Honda Drive To Discover 8: Bhutan Experience

  • Sep 26, 2017
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The eighth edition of Honda's annual Drive to Discover series takes us to breathtaking Bhutan

Honda Drive To Discover

The clock on the City’s MID is reading out 6:05PM, and I'm left scratching my head. It's nearly pitch dark outside. "This early?", I mumble to myself, battling the grogginess. We're snaking our way past some nasty truck traffic, and equally nasty roads on our way from Bagdogra towards the Bhutanese border. It's chaos. And suddenly, it all changes. Just like that.

Honda Drive To Discover

As we enter Bhutan, the fatigue is quickly superseded by sheer disbelief. The cacophony of horns, expletives and paan-spitting humans have given way to an envelope of silence and a methodical, nay, fanatical following of the law of the land. It's a culture shock, alright. But, if you've been a stickler for order, you will feel right at home.

Honda Drive To Discover

Driving in Bhutan didn't take a lot of getting used to. In fact, you’d enjoy it. Purely because of the silence. Why, you ask? Well, honking is looked down upon in Bhutan. If you've been a horn-happy Mumbaikar like me, driving around the country is nothing short of detox. Fact of the matter is, you don't really need to reach for the horn pad. Ever! Simply put, the Bhutanese drive with the greatest gift given to mankind - common sense. We drove around roundabouts and intersections with no traffic signal or cop in sight. It's the perfect recipe for a traffic jam. Yet, there's none. The concept of 'right of way' actually exists. Did I mention vehicles yield to pedestrians every single time?

Honda Drive To Discover
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As we checked into our stay for the night in the border town of Phuentsholing - I was already looking forward to day two. For it was then, the “Drive To Discover” would actually commence in my books. We’ve got the whole diesel lineup from Honda, and the big boys - the Accord and the CR-V - at our disposal. Why diesel? Because the Jap giant has managed to put three lakh diesel engine-equipped cars on the road. Considering the i-DTEC debuted in 2013, that’s a mean feat. What’s also appreciable is the versatility of the engine. It’s powering everything from an entry-level sedan, to a cross hatch and even a premium three-box. And, it feels adept under all hoods.

Honda Drive To Discover

The near 160km drive from Phuentsholing to Paro brought the motor’s road-tripping abilities to the fore. This time round, it was humming away under the hood of the WR-V. The drive to Paro is an endless weave of corners. I don’t remember the last time I used the steering so much on a drive. Plus, the view out of the window makes you want to stop at every single corner to click, and soak in the beauty. And soak in was what we did. Over, and over, and over again. Even though most of the highways inside Bhutan look like a stream of ‘Ctrl C + Ctrl V’, you just can’t have enough.

Honda Drive To Discover

There was no fixed itinerary to follow, so we took our own sweet time gawking at what Bhutan had to offer. Weirdly, the 50kmph speed limit didn’t seem to bother us one bit. I assumed it’d be a big test of patience trotting along on highways that make you want let it rip. I was glad to be wrong, and slow. I was also glad that the cruise control on the WR-V can be activated at around 45kmph. This meant I had one less thing to do. Like I said, detox.

Honda Drive To Discover

In fact, we got so involved in picking corners one after the other, we managed to overshoot Paro by a good thirty kilometres. The sun had bid goodbye quite a while back too. We found ourselves in the middle of nowhere. Plus, there wasn’t a single soul in sight for miles. The silence was amazing. I glanced out of the WR-V’s sunroof. And boy, oh boy. There’s a childlike joy in looking at the heavens and looking at stars. In our crowded cities, we’ve given up simple pleasures such as this. A shrug and a few dabs of the throttle later, we retired for the day in Paro.

Honda Drive To Discover

Early next morning, we could do one of two things. Head to the Tiger’s Nest -  a monastery that’s on the edge of a cliff of the Paro valley. Or, we could explore Paro and visit Thimpu to pay our respects at the Buddha Dordenma. Considering I’m as fit as a pumpkin, no surprises I chose to take a look at the gigantic statue. We were tossed the keys to the Honda City, and we quickly hit the highways towards Thimphu.

Honda Drive To Discover

As the City darted from one corner to the other, I couldn’t help but admire how composed it felt. The steering took the sting out of cornering, we never had to hustle it. The low speeds meant it was at its cushy best. Not that Bhutanese roads trouble the suspension in any way to begin with. An hour and a half of fuss-free driving later, we caught the first glimpse of the Buddha statue. Words don’t begin to describe it. There’s a sense of peace the moment you spot the golden glow of the 52 metre tall statue. It’s made of bronze and then gilded in gold. The statue houses over a lakh miniature Buddhas, and is among the biggest idols in the world. It’s every bit as awe-inspiring as it looks in the pictures.

Honda Drive To Discover

Quick prayers for peace mumbled, we headed back to Paro in the faithful city. Later that evening, fellow journos greeted us with stories of the Tiger’s Nest. The trek wasn’t easy, but what they described sure seemed rewarding. The nest, locally called the Paro Taktsang is nearly half a kilometre from the floor of the Paro valley. Legend has it that Guru Padmasambhava, a Buddhist master flew to the valley riding on the back of a flying tigress. Enchanting, mystical, and oddly, I want to believe it.

Honda Drive To Discover

Calling it a day wasn’t an easy task. We’d be tracing our route back to Phuentsholing the next day, and subsequently crossing over to our motherland. The withdrawal symptoms hit, and they hit hard. Our time in Bhutan was limited, and we didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. Yet, the experience was so fulfilling. Be it gazing at a packed night sky, listening to the calm yet consistent chatter of the flowing water or the seemingly never-ending hills - these are simple joys I’d happily trade my cushy metro life for. Ah, take me back already!

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