Sarpang – The Land of Ethnic Groups

This Bhutanese town is extremely rich with rare and exotic wildlife species. The confluence ground of three different protected national parks: Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park and Royal Manas National Park, Sarpang is undoubtedly the most sought-after destination for nature and wildlife lovers. Visitors to this bucolic town would soon get to enjoy Bhutan’s first ever safari experience.

Sarpang is also revered as one of most culturally rich and diverse towns to visit in Bhutan. With Nepali being the dominant language in this region, one can also find several other primitive groups inhabiting this region along with other prevailing ethnic langaues; East Bodish Kheng language is yet another largely spoken language here.

The town is located within a proximity to the Indian state of Assam; it can be easily reached from Bongaigaon town in Assam via the Gelephu entry point.

Best Time to Visit Sarpang: Spring (March to May), Autumn (September to November), and Winter (December to February)

How to Reach Sarpang

By Air

If you wish to reach Sarpang by air, you should book flights from India to Paro International Airport, which is the sole international airport in Bhutan. Also, since Paro Airport has certain limitations on flights flying in and taking off, you can book flight to this airport from only a few Indian airports. Here are the Indian airports that offer both direct and connecting flights to Paro: Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, Bodhgaya Airport in Gaya (Bihar), Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri (West Bengal), and Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati (Assam).

As you land at Paro International Airport, you can take a roadway journey to reach Sarpang from Paro Valley in Bhutan.

By Train

Sarpang is located within a proximity to Gelephu town that shares its border with the Bongaigaon town of Assam (India). If you are planning to reach Sarpang by train, you should book your train tickets to Bongaigaon. Once in this town, you can drive around 50km (1 Hour) to reach Gelephu. From here, Sarpang is around 32km or 1 hours’ drive away.

You can also book your train tickets to some of the railway stations in West Bengal to make your Bhutan entry via Phuentsholing town near Jaigaon in Alipurduar district. New Jalpaiguri, Hasimara, Siliguri Town, and New Alipurduar would be the best options to reach Sarpang by train. From these railway stations, you can easily reach Jaigaon by road, and finally take a drive to Sarpang via Phuentsholing.

By Road:

Gelephu and Phuentsholing are the best entry points to reach Sarpang by road. To reach Sarpang through Gelephu, you should embark on a roadway journey from Assam’s Bongaigaon town, which is only 50km (1 Hour) away from Gelephu. Upon reaching Gelephu, you can drive another 33km (1 Hour) along the Sarpang-Gelephu-Trongsa Highway to reach Sarpang by road.

If you plan to reach Sarpang via Phuentsholing, you should first reach the Jaigaon town in Alipurduar district of West Bengal. From this town, you can make an easy Bhutan entry through Phuentsholing, and continue driving along the NH-27 to reach Sarpang after driving almost 183km (4.5 Hours).

Places to Visit in Sarpang

Royal Manas National Park

Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary

Gelephu Army Distillery

Tsirang Dzong

Things to Do in Sarpang

Wildlife tours

Historical tours

Monastery and temple visits

Local sightseeing