Bhutan Travel Advice

Mode of Travel

Bhutan being a mountainous country, the only way to travel throughout the region is by road only. There are single lane paved highways that connect Bhutan from east to west and north to south. Most of the small towns and villages are connected by the farm roads. The roads in Bhutan are mostly winding with plenty of hairpin bends and turns.

Climate

The southern part of Bhutan is tropical, and in general the eastern region of the country is warmer than the central valleys. However, bear in mind that the higher the altitude, the cooler the weather, and that with a brisk wind blowing down off the mountains, even a low-lying valley can become quite chilly. The valleys of Punakha, Wangduephodrang, Mongar, Trashigang and Lhuentse enjoy a semi-tropical climate with cool winters, whilst Paro, Thimphu, Trongsa and Bumthang have a much harsher climate, with summer monsoon rains and winter snowfalls which may block passes leading into the central valleys for days at a time.

Winter in Bhutan (mid-November till mid-March) is dry and sunny for the most part with daytime temperatures of 16-18C (60-65F). The spring season (mid March to mid June) offers warmer temperatures gradually warming to 27-29C (80-84F). The monsoon usually arrives in mid-June, with light rain falling mainly in the afternoons and evenings. At the end of September, after the last of the big rains, autumn suddenly arrives and is a magnificent season for trekking until November.

Average Temperature (in Celsius)

Clothing

Druk air limits your luggage to 20 kg (44 lbs or 30 kg or 66 lbs on business class). You should try and keep to this allowance. Even if you are willing to pay for excess baggage, your extra luggage will be listed as standby and may be off loaded for the next flight. The less you carry the better. One small suitcase and an even smaller carry-on are best. There is not much room for over-head storage in the air cabin. Comfortable casual clothes are great. If you have scheduled your trip during a festival, you definitely should carry a set of dressy clothing. Bhutanese people dress quite formally at these occasions, and dirty jeans just do not fit-in.

Even in the summer, it can be cool in Bhutan, and it is very cold in winter. Days can be quite warm, especially in the lowlands of Punakha and Phuentsholing, and you could start off driving in the cold of dawn and become uncomfortable midmorning. Use the layering system, starting with thermal underwear and adding a shirt, pile jacket and wind-breaker (or parka) as necessary. If you are not trekking, you will need:

· Long Underwear (for cold weather from November to March)

· Cotton trousers

· Cotton skirt for women (at least one)

· Pile jacket or sweater – even in summer

· Down jacket – in winter; not needed in summer

· T-shirts or short sleeved cotton shirts (not sleeveless)

· Sturdy Sneakers or walking shoes

· Sandals or flip-flops

· Rain jacket (Gore-Tex if possible), otherwise a poncho or nylon jacket

· Dress-up clothes for festivals

· Sun hat and sunscreen

· You probably won’t need bug repellant, but if you do a small bottle of liquid drops is best.

All hotels provide sheets, blankets or quilt, and a pillow. Unless you are trekking, you won’t need to carry a sleeping bag. Hotels provide heating in winter; either an electric heater or a wood stove which will keep you quite warm.

You will be outside a lot, much of the time at altitudes above 2,500 m (7,800 ft); so there is plenty of sun and wind. Bring a supply of sun cream and lip protection, such as Blistex; these items are not readily available in Bhutan.

Essential Extras

A folding umbrella; especially if traveling during the monsoons of mid June to late September. Rain is possible any time, and is almost certain from June through August.

Be sure to carry earplugs (and spares) for when you sleep. There are a lot of dogs in Bhutan as the Bhutanese consider them next mankind in the cycle of life. These dogs don’t realize this and will sometimes bark at night.

There are occasional electric outages throughout the country; so you should always keep a torch (flashlight) beside your bed.

Make sure you bring a pair of good sunglasses for protection in the high altitude.

A Swiss style army knife is a good thing to bring, but with the recent concerns over air travel you may want to bring a folding utility tool such as a Leatherman and make sure to put it in you check-in luggage.

