Eastern Bhutan

Eastern Bhutan is a region in Bhutan.

Cities

• 1 Dewathang - a small hill-station like town
• 2 Khaling
• Khoma - a small town in Lhuentse famous for its high standard and distinctive woven cloth
• 3 Lhuentse — the administrative capital of Lhuentse District - besides the dzong, not much to see.
• 4 Mongar
• 5 Samdrup Jongkhar - entry point for people entering or exiting Bhutan to/from Assam.
• 6 Trashigang
• 7 Tashiyangtse
• 8 Wamrong

Other destinations

• 1 Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary
• Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary
• 2 Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary
• 3 Singye Dzong - a sacred valley and monastery founded by Yeshi Tsogyal and visited by Guru Rinpoche on his second visit to Bhutan - a two-day walk from Khoma.

Understand

The predominant ethnic group in Eastern Bhutan are Sharchops, who are generally followers of the Nyingma tradition of Buddhism and tend to be shorter and stockier than people in other parts of the country. Another characteristic of Eastern Bhutan is that the cities and towns are generally built on mountain slopes, a notable exception being Samdrup Jongkhar which is in a valley on the Indian border.

Lhuentse District is one of Bhutan's remotest and least developed districts, and the landscape in the north is dominated by the Himalayas. The district is famous for its beautiful and intricate woven cloth. There are no shops selling it, but no doubt pieces can be bought by visiting the houses of weavers - the village of Khoma is an especially good place to look.

Talk

Sharchopkha is the predominant language of the region, though there are local variations.

Get in

By plane

• Yongphula Airport in Trashigang. Drukair operate flights from Paro (45 minutes) every Tu, Th, and Su. However, due to the swift changing weather conditions at Yongphula, the airport has a high rate of flight cancellations, and so it is recommended to check flight updates before leaving for the airport.

By bus

• From Thimphu, crossing the border with India at Samdrup Jongkhar, or via Bumthang.

See

• Aja Nye - AH is a sacred Buddhist symbol and nye means 100. The name is derived from the 100 AH symbols that miraculously appeared on the walls of the cave. Guru Rinpoche practiced meditation here, and it is a major pilgrimage site. Aja-nye is a one day walk from Yadi.
• Bhangtar, Samdrup Jonghhar - an area inhibited by many Bhutanese of Nepalese origin. The clean river and wide valley offer a good place for a picnic and swimming (though not in the rainy season).
• Chorten Kora, Tashiyagtese - an impressive stupa similar to the famous Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu.
• Omba Nye Tashiyangtse District - a sacred site blessed by Guru Rinpoche - a self arisen OM can be seen in the rockface.
• Rufous-necked Hornbill (Aceros nipalensis) is a common site in the district, especially around Bhangtar.
• Sherabtse College. Kanglung - the country's highest institute of education. 
• Takila Statue A 48-m-high bronze statue of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), Takila, Lhuentse District
• Tashigang dzong, Trashigang - a traditional dzong perched on a hill top
• Yongla Gompa is a famous monastery perched high above the village of Oron in Samdrup Jongkhar.

Do

• Chorten Kora Tshechu (festival), two weeks in mid-April

Buy

• Cane baskets and other cane products (ringshu) from Pasaphu village in Thrimshing district.
• Hand made wooden bowls (dappa) are a wonderful and practical souvenir. The halves of the bowl fit tightly together, so they can be used to carry cooked food, which is their function in Bhutan. However, they also make excellent salad or cookie bowls. Dappa are a specialty of the Trashi Yagtse region, and it is possible to purchase them directly from the workshops of dappa makers.
• Woven items from the National Women's Weaving Center in Khaling

Drink

The local drinks (home-brewed) available are (majority)ara, singchang, bangchang

The Government's breweries in Samdrup Jongkhar (Eastern Bhutan), Gelephu (Southern Bhutan) and Samtse (Southern Bhutan) are whiskey, rum, brandy and gin.

In central Bhutan, peach and apple Brandies are available too.

The beers (made in Bhutan) are Druk 11000 and Red Panda.

Indian drinks such as Hit Beer, Dansberg beer, Figuera red wine and Spry Red wine are also available at subsidised (by Indian Government) prices.

Overall, drinks are available literally everywhere with a majority of shops being "bar-shops".

At the main hospital (JDWNRH) in Thimphu, Bhutan, 80% of the deaths are attributed to alcohol (not including collateral damages such as drunk driving, murders under the influence).