Bhutan
Textile Weaving Tour / BHT – 04 |
Two
Valleys Tour lets you to discover the rich cultural heritage
of Bhutan. During the trip you will visit to ancient dzongs
(forts), monasteries, museums, cultural centers, along with
the excursions of picturesque villages of bhutan.
Paro is the only
international airport in Bhutan. Your journey starts at Paro,
after landing here. This travel package offers you to
experinence Bhutanese village life at Wangduephodrang.
Opportunity to observe the traditional art of healing to
cure diseases at the Indigenous Hospital and learning more
about the rich Bhutanese art and culture by visiting the Art
& Craft School, National Library, Royal Goldsmith Workshop
and Handicraft centers are really lifetime experiences. |
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Featured
Pictures (Bhutan) |
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Brief
Itinerary |
Day |
Activities |
01 |
Arrive in Paro |
02 |
Hike
to Taktsang Monastery. |
03 |
Visit the
private weaving
unit at
Changzamtop
Industrial
estate |
04 |
Drive Thimphu -
Trongsa |
05 |
Visit the
Trongsa dzong |
06 |
Drive Bumthang –
Mongar |
07 |
Excursion to
Lhuentse |
08 |
Drive Mongar -
Trashigang |
09 |
Excursion to
Radhi |
10 |
Drive Trashigang
to Bumthang |
11 |
Drive Bumthang
to Thimphu
|
12 |
Free day in
Thimphu |
13 |
Departure |
|

Day
01: |
Arrive in Paro. Visit the Paro
Rinpung dzong and the national
Museum or the Ta-Dzong.Visit
National Museum, located on a ridge,
overlooking the Rinpung Dzong.
Unlike the rectangular shape of the
Dzongs, Ta Dzong is conical, more
like that of a European castle,
since 1967 the Dzong was
re-established as the National
Museum and holds a fascinating
collection of art, relics thangkha
paintings and Bhutans’s Exquisite
stamps.
Rinpung Dzong, also known as the “
fortress of the heap of jewels.” It
was built during the time of
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1646
after the small Hungrel fortress
built by Lam Drung Drung was offered
to Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. |
Day 02:
|
Hike to Taktsang Monastery. This
monastery is built on a cliff, it is
said that Guru Rinpoche arrived here
on the back of a tigress and
mediated at this monastery and hence
it is called ‘Tiger’s Nest’. This
site has been recognized as most
sacred and visited by Shabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal in 1646 and now
visited by all Bhutanese at least
once in their lifetime. The
Monastery built in 1692 caught fire
on 19th April 1998, it was renovated
later.From the road point the hike
up to Taktsang, on a well maintained
path, is quite uphill and it takes
4-5 hours at an average walking
speed for to & fro journey.
Visit the Drugyal dzong and the
Kichu Monastery ,this is one of the
108 temples built by the Tibetan
Songtsen Gyampo in the 7th Centuryto
subdue the ogress that lay across
the whole of the Himalayas. This
temple has a orange tree that bears
fruits, which is quite amazing
because no where in the valley you
can find orange tree bearing fruits.
Visit Dungtse Lhakhang it was
constructed by the great
bridge-builder Thangtong Gyelpo in
1433. It is said to have been built
on the head of demoness, who was
causing illness to the inhabitants.
The building was restored in 1841
and is a unique repository of Kagyu
lineage arts. You may or may not be
permitted inside but can walk around
this three-storey Chorten-type
building. Drive to Thimphu |
Day 03:
|
Visit the private weaving unit at
Changzamtop Industrial estate,here
you can find and watch the beautiful
Bhutanese dresses woven for both men
and women. Visit the National
textile Museum,it has opened its
exhibition on six major themes: wrap
pattern weaves,weft pattern weaves,
role of textiles in religion,
achievements in textile arts,
textile from indigenous fibre and
the royal collection. The crowns of
Bhutan’s kings, namzas( dresses)’
the first of the Raven crown and
other accessories used by members of
the Royal family can be found in the
museum. The goal of the museum is to
slowly become a center for textiles
studies that will carry
documentation, research and studies
on textiles.
Visit the Bhutanese paper making
unit, the traditional gold and
silver smith unit.
and the Folk heritage museum, which
is dedicated to connecting people to
the Bhutanese rural past through
exhibits, demonstration, education
programmes, and the documentation of
rural life.you can see the following
in this museum. Prayer wheel,
Mustard Oil making process, Hotel
stone bath and the process of Ara(
distilled spirit made from fermented
grains).
Visit the Institute of Arts and
Crafts, to preserve our valuable
heritage and promote arts in Bhutan,
the Royal government initiated this
institute in 1971. Students are
taught painting, calligraphy,
embroidery, wood carving, sculpture.
The thirteen arts & crafts comprises
of : Paintings, carpentary, carving,
sculpture, casting, black smithing,
bamboo work, gold & silversmithing,
weaving, embroidery, masonry,
leather work, and paper-making.
