A photographic tour of Bhutan (Part 2)

on the road

Aug 15

Explore Landscapes #92

Part 2 of my Bhutan photo tour In June 2019. It was an amazing journey to an incredible country and I'll be sharing some of my images over the coming weeks.

Buddha Point, Thimphu, Bhutan | © 2019 Jon Norris

We started the second day of our tour by driving up to Buddha Point, located high up on the tallest hill overlooking the capital city of Thimphu.

Looking down towards Thimphu from Buddha Point, Bhutan | © 2019 Jon Norris

The enormous Buddha statue that sits atop the main temple can be clearly seen from miles around as it glistens in the sun.

The adjacent buildings feature ornate roof carvings of dragon heads and brightly colored banners and drapes that are wrapped around each of the tiered roof layers.

After enjoying our time at Buddha Point, we spent an hour or so in the bus to make our way up to the Dochula Pass in Punakha. We spent some time exploring the 144 Chorten that cover the crest of this pass. Each of the chorten are beautifully decorated.

Dochula Pass, Punakha, Bhutan | © 2019 Jon Norris

This was also our lunch stop and we enjoyed a delicious traditional meal in the restaurant at the pass.

Prayer Flags, Punakha, Bhutan | © 2019 Jon Norris

After lunch we continued downhill along roads adorned with prayer flags until er reached the impressive Punakha Dzong fortress that is located next to the river.

Punakha Dzong, Bhutan | © 2019 Jon Norris

Inside the Dzong’s walls are many beautifully decorated buildings featuring the traditional Bhutanese carved and colorful woodwork. It seems that nothing is left undecorated.

Everywhere you look there are beautiful architectural details like the golden doorways with carvongs above, large stairways, and multi-tiered roofs.

Our final stop of the day was the Punakha Suspension Bridge which features a single span of over meters/feet 590 ft (180 m) in length, making it one of the longest suspension bridges in the country.

Punakha Suspension Bridge, Bhutan | © 2019 Jon Norris

A walk across the bridge was not for the faint-hearted as it moved with each and every step you made.

Jon Norris https://jonnorrisphotog.com

A photographic tour of Bhutan (Part 2)

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