Day 3 — {date3s}
Paro to Thimphu via CheleLa Pass
Early morning (7 a.m. departure) Drive to Thimphu via CheleLa Pass: Rise early, pack up and drive about one hour to Chele La (la means pass) for one of Bhutan's best views of the Himalayas. Boxed breakfast will be served at the pass. On a clear day you can see panoramic views of the snow-capped western Himalayan mountain ranges. Then we drive two hours to Thimphu where your guide and driver will be available to take you anywhere you desire. On past tours we found that participants had their own ideas about what is interesting in Thimphu so we include here a list of current events and places to see and leave this decision up to you.Overnight: Hotel Kisa
List of things to see and do in Thimphu:(* = Robin's favorites.)
- Textile Museum
- *Paper factory for handmade paper—great for printing photos of Bhutan
- National Institute of Traditional Medicine
- Post Office for Bhutanese collector stamps.
- Two good book stores for books on Bhutan
- Paradise Temple (Only if there are pilgrims there.)
- Check the National Stadium across from the hotel for archery competition or practice.
- We recommend the Choki Arts and Handicraft store for souvenirs
- We recommend coffee and sweets at the Arts Cafe next to the Swiss Bakery.
- Takin refuge—Bhutan’s national animal
- *School of Traditional Arts and Crafts
- “Children’s Temple” – an antique temple where parents bring their children
for blessings.
...or just roam Thimphu's main street and it's many small shops. All of these "factories" and shops are very small with only a few employees. I always stop at the "supermarket" to pick up munchies and food supplies for the trip ahead.
