Phuentsholing - Phuentsholing

Phuentsholing (ཕུན་ ཚོགས་ གླིང་ or also Phuntsholing) is a city of Western Bhutan.

To know

Phuentsholing is the entry point for travelers arriving by bus from Calcutta is Siliguri and the city functions primarily as a place where Bhutanese and Indians do business. The architecture is modern, and there is no dzong, famous monastery or anything of particular interest to tourists. However, like all of Bhutan, it offers a clean, pleasant and safe environment in which to get around.

The border between India and Bhutan in Phuntsholing clearly separates two very different peoples and cultures. Phuntsholing is uniquely more urban than other cities in Bhutan, as it is the financial, industrial and commercial capital of Bhutan. It has been influenced a little by the neighboring culture, but is definitely much quieter and more orderly than its neighbor.

Background

On April 5, 1964, reformist Prime Minister Jigme Dorji was assassinated in Phuntsholing by royalist cadres while the king fell ill in Switzerland. The Dorji family was subsequently placed under close surveillance.

Many of the Lotshampa who fled to Nepal after the ethnic cleansing by the Bhutanese government in the 1990s come from Phuentsholing and the surrounding rural area.

How to orient yourself

How to get

Until 2005, it was possible for foreign visitors to enter the city without a Bhutanese visa. Today with the exception of citizens Indians he was born in Bangladesh, this is no longer possible. In any case, anyone without a permit is denied entry outside this city.

The entrance gate to the city is manned by the Indian army and the Bhutanese army guards.

The information below is only relevant for guests or NGOs with visa issuing documents. Bhutan does not handle a visa upon arrival and visitors who do not have proper documentation will be denied entry.

1. Receive the exit stamp from the Indian immigration office - located near the cinema hall (there is a fork when entering the city marked with a statue). Immigration is in a short street on the left.
2. Show visa issuing documents to Bhutanese border guards upon entering the country.
3. Present your visa documents, passport, photograph and a USD 20 visa fee at the immigration office just inside the Bhutan gate. A visa will be issued according to the length specified in the settlement document.

On the train

The nearest train station to Phuentsholing is located at Hasimara, about 30 minutes by bus.

The new station of Jalpaiguri to Siliguri is four hours away, but the journey offers more amenities and is the preferred option for travelers arriving in Bhutan by train.

By bus

• From Calcutta - The government of Bhutan operates a direct service from Calcutta to Phuentsholing, with buses departing from Esplanade Bus Station at 7am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with the return trip from Bhutan Post's Phuentsholing office at 3pm: 00 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The trip takes about 18-25 hours (pending road works) and costs 350 Nu. The buses are comfortable, but since much of the highway it crosses the West Bengal it's like the surface of the moon, don't expect to sleep too much along the way.
• From Siliguri - There are two paths. One is via Sevak Bridge and the other passes through Alipurduar is Hasimara. It is best to take the second route if you are prone to motion sickness as a condition of this road, which is part of the main highway between Siliguri and Guwahati, is better. Government buses of Bhutan depart daily from Siliguri Bus Station on Hill Cart Road at 07:30 and 13:30. Tickets can be purchased at the bus station, but the bus leaves from across Hill Cart Road. Before entering Bhutan, non-Indians must receive an exit stamp in their passports at the Indian Immigration Office. Therefore, when passengers get off at the main stop of Jaygaon, move your luggage from the roof into the bus and ask the driver to let you go to the Indian immigration office. It is a short walk from there to the Bhutan gate.

How to get around

The city center can be easily explored on foot.

By taxi

There are many taxis for trips out of town.

What see

• I love Chuu. The crocodile breeding center on the banks of the river behind the bus station. Crocodiles are bred to be released in a nature reserve. 
• Bhutan Gate. Border gate where there isn't much to see, but sets the scene for a good first photograph for your photo album in Bhutan. 
• Nature. The natural beauties of the surroundings are a real attraction for visitors. 
• Chukha hydrothermal project. In the area there are several hydroelectric power transmission plants from Bhutan toIndia. Some of these factories have been the subject of bomb attacks since 2003 by the guerrillas of the illegal Bhutanese Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist). 
• Zangtho Pelri Lhakhang (Town center). This temple represents Guru Rinpoche's paradise. On the ground floor there are statues of eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche and paintings on the life of the Buddha while the next floor contains eight Bodhisattavas and statues of Avalokiteshvara and Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. On the top floor, there is a main statue of Amitabha. 
• Karbandi Monastery (Reachable by taxi that will wait for you to return). After an Indian pilgrim became pregnant after praying at this monastery for conception, the temple has become a regular stopover for couples wishing to have children. For those who have no parental ambitions, the view from the monastery over Phuentsholing and the Bengal plain is still worth the trip. The monastery is located a short distance above the city. 
• Gumba. Famous temple of Lord Budhha in the residence of the royal family. 

