Southeast Asia (BHUTAN, THAILAND, LAOS) 2000 Itinerary
Thursday, September 28
 | Chuck departs for Bangkok via change of aircraft Tokyo/Narita
(Northwest Airlines) |
Friday, September 29
| En route |
Saturday, September 30
| Chuck arrives Bangkok 12:45 am (just past midnight) |
| Walk to hotel |
| Overnight Airport Amari Hotel (2 nights) **** (very nice; quiet) |
| Errands at airport; walked neighborhood |
| Dinner with Photo group |
Sunday, October 1
| Depart Bangkok for Calcutta and Paro via Druk Air |
| To Druk Hotel for brief meeting. |
| National Museum (Ta Dzong) **1/2 |
| Phurbai Lakhang – Puja for World Peace. Guests of Chimi Wagmo, daughter
of Kyentse Rimpoche. ***** |
| Meeting with 8yr old reincarnate: Yangsri of HH Dilgo Khentse.***** |
| Afternoon photos of Paro Dzong and Nyamai Zam bridge over Para Chhu
(river) **** |
| Dinner at Druk Hotel; hotel: *** (older but classic Bhutanese) |
Monday, October 2
| Depart hotel 8am. Drive to Dzong Drakha (16th century in
Bondey District) *** |
| Short walk to dzong. |
| Drive to Cheli La (pass) 12,080ft – Prayer flags in clouds, view of
sacred mountain Chomolhari (also spelled as Jhomolhari) *** |
| Picnic Lunch on road |
| Drove back to town for in-town photos ***, shopping. |
| Dinner at Druk Hotel 7pm |
Tuesday, October 3
| Breakfast 6:30, Off 7:30 |
| Ta Chog Gompa (15th century) *** |
| Chhuzom Junction: Confluence of Para Chhu and Thimphu Chhu (rivers)
becoming Wa Chhu, marked by 3 chortens ** |
| Arrived Thimphu at 10am |
| Visited Handicraft Center ** |
| Photographed High School students learning national anthem |
| Lunch: 11:30 Blue Poppy Restaurant (****) |
| Memorial Chorten (1974). World Peace Ceremony in Thimphu. ***** |
| Drive to Punakha, Do Chhu La (10,000ft) & prayer flags **** |
| Arrived Punanka at 5:15pm. Checked into Meri Ponsom Resort (****; new,
fine – at least for Bhutan!) |
| Dinner at 7pm |
Wednesday, October 4
| Breakfast at 6am, Off 7:15am |
| 20min drive to trail to Chimi Lhakhang, 30 min walk through fields to
Chimi Lhakhang (Mad monk monastery) *****. Tour of Lhakhang and photography
in barley fields. Returned to bus at 9am. |
| To Pele La (11,100 ft) |
| Lunch at Chendebje Chorten 1pm |
| Drive to Yutong La (10,910ft) |
| ½ hr drive to Chhume Valley. Weaving stores. |
| To Ghkkar Lodge (new, but NO soundproofing) ** (8,200ft), Bumthang Valley,
arriving about 730pm |
Thursday, October 5
| Breakfast 6am, Off 6:45am |
| Drive to Choskhor Valley. Jampey Lhakhang (7th century) *** |
| Walked 20 minutes to Kurjey Lhakang – Padmasambhava’s cave. Tea with
Kesang, caretaker. **** |
| To town, Chakar Center for ½ hr |
| Lunch at hotel. Off 2pm |
| Short walk to Tangbi Village and Tangbi Lhakang (near Chankhar Chhu);
Photographed rehearsal for upcoming festival. Milarepa dances, Stag and
Hound, Goddesses ***** |
| Back to hotel 5pm for tea. Dinner at lodge |
Friday, October 6
| Breakfast 6:30, off 7:30am |
| Choskar Valley. Cross Chankhar Chhu to Tamshing Lhakhang (16th
century); tour inside, monks bringing masks for upcoming dances *** |
| 1 hr walk to Swiss Cheese, Apple Juice and Red Panda Brewery factories.
