India and Bhutan

Meet Ross Tour Leader Peter Whitehead at Sydney Airport for our flight to Kolkata. Rest of the day at leisure. Spend the next 2 nights in Kolkata.

We’ll take a walking tour of North Kolkata to the Marble Palace, then Kumartuli, a potter’s village, Jorasanko, the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore, and finally the Jain Temple. Enjoy a dinner cruise on Hooghly River.

Morning flight to Guwahati in beautiful Assam. Begin with a sightseeing tour. Visit Kamakhya temple on top of Nilachal Hill. Nobel Laureate Tragore’s ancestral home. See the poignant Commonwealth War Graves cemetery before embarking on our cruise vessel. Set sail aboard our river boat, home for the next five nights.

The day will be spent mostly cruising upstream with jungle-covered hills rising on either side. Time to pause and visit the north bank village of Khirakata, with its lush green fields of vegetables.

Leaving the hills behind, we will enjoy our first taste of the wilderness experience. See weavers at work in their homes and production of jaggary from sugar cane juice. Moor for the night with the Himalayas in view.

Today we’ll reach Tezpur, visit the 6th century Da Parbatia temple ruins. Explore the town by cycle rickshaw. Stop at Cole Park with medieval stone carvings, and pass by the bungalow where tea pioneer Alexander Bruce lived.

We drive to the Nameri NP at the foot of the blue hills of Arunachal Pradesh. Take a float trip down the Jia Bhoreli River through the park, while looking out for the great hornbills and wild elephant.

Continue upstream to moor at Steemer Ghat. Disembark the ship onto the wild and untamed Kaziranga NP. Check into our lodge. After lunch we drive to Kaziranga’s Western Range for a jeep safari. Next 2 nights in Kaziranga.

An early rise and adventure to Kaziranga’s Central Range for an early morning elephant ride, we think thhis is the best way to get really close to the rhinos. After breakfast drive to a Mising tribal village, then visit a tea estate. After lunch we take a jeep safari in the little visited Eastern Range.

Drive to Guwahati for our flight to Bagdogra. On arrival we will be met by local guide and drive to Siliguri.

Travel to Darjeeling to experience the World Heritage Listed Toy Train, a beautiful blue British built steam locomotive on our Darjeeling Hill Rail trip. Afternoon walk to Observatory Hill and Bhutia Basti. Darjeeling for the next 2 nights.

Early morning visit Tiger Hill and Ghoom Monastery, After breakfast visit Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Zoological Park and Tibetan Refuge Centre.

Drive to Bagdogra Airport for flight from Bagdogra to Paro. The flight into Bhutan is one of a kind giving us a taste of our upcoming adventure. Look down over the Himalayan ranges. Meet our local guide who will take us to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. Dinner in a local restaurant. Thimphu Hotel for 2 nights.

e Explore Thimpu’s cultural sites. See the worlds largest book in the National Library and Folk Heritage Museum. We’ll walk to the revered National Memorial chorten and the lively weekend market.

This morning we drive to Dochu-la pass to view the high Himalayan peaks towards the north east. Stop at Wangduephodrang town for lunch, then continue on to Tongsa across Pele-la pass. Stop en route at Chendebji Chorten. Arrive at Trongsa late afternoon.

Walk by famous Trongsa Dzong, home to superb artworks and architecture. Drive to Bumthang over the Yutong-la pass (3,400m). After lunch visit Kurje Lhakhang, Jambey Lhakhang (7th century), Tamshing Monastery and Jakar Dzong.

Explore the valley of Bumthang and Punakha, stopping along the way at Tongsa for lunch. Visit Wangduephodrang Dzong and town en route to Punakha.

Morning visit to Punakha Dzong, a massive structure built at the junction of two rivers. The Dzong has withstood damage from fire, earthquake and flood over the centuries. Drive to charming Paro. Stay in Paro for 2 nights.

Hike to the famous Tiger’s Nest Temple. After lunch, we drive up the valley to Drukgyel Dzong, built in 1647 by the Shabdrung to commemorate the Bhutanese victory over the Tibetans in the war of 1644. En route visit Kyichu Lhakhang, built in the 7th century, then visits to the National Museum, and Paro Dzong, built in 1646. Overnight in Paro.

Morning flight back to Kolkata, India. On arrival we’ll be met and transferred to our hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.

Our homeward bound journey starts today.