Blue PoppyComments? Questions?Bhutan Hits - Booking Your Holiday

Do you have specific questions you'd like to ask experienced tourist trekkers? Try the discussion forum!

You may wish to contribute to The Essential Bhutan Trekkers Checklist.

Much of the information here is reproduced with the kind permission of Bhutan Traditional Holidays.

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Namgay TsheringComments? Questions?Our Man in Bhutan
Namgay Tshering is the founder and CEO of Bhutan Traditional Holidays, a recognised Bhutanese Tour Operator and providers of necessary tour reservation. He is a graduate, speaks fluent English and has been guiding for 5 years. His brother is the most experienced guide of BTC (the original tour operator in Bhutan) and he trained him as a tourist guide.

Having a good guide is the key to a successful holiday in Bhutan. Your guide will welcome you on arrival at the airport and will be with you throughout your stay in Bhutan. He will organise the hotel rooms where you are staying, ensure the transport is in the right place at the right time and keep you informed of the timetable. Most importantly, he will be your guide on the cultural tours of the dzongs, monasteries and museums that you will visit and will pass on his extensive knowledge of Bhutan.

On treks he will not only guide you on the route and ensure the safety of the expedition but will also organise the camp staff and porters. Finally, he is the one who will sort out any problems or needs that you may have.

Namgay will ensure that your visit to Bhutan runs smoothly so you can relax and enjoy the unique experience that Bhutan offers.

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Hotel roomComments? Questions?Bhutan Tradional Holidays
Email: bth@druknet.bt
Phone: 00975-17604871 . Fax: 00975-2-351330
Thimphu, Bhutan

Recognised Bhutanese Tour Operator, providing information, advice and guidance on:

*Please note: Access to Bhutan domain websites are currently hampered by intermittent, international technical faults. This link to the Bhutan Traditional Holidays website may work for you, however if this link is broken, please try again at a later time.

"We are a recognised tour operator, and we operate within Bhutan as well as to Tibet and Nepal. Our tour in Bhutan focuses mainly on the Tradition of Bhutan as it is found out to be unique from the rest of the world. Our tour concentrates on the tradition of Bhutan. If you prefer, we would like to be completely traditional to you. We have expert and expeirenced guides and drivers who will provide with satisfactory services. For transportation, we provide you with luxurious vehicle like nice bus to coaster bus according to the no. of tourists. Fooding and lodging are done on the most standard hotels of Bhutan.

Our tour is designed in such a way that, people interested in exploring the unique tradional values of Bhutan gets the most fascinating experience of being a Bhutanese. If you wish to, we offer you with a policy of taking care of you in a pure Bhutanese tradition, starting right from recieving you in the airport to how you dress. In giving you the experience of Bhutanese culture we won't forget to show you our legendary monuments and the beautiful countryside."

Courtesy of our man in Bhutan, Bhutan Traditional Holidays take care of you from arrival until departure. They provide a land based tour reservation service, providing transporation, accomodation and food and a range of trekking and exploring opportunities to suit a wide range of interests and requirements. They will assist with planning your trip, customs and traditions, visa, currency and tariff information and more.

Please note that your own external travel arrangements need to be arranged separately.

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Comments? Questions?Tour Reservation
Tour reservation must be done through a recognised Bhutanese Tour Operator. For cultural tours, booking arrangments must be completed before 4 weeks to travel time, but for cultural tour during festivals, arrangements must be completed before 6 weeks.

For trekking, booking arrangements should be completed before 8 weeks as this activity needs detailed forward planning.

Kathmandu

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Trekking in Bhutan, 'Tiger's Nest'Comments? Questions?Trekking Itineraries
If you want to trek in Bhutan, at least three days and preferably a weeks time is necessary.

Druk Path Trek
The Druk Path, which goes from Paro to Thimphu is a short and relatively simple trek. In this trek, we camp at Jilila, Jimiling Tsho, and Phajoding, reaching Thimphu on the fourth day. This trek can also be modified to take 6 days.
Best time-Late Febraury to June, September to December

Jhomolhari Trek
The Jhomolhari trek, crosses over two high passes (4500 m), taking one to some of the best high mountain trek. The other easier alternative of the Jhomolhari trek is to do the first three days of this trek to Jhomolhari Base Camp, spend a day exploring, then return to Paro via a different route. This provides spectacular mountain views and visits to nomad's settlements and yak pastures avoiding the high passes.
Best time-April to June, September to November.

Dagala Thousand Lakes Trek
This is a short trek, near Thimphu , to a large number of high altitude lakes, The trek is not difficult and most trekking days are short but there are some steep climbs. It is not a popular route, and you will probably encounter no other trekkers.
Best time- April, September and October.

Laya-Gasa Trek
This trek is an extension of the Jhomolhari trek and offers diverse flora and fauna, including a good opportunity to spot blue sheep. You may also see takin and Bhutan's national flower, the blue poppy, if you are lucky enough. It also introduces you to the unusual culture of the Layap people and offers a stop at a natural hot spring in Gasa.
Best time- April to June, Mid-September to Mid-November.

