The Kingdom of Bhutan referred as ‘The Last Shangrila’ is hidden in-
The Bhutanese are mostly Buddhist by Faith adhering to the Drukpa Kargyupa sect of
Mahayana Buddhism. Colourful Monasteries and Temples dot the mountainsides of valleys.
The Drukpas have treasured their natural environment as it is seen as a source of
all life and the abode of the Gods and Spirits. Buddhism has been the predominant
Religion since the 7th Century and has inculcated deeply the value that all forms
of sentient beings, not just human life, are precious and sacred. Given such a prevailing
ethos, which respect the natural environment, it is not surprising that the Bhutanese
have lived in harmony with nature and that the nation has its environment still pristine
and intact today. The country has been identified as one of the ten Bio-
When the rest of the world has mostly adopted the blue jeans or the western suit culture, Bhutanese have deliberately safeguarded their ancient way of life in all its aspects. Immediately on landing at the country’s only airport by the national airliner, the visitor is in the midst of people dressed in ‘Ghos’ and ‘Kiras’, a landscape with Dzongs, Temples and houses with architecture found no where else in the world.
While crowds, traffic jam and multi-
Himalayan Adventures Team are a group of professionally trained people in the field of Tourism, who take into account the minute details of our guests with our personalised services and our slogan ‘Friends Forever’. “Bhutan is truly an unforgettable destination”
Getting to Bhutan
There is only one International airport located in Paro (PBH). Bhutan has flight connections to Bangkok, Delhi, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Gauwhati and Dacca. There are 3 domestic airports connecting south, central and east Bhutan with Paro. We arrange tickets on all Druk air sectors.
If you want to enter Bhutan by road from India, there are 3 entry points along the southern border in the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal. The entry point towns are Phuenstholing, Geylegphug & Samdrup Jongkhar
Visa for Bhutan
All visitors to Bhutan must have a pre arranged visa and must book a package tour which includes Hotels, transfers and Guide, as per government policy. Once the tour dates and package is confirmed we can process your visa once we receive a scanned copy of your passport.
Passport and Visa Requirements for Bhutan
Foreigners
All foreigners visiting Bhutan must have a valid visa clearance letter issued by
the Department of Immigration of Bhutan prior to boarding of flight. They are required
to produce a copy of the visa clearance letter issued by the Department of Immigration-
Drukair and Bhutan Airlines flight timing
Due to the geographical location and operating challenges out of Paro airport in Bhutan which is severely dependent on weather conditions, the schedule timings are subject to change without prior notice. Travelers are therefore, requested to check with us or airline offices or its agent for the latest information. Airlines reserve the rights without assigning any reason to cancel, reschedule, or overfly or delay the commencement or deviate from the route of the journey. Therefore, all passengers are advised to maintain a minimum of 24 hours connection time to avoid missing connections.
All passengers are advised to maintain flexible tickets on connecting carriers.
The reporting time for your flight is two hours prior to flight departure. All counters will close 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure of the flight.
However, check-
Baggage Allowance
The free baggage allowances on scheduled international flights are as follows:
BUSINESS CLASS 30 kg (68POUNDS)
ECONOMY CLASS 20 kg (44 pounds)
Hand luggage that fits into the overhead bin.
INFANTS: Infants paying only 10% of the applicable air fare are not entitled to any free baggage allowance.
Check in formalities
The reporting time for your flight is two hours prior to flight departure. All counters
will close 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure of the flight. However, check-
Smoking in Bhutan
Smoking in public places is not allowed like in all places. However you can smoke in your room. In restaurants and other public places there will be some designated smoke areas. If there isn’t any, just go out and smoke. At airports you should declare your cigarettes and pay a 200% duty.
General logical sensitivity rules will apply like any international norms for smokers. Some crew will mind, and some will not mind if you want to smoke in the car. The best is to seek permission if they are OK. But be mindful of your fellow passengers or group. If all are OK there is no problem.
The Bhutanese are very sensitive and do not encourage smoking near monasteries and holy sites. Please refrain from smoking near monasteries and religious sites. In general many Bhutanese do not smoke, but there are also many younger folks who do. If you are a smoker and want to visit Bhutan, there is no problems in that. No one really cares whether you smoke or not but do it in your private space and designated areas. Selling of cigarettes is banned in Bhutan but you can get from the black market.
Money
Bhutan unit of currency is Ngultrum (Nu.). 1 Nu. = 100 Chetrum. The Ngultrum is fixed at parity with the Indian Rupee. Visa and American Express credit cards are accepted in a few places. Visitors are advised to carry traveller checks (preferably American Express) with some cash (US Dollars). ATMs are available in most places.
Credit cards.
American Express and VISA credit cards are accepted in a few shops. Traveller’s cheques are also accepted. Guests are advised to bring hard currency USD,Euro or Pound Sterling for incidental expenses and personal shopping as cash is accepted widely in all shops and easily convertible.
Language
Originally spoken only in western Bhutan, Dzongkha is now the national language. English is widely spoken in main towns and it is the medium of education in all schools. Local people are also familiar with Hindi and Nepali.
Transport
We use Japanese imported luxury vehicles like Land Cruiser, Toyota Cars, Hiace Buses, Hilux, Toyota coaster bus for large groups etc.
Accommodation
Hotels, lodges and guesthouses are fairly comfortable at tourist destinations. Hotels
in western Bhutan are better than those in the central and eastern part of the country
where accommodation establishments are simple and offer minimum facilities. Hotels
are not categorized according to international standards, and five star luxuries
are not available. Some of the main trekking routes have purpose-
Food
Rice forms the main diet of a typical Bhutanese person, accompanied by generous helpings of hot chilies and cheese in almost every curry. Hotels and restaurants usually offer Bhutanese, Continental, Chinese and Indian cuisine.
Health information
Currently, there are no vaccinations required for travelling to Bhutan. However,
visitors coming from an area infected with yellow fever are required to get a yellow
fever vaccination and must be administered at least ten days before arrival in the
country. Likewise, visitors arriving from a cholera infected are should get vaccinated,
and anti-
Electricity
Electricity in Bhutan is reasonably reliable and runs 220/240 volts. An international converter kit with a set of adapter plugs may be required if travellers bring along electrical appliances.
Communications Facilities
Reliable telephone and fax services are available in all towns in Bhutan. Most hotels/lodges provide WIFI. International connections are excellent. Internet cafes are few in number and available only in a few places.
Time
Bhutan standard time is six hours ahead of GMT, and there is only one zone throughout the country. Bhutan standard time is 30minutes ahead of Indian Standard Time.
Shopping
Traditional handicrafts, textiles, jewelleries, baskets, masks. Paintings and woodcarving make good buys
Customs
The export of antiques, plants and animal products are strictly prohibited. Personal electronic equipment such as cameras, video cameras and computers must be declared on arrival and will be checked upon departure.
Photography
Photo shops in Bhutan do not offer quality equipment or accessories. 35mm colour print film is readily available but slide films are difficult to find. It is advisable to bring along enough lithium batteries if required.
Clothing
Cotton and light woollen clothes can be worn in the summer months. The monsoon months call for rain gear and comfortable shoes. The rest of the year requires heavy woollen and coats to keep out the cold.
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.
Safety
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.
* Please contact us if you have any specific queries that are not answered on this site.
