The altitude of Punakha is about 4,000 feet with a small population of about 7000 people living in the area. Punakha is the administrative centre of Bhutan & was the capital of Bhutan till 1955 before the capital moved to Thimphu. Thimphu is the nearest city to Punakha at a driving distance of about 3 hours. The two main rivers of Punakha are Pho Chu & Mo Chu, Mo Chu river is famous for River rafting & one of the prime attractions of this place. Dzongkha is the local language of Bhutan & is widely used in this area. Punakha is warmer than Thimphu. Wangdue (full name Wangdue Phodrang) is a town about 30 minutes driving distance away from Punakha and is the closest town of Punakha. Punakha is not as modern as Thimphu, the area has a laid back and relaxed attitude to it.
The nearest airport to Punakha is Paro Airport which is about 3.5 hours drive. To enter Punakha tourists need a permit from Thimpu immigration office, so visitors can not travel directly to Punakha from Paro.
Punakha Dzong (administrative centre of Punakha District) is the main attraction of the area. The Picture-perfect Dzong (fort in local language) is on the cover of every tourism material promoting Bhutan and is easily recognisable. Mo Chu River rafting, Punakha Suspension Bridge, Chimi Lhakhang (Buddhist Monestry) are other attractions.
The average temperature in Punakha varies between 15-16 degree centigrade during winter and 29-32 degrees during summer.
The journey started more than a decade ago when a financial consultant, a social activist and a biology researcher came together to start a business in tourism that none of them knew about. But travel is something they loved and enjoyed, and so they decided to change the paradigms in their own way. And they remarked “travel is more than a profession, it’s a passion”. Read More [+]
