Punakha—The road to the popular Chubbu Tshachu (hot spring) in Toedwang gewog, Punakha is riddled with potholes, and a journey that should take less than 90 minutes prolongs into a painstaking two hours or more.   

The poor condition of the road particularly makes the journey hard for the elderly who visit the hot spring seeking relief from a myriad of physical ailments. The journey becomes even longer and more challenging during monsoon.

Constructed in 2011-12, the 20km road connects 39 households in Tsachhu phu chiwog. Chubbu Tshachu is over 30km away from Khuruthang town.

Due to the road condition, taxis charge Nu 500 and upward till the hot spring and Nu 350 per person till Tsachhu phu chiwog.

The blacktopping of the road will happen in two phases under the small development project activities. The Punakha Dzongkhag administration has allocated a budget of Nu 63 million for both phases of blacktopping.

Villagers and visitors alike are relieved with the news of the road getting blacktopped in the 13th Plan.

“In the past, due to the bad condition of the road, we were not able take much of our produce to the market and the little amount earned was spent on taxi fare,” a 48-year-old resident of Tsachhu phu said.

The manager of the tshachu, Tshewang Nidup, said that with the blacktopping of the road, the number of visitors coming to the tshachu will increase.

In a year, around 8,000 to 9,000 people visit the Tsachhu, not including day visitors. More than 50 people, including villagers, visit the Tshachu daily.

Earlier, locals managed the Tshachu on a rotational basis. The Punakha dzongkhag took over the management of the Tshachu in 2022 and leased it to Tshewang Nidup for 10 years.

He was paying lease rent of Nu 100,000 per season for two years but the amount has been revised to more than Nu 200,000 from this season.

He has built six quarters on a seven-acre land to meet the increasing demand for accommodation at the Tshachu, Additional quarters are also being constructed.

A room costs between Nu 230 and Nu 300 a night, depending on the size of the room. Gas for cooking and stove can be rented for Nu 250 per day.

The Tshachu has necessary amenities such as toilets, water tap, and footpath.  The dzongkhag administration has constructed three guesthouses, including a VIP guest house.

Visitors throng the Tshachu starting mid-September till late February. Most visitors stay at the Tshachu for a minimum of seven days while some for months.

There are two hot water ponds at the Tshachu, both believed to have healing properties for ailments like body aches, sinuses, ulcer, gastritis, and piles.

Both ponds have been recently renovated. A shower facility has also been built for visitors to use before entering the ponds.

Having availed Nu 8 million loan, Tshewang Nidup is constructing additional infrastructure at the Tshachu.