Thimphu Bhutan

Why Thimphu is unique?

The answers are, Thimphu is one of the youngest capital cities in the world. It has the reputation of being the only capital city with no traffic lights. It has only one long street and two half streets and most people are still foreign to the street names. And it has only one commercial swimming pool.

Thimphu has grown since 1950s when the third king decided to move the capital permanently here. It has grown from few buildings to the most populated city in Bhutan and currently it houses over 80000 people. It has become the dream of the most of the rural Bhutanese people to settle there. It is the home to the richest people in Bhutan. Most of the people living here are civil servants, business people and students.

There are lots of interesting things to do in Thimphu.

Walk down to the national stadium and witness the archery match. Be careful, if you are watching this game for the first time, you will wonder where they are shooting at if you are at one end and if you are at the other end you will wonder to whom they are shouting at.

Drive little bit towards the west and meet the takins, the national animal of Bhutan, with its unique features, it is an animal unique to Bhutan.

It is also interesting to visit the painting school or called as the school of thirteen arts and crafts. Bhutanese houses are decorated with beautiful paintings, and the dzongs or fortress are the most beautiful architecture wonders of the country. Dzongs are the best places to see all those thirteen arts and crafts. Painting school is the best place to learn about those architectural wonders.

Do not miss the Tashichoedzong, headquarter of the country. It is the biggest building in Thimphu. It houses the office of the King, some ministers and also the residence of the chef spiritual leader and the monks in summer.

It is also interesting to stall around the town and visit some shops. Almost all the shops sell the same thing, but I think the businesses are done based on relationships.

There lots of restaurants in the town. They serve all kinds of food, Chinese, Indians, Thai, Japanese and Bhutanese.

If you want to try Bhutanese, be careful what you are ordering, do not except to eat Bhutanese food without chilies. By the way, chilies cheese is the national dish.

For the nocturnals, there are few night clubs which are opened on Wednesdays and week days. Most of bars and restaurants are open till 11pm.

There are lots of day hikes in and around Thimphu.

Hike to Phajoding and to the lake of Dungtsho. It is quit challenging as it is steep uphill, but it is an opportunity to go above tree level in a short period of time. The round trip will take about 10 hours.

Drive for about 17km and hike to the Buddhist University at Tango. It has the most beautiful paintings and wood carvings. Or hike to the meditation centre at Cheri. The Shabdruing Ngawang Namgyel, the lama who founded Bhutan started his first monastic school in this place with 60 monks in 1623.

Thimphu with the construction boon, it has become the fastest growing city in the world.

Phajoding Temple

Archery