Bring a small alarm clock if you need help waking up after all those barking dogs. Not all hotel rooms have telephones or wake-up service. Our guides will make sure you are not late for anything.

Dzongkha, “the language of the dzong”, belongs to the Tibetan linguistic family. Originally spoken only in western Bhutan, Dzongkha is now Bhutan’s national language. English is commonly spoken in the main towns and is the principal medium of instruction in schools throughout the kingdom.

Most hotels in Bhutan are 2-3 star and a few luxury 4 & 5 star accommodation are also available (Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey, Bumthang). The standard accommodations all offer the necessary facilities, and are properly maintained. Generally speaking, hotels in western Bhutan are better appointed, while accommodation establishments in the central and eastern part of the country are more modest, with fewer amenities.

Spicy chilies (ema) mixed with a cheese sauce called emadatse is the national dish of Bhutan. Chilies are treated as a vegetable rather than a seasoning in the Bhutanese diet. A wide variety of fresh vegetables are a daily staple of the Bhutanese diet. Red and or white rice is served at all meals. Meats, poultry and fish (usually in the form of stews) are also found on many Bhutanese menus along Tibetan momos and noodle dishes. Bhutan’s professional chefs temper their natural tendency to over spice dishes by preparing food more suitable to western taste ranging from Continental to Chinese and Bhutanese to Tibetan and Indian.

Currency

Bhutan’s currency is the Ngultrum (Nu.), with 100 Chetrum = 1 Ngultrum. The Ngultrum is fixed to the value of Indian rupee. Tourists are advised to carry their money in the form of traveler’s checks (preferably American Express) with some cash (US dollars would be best) which might be used for incidental purchases/expenses. There are bank branches in all major towns.

Credit cards

Visa and American Express credit cards are accepted in a few shops, but their use is limited. Travelers’ cheques are accepted in most places.

Time Difference

Bhutan standard time is 6 hours ahead of GMT and there is only one time zone throughout the country.

Health

Inoculations: No vaccinations are currently required for traveling to Bhutan. However it is advisable to have tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A shots.

Precautions: Avoid drinking unboiled water or ice cubes, amoebae and giardiae are quite common. People prone to car sickness should bring appropriate medicine as the winding roads on the mountains have plenty of curves and turns.

Anti-malarial medication is also recommended for all travelers who will be visiting rural areas of districts bordering India.

Insurance

To protect against unforeseen accidents and mishaps, we advise you to have Travel insurance policy from your country. It should adequately cover helicopter evacuation and medical assistance. We regret the unavailability of such policies in Bhutan.

Electricity

In Bhutan, electricity runs on 220/240 volts, with round hole two-pin and three-pin power outlets. If you bring electrical appliances, also pack appropriate adapter plugs. Thimphu electrical appliance shops stock adapter plugs, but they are unlikely to be available elsewhere.

Tobacco products

Any tobacco products and cigarettes are forbidden in the kingdom. For personal consumption passengers are permitted to bring 200 cigarettes (10 packets) on payment of 200 percent duty.

Alcoholic beverage up to 1 liter for personal consumption is allowed.

Communication facilities

Bhutan Telecom provides IID services, ISD, STD and B-Mobile which is the service provider and is now almost well connected through out the country. Mobile phone which has GSM 900 can be used. Email is available in mostly every town as there are local internet café, in the hotel and some of the hotels provide you with the wireless internet facilities, ISD, STD and fax services. The STD code for Bhutan is 00975.

Bhutan Post is the general post office and has offices in every town where you can send postcards. It is open from 9 am – 5 pm from Monday – Friday (Sat till 12 pm).Parcels can be sent and received from Bhutan Post and also has Western Money Union Transfer.

DHL is also there to give you services.

Newspapers

The major newspapers in Bhutan are:

Kuensel – English / Dzongkha (Wed & Sat),

Bhutan Times- English (Sunday)

and Bhutan Observer – English (Sunday).

Magazine “Bhutan NOW’ publication of Bhutan Times.

