Thimphu
 You approach Thimphu along a winding, single-lane access road, little wider than the trucks that suddenly emerge around each curve. Each blind bend promises a glimpse of your destination; however, for most of the journey all that is revealed is another curve followed by another. The steep hillsides are dotted with houses, some abandoned, their massive earthen walls slowly crumbling, and the occasional white-washed temple. Suddenly the road drops to a modern expressway on the valley floor, whisking you through paddy fields to the capital of one of the world's most intriguing countries.
Established as the capital in 1961, Thimphu has a youthful exuberance that constantly challenges the country's conservatism and proud tradition. The ever-present juxtaposition of old and new is just one of its appealing qualities. Crimson-robed monks,
labors, gho-and kira-clad professionals and camera-wielding tourists all ply the pot-holed pavements, skirting packs of sleeping dogs, and spin the prayer wheels of
Clock tower Square, and nobody, it seems, is in a hurry.
Thimphu is the world's only capital without traffic lights. A set was installed, but the residents complained that it was impersonal, and so gesticulating, white-gloved police continue to direct the ever-increasing traffic. As well as being a classic Bhutanese anachronism, it may well be the city's most photographed spectacle.
Thimphu offers the best opportunity to do your own thing. It's relaxed, friendly and pretty informal, and is most rewarding if you can be the same.
Other Useful Information
- Activities
- Around Thimphu
- Eating, Drinking & Entertainment
- Orientation
- Shopping
- Sights
Activities
You will probably be too busy sightseeing, trekking or shopping to swim, cycle or go rock climbing, but these activities are available if you want them.
There are two tennis courts, squash courts and a basketball court at the north end of the Changlimithang Stadium.
Golf
The Royal Thimphu Golf Club (green fees & club hire are extra) has a nine-hole course beautifully situated above Trashi Chhoe
Dzong. Indian Brigadier General TV Jaganathan, posted in Bhutan between 1968 and 1973, got permission from King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck to construct a few holes. The king later granted permission to expand the course to nine holes,
recognizing that it would provide an attractive green area adjacent to Trashi Chhoe
Dzong. The course was formally inaugurated in 1971 as the Royal Thimphu Golf Club.
Caddies are available at extra cost, but since they are mostly schoolboys, they are usually not on site until late afternoon. You can buy lost balls from kids. You don't need to make an appointment to play, but weekends are busy and you may have to wait to tee off.
Cycling
The Bhutan Bicycle Club organizes rides and has bikes for hire including helmet. A helmet is required within Thimphu city limits and, of course, is highly recommended elsewhere. The club can arrange to have you and the bike transported to the start of several rides.
Rock Climbing
Bhutan's only rock-climbing club, Vertical Bhutan gathers most weekends to climb on The Nose, a rock face high above the southwest part of
Thimphu. There are several prepared routes with names such as 'Wedding Present' and 'Reach and
Preach.
Around Thimphu
NORTH OF THIMPHU
As you travel up the east side of the Wang Chhu, north of Lungten Zampa and past the Riverview Hotel, you'll eventually pass the SAARC building (National Assembly), which overlooks the
dzong. On the opposite side of the river you may catch a glimpse of Samtenling Palace, the cottage that is the king's residence. A short distance north is the suburb of Taba where the
Forest Institute has its offices and you can stay at the atmospheric Taba Resort. The resort is associated with the Wangchuk Hotel in town and boasts a restful, pine-forest location, mineral spring, hot-stone baths and a private
area built on the ruins of a former palace. There are great valley views from the balconied rooms.
The large Dechenchoeling Palace is some distance north of the dzong. It was built in 1952 and is the official residence of the queen mother. North of the palace is the Royal Body Guard
(RBG) facility, Pangri Zampa
North of Dechenchoeling and east of Dechenphu Lhakhang is Pangri Zampa, two imposing white buildings in a grove of giant cypress trees. Founded in the early 16th century, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal lived here after he arrived in 1616 because this temple appeared in the vision that directed him from Tibet to Bhutan. A well-respected astrologer is in residence and frescoes here are said to have been painted by the
Zhabdrung.
