The tiny bordering town of Phuentsholing opposite the much larger Jaigaon, which is a congested, noisy settlement. One can click a selfie with the Bhutan gate in this small region.

This town is clean and much organized as per its neighboring big cities. With usually a night stay, travellers here take interesting snapshots of backstreet bazaars. As opposed to the other towns in Bhutan that offer beautiful landscapes, Phuentsholing offers spectacular harmony between the Nepalese, Bhutanese and Indian culture. There seems to be a perfect blend of traditions, modern life, and culture.

Phuentsholing is the Gateway to the famous Bhutan’s Tiger’s Nest. 

On your trip to Phuentsholing, Bhutan places to visit are:

Zangto Pelri Lhakhang- This complex houses the replica of Guru Rimpoche, eight life-size idols of this guru, statues of Bodhisattvas and Avalokiteshvara and Lord Buddha paintings. These form a part of Buddhist sacred symbols. You wouldn’t want to miss the beautiful statue of Amiatabha, so buck up and climb those fleet of stairs to reach the top floor of this compound. 

At an altitude of 400 metres, Karbandi monastery locally referred as Karbandi Goemba is a great place to visit. This temple complex houses impressive, large statues of Shabdrung Ngawang, Guru Rinpoche and Shakyamuni Buddha. Eight Tibetan Buddhists, each different from each other can be spotted here. Several childless couples have been blessed with a child after worshipping this sacred structure.

Gourmet gurus might have a tough time in Phuentsholing. The Bhutanese menu has not much to offer for vegetarians. But non- vegetarians have several dishes to savour their taste buds. Dig into preparations of pork, beef and even Yak meat. The food is usually white gravy with rice and pulses too served with a choice of meat.

This white gravy is not the creamy Mughlai version but a cheesy variant which is spiced only with red and green chillies called datshi served with a spicy condiment ezay and a glass of buttermilk with every meal. Other than this you get Thupka and Momos everywhere. Food is simple and filling and also light on the wallet. 

Coming to the festivals of Bhutan, also in Phuentsholing, Tshechu is a religious festival meaning "tenth day" of the lunar calendar held annually in various temples, monasteries and dzongs throughout the country. Religious mask dance forms, food and costumes make different forms of entertainment. Bhutanese believe that everyone must witness a Tschechu and the mask dance once in their lifetime to seek blessings and wash away their sins. The Paro and the Thimpu Tschechu’s are among the popular ones in the country.

In the Nimalung festival, the monastery is decorated with murals of the Nyingmapa and Drukpa traditions, paintings of Guru Rimpoche and his disciples, the lineage of Terton Pema Lingpa, and several Buddhist masters affiliated with the monastery. Nimalung Lhakhang is situated in Chumey in Bumthang. It is about a 15 minute drive from the road that branches off from the village of Chumey.

This annual festival is appropriate if you don’t like to set your feet at a place. This is Bhutan’s Nomad festival. It is held in Bumthang Dzongkhag (district) in central Bhutan the spiritual heartland of the country.  Bumthang is about an 8 hour drive from the capital city of Thimphu. This festival gives a glimpse of communities that have been the original habitants and have survived unchanged. So you find the best local cuisine during this festival.

Even though a tiny, quaint place, Phuentsholing offers various attractions to its visitors. Pronto! Pronto! Get your reservations done and head straight to this tiny town.