Bhutan visa fee has been increased for 2013 according to the updated information from the Department of Immigration’s Rules and Regulation 2012, Annexure III, the rvised Bhutan Visa Fee is as follows:
1, Visa Fee
Single entry visa fee: US$40
Double entry visa fee: US$80
Triple entry visa fee: US$120
Multiple entry visa fee: US$200
2, Visa Renewal Fee:
Up-to three months: Nu.1000
Up-to six months: Nu.2000
Up-to one year: Nu.4000
The above revised visa fee and visa renewal fee are applicable for the visas processed starting from 1st January 2013
2013 Saga dawa festival is on May 25th 2013 in Gregorian calendar; it is suggested to arrive at Tarpoche for the ceremony of replacing and erecting flag pole before 10:00am.
The trek for Kailash Cora shall begin to Drira Phuk monastery after this festival ceremony in Tarpoche
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The most convenient city of going to Tibet across China is Chengdu. Previously for visiting Tibet, European visitors have to fly to Beijing or shanghai first, and then by china domestic flight to Chengdu and for the continuing flight to Tibet; this has made the travel costs much higher than other tours of china, and it also costs more hours in the air for getting into Tibet and leaving for return; after having the first direct Chengdu & Europe flight of Chengdu to Amsterdam; a new direct europe Chengdu flight will be open soon; On 2012, December 20th, British Airways announced that a direct flight between Chengdu and London will be opened since the next September; following that, Sichuan airline is planning to open a Chengdu to Paris direct flight in the next June; all those flights between Chengdu and Amsterdam, London, Paris takes about 10 -11 hours, it is at least 6 hours minimum shorter than the flight via Beijing or Shanghai; and it helps to make easy access to both Tibet and the other minority regions of southwest of China, such as Miao people in Guizhou, Bai people and Thai people in Yunnan province; and it is more easy to make a visit to Kham and Amdo
2013 Bhutan Festivals have been updated with its dates, please downlaod at: Bhutan Festival Dates 2013, a fast an easy way to find the right Bhutan Festival for you.
Today, hermits are gradually returning to the caves of Drak Yerpa, and its shrines are being restored from the horrible damage of Cultural Revolution in 1960’s of 20thcentury.
Drak Yerpa, seeing from the road to this site
Built on a hillside with more than 80 meditation caves, This site is about 25km east of Lhasa located on the mountain seated south bank of Lhasa River , and being described as the “life tree” or spiritual axis of Lhasa.
full view of drak yerpa caves and temples
The road to Drak Yerpa has been rebuilt which are all well paved road from Lhasa to the parking lot
the curved road leads to Drak Yerpa
It was the home of several hundred hermits, monks, and nuns, and having been visited by Songsten Gampo, Yeshe Tsoygel, Padmasambhava and Asisha.
Lhalungpa’s meditation cave
Mr. Tucci described this site: “Drak Yerpa appeared suddenly before my eyes as a bend of the road, a cascade of small white buildings along steep overgrown cliffs. One could have thought one was not in Tibet. Giant junipers and tufts of rhododendron topped a thick tangle of undergrowth, brushwood and grass victoriously fighting the hard barrenness of rocks.
The cliffs were riddled with burrows and caves, some of which were so high up on the fact of the abrupt hill that it would have been risky to climb them.”
praying Wheel
Among the caves on the hillside is Chogyel Puk, where Songsten Gampo meditated.
Chogyel Puk, where Songsten Gampo meditated
Nearby is Lhakhang Puk, where the monk Lhalungpa Pelgi Dorje (now identified with Tulsi Rimpoche of Tupten Choling monastery in nepal) hid after assassinating the Bonpo king Langdama in 842.
