<h2 style="text-align: left;" align="center">Autumn Festivals of Bhutan October, 2014</h2>
Join us for an enchanting Journey to Bhutan, quite possibly the most beautiful country in the world. The Kingdom of Bhutan is situated in the middle of the Himalayas between India in the south, Tibet in the north and Nepal to the west.

It is truly a unique and utterly fascinating country. Far from mainstream westernization and modernization, Bhutan has guarded its traditional way of

life in all ways. The moment you arrive in the Kingdom you are surrounded by

people who dress in traditional hand woven robes.

Kiras for women and Khos for the men. The colour of the fabric is ruled by the season.

You will see traditional 3 storied houses with bright exterior wall paintings.

There are magnificent landscapes of rice paddies cascading down the mountainsides, pristine rivers slicing through the valleys, ancient Dzongs, Monasteries, Stupas, Chortens, and Temples along the roads and on the mountain tops. It is 72% forested with amazing old growth forests.

You will attend famous religious festivals of Thimpu (fort) and Thangbi monastery in the rural setting of central Bumthang. They are staged among the red robed monks and colourfully dressed locals. You will mix with the locals with plenty of Kodak moments. It will be an opportunity of a lifetime to attend these yearly festivals.

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<b>October 1<sup>th</sup></b>…Depart CapeTown at ….pm on Emirates airlines via Dubai.

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<b>October 2<sup>th</sup></b>…Arrive Delhi 9:30am and transfered to our Bajaj Homestay.

A good rest and at 3:30 a rickshaw ride through Chandi Chouk in Old Delhi

Overnight Bajaj Homestay

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<b>October 3<sup>th</sup></b>…A morning tour of Delhi with a visit to the Lotus Temple, Ghandi’s

memorial, and India Gate. Afternoon free to do some shopping.

Overnight Bajaj Homestay

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<b>October 4<sup>th</sup></b>… An early transfer to the aiport to catch 1 of 3 flights per week into Bhutan.

Depart Delhi 9:30am…Arrive Paro 12noon

This morning you depart Delhi on Druk Airlines into Paro.

The flight reveals eight of the ten tallest peaks of the world weather permitting.

We must sit on the left side of the plane out of Delhi.

Upon arrival at the airport you may wish to exchange money into the local currency.

(Ngultrum…approx. 50 to $1 as is the Rupee) They also accept Indian Rupees.

Our Bhutanese national guide will be waiting for us. A short drive to Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan.

We will catch the Thimpu festival staged in Tendrel Thang of the Tashichhodzong,

the “Fortress of the Glorious Religion”. This gracious fortress is the seat of government and the summer palace of the monk body. We will witness the most spectacular dances of the festival. Devotees from Thimpu and neighboring areas gather at the Dzong.

The highlight is the Guru Tshengye dance, or the dance of the eight manifestations of Guru Rimpoche. The dance of the Ging and Tsholing which brings blessings to all sentient beings will also be performed on this day. The last dance is the Rigma Chudru which is the dance of the sixteen fairies.

Tshechu festivals are dedicated to Guru Rimpoche, the 8<sup>th</sup> century saint revered as the second Buddha, and the one who brought Buddhism to Bhutan.

It also marks the day the Tirthikas or Mutegpa’s tried to poison Guru Rimpoche who then turned their concoction into Amrita.

The biography of the Guru is highlighted by twelve of the Bhudda Shakyamuni’s life.

Each episode is commemorated year round on the 10<sup>th</sup> day of the month by the Tsechu. It isbelieved that one gains merit by attending the annual religious festival.

For the Bhutanese it is also an annual social gathering where people, dressed in their finery, come together to rejoice.

Thimpu Tshechu, one of the largest festivals in the country, was initiated by the fourth Desi, Tenzin Rabgye, in 1670 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Rimpoche.

Overnight Jomolhari Hotel

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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 5…</span></b> There will be time to explore the city of Thimpu. Shops have a wide range of handicrafts, textiles, and old Tibetan jewelry, For textile lovers there are kiras and khos found in many shops. Many shops sell CD’s of traditional music. We will

visit the local herbal medial school and clinic.