And visit the Tashi chodzong,
initially erected in 1702 by Sherab
Wangchuk, the 13th Desi and later in
1955 after moving the capital to
Thimphu from Punakha, this Dzong was
redesigned and sections were
rebuilt. It houses the main
secretariat building and the central
monk body. |
Day 04:
|
Drive Thimphu - Trongsa ,After
an early breakfast drive for six
hours to reach Trongsa, the distance
is 142 kms.The drive takes you all
the way from Dochula pass, crossing
Wangdue valley till Trongsa. |
Day 05:
|
Visit the Trongsa dzong, it is
the ancestral home of the Royal
family and its watch tower built in
1648, it is presently the
administrative seat of the district
and the home of the monastic
school.The watch tower, located
directly above the Dzong, has on
display many interesting armours and
other war parapharnelia used by
ancient warriors.Further drive to
Bumthang.
On the way visit the Chume weaving
center. Yathra Weaving Center, Chume;
Yathra Textile Shop, Chume. Yathra
is a hand-woven fabric made from
hair of Yak and fleece of sheeps, a
specialty of the region. A common
vertical back-strap loom and a
horizontal chair-positioned loom are
the two conventional tools they used
for weaving. Chungphel Yathra
Tshongpa (Community Committee) to
see women weave Yathra and other
textiles and merchandize on display
for sale at the Sale’s Counter.
Visit the historical Jakar Dzong,
the Jambay Lhakhang and the Kurjey
Lhakhang temples |
Day
06:
|
Drive Bumthang – Mongar,
distance 136 kms, Things to See and
Do en route: Thrumshingla National
Park: For nature lovers; Red, White,
and Pink rhododendron flowers bloom
during spring and autumn Seasons;
For bird lovers, Lingmethang is the
place for you; also look out for
ruin fortress of Zhongar Dzong on
the ridge top; Nepali-Styled Stupa
built after the model of Boudhnath
temple in Nepal at Kuri Zampa. Off
the highway from Zero point
following the road up the Kurichu is
Gyalpozhing high school, new
township of Gyalpozhing, and a
45-Megawatt Kurichu Hydro Power
Plant, and a new highway
construction bypassing Monggar town
& Trashigang is underway connecting
the south-east borden town of
Nganglam under Samdrup Jongkhar
district adjoining is the Indian
State of Assam. |
Day 07:
|
Excursion to Lhuentse, distance
336 kms,Things to See and Do in
Lhuentse: Retrace 14 kms south and
drive off the highway to Lhuentse.
In Lhuentse, from the suspension
bridge, get off to a beaten path to
the village of Khoma for 1.5 hours
to see the weavers of silk textiles
called Kushuthagra. See, witness,
and learn from the traditional dying
process of fabrics using different
indigenous plants, leaves, barks,
and flowers and produce lasting and
colorful textiles. |
Day 08:
|
Drive Mongar - Trashigang. Visit
the Trashigang dzong This dzong, or
fortress, was built in 1659 by the
third Druk Desi to defend against
Tibetan invaders. Because of its
altitude invading armies remarked
that “it is not a dzong on the
ground, it is in the sky”.Also visit
Gom KoraAn ancient lhakhang or
temple in the district, known for
its rock garden, contains a sacred
footprint said to be either that of
Guru Rimpoche or that of a khandroma
(angel). 24 km. from Trashigang, the
temple of Gom Kora is set on a small
alluvial plateau overlooking the
river. Surrounded by rice fields and
clumps of banana trees, it looks
like an oasis in an arid landscape.
It is one of the famous places where
Guru Rinpoche meditated in order to
subdue a demon which dwelt in a huge
black rock. |
Day 09:
|
Excursion to Radhi.Radhi is a
well-known community in the east for
production of Bura (Raw silk)
textiles. About 200 households here
fully depend on Bura Weaving in
off-agricultural seasons. Textiles
production has become one of the
main sources of income to the people
of Radhi. All weavers here use the
simple traditional back-strap loom.
View women in the Bura Weaving in
progress. Women here will also show
you the dying process involved in
raw silk weaving; Weaving Centers
developed from the Constitutional
Development Fund for women coming
from non-weaving sections of the
community to improve their
livelihood through provision of
training and equipments.Drive back
to Trashigang |
Day
10:
|
Drive
Trashigang to Bumthang |
Day
11:
|
Drive
Bumthang to Thimphu |
Day
12:
|
Free
day in Thimphu |
Day
13:
|
Departure |
|
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NETT RATE PER PERSON IN US DOLLARS |
|
"2
Pax" |
"3-5
Pax" |
"6-9
Pax" |
"10-14 Pax" |
"15
Up Pax" |
"Single Room Supplement" |
|
3050 |
2690 |
2630 |
2570 |
2510 |
600 |
|
Note: Airfare, taxes and schedules are
subject to change without prior notice. |
|
Cost
Include |
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All necessary
airport transfers |
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Twin sharing
accommodation on breakfast basis in hotels |
-
|
All
sightseeing with English speaking local
guide |
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|
All
activities & excursions as per itinerary |
-
|
All
applicable surface transfer by private non
AC vehicle |
-
|
All camping
equipments where applicable |
-
|
Bhutan visa
and TDF Fee |
-
|
Monument
entrance fee |
|
Cost
Exclude |
-
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Any
international airfare and airport taxes |
-
|
Insurance and
Tips |
-
|
Bottled
drinks |
- |
Emergency/Rescue in any form |
- |
Expenses of
personal nature such as bar bills, laundry,
telephone calls etc |
- |
Any cost
arise due to flight cancellation, landslide,
road blockage, political disturbance etc |
- |
Any other
arrangements not mentioned in the above cost
include section |
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