Dechenphu Lhakhang
Dechenphu Lhakhang is a 2km drive on a rocky road up a side valley from a turn-off near
Dechenchoeling, then a short climb up a stone staircase to an elevation of about 2660m. The imposing, tall red goenkhang is dedicated to the powerful deity Gyenyen and is said to be able to supply armour and weapons for an endless number of soldiers.
UNESCO financed a project to restore many of the paintings in the adjoining
goemba.
SOUTH OF THIMPHU
A road leads uphill from Babesa to the Royal Botanical Garden at Serbithang, which was inaugurated in 1999 and has a collection of 500 species of plants. It's a
favorite picnic spot of Thimphu residents and has an information centre that sells seedlings and medicines from the medicinal-plants project.
South of Babesa a steep gravel road leads 1.3km uphill to the Gangchen Nyezergang
Lhakhang, an ancient lhakhang that was re-built and re consecrated in 2001 under the sponsorship of Lyonpo Jigme
Thinley.
Simtokha
Simtokha is about 5km south of Thimphu on the old road to Paro and Phuentsholing. The junction with the road to eastern Bhutan is just before
Simtokha.
In the valley below the road are the EU funded plant-and-soil-protection project and the large, red-roofed Royal Institute of Management.
SIMTOKHA DZONG
Officially known as Sangak Zabdhon Phodrang (Palace of the Profound Meaning of Secret Mantras), Simtokha Dzong was built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang
Namgyal. It is often said to be the first dzong built in Bhutan. In fact, there were dzongs in Bhutan as early as 1153, but this is the first dzong built by the
Zhabdrung, is the oldest dzong that has survived as a complete structure, and is the first structure to incorporate both monastic and administrative facilities. It is the home of the Institute for Language and Culture Studies; the students are both monks and lay people.
Eating, Drinking & Entertainment
Thimphu’s dining scene is dominated by the hotel restaurants, but there’s a handful of cosy cafés and restaurant-bars that hint of epicurean evolution in progress.
Hotel restaurants tend to be a predictable multi cuisine compilation of Indian, Bhutanese, Chinese and Continental. Not surprisingly one kitchen rarely excels in all cuisines and we have used locals’, expats’ and our own
gluttonous adventures to source what’s good and where. Bhutanese cuisine is widely available, but beware the hot
chilies that are an essential, omnipresent ingredient. Other ingredients are seasonal, including meat, so don’t be surprised to find some menu items unavailable.
Thimphu has numerous bars, but only a handful could be recommended for outsiders looking for more than a game of snooker and a swig of whisky. Entertainment can also be a bit of a challenge – unless it’s tsechu time. Occasional concerts and video shows at the sports complex will be well advertised by
posters and in the newspapers.
Bars
As well as the hotel bars, there are numerous small bars throughout the town. Alcohol won’t be served until after 1pm and most bars are closed on Tuesday, the national dry day. Bars close at 11pm weekdays and midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Om Bar (Jojo’s Shopping Complex, Chang Lam; hrs from 5pm, closed Tue & Sun) Thimphu’s ‘in’ bar and a quiet gathering spot early in the evening that becomes busy with a diverse collection of locals and expats after 10pm. It’s on the 2nd floor of the shopping complex.
Favorite after-work bars (which double as restaurants) include cozy Benz Restaurant
(Gatoen Lam; hrs 11am-11pm), with its talking points such as coasters and cash from around the globe and designer rums, and the Zone
(noon-midnight), with its modern décor and great chips, burgers and pizzas for late-night munchies.
Nightclubs & Live Music
For a small town there’s a fair bit of competition in this scene with live music replacing disco and vice versa and places running hot and cold. Ask around for the latest vibe. Don’t expect the discos to kick off much before midnight. Depending on the entertainment and the time you rock up, a cover charge may be applicable. Nightclubs and discos close at midnight weekdays and at 2am Friday and Saturday.
Here are a few on offer: All Stars Disco (Chang Lam; hrs 10pm2am Wed, Fri & Sat) Boomerang
(Yarkay Central, Norzin Lam; hrs 9pm-2am Wed, Fri & Sat) A bright venue with bigscreen T V, try-out bands and a young crowd. Buzz Club (Chang Lam; hrs 11pm-2am Wed, Fri & Sat) Big, bold and popular. Gravity
(Zangto Pelri Shopping Complex, Norzin Lam; hrs 10pm-2am Wed, Fri & Sat) Hidden, but follow the signs.
