| When to Visit Bhutan? |
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You
can visit Bhutan any time of the year. Visitors tend to stay away
during the Monsoon months of June, July & August when the weather
is sometimes a little wet for sightseeing.
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| Clothing |
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Due
to wide range of temperature and climatic conditions, it is advisable
to bring appropriate clothing. For protection against cold, layered
clothing is better than a few thick ones, so choose your cloths
accordingly. Cloths should preferably be made from natural materials,
which allow the body to breathe better. You will be offending people if
you walk around in skimpy or tight fitting cloths. Shorts are not
welcomed and women are advised to wear skirts or loose trousers; men
should not wear singlets. During visit of monasteries, Dzongs and
religious institutions, one should not wear shorts & hats, caps or
smoke.
Cottons and light woolens in summer (June to September) and
Woolens and jackets the rest of the year. Rain gear for the monsoons
and comfortable shoes.
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| Accommodations |
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The
five star hotels are not available in Bhutan. Comfortable hotels and
lodges built in traditional architectural style are available in the
major towns. All tourists are lodged at the hotels approved and
classified by the Department of Tourism. Western Bhutan has better
hotels while in central and eastern part of the country, accommodations
establishment are simple and offer minimum facilities.
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| Cuisine |
| Tourist hotels have a choice of Bhutanese, Indian, Chinese and Continental food |
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| Guides |
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Our
guides are experienced and can speak English fluently. They are trained
and certified by the Department of Tourism. Frequent refreshers courses
are being conducted for the guides to update their knowledge.
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| Land Transportaions |
| We use Japanese imported Toyota cars and buses for the land transport within Bhutan. |
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| Tipping |
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Although
the system of ‘give and take’ is always there in Bhutanese tradition,
tipping is not compulsory. But if you would like to appreciate the
services of our guides, drivers and other staff (while on trek) you may
give them according to your will.
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| Toursim Policy |
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The
tourism industry in Bhutan is founded on the principle of
sustainability, meaning that tourism must be environmentally and
ecologically friendly, socially and culturally acceptable and
economically viable. For this reason the number for tourists visiting
Bhutan are kept to an environmentally manageable level through
Government regulated tourist tariff.
The Royal Government of Bhutan
has been strictly limiting the number of tourist coming to Bhutan so
that traditional culture can be preserved. Bhutanese are highly
religious people and therefore it is important to show respect and
understanding for local customs, way of life especially while visiting
religious institutions.
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| Currency |
Bhutan’s
currency is the Ngultrum (Nu) equivalent to Indian Rupee, which is also
accepted in Bhutan. There are no ATMs in Bhutan, and credit cards are
accepted only at a few high-end tourist shops. You cannot purchase
Ngultrum prior to arriving in Bhutan, but you can easily buy Ngultrum
at the Paro airport, at Bhutan National Bank and the Bank of Bhutan,
and at major hotels in Thimphu and Paro, all of which accept traveler's
checks and/or dollars and various other currencies. When visiting
smaller towns, however, you should bring Ngultrum for your purchases,
as it may not be possible to exchange your currency.
For up-to-date currency exchange information, you can visit Exchangerate.com.
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| Time Zone |
Bhutan
has only one time zone. It is six hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time
(GMT), 30 minutes ahead of India, 15 minutes ahead of Nepal, and one
hour behind Thailand. In the USA, during daylight saving time (April
through October) Bhutan is 10 hours ahead of New York City. During
standard time (November through March), Bhutan is 11 hours ahead of New
York City.
The country code for Bhutan is 975. Local dialing codes are as follows: |
Paro: 2 -- 08 within Bhutan
Thimphu: 2 -- 02 within Bhutan
Trongsa: 3 -- 03 within Bhutan
Bumthang: 3 -- 03 within Bhutan
Mongar: 4 -- 04 within Bhutan
Trashigang: 4 -- 04 within Bhutan
Phuntsholing: 5 -- 05 within Bhutan |
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| Antiques |
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The
visitors are advised to be cautious in purchasing old and used items.
Custom authorities will not allow any old/used items to be taken out of
the country if they have not been certified as non-antique. Imports of
plants, soil etc. is subject to quarantine regulations. These items
must be cleared on arrival.
