Next morning we head for Thimphu the capital town of Bhutan.Located at 8000ft, Thimphu is graced with untouched natural beauty.Thimphu lands in a beautiful valley sprawling out of Wang Chuu river. Thimphu, being the capital of Bhutan is the home to the revere d Bhutanese Royal  Family, the Royal government and Judiciary of Bhutan. We spend the night in Thimphu.

Memorial Chorten: The Memorial Chorten dominates the skyline of Thimphu. This Chorten is dedicated to the Third Druk Gyalpo (King), Jigme Dorji Wangchuck after his sudden death while travelling abroad.The year 2008 marked a century of monarchy in Bhutan.

Jambay Lhakang Drub Monastery: Host to one of the most spectacular festivals in October each year when on one evening of the festival, the monastery is lights up with a fire dance to bless infertile women with children. No where else in Bhutan will you see as many temples and monasteries in such a confined area.  

Thimphu view point: One can enjoy bird's eye view of the Thimphu valley from this spot.

Simtokha Dzong: Built in 1629 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, Simtokha was the first dzong to be built in a unified Bhutan. Currently, it houses the country's main Dzongkha language learning institute. Built by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the monk who is recognized as reincarnation of Pema Karpoand enthroned as the lineage-holder of Drukpa Kargyu; political persecution led him to flee to Bhutan, where he became its first ruler.

Art and Craft school: National Institute for Zorig Chusum is commonly known as 'the painting school'. It operates under the auspices of the National Technical Training Institute and courses that provide instruction in many of Bhutan's traditional arts to students from throughout the country whose aptitude is more artistic than academic. One can also take a peek at the classes being held;  the kind of skill and discipline at display is astounding.

We spend the night in Thimphu.

Thimphu  - Punakha  - Paro

Early morning followed by early breakfast as we depart for Punakha, the old capital of Bhutan. We arrive in Punakha valley via Dochu La (10700 ft), which offers visitors enchanting views of Bhutanese Himalayas. We visit the famed 108 Lhakhangs or the Druk Wangyal Khangzang Chhortens, offered as a tribute to His Majesty the King of Bhutan.  Before Thimphu was made the permanent capital, Punakha(4300 ft) was the winter capital due to its more temperate climate. .

Punakha Dzong: Also known as Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzong, meaning "The palace of great happiness and bliss". The majestic Dzong is located at the confluence of the Pho Chhu (father) and Mo Chhu (mother) rivers in the Punakha–Wangdue valley.

Late afternoon we proceed to Paro . Night stay at Paro

The charming small town of Paro lies in the centre of the valley on the banks of the Pa Chhu. The main street of the town is adorned with some beautiful authentic Bhutanese architecture. We visit several places in and around Paro :

Paro Museum: Located in a former watch tower- Ta Dzong (which itself is a museum piece) above the Paro Dzong, the museum displays artifactsfrom Bhutan's history as well as examples of indigenous flora and fauna.During the inter-valley wars in the 17th century, the watch tower erected to defend Rinpung Dzong.

Paro Dzong: Rinpung Dzong, also known as Paro Dzong, the massive fortress/monastery which is also the administrative center of the dzonkhag. It provides elegant views of the Paro valley and is locatedon a knoll across Paro Chu river. All type of religious and social activities in the valley are controlled by Rinpung Dzong.

Kyichu Monastery: Kyichu Lhakhang is one of the oldest monasteries in the country built in the 7th century by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo. The story goes that this Temple was built to counter the giant demoness which lay across the whole area of Tibet and was preventing the spread of Budhisim. There's a belief that the two orange trees here in Kyichu Lakhang bears fruit throughout the year.

We'll visit the Tiger nest monastery today; the unofficial symbol of Bhutan. Paro Taktsang is one of the most famous monasteries in Bhutan, also popularly known as Tiger's nest. Legend has it that Guru Rimponche flew here on the back of a Tigeress, Taktsang does stand for TIger's lair. The temple hangs on a cliff at 3,120 metres (10,200 feet), some 700 meters (2,300 feet) above the bottom of Paro valley.

We spend the night in Paro Valley.

Paro To Gurumara Park

We head for Jaigaon this morning, and head for Gorumara forest where we check in at forest log huts. There is a cultural program and ethnic tribal dance performance set up for the night.

Gorumara National Park: A National Park in northern West Bengal, India. Located in the Terai region of the Himalayan foothills, it is a medium-sized park with grasslands and forests. It is primarily known for its population of Indian Rhinoceros. The park has been declared as the best among the protected areas in India by the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the year 2009.