When u start planning your trip to Bhutan, the first issue you will confront is flight bookings. The Druk Air (monopoly for flights in Bhutan) has a terrible website, making it difficult to understand options. Web check in still remains a distant possibility. When flying into Bhutan it is suggested you get a window seat on the LHS and the opposite on the return, since you traverse Mount Everest on your flight and can spot it on a clear day.
Flights are sporadic and if connecting from bombay you have to fly the day before to Calcutta or Delhi adding on more travel time. Daily flights to bombay are launched around mid-May so do check on the dates with your agent before you plan your travel. While May is still considered "high season, perhaps since the monsoons will hit in June/ July and August, the best months to visit if you want to see the flowers in full bloom are March and April. These months also bring the cultural festivals to Thimphu and Paro, making advance bookings a must. September snd October also bring festivals to the centre and east and seasonally it is the fall season showcasing the changing colours of foliage. The festival dates change every year based on the lunar calendar so always check before booking.
I found the local Druk air booking office in bombay to book my flights (round trip amount 25,000 INR per person.) during season, flights are difficult to get given the limited connectivity so book in advance if you want specific dates. Then came the trip planning. I usually like to book directly and avoid travel agents as much as possible but realised very soon that in Bhutan, the agents pre-book rooms for season time well in advance. If you try to book directly, you will realise that most hotels will be sold out or will offer rooms at a much higher price than the agents can get you.
That decision being made, I began navigating the web of agents to work with. There are many agencies in india who offer set packages to Bhutan offering similar hotels and itineraries. However, most of them work with local Bhutanese agents in any case and add on an extra margin for themselves, so we decided to go with a local agent (Gems Travel). Not only did he offer us a rate of about 25% cheaper than the Indian agents, he also secured bookings for us at hotels we wanted immediately and was prompt with confirmations since he and his team are based locally. I highly recommend them for their service and understanding of tourists and their requirements.
The itinerary we followed was a generic 6 nights stay in Bhutan (2 nights in thinly, 1 in punakha and 3 in Paro) that most agents will suggest - this is a good beginners trip to Bhutan, all easily covered by road covering the west of the country.
I won't list all the things we did, since these are pretty standard, rather I will focus on mentioning things that surprised / intrigued me the most during our travels.
- Buddhism is all about "Taming the mind" exalted our guide, Tashi. The Bhutanese are deeply spiritual, trusting and simple. People are quite poor, with average monthly salaries for the middle classes at about 15,000 INR per month ($260). Yet, they seem content, at peace and are even used globally as ambassadors of the happiest country on earth!
- Bhutan is one of the few remaining active monarchies in the world. The Wangchuk dynasty has been refining for 99 years now since December 17th, 1907 (also celebrated as national day). The fifth Wangchuk king is in power and just last year (2015) he gave birth to his first child, commonly called the "crown prince" in Bhutan. What is most interesting is that there is nor has been an opposition / uprising against the Kings over the years. The king is revered and loved by the people and they all believe he is "a good man" who "always thinks of his people". Large pictures of the 4th and 5th king are seen everywhere in Bhutan, including at the airport and in most shops and hotels as well. Interestingly the same people who raved about how amazing the King is, also mentioned the extremely high taxation system in Bhutan (20% taxes on all sales) and described how each time state salaries were increased there was a commensurate increase in the price of every day goods etc. keeping the standard of living, umm quite standard over time.
- Bhutan has also declared itself a democratic country with active elections across the country where a Prime Minister presides over the daily affairs of the country in conjunction with the king.
- the Monk body is also very revered in Bhutan, with the Chief Abbot given equal weightage as the king in all religious ceremonies and decisions. He presides over the monks and is the most revered religious figure in the country. The Bhutanese are extremely pious and consult the monks for all important matters, ranging from business decisions, family planning to naming of children.
-Archery is the national sport. Darts are the next biggest obsession. Possibly due to the Buddhist practice of meditation, the Bhutanese are able to focus really well. The targets are more than 150 meters away. When I tried to take aim, I couldn't even se the target with my naked eye.
-Men and women wear the traditional Bhutanese outfit daily to work / school. You see people dressed in their national outfit every where. It's more commonly seen than western attire - a well preserved tradition that adds to the charm of the streets and sights.
- the Currency is pegged to the INR. Indian rupees can be used in all shops, hotels etc. making it really easy to travel and not have to deal with converting currencies while shopping.
- Indian food is easily available at hotels, given the number of Indian tours its visiting the country. They even serve masala chai everywhere. So if you can't do without your Dal, chawal and chai, Bhutan is the ideal place for you. Do sample the local Bhutanese cuisine too. The vegetarian food consists of vegetables and red rice mainly. They eat very very spicy food, so always pre-request less spicy food when you travel. The Bhutanese also use wild mushrooms and lots of cheese (cheese gravies as well) in their cooking. Chinese and Tibetan food is also easily available.