Special tour courtesy of friend of one of the tour
members *** |
| Lunch at lodge |
| 2pm to Chamkar Village. |
| To Lhadon’s home to see making of buckwheat noodles, butter tea, etc.
Portraits of family ** |
| Drive towards Tang Valley, up road ½ hr to Basur Tang. Photographed
people winnowing buckwheat and cutting fields. ** |
| Returned to Gkkhar Lodge 6pm. Dinner 7pm |
Saturday, October 7
| Breakfast 6am, off 7am |
| Photographed phalluses (really! – painted on sides of homes) on walls of
Hurcho village |
| 9am arrived Yutong La (10,790ft) |
| Trongsa Dzong – photographed monks.** |
| Picnic Lunch at Chendebje Chorten |
| Arrived Wangdi Phodrang (new spelling Wangdue Phodrang) at 4:45pm |
| Visited Wangdi Dzong as they were preparing for the festival *** |
| 6pm to Meri Puensum Hotel near Punakha |
Sunday, October 8
| Up 4:30am, Off 5:10am to Wangdi Phodrang Dzong for festival, arrived 6am
in time to see the Thondrol thangka. (rolled up at 7am) **** |
| Breakfast in town at 7am |
| Stayed all day ***** |
| Picnic Lunch 11:30 |
| Returned to the festival until 5pm. |
| Dinner at Meri Puensum Hotel |
Monday, October 9
| Breakfast 6:30am, off 7:30am for Thimphu |
| View of fields at Mistina Village |
| Arrived Thimphu at 10am |
| Papermaking Factory ** |
| Chimi’s house for tea and biscuits |
| Lunch at Riverview Hotel |
| Zoo to see Takim * (sad zoo) |
| Trashi Chhoe Dzong for Day 3 of Thimphu Tshechu 2-4pm |
| Dance of the Judgment of the Dead **** |
| Walked to town |
| Dinner at Riverview Hotel (*1/2 - rundown) |
Tuesday, October 10
| Off 8:30 to Trashi Chhoe Dzong for Day 4 of Thimphu Tshechu. |
| 11:30am. Lunch at Mid-Point Restaurant in town |
| Shopping until 4pm |
| Drove up valley to Begana Area. Padmasambhava painted on rock. |
| Phari Zampa area, Prayer flags and houses *** |
| Return to Riverview. Dinner at hotel. |
Wednesday, October 11
| Off 9am. |
| Silversmith. Chang Bangdu Primary School. Duptho Lhakhang Nunnery, Zilikha
Monastery ***. |
| Lunch at hotel. Checked out afterwards. |
| Visited Phub Dorji’s house, weaver for the royal family ** |
| Institute for Zorgi Chusum (Art School) ** |
| Arrived Paro at 5pm |
Thursday, October 12
| 7am departure for Taktshang Gompa viewpoint. Arrived end of road/trail end
at 8am. 1hr walk up 1,000ft. |
| Tea and biscuits at the top. ***** |
| Down at 11:30am. Lunch in town. |
| 2pm to Airport. |
| 5pm flight. Arrived Bangkok at 10pm |
| Walk to hotel |
| Overnight Airport Amari Hotel |
Friday, October 13
| Taxi to Siam Intercontinental Hotel, Bangkok (2 nights) **1/2 (rather
small room in tower) |
| Walk around downtown; Jim Thompson house tour (**): |
| Gillian departs Seattle for Bangkok, via connection at Tokyo-Narita
(Northwest Airlines) |
Saturday, October 14
| Skytrain (elevated light rail) to Chao Phraya River; river ferry to Grand
Palace (****) |
| Walk to National Museum (** - NOT air conditioned!) |
| return via ferry and skytrain to hotel. |
| Gillian arrives Bangkok 11:45pm from Tokyo/Seattle; taxi to Siam
Intercontinental |
Sunday, October 15
| Skytrain back to river; ferry to Wat Po (Reclining Buddha) ****; taxi back
to hotel |
| Taxi to Airport |
| Fly to Phuket |
| Taxi to hotel |
| Stay: Kata Thani Hotel and Resort, on Kata Noi Beach **** |
Monday, October 16
| Lounge around |
Tuesday, October 17
| Lounge around some more |
Wednesday, October 18
| Oh, lounge around still more |
Thursday, October 19
| Day trip to Phang-Nga Marine National Park – boat trip **1/2 |
