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PATA and Creative
Travel fam trip to
Bhutan
In April 2016 a
group of PATA
members visited
Bhutan. Astrid
Margrethe Søvik,
PATA board member,
in charge of
arranging the study
tour, reports:
After more than one
year of planning, we
could finally enter
the flight and start
this journey to
Bhutan, the country
where Gross National
Happiness is more
important than gross
national product…
We travelled through
Istanbul to
Kathmandu with
Turkish Airlines,
connecting with Druk
Air, the national
airline of Bhutan,
to Paro.
The flight to Paro
is one of the most
spectacular in
entire Himalayas.
Flying along the
Himalayan range from
Kathmandu, the
journey offers
fascinating views
and an exciting
descent into the
Kingdom. Bhutan’s
first gift to us as
we disembarked the
aircraft was cool,
clean fresh mountain
air.
We landed in Paro
and were wished
welcome by Creative
Travel
representatives.
Creative Travel was
our key partner for
this trip, and they
did a great job,
first of all putting
together a good
program, but also
give us their best
guide and their best
driver for the
entire week.
In addition
representatives from
Creative office in
India and Europe
joined us.
During the week in
Bhutan, we created
both memories and
friendships that
will last forever.
After all
formalities was
done, we drove to
Thimphu, the capital
town of Bhutan.
We stopped en-route
in Chuzom, the
confluence of
Thimphu and Paro
rivers.
The capital town of
Bhutan and the
centre of
government, religion
and commerce,
Thimphu is a unique
city with unusual
mixture of modern
development
alongside ancient
traditions. Although
not what one expects
from a capital city,
Thimphu is still a
fitting and lively
place. Home to civil
servants,
expatriates and monk
body, Thimphu
maintains a strong
national character
in its architectural
style.
During our days in
Thimphu we visited
some highlights of
the city.
King’s Memorial
Chorten continuously
circumambulator by
people, murmuring
mantras and spinning
their prayer wheels.
Construction of this
landmark was the
idea of Bhutan’s
third king, His
Majesty Jigme Dorji
Wangchuk (“the
father of modern
Bhutan”) who has
wished to erect
monument to world
peace and
prosperity.
Completed in 1974
after his untimely
death, it serves
both as a memorial
to the Late King and
as a monument to
peace. |
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