Things to Do in Punakha

Punakha, located in Bhutan is a popular tourist destination in the country. The place has quite a number of locations for sightseeing. Punakha Dzong, Chimi Lhakhang, Jigme Dorji National Park, Rishta Village, WangduePhodrang are a few of the places for sightseeing. Other than that, hiking, trekking, wildlife safari, rafting, and camping are common attractions for the visiting tourists. The array of activities that can be done there is vast and this makes Punakha a unique place to visit and one to cherish.

The best trekking experiences of trekking in Punakha are during the winter when the Government of the country organizes the Winter Trek for the ancient capital of the country, Other than this Punakha Domche Trekking is also very popular during the Punakha festival. The route of the winter trek covers the Sinchula Pass and the Phajoding Monastery and March-May or September-November are the ideal times to cover this route. The Damoche trek covers from Punakha to Paro via Thimpu. In Thimpu, one can spend an entire day sightseeing.

Hiking is a must do activity when one is visiting Punakha. There are numerous hikes available in this place; the number being quite high which leads a tourist to be totally spoilt for choices.Short hikes include KhamsumYuelleyNamgyelChorten, Jana Village Lamperi to Lumbitsawa, Dochu La to LungchuzekhaGompa to name a few. Punakha-Limbukha-Samtengang is a good route for a longer hike. The short hikes away from the town are very scenic in nature and the one from ChortenNebu to Kabji Hoko Tso gives a fantastic view of Phobjikha Valley.

The Jigme Dorji National Park that sprawls through Paro, Thimpu, and Punakha is an ideal destination for the wildlife safari. Musk deer, snow leopard, red panda are among the few endangered species found there. Marmot, pika, barking deer, wild dog are some of the other species found there. The national park is also home to more than 300 different species of birds thus making the environment pretty lively. The national park has a rich collection of florals and also is the only park in Bhutan where the national animal, the national plant, the national bird and the national flower exist together.

Rafting in the Mochu - Fochu River in Punakha is a common activity. The guides out there are excellent and helpful in nature. The rafts are usually kept in excellent condition and the scenic beauty of the journey is impressive. There are small rapids in places but they are enough to set the adrenaline flowing and make a memorable experience out of it. White Water Rafting is a must do activity if one is visiting Punakha.

Surrounded by the Punastangchu valley, Punakha is an ideal destination for camping if one is visiting Bhutan. Autumn and Spring are the recommended seasons for camping and one can even choose to camp by the Mochu-Fochu River. This is usually accompanied by a day rafting activity followed by a night camp on the banks of the river which makes it a memorable experience on a whole. Various tourism agencies provide such camps and everything will be provided by them.