Events and parties

What to do

Shopping

Phuentsholing has no artisan souvenir shops, so it is advisable to shop before arriving in this city which for many represents the end of the visit of the country.

The city has a good selection of supermarkets, electrical and computer shops, as well as a fresh vegetable market.

How to have fun

Where to eat

Being on the border Indian, the city has a great selection of Indian restaurants.

Bhutanese are generally very liberal consumers of alcohol. No wonder then that alcohol is cheap and readily available in the city's countless bars. You can choose from a wide range of brands of whiskey, rum, brandy, gin, and a strange green mixture called sonfy that it would be wise to avoid. Two whiskey brands, Special Courier and CSJ, made with Scottish malt, are actually quite enjoyable. Other internationally recognized brands of alcohol are also available in some of the most renowned water wells, such as the bars of the Hotel Kuenga and the Hotel Druk-Bhutan, located in Dhamidhara, half a mile from the din of the main market.

Average prices

• Pastry Shop (Located in the Tashi shopping complex), ☎ 975 5 252246. This bakery offers a good selection of sweets and pastries. 
• Galing Hotel (Located opposite the Bhutan Hotel), ☎ 975 5 252-387. Galing offers excellent Indian vegetarian cuisine at reasonable prices. 

Where stay

Moderate prices

• Central Hotel, PO Box 248, ☎ 975 5 252-172, @[email protected]. Single without TV: 325 Nos., Deluxe single: 450 Nos., Standard double: 550 Nos., Deluxe double: 650 Nos.. As the name suggests, this old hotel is right in the center of the city; popular for business travel. 
• Peljorling hotel, PO Box 149 (Close to the Bhutan Gate), ☎ 975 5 252-833. Single: 450 Nu., Double: 550 Nu.. 
• Bhutan hotels (Central), ☎ 975 5 252-576. Single: 300 Nu., Double: 450 Nu.. A modern hotel. 
• Kuenga hotels, PO Box 62 (Located right in the center of the city), ☎ 975 5 252-293. Single: 300 Nu., Double: 450 Nu.. One of the original hotels in town. Dull and dramatically in need of a lick of paint, but it offers at least the basic amenities: hot water and TV. 

Average prices

• Hotel Bhutan Residence (A 10 minute walk from the border gate), ☎ 975 5 253688, 975 5 253689, fax: 975 5 253690, @[email protected]. 850/2000 No.. This new hotel features contemporary interiors, modern amenities and business facilities. The rooms are fully furnished with stylish modern amenities and A / C. 
• Midpoint Hotel (In Dhamdara), ☎ 975 5 254903, 975 17616379 (mobile). 770/2000 No.. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city with swimming pool, restaurant and bar. 
• Druk-Bhutan hotels (In Dhamdara), ☎ 975 5 254451, 975 5 254496, 975 5 251163, 975 17110318 (mobile), 975 17110140 (mobile). Pleasant and away from the city center. Overlooking the Toorsa river with garden and mini-pool. 
• Druk Hotel (Located near the Gate of Bhutan, on the right when entering the city from Jaygaon). The largest in the city and one of the leading tourist hotels with a patio to sit outside. 
• Namgay hotels, PO Box 99, Tharpai Lam (Central), ☎ 975 5 252-374, @[email protected]. Standard: 1.100 / 1.300 Nu., Deluxe: 2.000 / 2.500 Nu.. A pleasant hotel. 
• Lhaki Hotel, PO Box 187 (Located just above the city area), ☎ 975 5 257-111, @[email protected]. Single 1.800 Nu.. A large tourist hotel. 

Safety

How to keep in touch

Internet

Connections to Phuentsholing are not fast, but one of the best places is Phajoding located on the second floor on the main road leading to the Bhutan gate, opposite the entrance to the Hotel Druk. International calls and internet service are much cheaper in India, then you may want to consider crossing over Jaygaon to keep in touch.

Around

• Thimphu is Paro - There are daily buses and shared taxi services to visit these two locations. If you are using your own vehicle, try the dam view restaurant at Gedu.

Useful information

• Tourist information office (In the Bhutan Post building), ☎ 975 5 251-393. 

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Phuentsholing
• Commons contains images or other files on Phuentsholing

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