THIMPHU
The capital city of Bhutan, Thimphu is an ideal tourist destination of Bhutan. Thimphu is the only city in Bhutan that has all categories of accommodation including some of the multi-national brand of hotels like TajTashi&Le Meridien. The most distinctive feature of this city is its spicy food. Some of the most popular dishes are EmaDatshi, Phaksha,Paamomos, JashaMaru, Red Rice, Goep (Tripe) &momos. This city is a perfect example that showcase a blend of traditional and modern life of Bhutan. The best example is that it is the only capital city in the world that does not have traffic lights. There are few major intersections in Thimphu and most of them have policemen standing in big booths, directing traffic with hand motions.
The biggest festival celebrated is Thimphu Festival (Tsechu). This festival is celebrated for 3days, beginning on the 10thday of the 8thmonth as per the lunar calendar. Thousands of people from across the country visit Thimphu to witness the celebration. The highlight of this festival is mask dance performances by monks.
What to See
This city is well endowed with many religious structures, museums/galleries, popular landmarks, parks and zoos, traditional crafts centre and markets. Some of the important tourist attractions are TashichhoDzong, National Memorial Chorten, Buddha Dordenma Statue, Folk Heritage Museum, ZorigChusum School of Traditional Arts&MotithangTakin Preserve.
TashichhoDzongis an impressively large Buddhist monastery and fortress, surrounded by well-maintained lawns and beautiful gardens.There are 30 temples, chapels &shrines within the Tashichö-Dzong complex. National Memorial Chorten is one of the most iconic monuments of Thimphu. It is a large white structure crowned with a golden spire. It is a fine example of Buddhist architecture, gorgeous paintings and intricate sculptures. The Buddha Dordenma is located atop a hill in Kuenselphodrang Nature Park. It is one of the largest statues of Buddha in the world. The Folk Heritage museum gives a glimpse of the traditional Bhutanese lifestyle and also displays a good collection of typical household objects, tools, equipment, etc.ZorigChusum School of Traditional Arts is the centre for Bhutanese Art education. This institute offers an extensive course for various arts like drawing, painting, wood carving, embroidery and carving of statues. The MotithangTakinZoo is a wildlife reserve which preserves the national animal of Bhutan – Takin.
Best Time to visit
October and November are good months to visit and so would be spring months from mid march to mid april. Winter months between December to February are very cold and one can visit if the low temperatures do not bother one much. However, those looking for a pleasant climate that is not too cold or rainy, then April and May would be the best.
