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Stranded in the streets of Bhutan!
We reached New Jalpaiguri by 2 am and we were taken aback by the weather there. The temperature was less than 5 degree C and the whole station was covered in fog. We really enjoyed the sight.
We were shivering and had to quickly put on our heavy woolens and winter jackets. Gloves are a necessity there during winters. There was nothing much we could do at 2 am. So we spent time in the waiting room at the railway station.
By 5 am we decided to move on. We hailed an auto from the railway station and made the short trip to Siliguri. We were charged Rs 100 for the 8 km trip. We found out that the government of Bhutan runs a bus from Siliguri to the border town of Bhutan, Phuentsholing.
• Airfare for Rs 599 and less!
Our journey to Bhutan on the Bhutan Transport Corporation's bus, took five hours. The area was very scenic and it was a pleasure seeing hundreds of tea estates on the way. But I must say that the bus journey was bone shattering!
We reached Phuentsholing by 12 pm. Bhutan time is half an hour ahead of Indian standard time. Indians who do not have a passport require a permit from the Indian embassy in Phuentsholing.
The permit is issued after the officer checks the Indian's identity card (voter's id, driving license, etc). This permit has to be produced before the Bhutanese Visa officer and he issues a travel permit for seven to 30 days depending on the purpose of travel of the applicant.
For Indians with a valid passport, there are no hassles. We went to the Bhutan Immigration officer and filled up the visa application forms. We had to submit two photos along with our passports and application forms. We got our one-month tourist visa by 2 pm.
We started our journey to Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan, from Phuentsholing by 3 pm on a taxi. I would like to add that 90 per cent of the taxis in Bhutan are our very own Maruti Omnis. Our driver's name was Tashi and he spoke good Hindi. Our passports and visa were checked five times on the way.
Text and photograph: Carol Nettar
Also read: Bangalore to Wayanad: Six dudes hit NH 212!
Share YOUR travel stories and pix!Have you been to Bhutan? What was your favourite sight there? Where did you have the best meal? Do you have a hotel to recommend? Do post details on the message board below so other readers can benefit from your advice. Remember to add information on what was special about the restaurant, hotel or sight you visited, along with relevant telephone numbers and addresses.
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