“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 to each other and was also the route that monks took to travel from one district to another. 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 16 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. As Sam Blyth, the founder of the Bhutan Canada Foundation rightly said in his commencement speech, “Sixty years is a short time in our natural history, but an age in the life of a trail.” The task of restoring this extremely important route was done by highly skilled experts and 900 volunteers, or as they are known in Bhutan. Dressed in orange jumpsuits, they are ready to help anyone who are on the trail. I fell down twice while hiking, and almost instantly a makeshift stick was handed over to me along with motivating words!
