Explore Bhutan with Kaziranga – One Horned Rhino
- Across The Land Of The Thunder Dragon
- Bhutanese way of life
- Interaction with the local people of the beautiful valley
- One Horned Rhino in The Kaziranga National Park
- Dzong or National Museum, rated among the best natural history museums in Asia
| Title | Explore Bhutan with Kaziranga – One Horned Rhino |
| Details | Kolkatta – Paro – Thimphu – Wangdue Phodrang – Bumthang – Trashigang – Mongar – Samdrup Jhonkhar – Guwahati – Kaziranga National Park – Dibrugarh – Kolkatta |
| Duration | 14 Nights / 15 Days |
Experience an insight into the customs, traditions and way of life in this fabled Himalayan Kingdom. The trip takes you to Paro Valley – a living cultural centre and visit Taktsang Monastery considered as one of the most venerated places of pilgrimage in the Himalayan world. At Thimpu a visit to the Textile Museum showcases weaving as an art form. The Folk Heritage Museum connects people to the Bhutanese rural past. The Dzong is awesome in its splendor. Then you travel through the centre of rural Bhutan to Trongsa and further to Bumthang where one can enjoy some mountain walks in the Choekhor Valley.
Kaziranga is known all over the world as the home of one-horned rhinoceros - a world heritage site. But Kaziranga is not all about rhinos, it has many other animals, ducks and birds, which visitor can witness as easily as possible either from car or an elephant back. With its primeval vegetation Kaziranga presents a view of what Brahmaputra valley must have been like ages ago, before it opened up for cultivation and habitation. Kaziranga is also a paradise for bird lovers. In 1940, Kaziranga was declared a sanctuary.
You will be received on arrival and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you proceed on a half day city tour.
You will be transferred in time to the airport to board your flight for Paro. On arrival at Paro you will be received and transferred to your hotel. Later in the afternoon visit the National Museum, the museum is housed in Paro Dzong’s ancient watch tower. Thereafter visit Paro Dzong the full name of which is Rinpung Dzong, which means ‘the fortress of the heap of jewels’. The evening is free to take a down town stroll along Paro’s Main Street.
After an early morning breakfast, drive for about 8 km to Satsam Chorten for a half-day hike to Taktsang Monastery. On our way back you can’t help but wonder as to how man could have ever made this impossible structure. Returning from the monastery visit the Drugyel Dzong built in 1646 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to commemorate his victory over the Tibetan invaders. Before reaching back to the town stop at Kyichu Lhakhang
After a leisurely breakfast you take a drive to Thimphu. The afternoon is at leisure to stroll around the main roads of this wondrous Himalayan Kingdom.
Day 05 : In Thimpu
Today you have a full day to take in the sights of Thimphu that will give you a fairly good exposure and understanding of the Bhutanese way of life, as well as their customs and traditions.
The day begins with a visit to The Textile Museum. From here one can drive up to the Changangkha Lhakhang, which lies on top of the knoll that stands out above Thimphu from where the view of the valley is superb. In the afternoon one can visit The School of Traditional Arts where children learn traditional drawing and painting techniques.
After breakfast you set off on your drive to Punakha. On arrival at Punakha you visit the Punakha Dzong, the winter seat of the Jhe Khenpo (Chief Abbot). After leaving Punakha you stop over at Lobesa for a lunch at a Bhutanese farm house. After lunch take a short hike to Chime Lhakhang (a special monastery for sterile women) which is about 30 minutes from the farm house. After the hiking trip, proceed to Wangdue Phodrang.
Day 07 : To Trongsa - by surface / 129 km / approx. 4 hrs - Bumthang – by surface / 68 kms / approx. 2 hrs
After breakfast you commence your drive for the day. You stop en-route to visit the Wangdue Dzong built in the 17th century. After your visit you continue on your drive to Trongsa, where the road climbs over the Black Mountains immediately after the bridge at Tikke. By the evening you would arrive at Trongsa. You see Trongsa Dzong at the end of the valley 20 km before reaching it.
En-route you visit the Trongsa Dzong built in 1648. After the visit you continue your drive to Bumthang. You drive to the Choekhor Valley to the village of Chamkar, which has grown up on flat ground at the base of its hill. The place is more normally referred to as Jakar. On arrival you check into River Lodge.
As you drive further eastwards you pass through the Ura Valley, the last and the highest of Bumthang valleys. At the far end of Ura Valley, the road starts climbing towards the highest pass in Bhutan, the Thumsing La (3,800 m / 12,465 ft). From the pass the road plunges down in a series of bends though dark coniferous forest.
Day 09 : To Trashigang (1,150 m / 3,775 ft) - by surface / 90 km / approx. 3 hrs
After breakfast visit the Mongar Dzong. The present Dzong dates from 1953, when it was founded on orders from the Third King, Jigma Dorje Wangchuck. After your visit you set off on your drive further eastwards. As soon as the road crosses the new bridge, which replaced the “iron bridge”, Trashigang Dzong comes into view at the top of a spur overlooking the river.
In the evening visit the Trashigang Dzong. It was built in 1659. The Dzong was called Trashigang, the ‘fortress of the auspicious mountain’.
Today you will be on your last day’s drive through the Land of the Thunder Dragon as you drive south to the border town of Samdrup Jongkhar.
From the border town of Samdrup Jonghkar you drive to Guwahati where, on arrival, you check in to your hotel. Later you drive up to Nilachal Hill to see the holy Kamakhya Temple. With its tantric rites & animal sacrifices, the more squeamish may prefer to content themselves with the exterior.
Day 12 : To Kaziranga National Park - by surface / 217 km / approx. 4 ½ hrs
After breakfast you set out for Kaziranga National Park where you will arrive by the afternoon. After checking in to your Wildlife Resort you take a walk through a terraced tea garden & past a Karbi tribal village, and then drive to a Mising tribal village, with their distinctive house raised on piles.
Later in the evening you will drive to Kaziranga's Western Range for a jeep safari & to scan the wilderness from an observation tower. Kaziranga is a World Heritage site & with a population of well over 1000 rhinoceros is the best place in the world to see these beasts
Day 13 : To Dibrugarh – by surface / 220 km / 4 hrs
You embark on a pre-dawn elephant ride to Kaziranga’s Central Range, the best way to get really close to the Rhino & other animals.
After breakfast you drive to Dibrugarh – the “Camellia” town of Assam, an undisturbed haven, with its endless stretches of tea gardens. En-route, just 80 km short of Dibrugarh, you will be stopping to visit Sibsagar. In the evening you will be going for a tea tour to learn about tea – its origin, how it is grown & experiences the fine art of tea tasting.
Your sojourn in the North East ends with a flight from Dibrugarh to Kolkatta. On arrival at Kolkatta you will be received. The rest of the day is at leisure.
You will be transferred in time to the International Airport to board your flight back home.