Today we leave Thimphu and drive to the old capital Punakha. Along the way we stop at Dochula Pass (3,048m). On a clear day, from here you can enjoy spectacular views of the eastern Himalayas, including Bhutan's highest mountain, Gangkar Puensum (7,550m). We also visit the lovely 108 Druk Wangyal Chortens (stupa).
We then descend through forest of hemlock and rhododendrons to the warm Punakha Valley. As we continue the short drive we pass by Lamperi and the Lamperi Botanical Park, whose surrounding forest is home to 29 of the 46 species of rhododendrons found in Bhutan.
After lunch we stop in Lobesa to visit the famous Chimi Lhakhang, a monastery which sits snugly on a hilltop and is dedicated to the divine madman, Lama Drukpa Kunley. It is also known as the Temple of Fertility, as it is a place of pilgrimage for childless couples. You can take an easy 20-minute walk through paddy fields and Sopsokha Village to the monastery, or drive along a dirt road to the base of the hill and take a short walk up. Spend time at the monastery and learn more about this great leader, who often used outrageous methods to convey Dharma teachings. You can also meet the young monks at the monastery and interact with them.
We then continue northwards along the river, passing rice paddies and the newly established town of Kuruthang. In the distance across the valley you will soon see the magnificent 17th century Punakha Dzong, where the royal wedding took place in 2011. We visit this amazing fortress that sits at the confluence of two rivers, the Mo Chhu (female) and the Pho Chhu (male), which are distinctive colours of green and blue. You can walk across the Punakha Zam, one of the best example of a 'bazam' (cantilever bridge) in the country. There is also a small museum which you can visit.
Punakha served as the capital of Bhutan from 1637 to 1907 and this lovely dzong is the second oldest and second largest in the country, and one of Bhutan's most majestic structures. It is contains the remains of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of Bhutan as well as a sacred relic known as the Ranjung Karsapani. This relic is a self-created image of Avalokiteswara (Compassion Buddha) that is said to have miraculously emerged from the vertebrae of Tsangpa Gyarey, the founder of the Drukpa School of Buddhism, when he was cremated.