- while india has majestic scenery, the resplendent Himalayas and amazing hill stations to offer, 2 features make Bhutan very unique. First, the strong Buddhist influence provides for an amazing cultural experience, with monasteries, temples and monks adding tremendous character to this Himalayan abode. Next, tourist spots in india are extremely crowded making it difficult to escape noise and people. Bhutan, in contrast has only under 10,000 tourists visiting annually from across the world. Even some of the most touristic sights had very few people and the temple and monastery visits were very peaceful (no lines / crowds / shoving or pushing!). There were long patches of drives between towns where we didn't see any other cars for long stretches. This unexploited tourism made for a very serene and meditative holiday experience. Obviously, as tourism grows, some of this peace will get disturbed; development comes at a cost. Visit Bhutan before it gets crowded and commercialised to really taste and savour a cultural Himalayan experience like none other!
Hotels in Thimphu:
Aman - super luxury. Very minimalist. Offers only 8 rooms.
Taj Tashi - very popular among Indians. Luxury hotel with Bhutanese ensign elements, an indoor heated pool and evening cultural performance- my recommendation if traveling with family.
Bhutan suites - a smaller three star hotel, offering ONLY vegetarian food. Do stop by for dinner.
Terma linca - best location of all the hotels we visited. The hotel is situated by the river bank. You can hear the river as you walk to the room. Rooms are large but the spa was a bit disappointing since they didn't use the river views in the spa.
Meridien - my least favourite hotel. God for business travelers since it is located in the city centre. It has a modern look and didn't charm me at any level. We even discovered a caterpillar in my salad - yuck!
Hotels in punakha:
Uma (como hotels) - this is probably the most expensive hotel in Bhutan with only about 20 rooms. The location is stunning with the restaurant overlooking the valley an each room with a valley and river view. There is no pool/ fitness centre and only 1 restaurant in the hotel making its price tag of over $1200 during season appealing only to a very select clientele.
Aman - enchanting approach to the hotel. You start by crossing a footbridge and then a golf cart comes to receive you and drives you for about 7 minutes to the main door of the hotel. The property is an ancient Bhutanese home that has been leased from the royal family by the hotel. The ancient wing serves as the dining area, library, games room, meditation centre etc and the rooms are located in newly constructed villas overlooking paddy fields. There is no pool/ fitness centre and only 1 restaurant in the hotel making its price tag of over $1200 during season appealing only to a very select clientele.
Dhensa - the most affordable luxury hotel in the valley. It is located at a height snd is away from the town centre ( about 20 minutes drive to punakha dzong). The famous nunnery is a five minute walk away and the views from the hotel are stunning. Again, this is a small 24 room hotel with 1 small restaurant and a spa. We did the Kibu (peace) out door bath where the fill a tub with water and then burn wood for 2 hours to heat the water naturally and fill the tub with herbs and natural minerals to relieve you of joint pains.
Overall, the hotels are very small but designed beautifully using local wood and other materials.
Hotels in Paro:
Aman - we visited at night for dinner so might have missed the landscaping. Inside, it was a two- storeyed building with the Lower level as a dining room and the upper area serving as a Lounge / bar area. Stylistically, all the aman hotels in Bhutan are designed to be identical. The service and the food were more striking than the hotel layout and design.There is no pool/ fitness centre and only 1 restaurant in the hotel making its price tag of over $1200 during season appealing only to a very select clientele.
Uma (como hotels) - this is the most popular luxury hotel for Indian tourists visiting Paro. We were disappointed. The deluxe room was tiny with an ordinary forest view. The hotel has only 1 dining area - food was disappointing. The highlight was the indoor heated pool and the complimentary daily yoga sessions on offer.
Naksel- you need to drive for 15-20 minutes off the main road on a mud road to reach this property. It's rooms are spread out and designed in Bhutanese style giving it warmth and character. We visited for lunch and requested an outdoor table. They have an amazing outdoor seating from where you only see mountains staring up at you - truly exceptional. The service was very good too but extremely slow. The took an hour to bring our food since there were making it "fresh". They have Indian and Chinese dishes on the menu- def suggest a visit if not a stay here - just call and place your order in advance! The spa also looked lovely, so perhaps try a massage here.
Zhiva Ling - this is where we stayed and were awed at first sight! After visiting the other hotels I can confirm that this the best hotel to stay at in Paro. The architecture is stunning, done in typical Bhutanese style but very ornate and detailed. They have a meditation room (flanked by a gorgeous green glass Buddha), a tea room and a green house, all within 5 minutes of the reception. The spa was average but the hot stone bath treatment was exceptional (ideal after u climb tigers nest). The room faced the river and mountains and inspired us to wake up early every morning to sit in our mini balcony to see the clouds rolling in. The main reception building housed 2 restaurants and a bar. Additionally, the second floor had s conference room and business's centre and the third floor had a shrine (must visit). We also requested a peak of the Presidential suite and were totally floored. A 2 bedroom suite with s living room and amazing views. The highlight - a private meditation room deigned exquisitely.
Meridian - well located on the banks of the river with lots of outdoor seating but the hotel is brand new and designed in a contemporary style making it my least favourite of all hotels we visited. Stop by for tea and ask for an outdoor table overlooking the river.
Safe travels. Remember, "nothing is permanent".
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