Phuentsholing
The entry point to the Land of Thunder Dragons
Phuentsholing (also spelt Phuntsholing) is the gateway to the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragons’. This is a small town at the foothills of Himalaya and a business hub of Bhutan. Jaigaon is the town on the Indian side and Phuentsholing is the town on the Bhutanese side in an almost continuous stretch of houses divided by a loosely maintained border. Phuentsholing does not require any permit to enter. There is an immigration office here for an entry into Bhutan, however, one can come at stay at Phuentsholing without any special permit. However, travelling in and out of Bhutan is not allowed during night time.
Permit Procedure
If a person is travelling by road to Bhutan then two types of permit procedure are there, one is online and the other is on arrival. The permit office is located close to the entry gate and the office remains closed on Saturday, Sunday and Bhutan National holidays.
On Arrival – Permit office opens at around 9 O’clock and closes by 4 PM. A person needs to submit their hard copy of documents such as Passport along with a photograph of each person. After getting the permit they can move onwards. The process of issuing entry permits make take several hours depending upon tourist season and how crowded the immigration office is.
Online Permit – The online permit is prior permission which reduces the hassle for the tourists. There are certain rules that have to be adhered to for applying for an online permit. The hotels have to be of a minimum standard and the visitor must use a Bhutanese vehicle (as against an Indian vehicle) and the traveller must be accompanied by a tour guide mandatorily. The online permit must be applied for a minimum of 15 days before travel. At the permit office, there will be a biometric recording of the visiting person before they are allowed to enter Bhutan.
Places to see
Most tourists do not get much time to spend in Phuentsholing. Once the entry formalities are over, tourists drive off to their preferred destinations such as Thimphu and Paro. However, there are some interesting places which can easily keep you engaged for half a day here.
Bhutan Gate is the entry point into Bhutan. It is a large gate made in traditional Bhutanese style. The gate remains open from 6 AM until 8 PM in the evening and is a good photographic point for tourists.
Amu Choo Crocodile breeding centre is home to a large number of crocodiles and is located on the banks of river Amu Choo which is a small stream flowing through the town.
Karbandi Monastry is the winter residence of The Royal Kings Mother and has got a magnificent view of the entire town.
How to Reach
The town, Phuentsholing is well connecting. Bagdogra is the nearest airport about 170 km and 4.5 hours away. There are three major rail stations; Hasimara about 19 km away is the nearest station. Alipurduar Junction about 60 km and 2 hours drive away is the major rail station in the area. New Jalpaiguri Railway Station is at a distance of 160 km and takes 4 hours to reach.