ganesh sankaran

I went to Bhutan through OHOT from Oct 29 to Nov 5. This was my 2nd trip through OHOT. Bhutan was in my bucket list for long time, and I finally made it. A big shout out to OHOT for sharing all the details in advance and planning all the arrangements judiciously – the hotels that we stayed were very comfortable; the itinerary wasn’t tightly packed – we got to visit a lot of key places and at the same time had an opportunity to unwind and spend time for ourselves. Coming to the group experience, one of the many positive aspects about travelling is that you get an opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds. Surprisingly, when you get to know them, you realize that you have a lot in common. Our group had strangers from different cities, different educational backgrounds & professions, diverse age groups & yet we bonded like we had known each other for years. We played Mafia together, we opened up and had heart to heart conversations late night, visited cafes & monasteries together, tried Bhutan’s traditional attire, went to Karaoke night, sang & danced together. I still can’t believe that I went ahead and sang a song on stage at a café in Thimpu (That is so unusual of me given that I am not a good singer & no one asked me to do it. Also, I take my time to get comfortable around new people & surroundings but trips like these bring out a different side of you). In the end, none of us remained a stranger and were more comfortable with each other. It was interesting to get to know about the history of picturesque places & culture in Bhutan – be it the Buddha Point, Takin Sanctuary, Suspension Bridge or the Dzongs. The trek to Tiger Nest Monastery in the hills of Paro was one of the highlights of the trip. But one thing that really stood out to me was how Bhutan was well balanced & peaceful. Before the trip, I underestimated Bhutan to be a remote country with only monks & monasteries. But the country has some good city vibes too with neat cafes & restaurants- especially places like Thimpu town & Paro. We also had an opportunity to try Bhutanese cuisine & also got easy access to Indian food if needed. On most cases, the people in Bhutan are friendly & welcoming and are always ready to strike conversations with you. Our local guide Tenzing Tax was one of the kind-hearted people I have met in my life. He was very friendly, always had a positive vibe and you can literally have conversations with him from wide range of topics – be it Bhutan’s culture, movies, relationships & life. I was surprised to know that he was a big fan of Bollywood & South Indian films. Finally, special kudos to our trip leader Anjali who led the trip with so much energy & enthusiasm. She is always open to having conversations and makes sure that everyone on the trip is happy & having a good time. She kept the group engaged with a lot of random games & fun activities, which turned out to be great memories from the trip. She was always excited about singing, dancing & exploring new places, which also pushed us to be more engaged as a group. She did all this despite handling a lot of things at the backend, so we could have a good time. She was more of a friend than a trip leader. Would definitely love to travel in a group again where Anjali is leading. As someone who has travelled with them twice, I would recommend OHOT if you are looking for a fun experience & like meeting new people. Looking forward to more trips & memories through OHOT in future.