In the capital city of Thimphu, visit the Taschidzong,
the administrative and religious center of Bhutan, built on the right bank of
Thimphu Chu; the Memorial Chorten; the Drubthen
Gompa Nunnery; and artisan centers like the Painting
School and the Handicraft Emporium…Outside
of Thimphu, see Simthoka Dzong, the oldest of the
Dzongs, originally serving as a fortress to protect the region as well as being
the regional administrative center and the center for the monks' religious activity.
Simthoka now houses a traditional Bhutanese school…continue
to Punakha Valley, the winter capital of Bhutan for
300 years…drive down into the lovely valley of Wangdiphodrang,
the gateway to central Bhutan…continue over the Black
Mountain Range to the village of Nobdong…see the black-necked cranes
in Gangtay…in Bhumthang,
tour Jakar Dzong, the "castle of the White Swan"
and Jambo Lhakhang, believed to be the first temple
built in Bhutan…stroll the grounds and study the architecture of Tongsa,
home of the largest dzong in Bhutan.
