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'PRIVATELY GUIDED' TOUR- AVAILABLE DAILY EXCEPT DAYS WHEN FLIGHTS ARE NOT OPERATING
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| Featuring Thimpu, Punakha and Paro |
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BHUTAN - Practical Information
BHUTAN'S is a landlocked country nestled in the eastern Himalayas between India and the autonomous region of Tibet, China. The country is about 190miles long and 95 miles wide encompassing an area of 15,000 square miles. Bhutan can be compared to Switzerland both in its size and topography with a population of about 700,000. Virtually the entire country is mountainous, with an elevation ranging from 1,000ft in the south to over 22000feet on the high Himalayan peaks in the north. About 70 percent of the population lives on subsistence farming across the rugged terrain of the Himalayas. Bhutan is widely known for its pure practice of Mahayana Buddhism of the Drukpa Kagyupa sect, its unique and rich culture and traditions, its pristine ecology and environment, its unspoiled landscape and the unsurpassed scenic beauty of snow peaked mountains and lush green valleys.
PASSPORT & VISAS
A passport valid for at least six months beyond your return date is required. Travelers to Bhutan must have a visa approved prior to arriving in Bhutan. If you do not have a pre-approved visa you will not be permitted to board Druk Air flight to Bhutan. Please send us your passport details such as name, passport number, date and place of issue, validity, date of birth, and your profession. We will assist you in the pre-approved visa process. Current Bhutan visa fee is $30.00 per person which will be collected as part of your land arrangements (visa fee subject to change). |
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HEALTH REQUIREMENTS India, Bhutan or Nepal governments do not require any inoculations, except proof of a yellow fever shot if you have traveled in a yellow fever effected area within the past six months. As a minimum, most tourists take protection against Hepatitis A and get booster shots. CDC and your local health department maintain a list of recommended shots for travel to your destination. Your personal physician may recommend some shots for your special needs.
For more information you may contact your local health department or the CDC at
(800) 232 4636 or visit http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/regions/south-asia.aspx.
Precautions
Minor stomach ailments are the most common affliction of visitors to the Bhutan. To minimize the chances of your getting sick, we strongly recommend that you drink only bottled water during your travel through Bhutan. Bottled drinking water is available for purchase throughout. In restaurants, insist that they bring a sealed bottle to your table. Avoid having ice in drinks unless you know it has been made with bottled water. It may be advisable to brush your teeth with bottled water. It is also a good idea to always wash your hands before and after eating. Try and avoid unpeeled fruits or raw salads or make sure fresh fruit or vegetables have been washed in bottled water. Most hotels have physicians on call. They are inexpensive (relative to what you pay at home), competent, and familiar with the common ailments that afflict travelers. Your tour might be traveling through remote areas where medical facilities may not be in easy reach. Our local staff are available to assist you in anyway possible.
Physical Challenges
This Tour is an adventure trip, driving on rough mountainous roads on some of the highest mountains in the world with little or no emergency medical facilities. You will be traveling assuming all the related risks. We recommend on this tour particularly, to purchase an emergency medical evacuation insurance that would help you in case of an accident but we are sure you realize that they probably are not able to provide you instant/ immediate medical assistance if stuck on a remote road somewhere high in the Himalayas. Our local agents, tour escort/guides etc are available to assist throughout the trip.
CLIMATE
The best time to travel to Bhutan is from February to May and September/November. It's not recommended to travel in the winter months December/January and the monsoon months of June/August. The spring months of March/April and autumn months of September/October are the peak season in Bhutan due to ideal weather conditions and this time you also get a chance to witness some of the colorful Festivals of Bhutan (Tsechus), the most popular Paro Tsechu (Mar/Apr), Thimpu & Wangdi Tsechu (Sep/Oct). Please do check with us for exact festival dates to include the same on your trip to Bhutan.
CLOTHING
No formal clothes are required on your tour and casual to smart casual would be a good general guideline to follow. On tours, shorts are also okay. Bring your protection against sun, (i.e., sun screen, sun glasses, hat, etc.). Cotton clothes are sufficient from May until September but warm clothes are very much necessary from October to the end of April. However, visitors are advised to carry clothes consisting of layers (or preferably a woolen sweater and jacket) throughout the season, as weather may change at anytime. Although we do not expect rain during the suggested months of travel but in the mountains quick showers can develop anytime. Please carry a light rain coat or an umbrella and a wind jacket. Remember comfortable walking shoes and a few pairs of dark "temple sox" that can be discarded after the tour.
Recommended items to pack include
Good walking shoes, protection against sun, (i.e., sun screen, sun glasses, hats, umbrellas, lip balm etc.), a woolen sweater and jacket, rain gear, extra pair of sox (temple sox), mosquito repellent (Deet or such), diarrhea/altitude sickness/de-hydration medication, soap leaves, wet wipes (single use type packets), hand sanitizer, binoculars, flashlight, alarm clock or a travelers watch, ear plugs, calculator, camera with extra memory sticks/film and batteries.
FOOD & DINING
All our tours to Bhutan are full board with most meals included as there is not enough choices of good & safe city restaurants… its best to eat at the hotels. A good combination of traditional local fare and continental favorites is available in most hotels. Buffet breakfast is included daily with juice, fruit, breads, eggs and local items. Lunches and dinners are mostly buffets or a choice of four-course western or traditional style meals. Bhutanese food is usually hot with spicy chilies and cheese. It’s recommended to drink only bottled water which is readily available throughout.
BAGGAGE Baggage handling of only one piece of checked luggage per person is included on all tours. Druk Air flights to Bhutan allow each passenger only one checked bag not to exceed 44 pounds. Please check with us regarding restrictions on baggage to your destinations.
ELECTRIC CURRENT IN BHUTAN In Bhutan, electricity runs 220/240 volts, 50 cycles A.C. If you do bring electrical appliances, take along an international converter kit complete with a set of adapter plugs.
TIME ZONE IN BHUTAN
Bhutan has only one time zone; the entire country is 6 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and half an hour ahead of India Time. For current time in Bhutan visit: www.worldtimeserver.com
CURRENCY
Your hotels, sightseeing tours, most meals and on some escorted tours gratuities are prepaid. However, customary end-of-the-trip gratuity to your tour escort is not included. Bhutan unit of currency is the Ngultrum (Nu.), with 100 Chetrum = 1Ngultrum. The Ngultrum is fixed to the value of Indian rupee. Tourists are advised to carry their money in form of traveler checks (preferably American Express) and cash (US Dollars) which might be needed for incidental expenses. It is easy to change money at your hotel cashier's desk. You may want to take some cash in twenties, tens, fives and ones for small purchases. You should try not to change too much money as it is often difficult to reconvert local money back to US dollars. ATMs are not available in Bhutan and credit cards are rarely accepted. Some large hotels or handicraft shops do accept credit cards but these transactions take extra time. The credit card companies charge high fees and the verification office is only open from 9 am to 5 pm. We advise not to count on credit cards and please carry US Dollars cash or traveler's checks.
CANCELLATION:
Our cancellation policy is as follows; If canceled in writing;
90 days or more before departure.Minimum penalty $350.00
89 - 60 days before departure.Minimum penalty 50%
59 - 45 days before departure.Minimum penalty 75%
44 days prior till date of departure.100% of the tour price
NO shows . no refunds and no refunds after the tour begin.
All penalties above are per person.
Terms & Conditions |
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