Thimphu

Day 41 – Chalsa to Thimphu – 4 Oct 2018

The border of Phuentsholing is 90kms from Chalsa which is around 2.15 hours journey. After filling up diesel in Chalsa, we stopped at an ATM to withdraw some cash to make sure we have enough cash in hand, because most of the hotels we booked in Bhutan would accept only cash and no cards. We also stopped a few times on the way to click pictures of the spectacular tea gardens on the way. 

All of these took enough of our time and in addition to this, to our bad luck, we were stopped by the traffic police interceptor vehicle for speeding while driving at a speed of 60Kmph on a very good road. I was told that the speed limit at some places on this road is 40kmph which was actually a surprise for me. I never noticed that nor took them seriously. And this incident took atleast another 15 minutes of our time and after paying the fine we continued to the border. This was near a place called Hasimara and I think they are stationed at the same place always. I saw the police even on our way back from Bhutan.

ENTERING BHUTAN IN OWN CAR: PROCEDURES AND PERMITS

This needs a detailed writeup as there was drama throughout until we got a green signal to cross the border. As we approached Phuentsholing, as per my google knowledge, we were supposed to enter through a gate clearly marked as the “entrance to Bhutan”. However, when we reached there, the border security force asked to take a route to a different gate for car entrance. After struggling a bit and asking a few of the security officers, we finally found the entrance. As we entered the country of Bhutan via a big gate, we were really amazed to see how two entirely different cultures reside on the two sides of a giant wall!  The crowd and rush of West Bengal drastically switched to silence and order! The most noticeable changes were the cleanliness of the town and the drivers on the road!  Roads were well maintained, streets very clean and the traffic rules well enforced and followed.

Coming to the entry procedure, first thing to look for, as you enter Bhutan is the Immigration Office. If we could enter Bhutan through the original gate, the immigration office is just on the right side of the road a few metres ahead. Landmark would be the Druk hotel on the right. As we were asked to enter through a different gate, it took us some time to find the office. Finding a parking looked too difficult until we learnt about the paid street parking that is available across Bhutan. We parked our car in the nearby Revenue office and rushed to the Immigration office. The time was around 1.10pm(1:40pm in Bhutan). But since it was lunch time from 1 to 2 Pm, we were asked to come after 2. A little disappointed and tired, we decided to have our lunch and come back. We took our car, got out on the roads looking for a restaurant. That is when we got our first ever feel of driving rules in Bhutan. Having driven a car abroad in US and Europe before, I should have been more careful with my driving in Bhutan. But, I never expected such strict rules in a country with close proximity to India. We got onto the road and took a U turn at a no U turn place which I ignored because I was never stopped for such a U turn in India and my driving style was still Indian! However, moving forward for a few metres, I was stopped at a junction by a traffic police. The message had already reached him within seconds, and he informed me that I have not followed the traffic rules. I apologised that this was my first time in Bhutan and promised that I will be careful from now on. He left us after a warning. Moving ahead to find a restaurant, we were stopped again by another traffic police and this time things were really rude. He told he will break my face if I repeat the same mistake again. I told sorry again and continued. I was a little disturbed majorly because of the guilt inside for not following the traffic rules strictly. I am someone who follows the rules to its best in India, so it was not difficult for me to follow them here too. After finding a restaurant, finishing off the lunch, we got back to the Immigration office around 2.30pm Bhutanese time. We were relaxed and walked to the counter at the entry of the immigration office where we got our Immigration forms and a first round document verification. Following documents are required for Bhutanese Immigration for an Indian citizen:

1. A filled in application form
2. Itinerary written in a paper
3. Hotel booking vouchers
4. Passport copies of all (Or any Govt. ID proof would be enough)
5. Photos

Keep all these documents together and show it to the officer sitting at the entry. While I was standing there in the queue, I casually asked the officer about the procedure for getting vehicle permit. His answer gave us a shock. Vehicle permit is to be obtained from the RSTA(Road and Safety Authority) office which is around 500 metres from immigration office and the worst part is that the office would be closed by 3.30 pm. And in order to go to the RSTA, we have to get our immigration done. A literal shock, and the time was already 2.45PM. They asked us to give the documents fast and asked to rush to the immigration counters inside the building. We went inside, it was not crowded, officers called us for verification. By the time our details were verified and our passports were stamped and details entered in their system, it was 3.10 PM. We collected all the documents, stamped passport and rushed to the RSTA office. I had to carry my daughter on the shoulder as we had to reach there in minutes. Three of us literally ran from the immigration office to the RSTA. The RSTA office is inside the bus station complex of Phuentsholing. When we reached there, the time was 3.20PM. We climbed up the stairs quickly and dashed into counter Number 9 and requested the officer there for vehicle permit to take our car to Thimphu and other places. He looked at the time and told me, that the office closes at 3.30PM. He doubted whether the accountant would have already left for the day or whether we really have enough time to finish the process before he leaves. That was a difficult situation for us because it would spoil all our plans in Bhutan. We have our hotel booked in Thimphu and also we will have to find another stay in Phuenthsholing now and we would lose one day too. With multiple thoughts in the mind, we literally pleaded and seeing three of us gasping, and my daughter smiling at him, he asked us to immediately fill an application form and get the fees paid at counter number 5. Following documents are required for the vehicle permit. 

