TID 562/563-Bhutan Traverse From West to East & Extension Tour of Sikkim/Darjeeling
(11-29, Nov. 2012)

I just finished Wind Horse’s Bhutan Traverse, from Paro to Trashigang, during festival time, then a short week long excursion to Darjeeling and Sikkim. These two itineraries are EXACTLY what I wanted. I couldn’t be more pleased about the overall experiences gained on these two tours.The itineraries were GREAT! Bhutan’s beauty is simply magnificent; that makes up for the fact that the roads make for difficult travel at times, but Wind Horse certainly can’t do anything about that! The Guides were wonderful. Jambay’s follow-through and vast knowledge of Buddhism, and Tharchen’s accommodation and knowledge of mountaineering were astounding. These two could spin spellbinding lectures. We couldn’t have asked for better, nicer, more competent drivers than we had in Chimmi and Sangay. Chimmi’s tire change on a winding, narrow cliffside road, was not less impressive that a FORMULA ONE race car Pit Stop tire change. I felt absolutely safe and well cared for on these trips.

I didn’t think we needed to be warned about dull cuisine, or repetitive menus. I didn’t find it to be that bad! Always consider taking the Bhutan 562 segment BEFORE the Darjeeling/Sikkim 563 extension. The reason for this is, Bhutan is more physically demanding, and has more challenging walks/hikes/roads, higher elevations, and lesser hotels than India’s. While warning about the physical fitness required for Bhutan WAS present in the pre-tour reading, you should take these warnings seriously, especially if you’re older or out of physical condition. The Darjeeling/Sikkim section of our trip was positively EASY, which was good, for how tired we were on arrival. We had been traveling a long time, even before the Bhutan section….and how about those festivals?! I’ll have visions of amazing, twirling colors dancing in my head for the rest of my life.

I’m very grateful for the tremendous efforts, from the first email contact, onward, that the folks at Wind Horse made, to make this a trip I will cherish.