.

Update: You’ll now find photographs at the end of this write up. Click here to go there directly. 

Bhutan is nestled in the Himalayas between India and Tibet. With a reputed tour operator and a little money, you can travel through the picturesque terrains of this small kingdom in a cozy 4X4, with a guide filling you with trivia that you can later recall when explaining photographs to friends. You’ll see snow capped mountains, oriental and architecturally beautiful Dzongs, do some trekking, visit handicraft stores and maybe participate in a local festival (if the timing is right). Tourism is big here, so Bhutan is very tourist friendly. Two of us, a childhood friend and I, visited Bhutan in February 2006 as backpackers, minus the tour operator and a 4X4.

Our route was as follows:

Kolkata – Siliguri (NJP) – Phuentsholing – Thimpu – Paro – Phuentsholing – Siliguri – Kolkata

In the next few pages I have written about the experiences we had in
Bhutan. You’ll also find photographs of this beautiful country
captured through my camera. This travelogue is brief and only captures the broad details of the trip. You have to be there to experience the finer aspects of backpacking to a place like Bhutan.