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| Embassy Information |
There are only two foreign embassies in Bhutan:
Bangladesh Embassy--Thori Lam, Thimphu
Indian Embassy--India House, Thimphu Telephone: 975-2-322162
Fax: 975-2-323195)
There is no US Embassy or Consulate in Bhutan. Informal contact between
the US and Bhutan is maintained through the US Embassy in New Delhi,
India. Travelers may also obtain assistance from the US Consulates in
India (in Chennai, Mumbai, and Calcutta) and, to a limited degree, from
the US Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal. |
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NEW DELHI
The US Embassy
Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
Telephone: 91-11-419-8000
Fax: 91-11-419-0017
Website: http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/
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| Customs |
| Visitors
are required to fill up the custom form and hand it over to concerned
officers on arrival. These articles are exempted from duty: |
- Personal affects and articles for day-to-day use by visitors.
- Liters of alcohol, 400 cigarettes and 150 grams of pipe tobacco.
- Instrument, apparatus or appliances for professional use.
- Photographic
equipment, video cameras and other electronic goods for personal use.
The articles mentioned under third and fourth must be declared in the
Custom form. If such are items disposed off in Bhutan by sale or gift,
they are liable for custom duty. On departure, visitors are requested
to hand back their Custom form.
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| Prohibited Items |
| Import and export of following goods are strictly prohibited: |
- Arms, ammunitions and explosives.
- All narcotics and drugs except medically prescribed drugs.
- Wild life products, especially those of endangered species.
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| Photography |
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The
photographic opportunities on all trips are immense. You will also wish
to record the landscape, buildings and people. Bhutan is generally
liberal about photography by the tourists but there are some
restrictions for photographing radio towers, military installations,
inside Dzongs, Temples and Monasteries.
You could use your video camera for recording your events during the
tours (except in those restricted places mentioned) but there is a set
of rules for the commercial filming.
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| Filming in Bhutan |
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Tourists
or professional intent on film making in Bhutan must abide by the
Bhutan Film Regulations of 1995. (The regulation does not apply to
feature or cinematographic films).
Applications for a filming
permit must be submitted to the Department of Tourism at least 30 days
in advance. The application must be accompanied by:
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- Synopsis of the film.
- Specific locations/objects/activities.
- Composition
of teams and lists of equipment/accessories/consumables. (Members of
the team will have to pay full daily tourist rates).
- Letter of recommendations from the sponsoring agency.
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| Filming Royalty |
- First 30 minutes or part thereof US$ 10,000
- Next 30 minutes or part thereof US$ 6,000
- Every additional 30 minutes or part thereof US$ 3,000
- Security
deposits of US$ 5,000 must be deposited with the Department of Tourism,
which will be refunded upon completion of the film to the satisfaction
of the Department of Tourism.
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| Insurance |
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There
is no personal insurance included in the tour price. Travel insurance
should be obtained from your place of residence before the commencement
of your trip. Bhutan Travellers will not hold liability for any
illness, injury or death sustained during a journey/tour/trek.
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| Health and Safety Issues |
The
government of Bhutan does not require you to have any particular
vaccinations to enter the country. However, you may wish to talk to
your doctor about receiving immunizations against certain preventable
diseases. The US Centers for Disease Control has up-to-date travel information about which diseases you may want to immunize yourself against when traveling to Bhutan.
The altitude in Bhutan is higher than many people are used to. Though
most visitors will have no problem adjusting, altitude sickness may be
a problem for certain people. Our cultural tours do not reach altitudes
higher than 3,500 meters. All of our treks reach at least 3,500 meters,
and some of our treks go as high as 5,000 meters. You can obtain more
information on altitude sickness and prevention from the US Centers for Disease Control and from the International Society for Mountain Medicine.
There is very little crime in Bhutan, and it is safe for women
travelers and solo travelers. For in-depth and up-to-date information
on travel to Bhutan, you can refer to the US State Department's Consular Information Sheet on Bhutan.
You may want to consider purchasing travel insurance to cover emergency
assistance, baggage loss, or injury of any kind.
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