Bhutan International Marathon Travel Package Itinerary Land Dates in Bhutan: February 18-28, 2014

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1 Travel Itinerary

2 Bhutan International Marathon Travel Package Itinerary Land Dates in Bhutan: February 18-28, 2014 (these dates do NOT include your personal travel time to and from Paro, Bhutan) IMPORTANT NOTE: You must plan your travel to arrive in Paro, Bhutan on or before February 18, We will help you with this planning. BOOK this trip! Day 1, Tuesday, February 18: Arrival to Paro, Bhutan, and Transport to Paro Hotel. If the skies are clear you ll be treated to some breath taking views of the highest peaks in the world including Mt. Everest, Makalu and beautiful Kanchenjunga. Paro stands at 7,500 ft. above sea level. You ll be met by our Bhutanese hosts who will transfer you to our hotel in Paro. After lunch you ll have the day free to wander, go for a run, do some shopping or rest. Dinner and overnight in Paro with our group. February 18 Summary: Airport pick up - transport to Hotel, Paro Lunch in Paro Hotel in Paro Dinner in Paro Day 2, Wednesday, February 19: Puja ceremony at a monastery in Paro, travel to Thimphu and tour of Tashichho Dzong. We ll start the day perched atop one of the lovely Paro Valley peaks with a morning Puja ceremony with the monks at a Paro monastery for a safe trip and successful race. We ll then travel to the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu in time for lunch and an afternoon tour of the Dzong and shopping. The Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu is a Buddhist monastery and fortress and houses not only the King s office and throne room but Bhutan s civil government. The Dzong sits right next to the King s Palace. Welcome dinner and local music and dancing for our group - with Terri Schneider and members of the Bhutan Olympic Committee. February 19 Summary:

3 Breakfast in Paro Lunch in Thimphu Celebration Dinner with local entertainment in Thimphu w/terri and members of the BOC Hotel in Thimphu Day 3, Thursday, February 20: Travel to Punakha via a stop at the Dochula Memorial Site. Afternoon excursion to Punakha Dzong. The most well known pass in Bhutan, Dochula Pass is located about 30 km away from the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu. The 108 chortens at Dochula were built by one of the Queen Mother s to honor the Bhutanese soldiers who were killed when fighting the Indian rebels in Though Bhutanese have wanted to build these chortens to mark the victory of the Bhutanese army, the King has rejected this offer and instead uses the chortens to commemorate the deceased. The Punakha Dzong, the palace of great happiness or bliss is the second oldest and second largest Dzong in Bhutan and one of its most majestic. The Dzong is located at the confluence of the Pho Chhu (father) and Mo Chhu (mother) rivers in the Punakha Wangdue valley and was the auspicious location for the marriage of the Fifth (current) King. It is also the location for the finish line of the Bhutan International Marathon as well as our Awards Celebration! February 20 Summary: Breakfast in Thimphu Drive to Punakha via Dochula Memorial Lunch in Punakha Dinner in Punakha Hotel in Punakha Day 4, Friday, February 21: THE KING S BIRTHDAY (national holiday February 21-23). Gasa Takin Festival with Option to Camp in Gasa near the hotsprings. Gasa Dzongkhag is located in the north western part of Bhutan and near the start line of the Bhutan International Marathon. It is the least populated district in the country, but the richest in terms of medicinal plants and temperate biodiversity. The district is famous for having many hot springs! During the Takin Festival in Gasa nomads from afar gather for this community celebration. Watch skilled nomadic herders in their traditional dress as they weave tents, blankets, rugs and

4 bags from raw material culled by shearing yaks. You might also like the demonstrations of local work, which includes the much photographed conical hats that are a specialty of the region. Enjoy rich meals derived from yak meat and dairy, and try chugos, the dried and hardened cubes of yak cheese that are a popular snack. Learn about some of the environmental issues gripping the region or catch a high altitude screening of a documentary film about the Takins and the issues undermining their survival and habitat. You have the option to camp in Gasa to continue the festival celebration with bonfires, song and dance, or return to our hotel in Punakha. February 21 Summary: Breakfast in Punakha Travel to Takin Festival, Gasa Picnic Lunch in Gasa Dinner in Punakha or Picnic Dinner in Gasa Hotel in Punakha or Camping in Gasa Day 5, Saturday, February 22: Pre-race briefing and packet pick up at 10:00 AM in Punakha with the Bhutan Olympic Committee. If you camped in Gasa, you ll have breakfast in Gasa before getting an early start back to Punakha for our race briefing. Day of rest and prep for the race OR if you are feeling restless, there are several short cultural excursions we can take!. February 22 Summary: Breakfast in Punakha or in our Gasa camp Lunch in Punakha Dinner in Punakha Hotel in Punakha Day 6, Sunday, February 23: Bhutan International Marathon and Half Marathon! For the first annual Bhutan International Marathon event the Bhutan Olympic Committee and the county and citizens of Punaka are honored to host you for this unique event. Our event will be capped off with an Awards Celebration and Dinner right at the stunning Punakha Dzong. February 23 Summary:

5 EARLY Breakfast in Punakha Travel to Finish Line at Punakha Dzong by 6:00-6:30 AM Shuttle busses leave to the start line at 6:00 AM and 6:30 AM Both races start at 7:30 AM Lunch at Punakha Hotel after the race 6:00 PM Event Awards Ceremony and Dinner, traditional dance, music and entertainment at the majestic Punakha Dzong. Hotel in Punakha Day 7, Monday, February 24: Short morning walk to Khamsum Yulley Temple. Half day Rafting Excursion (Optional) in Punakha. The rest of the afternoon to rest, recover or shop! We ll start our day with a brief trek to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Temple which stands majestically on a strategic ridge above the Punakha valley. It is a splendid example of Bhutan s fine architectural and artistic traditions and the only one of its kind in the world. Built over a period of 9 years, Bhutanese craftsmen including carpenters, painters, and sculptors consulted holy scriptures rather than engineering manuals, to construct this four-story temple. Offered by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, this temple is dedicated for the well being of the kingdom and the benefit of all sentient beings. In the early afternoon we ll raft a gentle river admiring the scenery and birds while running a few small yet exciting rapids. We ll drift past the imposing 17th century Punakha Dzong watching world s rarest bird, the white belled Heron in its natural habitat and Kingfishers frolicking on riverbank - all these topped off with spectacular sight of serene lush green alpine valleys. No rafting experience is required. February 24 Summary: Breakfast in Punakha Morning Excursion to Khamsum Yulley Temple Picnic Lunch Half Day Rafting Excursion Dinner in Punakha Hotel in Punakha BOOK this trip!

6 Day 8, Tuesday, February 25: Travel to Thimphu - Sightseeing and touring in Thimphu. Lots of sight seeing options in Thimphu! In-town options include a visit to the 169 foot Buddha Dordenma, the largest upright Buddha in the world, perched overlooking the entire Thimphu valley and the National Memorial Chorten built in 1974 in honor of the late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. Or, visit the National Library, stocked with ancient Buddhist manuscripts, and the Painting School where traditional art is still kept alive through instructions in the art of painting Thangkas (sacred Buddhist religious scrolls). After lunch, you can check out the Traditional Medicine Institute where medicines are prepared according to ancient practices, and to Lungtenzampa to observe the Royal silversmiths and a Bhutanese paper factory at work. Other highlights include a visit to the Handicrafts Emporium followed by shopping for souvenirs in the shops of Thimphu. Celebration Dinner in Thimphu at ZaSa Restaurant with Terri and overnight at the hotel in Thimphu. February 25 Summary: Breakfast in Punakha Lunch in Thimphu Celebration Dinner in Thimphu at Terri s favorite - ZaSa restaurant Hotel in Thimphu Day 9, Wednesday, February 26: Full Day Sightseeing and touring in Thimphu including the Tango and Cheri Monasteries and the Dechenphu Lhakhang Temple, an important spiritual guardian of the Bhutanese people. Whatever you didn t get to see yesterday we ll try and take in today as well as visiting two very auspicious monasteries and a temple up valley. After a drive to the end of the Valley we ll do a short trek up to the Tango and Cheri Monasteries. According to local legend, the location of the Tango monastery is the holy place where Avalokiteshvara revealed himself as "the self-emanated form of the Wrathful Hayagriva". The location had been

7 prophesised in Tibet. This monastery was founded in the 13th century. Just a short trek across the way the Chagri Dorjeden Monastery or the "Cheri Monastery" was established in 1620 and is now a major teaching and retreat center. According to Bhutanese religious histories, the place was first visited by Padmasambhava in the 8th century. In the 13th century it was visited by Phajo Drugom Zhigpo the Tibetan Lama who first established the Drukpa Kagyu tradition in Bhutan. On our way back we ll stop off at the a spiritual hot spot, the Dechenphu Lhakhang Temple, an important spiritual guardian of the Bhutanese people. February 26 Summary: Breakfast in Thimphu Lunch in Thimphu Dinner in Thimphu Hotel in Thimphu Day 10, Thursday, February 27: Excursion to Taktsang Monastery, Paro Today we ll experience one of the highlights of your trip in Bhutan with an excursion to view the spectacular Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) Monastery. After breakfast in Thimphu we ll drive through Paro to Satsam Chorten and from there a do a two hour trek up to the viewpoint of the monastery. The trail climbs through beautiful pine forest, many of the trees festooned with Spanish moss, and an occasional grove of fluttering prayer flags. We stop for a rest and light refreshments at the Taktsang Jakhang (tea house) and then walk a short distance until we see, clearly and seemingly within reach, Taktshang Monastery. The first part was built around Guru Rimpoche s meditation cave in the 1684 by the Penlop of Paro, Gyaltse Tenzin Rabgay. This incredible monastery clings to the edge of a sheer rock cliff that plunges 900 meters into the valley below. Legend has it that Guru Padmasambhava (Guru Rimpoche), the tantric mystic who brought Buddhism to Bhutan, flew here on the back of a flying tiger, Dorji Drolo, said to be his favorite consort. Lunch is served at the completion of the trek. Drive back to Thimphu to spend the rest of the afternoon resting, sightseeing or shopping. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Thimphu. February 27 Summary:

8 Breakfast in Thimphu Tea at Taktseng Overlook Picnic lunch at finish of Taktseng trek Dinner in Thimphu Hotel in Thimphu Day 11, Friday, February 28: Paro Departures March 2 Summary: Breakfast in Thimphu Transport to Airport Click here to BOOK this trip! Booking Terms & Cancellation Policy Cancellation: A full refund can be given if cancellation is made on or before November 1, A 50% refund can be given if cancellation is received between November 1 and December 31, There are no refunds available after January 1, Tashi Delek! Please contact terri@terrischneider.net with any questions. We look forward to meeting you in Bhutan.