Friday, October 20
| Watch the monsoon rains from the room |
Saturday, October 21
| Midday taxi to airport |
| Fly Phuket to Udon Thani via Bangkok (Thai Airways) |
| Stay: Charoensri Grand Royal Hotel **1/2 (non-descript modern highrise
with uncontrollable air conditioning (cold, colder, really cold, colder
still, and Minnesota winter were the settings!) |
Sunday, October 22
| Attended Mountain bike race at Ban Chaing World Heritage Site (25 mi east
of Udon Thani) asguests of the Deputy Director of Tourism, including banquet
(depart 10am, rt. 9 pm) **1/2 |
| (Anticipated folk festival had been postponed until March!) |
Monday, October 23
| Departed Udon Thani by tuk-tuk to bus station; ordinary (2nd
class) bus to Nong Khai (interesting experience!) |
| Stay: Sawasdee Guest House * (tolerable for 1 night) |
| Walked through market (alongside of Mekong River – trading with Laos) ** |
| Toured several Buddhist temples ** |
Tuesday, October 24
| Taxi to Friendship Bridge; eventually met guide (confusion as to location;
45 minute delay) |
| Bus across bridge to Lao Customs and Immigration |
| Guide/driver to Vientiane, Capitol of Laos |
| City tour after lunch: That Luang (1566), Wat Prakeo (1565), Wat Sisaket,
the Arch Memorial, Central Market *** |
| Overnight: Lanexang Hotel (*1/2 – old, soviet-era hotel); live Laotian
music in evening |
| Fine French dining in downtown Vientiane |
Wednesday, October 25
| Guide/drive transfer to airport |
| Morning flight to Luang Prabang on Lao Aviation (special treat – NOT) |
| Met new guide at airport, transfer to hotel |
| Stay: Souvannaphoum Hotel ****1/2 (2 nights) – old indo-china/French-style
palace |
| Walked around town |
| Live Laotian folk music in evening |
Thursday, October 26
| City tour of temples and palaces; drive out of town to Kuangsi waterfall
(fabulous); visit several hill tribe hamlets (Lower Lao and Hmong) **** |
Friday, October 27
| Early morning observation of monks receiving alms |
| Morning transfer to semi-slow boat toward Hueysai *** |
| Stops at Pak Ou Village**Tamting Caves***, to Pakbeng |
| Travel time: 8 am to 7 pm upriver |
| Stay: Luagsay Lodge (Pakbeng, Laos) ***** - would go back just to stay
here again |
Saturday, October 28
| Continue cruise to Hueysay (Laos) departed 8 am, arrived 3 pm |
| Laos immigration; caught dugout canoe across river to Thailand |
| Driver met us for transfer to Chaing Rai |
| Stay: Rimrock Lodge ($33) ** (so-so, with big music festival across river
– noisy) |
Sunday, October 29
| Car and driver to Chaing Mai (2 ½ hours) |
| Go to Night Bazaar |
| Stay: River View Lodge (4 nights) *** (nice; though somewhat noisy from
bars, etc. across river; good location |
Monday, October 30
| Tour with guide - Wat Chaing Man (9a-5p D) – oldest Wat in city *** |
| Wat Phra Singh – classic Lanna style *** |
| Doi Pui National Park (incl. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Phra Tamnak Phu
Phing – winter palace – and Hmong village) – 16
km nw *** |
Tuesday, October 31
| In town sightseeing – day market |
| Evening: attend dinner and performance at Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center
(***) |
Wednesday, November 1
| Tour w/ guide to Don Inthanon National Park **1/2 |
Thursday, November 2
| Final shopping |
| Thai Airways flight Chiang Mai to Bangkok |
| Stay: Amari Airport Hotel, Bangkok |
Friday, November 3
| Return to Seattle via Tokyo - Narita (Northwest Airlines) Arrive
same morning. |
|
