BHUTANMAY 2018 | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA 135
Getting There Only two airlines,
Druk Air or Royal Bhutan Airlines and
Tashi Air or Bhutan Airlines, operate in
Bhutan. There are direct flights to Paro
from Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. Tip:
For gorgeous views of the Himalayas,
get a seat on the left side when flying
from Delhi to Paro and on the right side
when flying back from Paro.
Visa Indian travellers don’t need a visa
to enter Bhutan, however, make sure
to carry at least two ID and address
proofs, preferably including your
passport if you have one.
Getting Around When travelling to
Bhutan, visitors have to contact a
local travel agency to arrange the
trip. You can plan a customised
itinerary and will be accompanied
by a driver and a guide. The writer
travelled with Heavenly Bhutan
(www.heavenlybhutan.com).
Bhutan’s currency Ngultrum
(Nu/BTN) is the same in value as
Indian rupees.
Stay
Thimphu: The four-star Hotel Druk
right beside the Clock Tower Square
has warm, wood-panelled rooms
done up in traditional Bhutanese
design (drukhotels.com; doubles
from `10,4 40).
Away from the main city, Hotel
Amodhara offers spacious rooms
with views of the cityscape (www.
hotelamodhara.com; doubles from
`4,200).
Phobjikha: Accommodation at the
homestay is basic but comfortable and
the cottage affords wonderful views of
the Phobjikha valley (can be arranged
via the tour operators; `2,900 per night)
Paro: At Bhutan Mandala Resort,
expansive views of paddy fields,
faraway hills and a glittering Paro
Dzong offer the perfect backdrop for a
cuppa (www.bhutanmandalaresort.bt;
doubles from `4,650).
About 20 minutes from the airport, the
heritage Gangtey Palace, was once
a stately home built int he 1800s. The
property still preserves parts of the
older structure. They also offer a hot
stone bath (www.gangteypalace.com;
doubles from `6,400).Eat
At Thimphu, take some time out for
a meal at Simply Bhutan. While the
chef prepares your Bhutanese meal,
take a tour of their museum with one
of their guides. The experience shows
you Bhutan in a nutshell, from the folk
dance masks and famous landmarks,
to replicas of traditional kitchens. You
can also dress up in a gho or kira. The
meals are served in wooden, clay and
bamboo vessels, and include the best
of local fare.
If you love spicy food, Bhutan will
delight you. Chillies and cheese featurein abundance in the cuisine. A must
try is the national dish, ema datshi,
a decadent but spicy concoction of
the crumbly cow-milk cheese datshi
and chillies. This dish is also made
with other local vegetables such as
wild mushrooms (shamu datshi),
potatoes (kewa datshi), and spinach,
and sometimes even beef or chicken.
Meals are served with slightly sticky
red rice, and always feature a dish of
vegetables—usually cabbage, carrot
and squash—sautéed with soy sauce.
Most local delicacies are vegetarian
and feature local produce such as lom
or turnip leaves and radish. Vegetables
are also cooked with dried meat,
another staple here. Try the dried
pork sautéed with soy sauce, chillies
and radish.
The influence of Tibetan food is hard
to ignore in Bhutan and most eateries
serve delicious beef and chicken
thukpa, and beef, pork, chicken and
veg momos with soup and a very spicy,
and sometimes tart, homemade chilli
sauce known as eazay.
Wash it all down with some local
brews. Ara, made from rice or millet
is available in every home and shop.
In certain parts of the country, it is
flavoured with a hint of saffron or
sandalwood, or had as a warm cocktail
mixed with egg whites. The fruity Red
Panda beer—sold in 1-litre bottles—
and the sweet peach wine Zumzin go
well with the spicy flavour of the food.ESSENTIALS
The 169-foot Buddha
Dordenma statue sits
almost sentinel-like, atop
a hill overlooking all of
Thimphu valley.MANAN VATSYAYANA/STRINGER/AFP/GETTY IMAGES