Cultural Programs
If you are in a group of more than four, your tour operator can arrange a dance performance at the Royal Academy of Performing Arts. A more relaxed atmosphere prevails at
Tashi Nencha Music Studio near the Zangto Pelri Lhakhang. The studio can provide a Bhutanese meal and an evening of classical and folk music around a bonfire.
Mila Restaurant (Dragon Shopping Complex, Norzin Lam) features singers and a Dzongkha comedian most nights. There is a largely local audience and the performers, both amateur and professional, sing traditional Bhutanese songs.
Orientation
The road from the south (and Paro) is met by the new expressway 11km from
Thimphu. As it races along the valley floor it passes below Simtokha Dzong, before entering Thimphu
CBD, marked by an elaborately decorated petrol station. The city sprawls north and west in the lightly wooded valley of the Wang
Chhu.
The road leading north from the petrol station is Norzin Lam, Thimphu’s main drag, which takes you through the town centre past several major hotels and the pretty Clocktower Sq, the city’s heart. Not far north of the square is the famous traffic circle with the arm-waving police. From the traffic
circle, Norzim Lam continues uphill past the cinema, the Bank of Bhutan and the government handicraft emporium. At the northern end of Norzin Lam, Desi Lam leads to the National Library, Folk Heritage Museum, the golf course and Trashi Chhoe
Dzong. A turn to the west back at the traffic circle puts you on Chorten Lam, which intersects with Doendrup Lam near the Swiss Bakery, before heading south towards the Memorial
Chorten. The road leading east from the traffic circle, Wogzin Lam, takes you either to Clocktower Sq or you can continue east on Gatoen Lam past Benez Restaurant to Chang Lam, a north–south thoroughfare that runs beside and above the Changlimithang archery ground and sports stadium.
Doebum Lam makes a loop from the Memorial Chorten above and to the west of the CBD to the northern end of Norzin Lam, passing the Drichu Drakey Bakery and the sports complex on the way. Numerous smaller streets weave their way uphill to government offices and the posh suburb of Motithang west of the
centre.
The east and west banks of the Wang Chhu are connected by Lungten Zampa, the bridge at the south end of town. Chhogyel Lam runs north beneath the bridge, past the archery ground, sports stadium, Zangto Pelri Lhakang and the weekend market. On the eastern bank, Dechen Lam leads to several hotels and
eventually to the monasteries at the head of the valley.
Shopping
Thimphu has a plethora of general shops containing a hodgepodge selection such as light bulbs, stationery, farm implements, shampoo, computer disks and canned fish. To provide even more variety, shops may sell drinks by the glass and their sign may read 'shop cum bar' or the all-encompassing 'general cum bar shop'.
Many items on sale are made in India, but there are lots of interesting Bhutanese products, especially textiles, baskets,
jewellery, incense sticks, books and religious items.
At the Duty Free Shop (Norzin Lam) you can buy imported liquor, wine, biscuits and other 'luxury' items, but you have to pay the full price, unless you're a diplomat or a senior government official.
Contemporary Paintings & Handmade Paper
Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory (Khuju Lam; hrs 8.30am-5pm, Mon-Sat) This small factory produces watermark paper as well as cards, lampshades, envelopes, calendars and other items made from traditional Bhutanese paper.
Located near the Clock tower, Art Shop Gallery (Wogzin Lam) has art supplies, traditional paper and handicrafts, and contemporary paintings from the Voluntary Ar tists Studio Thimphu (Chang Lam), which also sells art during regular exhibitions.
Gho & Kira
If you want to wear Bhutanese dress, there are many shops in Thimphu's shopping complexes that have ready-made gho and kira in a variety of sizes, patterns and quality. Kelzang Handicrafts
(Yarkay Central, Norzin Lam) and the Handicrafts Emporium (Norzin Lam) are two to try.