Radio

Bhutan Broadcasting Service has different programs in short wave transmission.

There is FM Radio stations known as Kuzoo FM 90 that broadcasts from morning 6am – 9 p.m. daily

Television

Bhutan Broadcasting Service transmits from 7:00 am. – 11a.m. and 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. daily. Cable television is almost everywhere as of now where you can watch different programme like CNN, BBC, NDTV, Star Movies, Star Sports, Zee TV, HBO etc.

Photography

The photographic opportunities on all trips are immense. You will also wish to record the local people, their houses and shops etc. Always ask by gesture if it is ok to do so. Don’t take your destination as living museum. Also while visiting Dzong, monasteries and religious institutions; please follow your guide’s instruction carefully. Slide film is more difficult to find but it is best to bring enough batteries if you use lithium batteries.

The crime rate in Bhutan is very low; the country lives up to its nickname of the Land of Peaceful Dragon. Even so there are Police Stations in almost all regions.

Bhutan is popular for its hand-woven textiles, cane and bamboo products, handicrafts, woven baskets handmade paper products, thangka paintings, wooden bowls, carved masks, textiles finely crafted metal objects and Bhutan’s postage stamps.

Guides

Guests of the kingdom are required to have guide accompaniment throughout their stay in Bhutan. You will have a very fluent English-speaking guide and driver at your disposal at all times. This is not to say you have to have your hand held everywhere you go. We are very accommodating and we can be flexible.

Our guides have all been trained and licensed by the TCB (Tourism Counsel of Bhutan). Our trekking guides and cooks undergo additional mountain training, including safety and first aid. None of our guests have ever needed a rescue, but we have helped lost trekkers from other tour agencies get out of the high passes safely. We have been successfully leading groups through the Bhutan highlands ever since tourism was privatized.

Transport

We use only clean, comfortable and well-maintained Toyota Car, Toyota Prado, Haice Bus and Toyota Coaster to transport our guests. Our experienced drivers are trained and licensed by the department of motor vehicles in safety and mountain driving in Bhutan. You will be at ease riding in the mountains of Bhutan unlike the experiences you will have had in Nepal and India. Sanity on the road prevails, and drivers are courteous to each other.

Packing

If you are on a cultural tour, it’s OK to bring a hard suitcase, though a soft bag is more versatile and easier to pack into the luggage space of a vehicle. For those trekking in Bhutan a strong duffel bag as luggage is best. You will also want a small rucksack (back pack) or waist pack to carry your camera, water bottle and other essentials in the vehicle and when you are walking around town or visiting monument.

In general, tipping is neither compulsory nor there is any fixed amount, but it is ok to do so if you want to reward good service and they do appreciate the gesture.

Customs

Visitors are required to complete a passenger declaration form for checking by concerned officers on arrival. The following articles are exempt from duty:

(a) Personal effects and articles for day to day use by the visitor

(b) 1 litre of alcohol (spirits or wine)

(c) 200 cigarettes, on payment of import duty of 200%

(d) Instruments, apparatus or appliances for professional use

(e) Photographic equipment, video cameras and other electronic goods for personal use

The articles mentioned under (d) & (e) must be declared on the declaration form. If any such items are disposed of in Bhutan by sale or gift, they are liable for customs duty. On departure, visitors are required to surrender their forms to the Customs authorities.

Import/export restrictions of the following goods is strictly prohibited:

(a) Arms, ammunitions and explosives

(b) All narcotics and drugs except medically prescribed drugs

(c) Wildlife products, especially those of endangered species

(d) Antiques

Imports of plants, soils etc. are subject to quarantine regulations. These items must be cleared on arrival. Visitors are advised to be cautious in purchasing old and used items, especially of religious or cultural significance, as such items may not be exported without a clearance certificate. Let us know in advance before you purchases.

Once your tour or trek in Bhutan is confirmed we will provide you with all Pre Departure Information and any other details that will help you prepare for you tour/trek in Bhutan.