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Before I deep-dive into your trip, let me say a few words about the trip arrangement. Firstly, how did we choose Bhutan? I’ve been to Nepal before and heard about Bhutan being an Asian Switzerland, so visiting this country was on my list a long time ago.

Secondly, we did not plan much, the travel agency did everything for us. We expressed our interest and the itinerary was adjusted based on our tastes. In addition, the itinerary was customized even more during the trip according to our desires. The guide was very attentive and helpful.

Lastly, our package included everything—three meals a day, a hotel, flight tickets, etc. We brought some money but barely spent any. Our main expenses were a few alcoholic drinks, which aren’t included, souvenirs, and generous tips for our amazing guide and driver.

I want to say a big thank you to Breathe Bhutan and personally to Sonam and Kuenga for our fantastic time in Bhutan!

Links to the next parts

• Bhutan, Day 2: Thimphu City and Fertility temple
• Bhutan, Day 3: Punakha
• Bhutan, Day 4: Phobjikha valley
• Bhutan, Day 5: Festival in the Phunaka fortress
• Bhutan, Day 6: Tiger Nest hike

Day one wasn’t full of events. There are only two flights per week from Singapore - on Thursday and Sunday. We did pick Sundays to save vacation days. On Sunday, around midday, we boarded the plane and prepared for the flight. The flight is about 6 hours with a short stop at the Indian city of Guwahati. The only notable thing in the airport is the air quality. Compare the below images from India:

And from Bhutan:

There is a visible difference, and both places are relatively nearby. It’s less than an hour from Bhutan.

The landing in Paro Valley is known for its complexity, and pilots have to undergo special training to be able to land planes there. As a passenger, I definitely experienced it. On the way to the airport, the plane makes multiple turns and you can see how close the mountains are.

After the landing, we entered the beautiful airport, which is built in a traditional Bhutanese architectural style. The small, intricate details are everywhere: from the baggage lane to the emigration counter.

After a smooth emigration clearing, we were greeted by our guides, who performed a quick, but lovely, welcome ceremony. They gave my wife a bouquet of flowers, a welcome scarf, and a bag with locally made gifts.

On the way to our first hotel, we had a quick stop by a local temple for a first glimpse of Bhutan. It was amazing - a fantastic landscape and a beautiful temple with a suspension bridge, covered by a hundred flags. Exactly at that space I really feel a sensation that’s an entire new world and an amazing adventure awaits.

After the temple, we went straight to Bhutan’s capital - Thimphu. You really expect capital to be something big and grand, but it’s not true for Thimphu. On a Western scale, it’s just a small town with a population of 100k, scattered in the mountains. The whole town is a low rise as Bhutan is considered to be a seismic-prone area. Also, Thimphu is a great place to contemplate the success of a unified design code imposed by the Bhutan government. Every building in the country is supposed to preserve traditional architectural values while enabling modern development. Thus, the town looks visually coherent, clean, and stunning. It’s just a pleasure to have a stroll around the central area, enjoying the buildings with beautiful paintings on them.

The first day ended with dinner with our guides and an office representative. The dinner was lovely and casual. I tried a Yak burger as well as local beer Red Panda, which I would definitely recommend to try if you’ll find one.