The pearl carefully hidden in the Himalayas, the capital of Bhutan Thimphu is an extraordinary city, in which the millennial traditions and the almost European-refined modernity are harmoniously combined .Despite the fact that the Buddhist Dzong fortress existed on this place already since 1216, the city life was swamped here only in 1961 - when the King of Bhutan proclaimed Thimphu as the capital of .Today, along the broad shady avenues of the city, Buddhist monks are walking, a little bit further away, on the benches are placed inveterate players in go, everywhere scurrying enthusiastically snapping tourists, and prayer drums on the Sentry Square are constantly being untwisted by the passing $ ±.Located at an altitude of 2400 meters, Thimphu is one of the world's tallest capitals and the only one that does not have a single traffic light is .It was installed, but the local complained of the soullessness of the traffic adjustment - and soon a police officer appeared on the spot of the car .Gross national happiness, that's it!
Visiting the temple "Nest of Tigress"!
Accommodation in hotels of Amankora, special rate for flight to Paro, personal English-speaking guide for the whole route. All of Asia!
How to get to Thimphu
The only international airport of Bhutan Paro is located 65 km from Thimphu. It is there that all flights from abroad, including those arriving from Russia via Delhi, Mumbai, Singapore, Bangkok or Kathmandu, take seats.
From Paro airport to Thimphu, tourists get to the tour organized by the tour operator. Recall: foreign guests have the right to visit Bhutan only according to a pre-approved route provided by a local travel company. The route takes from 45 minutes to 1 hour in view of the mountainous terrain and the winding serpentine, which greatly slows down the movement.
Also, Thimphu can be reached from any of the more or less large cities of Bhutan - municipal buses and minivans of private companies connect almost all the country's settlements. Departures to the capital and back are especially frequent. The bus ride from Paro to Thimphu takes about one and a half hours, the ticket costs about 35 BTN.
Search flights to Paro (nearest airport to Thimphu)
Climate
Cloudy, light rain, thunderstorms +9 ° С in the day +3 ° C at night ° С water |
Cloudy, rain +7 ° C in the day +4 ° С at night ° С water |
Partly cloudy, light rain +8 ° С in the day +1 ° C at night ° С water |
| Thimphu weather forecast for 10 days | ||
Transport in the city
The center of Thipha is very compact, and all distances here are easily covered on foot. For more distant sorties, tourists use the services of a "transport company" attached to them by a travel company with a chauffeur, so there is no need to get acquainted with the capital transport.
In the rest, in the capital you can travel by taxi and buses. Taxis are scurrying fast throughout the city and can be stopped with a wave of the hand. A trip to the city limits will cost about 40-60 BTN. City buses connect the center of Thimphu with the outskirts; The network of routes is extensive, but delays are not uncommon. Buses run from 7:30 to 19:30, the fare is from 1 to 9 BTN depending on the distance.
Thimphu hotels
In Thimphu, an amazing variety of quality hotels for $ 1, located far from the bustling world of the capital .To the services of tourists - a lot of options, from budget hostels to unpretentious customers to "fencers", capable of causing envy among pompous European hoteliers, and pompous boutique hotels .To book a hotel independently, however, the tourist is most likely not necessary - the accommodation is included in the package of services that must be provided by the local tour operator, and taking into account the solid minimum spending of 250 USD per day, the traveler can stay at an excellent hotel .In general, the prices for accommodation in Thimphu start from 20 USD; comfortable options will cost 80-100 USD, but in boutique hotels with a full range of services will be asked from 270 USD to 900 USD "from the nose" per night .
Book popular Thimphu hotels at the best prices
| Taj Tashi Bhutan from 24 622 rubles Thimphu Post Box No 524, Samten Lam Chubachu | ||
| Hotel River View from 7 387 rubles Thimphu Dechhen Lam, Bhutan | Terma Linca Resort & Spa from 20 683 rubles Thimphu Babesa, Thimphu, G. P. O. Box 2009 | Osel Thimphu Bhutan from 6 156 rubles Thimphu Phenday Lam PO 543 |
| Hotel Norbuling from 3,694 rubles Thimphu Bldg # 5, Chang Lam Street, PO Box 1187, | Namgay Heritage Hotel from 6 156 rubles Thimphu Below Doebum Lam, Bhutan | Hotel Pedling from 3,694 rubles Thimphu PO Box 976, Near Swiss Bakery, Bhutan |
| Khamsum Inn from 1 909 rubles Thimphu P.O 810, Thimphu, Bhutan |
Kitchen and restaurants Thimphu
Due to a fairly dense flow of tourists, the "chefs" Thimphu quickly mastered the habitual traveler's cuisine, not forgetting, however, and the Bhutanese gastronomic traditions. Cafes, restaurants and eateries "in the working afternoon" in Thimphu are huge. Most of the establishments are concentrated in the center of the city - on Sentry Square and the surrounding streets. Among the best restaurants of national cuisine - Bhutan Kitchen and Rabten.
From national dishes it is worth trying a nationwide "ema-datsi" - chili peppers, stewed in cheese sauce with spices; "Keva-datsi" - the same chili and cheese, but accompanied by potatoes and "chamu-datsi" - again chili accompanied by cheese and mushrooms. When making an order, do not forget to warn the waiter about sparing dishes.
But to drink a good coffee in Thimphu, alas, will not succeed - this drink, unlike tea, is not popular among the Bhutanese. In the cafe you will most likely bring instant coffee, coffee machines are only in several places, among them Ambient and Karma's.
Shopping and Stores
The Bhutan government supports folk crafts, so the range of souvenir shops is really high-quality and varied .It is worth paying attention to woolen yatra fabrics, dyed with natural dyes in bright colors, bamboo baskets and mats, wooden plates, traditional paper, national clothes and accessories.."From the big" (and the amateur) you can bring a very high quality horse harness and a bow for shooting .It is worth looking into art galleries - the works of Bhutan artists are not bad and are inexpensive .
Thimphu Entertainment, Excursions and Attractions
The main attraction of the capital is the 350-year-old royal residence Tashicho Dzong ("The Fortress of the Blessed Religion") .Here are the government agencies, and once worked as the largest monastery in the country for 2000 monks, affected by the fire and restored in 1961 .It is also worthwhile to see the "chorten" memorial stupa of the third king of Bhutan, not forgetting to give the father of the present ruler of honor "in form" (as instructed by the guide), visit the oldest temple in Thimphu Changangha Lhakhang valley, dedicated to Avaloketeshvara - Buddhist emanation of mercy, and see the 51-meter a statue of the Buddha Shakyamuni .
The National Library stores valuable Buddhist manuscripts. In the School of the Tank not only teach to create pictures on religious subjects, but also acquaint with the history and traditions of religious painting. Certainly worth visiting is the most interesting museums of Thimphu: the National Heritage Museum, the Royal Textile Academy, the Alaya galleries and the Water Dragon.