Snowman Trek
The snowman trek travels to the remote Lunana district and is said to be the most difficult trek in the world. Fewer than half of the people who attempt this trek actually finish it, either because of problems with altitude or heavy snowfall on the high passes. If you plan to take this trek be sure that you have emergency evacuation insurance.
Best time- Mid-June to mid-October.

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Local girl in Bhutan, wearing traditional clothingComments? Questions?Customs And Traditions
Bhutan has a very rich custom. It has preserved its culture so much that while the whole world is clad in one type of dress, Bhutanese, dress in a very different one. If you prefer to wear bhutanese dress while touring the country we would provide you with a typical bhutanese dress so that you get to know what bhutanese dress gives you the feeling. I think, by now you know our focus is completely on the tradition of Bhutan.

Dress
Men wear Gho, a cloak like cloathing which is tied around the waist by a bhutanese made belt known as kera. Inside the Gho a a white coloured shirt with a long sleeve known as Tego is worn. The Tego is folded back around the sleeve of the Gho. A scarf is worn during formal occasions. The scarfs colour depicts the men's rank in the government service.
Women wear a rectangular cloth known as Kira which is tied on the waist by a belr(kera which is a little different from men's). Inside the Kira a long sleeved shirt known as Wonju is worn. Outside a thin jacket known as Tego is worn and on it's sleeves the Wonju is folded back just like the men's tego. On formal Occasions, women wear a a rectangular cloth on their shoulders.

Suja Dresi
Suja and dresi is a Bhutanese type of tea which is arranged usually on occasions. Suja is the Bhutanese butter tea and Dresi is a sweetened form of rice.

Marchang
Marchang is a ceremony conducted before every special and grand occasion.

Games
The national game of Bhutan is the archery. It is played for the whole day with two targets distanced about 200 metres apart. The player moves from one target to the other after every two shots. Singing, dancing and drinking makes the game more merry and fun.

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An outstanding in BhutanComments? Questions?Planning Your Trip
Plan your trip so that you are not in Paro on Monday, the day that the National Museum is closed, Try to be in Thimphu on either of the following days: Friday, Saturday or Sunday. You will get to see the Thimphu weekend market on these days.

The shortest tour that will give you a good impression of Bhutan will take a three nights stay in the country, visiting Thimphu and Paro.

A little longer tour of about a week will take you to Punakha and Wangdue Phodrang. You can add a trip over the mountains to Punakha halting in Punakha or Wangdue Phodrang. With an extra day in Paro, you can visit Taktshang, the famous tiger's nest.

A nine day trip will allow you a full day in Bumthang with over night stops in Paro, Thimphu and Trongsa and short stops in Punakha and Wangdue. A night in Phobjikha will let you see Gangtey Gomba and also during the late autumn, to see the rare and endangered black-naked cranes.

A further tour to east will last for two weeks, taking you to Mongar, Trashiyangtse and Trashigang after visiting the above. Towards south from Trashigang, you can exit Bhutan via Samdrup Jongkhar to India, Nepal or Sikkim avoiding the long journey back to Paro.

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A local store called 'Paro Canteen' in Paro, BhutanComments? Questions?Travel Tips

Climate: Bhutan is similar to switzerland in topography, size and land features. The climate varies across the country. It has hot humid monsoons in the southern region while the springs in the higher valleys has warm days and cool nights. In Autumn the sky is clear and the weather mild- the best time for trekking. Winters in some part especially in the Northern region are cold but the scene of snow capped mountains look stuning.

Things you need to pack: Pack clothes as per the season. An umbrella will be a useful thing. Camera, films and required accesories including spare batteries are unlikely to be available locally. Flash lights, creams and medicines of your needs are recommended.

Photography: The natural scenery, people and their houses, festival, monuments provides you with an imense opportunity of photography. But photography is not so free, especially in the Dzongs, monasteries and religious institutions. It's always recommended to ask your guide before doing so.

Tipping: Tipping guides and drivers after your trip as a sign of gratitude is what every tourists does. How much or what to tip is a purely personal matter and is up to you.

Best time to visit: Climatically the best time to visit Bhutan are Springs and Autumns. Autumns usually have mild climate with less rain and cloudless sky. You can have a view of beautiful and visible mountain peaks from the passes. Late autumn is also the time when the black naked cranes migrate to Bhutan from Tibet. Generally festival schedules fall during this season except for few.

Spring time is from March to May with the flowers in full bloom. This season is best for you to go on bird watching. Though there are more clouds and rain than in autumn you can have occasional glimpses of high snow caped peaks.

Visiting Bhutan / Formalities: Tourism is carefully monitored and the number of tourists is limited so that it doesn't lead to the degradation of it's well preserved culture and that it remains evironmentally and ecologically friendly. Since Bhutanese are highly religious it's importand to show respect and understanding for local customs and way of life, especially while visiting places of religious significance.