1. Filled in Application form
2. Road tax paid receipt for the car
3. RC copy
4. License Copy
5. PUC copy
6. Immigration stamp copies

For the photocopies, there is a shop right next to the counter and that helped pretty well. We were very quick to get the things done and the officer was so helpful and he helped us in organising the documents and signed the form and asked us to pay the fees immediately. He promised he would stay back until we are done with the procedure and he was only worried of the accountants leaving soon. We climbed up again and went to the accountant and luckily he hadn’t left and the time was just 2 minutes to 3.30PM. After paying a fees of 700 Rupees, we came back with the receipt to the officer again. Now he asked us to relax and carefully verified everything once again and asked us from where we are coming and all. He got very excited listening to how we have been travelling for last 40 days. He was so sweet and helpful that he even gave us permit for Punakha which usually is given from Thimphu. Around 3.50 PM, we were done with all the procedures and now we had both the immigration stamps and the vehicle permit allowing us to stay in Bhutan for next few days. The disturbed mind was now calmed down by seeing such a helpful government servant who was ready to stretch himself outside his work hours to make the journey smoother for a foreign family!

Thimphu the capital city is another 4.5 hours journey from the border and is at a distance of 150kms. We were required to stop at two checkpoints on the way to show our immigration stamps and vehicle permit. First one is just 4 kms from the border at a place called Rinchendong. And the second one is at Chukha which is after 80kms from the border. Also, please make sure to get the emmigration stamp and return the vehicle permit at the Rinchendong checkpost when you exit Bhutan. We reached Thimphu at 8.30 PM after a relaxed drive through the clean and green mountain roads of Bhutan. Small road side stalls for fruits and vegetables, and the happy and content people seen so far, already started giving us a feel of the “Happiest Country” on earth! The roads and the buildings, and even the climate and lifestyle in Thimphu, resembled more of a European city! 

Couple of important points to note while driving in Bhutan is, almost all the drivers respect the traffic rules and they usually drive slowly and carefully. So make sure we also do the same and not cause trouble to anyone. Keep your lane. Do not overtake unless and until you are in a zone where you can overtake. One major difference is that, Bhutanese drivers use the left indicator to indicate that it is safe for us to overtake now and a right indicator not to overtake which is exactly opposite to what we follow in India. So think again when you see a right indicator while driving in Bhutan. 

The climate was around 12 degrees in Thimphu. We checked into our hotel in Thimphu and after a long stressful day, we slept off immediately. 

Day 42 – Thimphu – 5 Oct 2018

We had a  very relaxed sleep in our stay in Thimphu. After breakfast, we drove to the Immigration office in Thimphu to get our permit for Punakha where we had planned to visit the next day. The climate was great and we were getting adjusted to the driving in Bhutan. The paid street parking was such a relief and very comfortable. 

Getting a permit to Punakha requires the following documents to be submitted:

1. A filled in application form
2. Immigration stamp copies

We submitted the above documents to the officer there and he asked us to come in the afternoon. Then, we went onto visit the “Tashichho Dzong” close to Thimphu town, on the banks of Wang Chu river. However we didn’t know that the entry inside was restricted, as this place houses the King’s office. Just a great drive around the impressively large Dzong surrounded by lawns and gardens – we were already lost in the beauty of Bhutan. We stopped often to click pictures. The intrigue and mesmerizing Bhutanese architecture and peaceful lifestyle showed us a perfect example of what is called “living in harmony with the nature”! We could stop at a view point which gave us a very broad view of the layered green paddy fields of Thimphu with stunning mountains in the background, and amazing pink flowers adorning the road sides!

We got back to the hotel after the serene drive across the city, and took some rest. We had a direct view of the Changlimithang Archery Ground from our room. We were so amazed to see an archery event happening live in front of us and that would be our first time, watching something like that. Archery is a traditional sport in Bhutan and the passion and enthusiasm with which the players were playing in the ground was really amazing. And the most astonishing part, the distance between the shooting point and the target is 145 metres in a traditional bhutanese archery match, and we were literally amazed by the skill to shoot on target from such a long distance. Also, the traditional dance during a bulls eye was really great and new experience. We spent a lot of time watching the matches through the hotel window. And in the evening, we went to the ground to watch the match a little closer. Later we went to the nearby park for our daughter to play around, and we collected the Punakha permit from the Immigration Office as well. Around 4 in the evening, the football ground right next to our hotel was hosting U18 SAAF Womens Football Tournament and India was playing against Nepal and we went on to watch that. Unfortunately India lost against Nepal in penalty shootout. We were the only people to cheer for India in the stadium, still it was really an amazing experience! We came to know that the Bhutanese King is a big fan of Football, and the game is very popular in the country! A day well spent, we came back to the hotel and slept after dinner.

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