Handicrafts, Traditional Arts & Jewellery
Don't neglect the handicraft section at the weekend market, where you can put your bargaining prowess to the test. To purchase the excellent works by students of the National Institute for Zorig Chusum visit Sangay Arts & Crafts
(Pedzoe Lam), in a building on the road below the school. Behind the school, a narrow lane leads through a garden to a small house where a traditional craftsman makes and sells drums and Tibetan violins.
There a numerous handicraft shops selling thangkas, masks, brassware and
jewellery. Handicrafts Emporium (Norzin Lam; hrs 9am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Sun) This is a large government-run emporium with fixed prices. Druktrin Rural Handicrafts
(Clock tower Sq) At the rear of the Wangchuk Hotel (enter from Clock tower Sq), this shop offers a great variety and has a small museum with antique jewellery and textiles. Druk Handicraft
(Yarkay Complex, Norzin Lam) Good range of 'antiques', handicrafts and earrings. Choki Handicrafts
(Pedzoe Lam) Near the National Institute for Zorig Chusum, this establishment manufactures and sells masks,
thangkas, paintings and painted lama tables called choektse. Zangmo Handicrafts
(Wogzin Lam) Sells work from the National Institute for Zorig Chusum and sometimes has students
practicing there.
Sights
Thimphu’s attractions are clustered to the north of the city (where you will find the dzong (fort-monastery), library, painting school and folk museum), in the hilly suburb of Motithang overlooking the town, and of course in the city’s central district.
Trashi Chhoe Dzong
This large dzong, north of the city on the west bank of the Wang Chhu, manages not to impose on the valley or the city as a
dominating, impenetrable fortress; rather, its splendid proportions and modest setting bestow a
subtle, monastic magnificence. The whitewashed outer structure is two storeys high with threestorey towers at the four corners projecting out over the walls and capped by red-and-gold, triple-tiered roofs. The outer walls are built of trimmed, neatly fitted granite blocks, unlike other
dzongs, which were made of roughly dressed stones. Similarly, the dochey (courtyard) is paved with rectangular stone slabs. The dzong housed the original National Assembly and now houses the secretariat, the throne room and offices of the king and the ministries of home affairs and finance.
Weekend Market
The weekend market is crammed into a set of stalls on both banks of the Wang
Chhu, just north of Changlimithang Stadium. Vendors from throughout the region arrive on Thursday and Friday and remain until Sunday night. It’s an interesting place to visit, where village people jostle with well-heeled Thimphu residents for the best and cheapest vegetables and foodstuffs.
National Institute for Zorig Chusum
The National Institute for Zorig Chusum (hrs 9am-5pm Mon-Sat) is commonly known as ‘the painting school’. It operates under the auspices of the National Technical Training Institute and offers four- to six-year courses that provide instruction in many of Bhutan’s traditional arts to students from throughout the country whose aptitude is more artistic than academic. The students follow a comprehensive course that starts with drawing and progresses through painting, woodcarving, embroidery and statue-making.
National Memorial Chorten
This large Tibetan-style chorten was built in 1974 to honor the memory of the third king, Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck. The whitewashed chorten is decorated with richly carved annexes facing the cardinal
directions, and features elaborate
mandalas, statues and a shrine dedicated to the popular third king. There are numerous religious paintings and complex tantric statues housed inside reflecting both peaceful and wrathful aspects of Buddhist deities.
Folk Heritage Museum
A restored three-storey, rammed-earth and timber building houses the Folk Heritage Museum
(Phelchey Toenkhym; hrs 9am-5pm Tue-Sat). The house replicates a traditional farmhouse and is furnished as it would have been about a century ago. A guided tour of this almost-living museum is included in the admission and provides a glimpse into traditional Bhutanese life. The house design and many of the implements are also reminders of how many rural Bhutanese still live today. Bring a torch (flashlight) as some of the rooms are quite dimly lit.
National Library
West of the golf course is the National Library (Hrs 9.30am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Fri). It was established in 1967 to preserve many ancient Dzongkha and Tibetan texts, and is a lavishly decorated and vibrant example of Bhutanese architecture.
