Wangchuk Resort, Taba, Bhutan....
If you are looking for some peace and true essence of Bhutan around Thimphu, Taba gives a great serene environment. Wangchuk Resort in Taba,Bhutan is perched on top of a mountain surrounded all over by Cypress tress. Serene, calm and with breath taking views for as far as you can see, the place has a rustic charm to it. We enjoyed the resort for our weekend and just loved it. It is about 20 to 30 minutes drive from the main Thimphu town. The owner of the resort Chencho Tshering is a lovely lady who has quite a few cultural & lifestyle stories and anecdotes about Bhutan up her sleeves. She is pretty well traveled and can engage anyone in a good conversation, one of the sweetest persons I've come across. It was great catching up with her multiple times during our stay and she made the trip much more memorable.
We were still in Thimphu and it was now our 3rd day in Bhutan and I was totally immersed into the culture and calmness of the happiest country in the world. We got up leisurely in the morning to some humming sounds of celebration and dancing from men. It was a sight to see just across the street from our hotel a group of people in traditional dresses with bow & arrows enjoying a game of archery. I was told this was a regular weekend feature, something which you should not miss in Thimphu. We got ready and went into the arena (Changlimithang Stadium & Archery Ground) to watch the game closely. The men hum & dance whenever they hit the target, a fair bit of distance away. It's such a happy feeling to see them follow their culture and stick to their roots.
For our breakfast, we stepped into Ambient Cafe, just off the clock tower, opposite PNB Bank. The cafe has a lovely ambiance, with some good music playing in the background, lots of books to read and very friendly staff. They had few of the nicest sandwiches and shakes and the portion size is pretty good too. You should definitely try the granola & yogurt. I loved the cafe... and in fact came back to it a couple of more times during our trip.
We then took a cab to the weekend market. Its basically a fresh farm produce market selling all kinds of vegetables and for someone who has grown up in India, there was nothing much to rave about. We took another cab to Motithang Takin Reserve. Takin is Bhutan's national animal and has been given ample space in this reserve, while the tourists are allowed to have a stroll around it. While we reached the reserve, it started to rain so we could not go inside the reserve. Our experienced driver took us a bit further along the road which goes around the reserve and we were able to catch few glimpses of Takin's.
Wangchuk Resort, Taba, Bhutan
We finally packed up, and took off to Wangchuk Resort at Taba. As I said earlier, the resort is off the city, so ensure to call in advance if you plan to have lunch as their restaurant is active only based on active residents. A 2 min walk from the resort took us to a small palace, converted into a temple. The spot has beautiful views into Thimphu city and the surrounding Himalayas. The entire scenery is drop dead gorgeous with prayer flags fluttering in the wind, yellow & purple flowers coming out of the lush green creepers and a beautiful Bhutanese style temple standing tall & proud in the center. The temple is maintained by the owners mother, who was too caring for us and told many a stories about the current & past Kings of Bhutan. The resort would also be more than happy to take you on short treks around the place, just ask the front desk. I loved my weekend break at Wangchuk Resort, something I would definitely want to go back to. This is the real Bhutan and I highly recommend to stay at this place for at least for a day or 2 and get immersed in the nature's heart.
We went for small walks in the morning and evening, sipped on cups after cups of tea sitting in the terrace which has a beautiful view whichever direction you look at and listened to a lot of stories first hand from the owner.
I was very much interested in wearing a Kira and getting clicked and the sweet lady offered me her best dress to wear. Cannot thank her enough for this gesture. These pictures will always remind me of the lovely people and culture of Bhutan.
Here is how you can book with them.
Wangchuk Hotels & Resorts
Tel: +975 2 324500/ +975 17 110 503
chencho@wangchuktours.com
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