Overnight Jomolhari Hotel

<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 6…Thimpu-Trongsa</span></b>

Our journey from Thimpu takes us by road over the Dochu Pass where hundreds of rippling prayer flags, a few hundred Chortens (stupa), and breath taking views of Bhutan’s mountains are visual reminders of this sacred junction. The flags are messengers to the world, their prayers are written

in ancient Dzongkha, and are released with each ripple in the world.

Leaving the pass behind us you drive down through Magnolia and Rhododendron forests, then onto the tropical valleys of Punakha and Wangdue. From this valley we drive up over the black mountains and Pele La Pass which is the ancient boundary

between west and east Bhutan. In springtime the pass is in bloom with thousands of flowering Rhododendrons. There will be many opportunities to stop and photograph the stunning seasonal colours of nature.

We stop at Chendebji, a Nepalese styled Chorten, to enjoy the surrounds with its long Mani wall. A cup of butter tea is available for those wanting to try some.

We continue our drive along the Mangde river. Soon the watchtowers of Trongsa Dzong appear. This fortress monastery was built in 1648. It controlled the traffic between west and east

Bhutan until the early 19<sup>th</sup> century.

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Overnight at the comfortable and charming Yongkhil Resort</span>

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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 7… Trongsa-Bumthang</span></b>

Morning drive across Yotong La Pass into Bumthang’s Chumy Valley (3500m). A wide valley where wheat, barley, potatoes, and buckwheat are cultivated. Here the local women weave the famous “Bumthang Yatha”. This pure wool cloth is woven in a traditional method with exquisite colourful patterns. After our visit, and a bit of shopping, we continue to Bumthang valley.

We will arrive in time for lunch at our hotel.

In the afternoon we will visit the Jakar Dzong where you will see the flag of Bhutan.

This Dzong is quite different and medieval inside. Jampey Lakhang Monastery is where you will see clay tshas made from the ashes of the deceased. Kurjey Lakhang is one of the most important monasteries in Bumthang. Here in the 8<sup>th</sup> century one of the high saints meditated in this cave and left his body print on the rock.

There are stone masons, carvers, and mural painters at work on one of the temples from the Queen Mother. Back at our hotel there are optional hot stone baths available.

Overnight Rinchenling lodge

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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 8: Bumthang Thangbi Festival</span></b>

We will drive to the upper Choekhor valley with barley fields and sturdy farmhouses surrounded with bamboo plated fencing. This monastery is where novices come to recite scriptures. It is in this rural temple that the festival is taking place. The atmosphere of this festival is very different than what we experienced at the Thimpu festival.The people are very native and the whole atmosphere is very friendly and enthralling. We will also arrange a farmhouse visit to see how the

people of this area live with the areas for living, storage, prayer rooms etc.

We will have lunch here with typical local dishes of very special Bhutanese appetizers, buckwheat noodles, pancakes, butter tea, and fermented wheat liquor.

It is always polite to remove your shoes before entering a Bhutanese home.

Afternoon walk to Tamshing  Monastery where up to 200 monks reside. The inner sanctuary dates from 1540. The level path parallels the buckwheat fields where we might see the farmers working. There is a giant stone mill where the farmers grind their grains. Soon we arrive at the Three Buddha Temple with beautiful painted murals and an iron bell. This bell was brought from Tibet long ago.

We end our day at the Swiss farm with a cheese tasting of approx. 4 of the cheeses they have made.  If you missed out yesterday, an optional hot stone bath awaits you.

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Overnight Rinchenling lodge</span>

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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 9: Bumthang Ura excursion…</span></b>

Today we will drive to the picturesque valley of Ura, one of the four valleys in Bumthang. The inhabitants here rear sheep and cattle for their livelihood. The village has a big temple where they hold an annual festival in May. Shortly before reaching the Ura Shethang La Pass there is an impressive view of Bhutan’s highest mountain Gangkor Puensum. In the valley we will visit the temple and enjoy a picnic lunch. We return to Bumthang and the remainder of the day is at leisure.