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Bhutan FlagComments? Questions?Visa, Currency and Tariff

Visa
To travel to Bhutan, Visas are neccessary, and applications are processed through the recognised Bhutanese tour operater together with the tour booking. With Bhutan Traditional Holidays the visa fee is US$20, the application available via their website. All information in it must be sent through email (firedragon@druknet.bt) or fax 00975-2-351330.

Each person should bring two passport size photographs with name / passport number printed clearly on the back, and US$20 (in cash) for the visa fee. Visa applications are cleared in advance, visa clearance number issued, and passports are stamped on arrival at the port of entry.

Currency
Bhutan has its own currency, the Ngultrum (BTN), commonly called the N-G, (about 70 to the £). However, official things such as visa and flights, are paid for in US Dollars. Money can be easily exchanged in the hotels there.

Tarriff
Tariff for tourists in Bhutan is set by the Royal government of Bhutan. The daily tariff is between US$165 - US$240, depending on the nature of tour, season and size of group. The tariff provides you with the following services: guide, transport, accommodation & all meals and entrance fees for the mentioned touring places.

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Comments? Questions?Paro AirportTravel Arrangements
There are two ways to enter into Bhutan:

By Drukair at Paro: The most convenient way of entering into Bhutan is by Drukair, the country's national (and so far the only) airline.

Drukair travels between Bhutan and the following countries: India (Kolkata, Delhi), Thailand (Bankok), Nepal (Kathmandu). The flight between Kathmandu and Paro provides you the best view of the Himalayas including the Everest if the weather is in your favor.

For travellers entering into Bhutan by Druk Air, visa clearance is required for issuing of Druk Air tickets. The visa clearance number is forwarded to the Druk Air station. Travelers without a visa clearance no. on record will not be permitted to board their flights.

Druk Air website * Please note: access to Bhutan domain websites are currently hampered by intermittent technical faults. If this link is broken, please try again at a later time.

By land from Phuntsholing: Phuntsholing is a convenient entry /exit point for travelers wishing to visit the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal along with Bhutan. The nearest airport is Bagdogra, West Bengal, about 4 hours drive away. For ones entering the country through Phuntsholing, the visa is stamped on arrival, as per the visa clearance no. Travellers without a visa clearance no. on record will not be permitted to enter the country.

It is sometimes possible to arrange land exit from Bhutan through the South-Eastern border town of Samdrup Jongkhar, which is approximately 3 hrs drive from Guwahati, capital of Indian state of Assam.

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Bhutan Royal CrownComments? Questions?Major Events in 2008
In 2008 three major events are happening in Bhutan:

  • Coronation: Coronation of the fifith King
  • Election: Democracy for the 1st time in the country
  • Centenery celebration: 100 years of rule

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Comments? Questions?Tours to Tibet and Nepal
Bhutan Traditional Holidays also provide tours to Nepal and Tibet.

Tibet
Lying north to Bhutan is Tibet, a mojor site of Buddhist pilgrimage. Rooted among the rugged terrains, Tibet is a land held back in time, holding many secrets. Tibet is a place more for Spiritual wonderers and adventurers than for mere touring.

Places of Interests

Lhasa: The capital of Tibet, is dominated by the wondrous Potala Palace which is built by the fifth Dalai Lama as the government seat and religious center.

Yamdrog-tsho: The sacred lake lies across the beautiful Khambala pass, among the prayer flags, glaciers and snow covered mountain ranges.

Rongphu: A tiny monastery from where the view of Mt Everest is abstounding outstanding as it stands alone at the head of the valley. Everest Base camp is just next to this place.

Gyantse: At the junction of the trade routes from India stands Gyantse. Gyantse, Shigatse and Sakya consists forts and well protected monasteries which tells of a chaotic past.

Iteneraries
5 days Lhasa
Fly from Kathmandu to Gonggar/ drive to Lhasa.
Stay three days in Lhasa and fly back to Kathmandu.
8 days Overland
Fly from Kathmandu to Lhasa.
Tour 2 days in Lhasa.
Then a day each in Gyantse and Shigatse
After that a one day tour in Xegar.
The next day in Zhangmu.
And then back to Kathmandu.
10 days Overland with Everest Base Camp
Fly from Kathmandu to Lhasa.
2 days in Lhasa.
1 day in Gyantse
1 day in Shigatse
1 day either in Sakya or Xegar
1 day in Rhongphu
1 day in Everest Base Camp or Lao Tingri
1 day in Zhangmu
Then back in Kathmandu.

Nepal
Nepal lies towards the west to Bhutan. The elevation of the country lies ranges from 70 m sea level to the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest at 8848 mt. all within the distance of 150km with climatic variations ranging from sub tropical to arctic.

Places of Interests and Iteneraries

Kathmandu Sightseeing: This is a two day program that includes the sightseeing of major historic and religious sights of the three cities: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur.

Dhulikhel and Namobuddha: From Dhulikhel, an spectacular view of the Himalaya can be witnessed especially at dawn. The nearby Namobuddha is an important pilgrimage site. This tour lasts for three days.

A seven days tour will take you to Nagarkot, a place famous for viewing sunrise and sunset after touring artistic temples and elegant places in Kathmandu.

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