2014 Royal Enfield Tour of Bhutan: Tripping in the mountains

Ever since the time I returned from the 2013 Royal Enfield Himalayan Odyssey (read as ride from Delhi to Leh) I was itching to ride back to the mountains again. Owing to the hectic schedule at office, this desire had to be placed at the back burner. But, then Royal Enfield announced its Tour of Bhutan, and I simply had to be a part of it. So, as soon as the invite arrived, like playing fastest finger first, I was the first to ping Vikrant and insist I go for it. 

So here I am in Bagdogara, West Bengal waiting to head to Siliguri to commence the ride. But, before we do, there’s a briefing to digest, and the numerous do’s and don’ts to register. Done that, we set off and incidentally, our first day out is also the day for the RE One Ride, a day when all Royal Enfield clubs across the globe host a small ride in their respective towns and cities. We are joined by the local RE club ‘Teesta Thumpers’, who ride with us around Siliguri before we part ways and head towards our first destination point, Darjeeling. 

After riding in the hustle and bustle of the city, it is a delight to hit some beautiful mountain roads on our way to Mirik, our re-group point. The mountain roads are narrow and it means all the riders are riding consciously. The route is one of the most scenic roads I have ever ridden on with tea gardens lined up on both sides we tip the motorcycle from side to side endlessly on this winding road. I pick up my pace after the first regroup point and am thoroughly enjoying the ride with the dropping temperature adding to the comfort and cheerful factor. 

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I get so involved that myself and Parakram (my eventual ride partner), completely miss the turn towards Darjeeling and eventually end up in Keursoling, some 40 odd kilometres off my destination. But, getting lost has its own perks, not only do I rack up more kilometers on this lovely road, I also get rain riding back to Darjeeling. The foggy and misty environment only adds to the beauty and charm of this quaint hill station. Another memorable moment happens in Darjeeling as I get to ride along the iconic steam powered train as is chugs along slowly around the winding tracks with smoke puffing away from its chimney. 

On day one, the total ride distance was restricted to just 100km so that the riders could get themselves familiarised with the mountain roads and get an idea on how to pace themselves with increasing distance. This I felt was a novel idea as most of the participants were riding in such an event for the very first time. After waking up early the next morning, all the riders were briefed on what lied ahead by our ride leader Kyron. Our destination was Phuentsolling, which meant we would be in Bhutan by the end of the day. The mountain roads had now widened, giving me an opportunity to ride faster. Which I did, but with such natural beauty all round, I was stopping more often too; I just had to get myself pictures of this stunning landscape.

By afternoon, I am at our stop over point and the roads have now flattened. So, when we get going again, it’s time to wring the throttle open to the stops. Perfect for the Royal Enfield Continental GT I am riding. And, it is fun blasting down the highway, flat out, with the café racer gobbling up the miles. Wish it had lesser vibration though. By evening, we are at the Indo-Bhutan border and it has been a thrilling ride so far. Also, to actually enter a foreign land on a motorcycle is a first for me. There’s nothing momentous about it on the outside, but there’s a sense of elation inside that I just can’t hide. I am just grinning and feeling happy about life in general.  And though we rode almost twice as much as we did a day earlier, just being in Bhutan has all of us in high spirits. 

Now, it is time to explore. We leave Paro the next morning on what is proving to be a very chilly morning. And, we are only climbing into the mountains. The temperature is falling and now we have this thick fog to negotiate. Thankfully, the fog lasted only a few kilometers, and now it’s time to relish the wide and pothole-free Bhutanese mountain roads. Initially I was skeptical, whether the Continental GT was the correct motorcycle for this journey but on this twisting mountain road I wouldn’t have wanted any other Royal Enfield for sure. The Conti GT might not be the most dynamically sorted motorcycle in the world, but in the RE portfolio, it is the cat’s whiskers. And, a joy to throw around. A nice to ride motorcycle, perfect tarmac and beautiful mountain setting, what more could a rider ask for? 

Some trek perhaps? Since Thimpu was just 70 odd kilometers from Paro, I had the option to trek to Taktsang Monastery or the “Tiger’s Nest” as it is popularly known or just explore the town. I chose the later option and started riding around the city until I saw a local monastery and decided to visit it. Bhutan has a lovely culture and friendly people. They love art, but more importantly, they love motorcycles. After bumping into a few like-minded locals, sipping on some coffee and talking local motorcycle scene, it’s time for me to reach our destination for the day, Thimpu. 

Thimpu is Bhutan’s capital city. And, it is quite different from most other cities and towns we passed en route. The roads are wide with streetlights and there’s even a 50kmph speed limit with speed cameras. I can’t find my way to my hotel, so I ask a policeman for directions. Did we say the Bhutanese people were friendly? Well, it seems they are also extremely helpful. The policeman knew it would be difficult for me to find my way, so he relays a message to all his colleagues on my route to the hotel and every policeman at the junction stop the traffic and direct me to the hotel. I was taken aback by this generosity. 

Next up, we had to get to Bumathang, some 270km away. But, in order to make it without being held up by road works, we had to leave early.  And, early we left, but the chill in the air numbed our fingers in no time and slowed us down. So, eventually, when we got to the road works, the road was shut. Now, it was a two hour wait. The roads ahead were supposed to be bad, the first such experience we were to have in Bhutan. Question was, whether the GT was the right motorcycle for the trip after all. I am happy to report, over broken road, muddy patches and what have you, The Continental GT worked just fine.

The following day we reached Tashigang, and now it was time to head back to India, Guwahati to be precise. So far, we had ridden over 1,300km on one of the finest roads I have ever experienced; met some truly warm Bhutanese people; gorged on their lip smacking delicacies; and was consumed by absolutely mesmerising landscapes. The weather on most days was brilliant too. So, it is quite fitting than on our final day there’s freshly laid tarmac in front of us. It is like an oasis and everyone just lets loose.

The Continental GT is back in its territory and it is relishing the flowing bends and sharp corners. By the time this sweet patch of tarmac ends, we are the Indian border, back home. But, the Tour of Bhutan will always remain one of my most memorable journeys. It wasn’t on my bucket list before we started this journey, but it is now. And it’s ticked off as well.  It should be on yours too, especially when you have a team to assist you in your journey, backup to fix the breakdowns and experts riders with pearls of wisdom on dos and don’ts. That’s the Royal Enfield Tour of Bhutan for you.