Travel

TRAVELLING AHEAD OF THE MASSES

Bhutan is one of the rare countries in the world where you can still travel ahead of the masses. For centuries Bhutan lived completely isolated from the outer world and it’s only since the 1970’s that tourism is possible. To safeguard its rich natural environment, religion and culture, the country has consciously adopted a controlled tourism and development policy. Although there is no longer a restriction on visitor numbers; all tourists have to pay a minimum daily tariff of approximately 200 US dollars, fixed by the government. This automatically regulates the number of tourists.

All tourists (group or individual) must travel on a pre-planned, prepaid, guided package tour or custom designed travel program. You cannot travel independently in the kingdom. The arrangements must be made through an officially approved tour operator, either directly or through an overseas agent. If you make it to Bhutan, you can expect a first class treatment in the hotels and during trekkings.

Travel tip . Book your travel as early as possible, especially during high season and festivals. This ensures you will get a good hotel and confirmed Druk Air flight seats. If you want to travel to Bhutan for the festivals, you must book your tour four to five months in advance. If you are traveling for different seasons, book your tour two to three months in advance.

• Travelling to Bhutan

You can enter Bhutan by plane through the internationals airports of Bangkok (Thailand), Calcutta/Kolkata (India), Gaya (India), Siliguri (India), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Yangon (Myanmar, former Birma) or Kathmandu (Nepal). Paro Airport in the south west of the country, Read more.

Travelling in Bhutan

Bhutan knows no trains or domestic flights, so you can only travel by car or bus in Bhutan. The country has a relatively well developed network of roads accessing all major towns. However, most roads are small and badly or not at all paved and unlit. Read more.

Travelling from Bhutan

If you want to purchase old and used items (100 years or older), be cautious. The Bhutanese customs authorities strictly monitor the export of any religious antiquities or antiques of any kind from the Kingdom. You’re not allowed to take items out of the country which haven’t been officially certified as non-antique. Read more.

Travel Documents

You need a valid passport to enter Bhutan. Make sure it has sufficient empty pages for stamps, especially if you are travelling via India or Nepal. Also make sure your passport isn’t about to expire (six months or less). Read more.