WALKING THROUGH HISTORY

The Trans Bhutan Trail, recently reopened after 60 years, already tops the list for adventure and history seekers. JAPLEEN KAUR hikes a part of this ancient route and comes back with legendary stories and a renewed love for the country.

- JAPLEEN KAUR

I AM THANKING MY MOTHER a thousand times on getting back home," said Chimi, the 60-plus-year-old tourism guide. Years ago, her mom had walked a part of the trail to Punakha Valley from their farms in Paro, which took close to three days, while she was pregnant with Chimi, and a simple three-hour-long hike made us realise that it was no easy feat. Like her, most of the locals of Bhutan have grown up with tales surrounding the Trans Bhutan Trail. It was closed in the 1960s when Bhutan introduced its national road system, until September 2022. Almost six decades later, the people of Bhutan are taking to the trail again. Along with them are tourists who want to experience a slice of history.

Tourism in Bhutan opened on September 23, 2022 after a long pandemic lockdown. I was one of the first foreigners to enter the country. But what made it truly special was the reopened Trans Bhutan Trail. A 403-kilometre-long route that starts from the district of Haa in the west of Bhutan to Trashigang in the east, the trail connected different fortresses, called dzongs, to each other and was also the route that monks took to travel from one district to another. Garps or post messengers used the trail to carry messages and mail on foot, aiding in uniting many provinces, ultimately initiating the birth of Bhutan as a nation in 1907. Until 2020, the trail that dates back to the 16th century, was in ruins with overgrown flora, collapsed wooden bridges, and a highly treachorous terrain. The project envisioned by His Royal Highness, the fifth King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck came to life when the Bhutan Canada Foundation and Tourism Board of Bhutan joined hands.