Overnight Rinchenling lodge

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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 10: Bumthang-Probjikha </span></b>

Today is a leisurely drive to Phobjikha valley on the east-west road. It was built in the early 70’s

to provide a much needed link to central Bhutan. Overlooking the valley is Gangtey Monastery,

one of the largest old school monasteries. It is under the guidance of the 9<sup>th</sup> reincarnation of Gangtey Tulku. The monastery is completely renovated and offers an opportunity to marvel at the Bhutanese arts and architecture. Shortly we arrive in Phobjikkha where the valley floor is a marshy representation of receding glaciers from thousands of years ago. The farmers here

grow the best potatoes in Bhutan as well as wheat and barley. Due to the harsh winter months the peasants migrate to the lower winter homes. This valley is the winter habitat for the endangered Black Necked Cranes.

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Overnight Yu-Lo-Koe lodge</span>

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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 11<sup>th</sup>: Phobjikha Valley</span></b>

A visit to the Gabgtey monastery and a walking tour of the valley.

Afternoon at leisure.

Overnight Y-Lo-Keo lodge

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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 12: Phobjikha-Punakha</span></b>

We drive to Punakha, one of the most beautiful valleys in all of the country.

At a lower altitude it provides a reprieve from the harsh winters of Thimpu.

Every year from October to early April the monk body is in residence here.

After lunch we will visit the Punakha Dzong, the former capital of Bhutan, now serving as the district admin seat of Punakha, and the winter palace of the monk body. On foot we cross the suspension bridge to the entrance of the Dzong located on the spit of land at the confluence of the Mo and Pho rivers (male and female rivers). This Dzong was partially destroyed by fire in the 80’s and through a valiant effort of the residential monks and hundreds of boys from the nearby high school the Dzong was saved. It has been under restoration since the fire until today .

We will visit the Dzong to see the 100 foot sandalwood beams, the intricately

carved posts, doors, window frames, and lintels. Skilled sculptors, painters, woodcarvers, engineers, and masons have been summoned to work on this monumental project.The doorway is reached by walking vertically up a stairway which was once drawn closed at dusk. Once through the massive doors marked by giant prayer wheels you will be in awe at the size of the Dzong where one court yard folds into another. There is an admin center andmonk quarters which contains 21 temples. On the second floor there are exquisite religious scrolls called thankas hanging from the walls. The 3<sup>rd</sup> section, the newest part, containsmassive statues of Guru Rimpoche, Buddha, and Shabdrung Namgyel surrounded by soaring sandalwood pillars decorated with gold plated bands.

Overnight Zangdopelri hotel

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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 13: Punakha-Thimpu</span></b>

Driving back to Thimpu we stop at Dochual Pass. The weekend vegetable market will be open or you can browse the local shops near the hotel in the center of town.

If you are wanting a taste treat there is an amazing Italian restaurant in Thimpu with terrific pizzas.

Overnight Jomolhari hotel

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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 14: Thimpu-Paro</span></b>

Early morning visit to the School of Traditional medicine. For those wishing a pulse reading diagnosis it can be arranged free of charge. All medical treatment in Bhutan is free to the locals as well as the tourists.

We drive onto Paro along the best road in Bhutan. On our way we will see the Tachogang Temple or the “Temple on the Hill of Excellent Horse” which rises in its austere surroundings on the river bank a few kms before the confluence of the Paro and Thimpu rivers. A Tibetan saint had a vision of the excellent horse Balaha-an emanation of Avalokiteshwara while he was meditating there. He decided to build a temple on the spot in addition to one of his famous iron bridges. The temple is believed to have been built in 1433.

Overnight Tenzling Hotel

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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ocotber 15: Paro</span></b>

Hike or ride a pony to the famous Taktsang Monastery also known as <b>“Tiger’s Nest’.</b>

The monastery is perched on the rocky ledge with a sheer drop of nearly 4,000 feet.

It is said that in the second half of the 8<sup>th</sup> century Guru Padma Sambhava, the saint whoconverted Bhutan to Buddhism, alighted here upon the back of a tigress. Snacks can be enjoyed at the cafeteria and view point. Down in the valley we will visit the ruins of the Drukgyal Dzong which was built in 1647 by the founder of Bhutan Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. This commemorates his victory over Tibetan invaders led by Mongolian warlord Gushri Khanin 1644.

Overnight Tenzling Hotel

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<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Day 12 October 19: Paro-Delhi</span></b>

We fly to Delhi.

Overnight in Delhi…………….. and homeward bound. <b>OR</b> you can extend even longer in India.