With beautiful memories in our hearts we moved on to our next destination towards Punakha. The journey with Tashi had been quite fun. He would always be there on time to pick us up.
Surprisingly Tashi knew Hindi and conversed with us in that language. He was a wonderful guide too, informing us about the Bhutanese culture. On our way to Punakha we stopped at Dochu La Pass, which looked divine.
Dochu La Pass Visit: Post the Thimpu visit, our next destination was Dochu La Pass. Dochu La Pass is located at a height of 3,088m /10,130 Feet, at a scenic location with magnificent architecture and prayer flags. Beautiful peaks like Masagang (7,158m), Tsendagang (6,960m), Terigang (7,060m ), Jejegangphugang (7,158 m), Kangphugang (7,170 m ), Zongphugang (7, 060 m ), a table mountain that dominates the isolated region of Lunana – finally Gangkhar Puensum, the highest peak in Bhutan at 7,497m can be viewed from Dochu La. Dochu La pass is symbolic of Bhutan’s heritage and spiritual legacy. The pass also has an adjacent coffee shop that serves delicious dumplings and tea.

Pho Chu & Mo Chu River: The scenic. emerald rivers of Phochu and Mochu are breathtaking and beautiful. An ideal picnic spot, it is a frequently visited place by tourists. We lazed at the river bank for hours. The bedrocks were visible as the river and there was a zipline to help you cross the banks. We also meandered through the villages and got a glimpse of village life.
Chimi Lhakhang: Chimi Lhakhang is also known as the fertility temple in Bhutan. You may be surprised to see the houses with phallus pictures which is a major landmark of the place. The famous Chimi Lhakhang is dedicated to Lama Drukpa Kunley, the 15th-century Tibetan magician, the saint who was known for ‘crazy wisdom’. The temple is one of Bhutan’s most popular sights.
While visiting the place, please ensure you don’t make fun of the unusual culture here. Also, don’t forget to pick one of the Bhutanese Thangka Artworks.
Punakha Dzong: An important landmark of Punakha Dzong is an important landmark of Bhutan. It has been the coronation place for many kings of Bhutan and served as the seat of government until the mid-1950s. And still is the winter residence of Drashang (official monk body).
The Dzong has withstood many natural disasters like fire, earthquakes, and also glacial lake burst. The entry to the dzong is across the bridge, that was rebuilt in 2008 when the floods washed the original bridge away. The Dzong stands at the confluence of Pho Chhu (father) and Mo Chhu (mother) rivers.
In addition to its strategic position at the river confluence, the dzong has several other features to protect it against invasion.
The steep wooden entry stairs are designed to be pulled up, and there is a heavy wooden door that is still closed at night.
Suspension Bridge: This one was out of the itinerary and on special request. We especially showed Tashi the iconic Bhutan bridge photograph and he took us there.
The bridge that overlooked the river was amazingly long and we crossed it multiple times to soak it up.
Beautiful Views and the four-legged buddy yak- We spotted many waterfalls. monasteries on the way.
But what intrigued us was the four-legged animal Yak. Yak is often spotted here and is a source of many diary products in Bhutan.
Phobjikha Valley (Gangtey): The next day, post breakfast, we embarked on the fascinating journey to Gangtey, considered one of the most beautiful spots in Bhutan.
Through the dense forests, we reached a vast space without any trees. In the Gangtey valley lies Gangetey Gompa which is perched on a small hill.
Gangtey valley leads you to Phobjikha valley, which hosts migratory black-necked cranes that migrate from the arid plains in the north to pass winter in milder and lower climate.
From Phobjikha Valley we returned to Punakha for the overnight stay. Our next destination was Paro city, famous for one of the deadliest runways in the world.