SAARC Building
The large traditional Bhutanese-style building across the river from Trashi Chhoe Dzong was built in the early 1990s to provide a venue for a meeting of the heads of state and
government from the South Asia Association for Regional Co-operation
(SAARC). That meeting was never held in Bhutan but plans are in the pipeline now that Bhutan boasts several hotels that meet the five-star needs of the SAARC officials. The impressive structure now houses the planning and foreign ministries, and the National Assembly was relocated to this building in 1993. Long ‘corridors of power’ lead to the elaborately decorated National Assembly (held twice a year), while nearby is the Royal Banquet Hall.
National Institute of Traditional Medicine
Established in 1978, one of the more interesting facilities in Thimphu is the National
Institute of Traditional Medicine (hrs 9am-3pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat). The EU provides funding for this project, which prepares and dispenses traditional herbal and other medicines. There is an impressive laboratory and production facility that manufactures quality products, the components of which may include plants, minerals, animal parts, precious metals and gems. All kinds of pills, tablets, ointments and medicinal teas from here are distributed to regional
healthcare units around the country.
National Textile Museum
Thimphu’s National Textile Museum (hrs 9am-4pm) is worth a visit to get to know the living national art of weaving. Exhibitions
introduce the major weaving techniques, styles of local dress and textiles made by women and men. There is usually a small group of weavers working their looms inside the shop, which
features work from the renowned weaving centres in Lhuentse
Dzongkhag, the ancestral home of the royal family in northeastern Bhutan.
Changlimithang Stadium & Archery Ground
The national stadium occupies the site of the 1885 battle that helped establish the political supremacy of Ugyen
Wangchuck, Bhutan’s first king. It is now the site of the national archery ground, a large football stadium and parade ground, basketball, tennis and squash courts, as well as the headquarters of the Bhutan Olympic committee. It’s always worth checking to see what event is taking place when you are in town.
Voluntary Artists Studio Thimphu
The impressive Voluntary Artists Studio Thimphu is hidden away on the top floor of a not-so-impressive building on Chang Lam. After negotiating several flights of
betel stained stairs you emerge at the study, which can be incredibly busy with after-school and weekend classes in drawing and painting for young artists. The goal of the studio (which accepts donations) is to use Bhutanese artistic values to create both traditional and contemporary works and to provide vocational training. There’s a small library and coffee shop where budding artists are encouraged to congregate. Art by the
students and instructors is sold in the exhibition spaces in the studio and in the Art Shop Gallery in
Clock tower Sq.
Changangkha Lhakhang
This is an old fortress like temple and monastic school perched on a ridge above
Thimphu, southeast of Motithang. It was established in the 12th century on a site chosen by Lama Phajo Drukgom
Shigpo, who came from Ralung in Tibet. The central statue is Chenresig in an 11-headed, thousand-armed manifestation. There are enormous prayer wheels to spin and even the prayer books in the temple are larger in size than usual Tibetan texts. Don’t leave without taking in the
excellent view from the courtyard.
Drubthob Goemba
After you drive down the road from the telecom tower, you will find yourself on Gaden Lam, the road that runs high above the golf course. There are some great views of the town, and of Trashi Chhoe
Dzong, and above you can see Drubthob Goemba, which now houses the Zilukha nunnery.
Dechen Phodrang
At the end of Gaden Lam is Dechen Phodrang, the site of Thimphu’s original Trashi Chhoe
Dzong. Since 1971 it has housed the state monastic school, and a long procession of monks often travels between here and the
dzong. A team of 15 teachers provides an eight-year course to more than 450 students. On any regular day the grounds hum with assorted recitations emanating from the windows. The 12th-century paintings in the goemba’s Guru Lhakhang have been restored and the upper floor features a large figure of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal as well as the goenkhang (chapel devoted to protective and terrifying deities). The central figure in the downstairs chapel is the Buddha
Sakyamuni.
Zangto Pelri Lhakhang
This private chapel, built in the 1990s by Dasho Aku Tongmi, a musician who composed Bhutan’s national anthem, is south of the weekend market. It’s beside the older Yigja Dungkhar Lhakhang and is a replica of Guru Rinpoche’s celestial abode. It is
Bhutan’s tallest lhakhang and houses many large statues, including a 4m-high image of Guru
Rinpoche.
|
