Although Bhutan is a neighbour and
shares very close relations with India, information about the country is
limited and Bhutan doesn't rank high among holiday preferences. So here's some
tips for fellow Indians travelling to the 'Land of the Thunder Dragon'.
Citizens of India, Bangladesh and
Maldives don't have to organize their trip to Bhutan through a package with a
government-approved local agent and pay the minimum tariff, set by the
government. This means that travelling to Bhutan for said citizens is much
cheaper, as they pay only for their actual use of services. This also means
that they can organize it all by themselves, although a local agent can help
much. And a guide can add much information, both on cultural tours, and
especially is useful for walks, as most are without any signage. Treks in
Bhutan have to be organized by a local agent, who will deal with all the
logistics of the camping.
DOCUMENTS
Carrying a passport is ideal, though
not necessary. Even a Voter's ID card is sufficient. A visa is not required
either. An entry permit will be given when crossing the border.
If Indian Citizens do not have
passport or voter id, they can obtain an identification slip from the Indian
Consulate Office by providing proof like birth certificate, aadhar card etc.
The office is located in 'India House'. They take a contribution of
Rs. 100 for Army Welfare Fund. Carry the photocopies of the proofs being
submitted, fill up a simple application form and the identification slip will
be issued in 15 mintues.
TRAVELLING
·
FLIGHTS
Druk Air offers direct flights to Paro, which
is the only international airport in Bhutan, from Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and
Bagdogra. Popular travel websites such as Yatra and Makemytrip donot offer
these flights. You will need to contact the authorized Druk Air travel agent in
the city closest to you (view their website for details), or call the airline
office directly. Fares listed on the website are higher, for Indian citizens,
they are slightly different. Also, these aren't daily flights, so when if
intent to fly both ways, better to first see the flight schedule and
availability and then plan the rest of your trip. Best is to let your tour
operator do the booking for you.
Despite being a small airline, Druk
Air's service quality is quite good. You don't have any in-flight entertainment
apart from their magazine, Tashi Delek, but the crew is friendly and attend
your needs. Like with Indian airline companies, Druk Air offers a choice of
Indian vegetarian and non vegetarian meals, without requiring you to book it
beforehand. Jain food isn't available though if you need it. Catering of meals
on flights departing from India is done by Taj Sats, so you can be assured of a
good meal. While travelling from Mumbai or Delhi to Paro, please request
for a window seat on the left (right for the return flight). The flight path
crosses by the snow capped Himalayan peaks and offers a spectacular view of
Mount Kanchenjunga and Mount Everest.
If you're flying from Kolkata, Bhutan Airlines, a
private company runs a Bangkok - Kolkata - Paro service.
No other airlines currently operate on
this route.
·
ROAD
Druk Air flights are expensive and as
Indian citizens, you have the liberty of both entering and exiting the country
by land. There are direct flights to Bagdogra in Northern West Bengal from Kolkata,
Delhi and Mumbai and this works out cheaper. Or you can even take a train
to Siliguri. From there the
Jaigaon/Phuentsholing border is around 4-5 hours. Thimphu is another 5-6 hours from here and
the drive uphill is beautiful. Phuentsholing offers plenty of hotel facilities
for a break journey. The border between Phuentsholing on the Bhutan side and
Jaigaon on the Indian side is open, so you can even cross over for some Indian
food if you like. But there are some time restrictions before which you
need to go back to Bhutan. The road from Bagdogra to the border is not in
a good condition.
For travel in Bhutan, if done
individually, you can either use public buses or hire a car with driver. If a
local agent is used, he'll come and receive you at the border or close to it,
as by agreement ( you can ask to be picked up in Siliguri, in the west, or in
Guwahati in the east).
You can also take your Indian Car to
Bhutan and obtain a permit for the car from the Regional Transport Office in
Phuensholing for a feeof about ng 200. Cost of Petrol is cheaper by about
Ng 11 in Bhutan than in India in May 2014.
TOUR OPERATORS
Majorly all tour operators in India...
have tours to Bhutan. Only few offer group tours, while customized packages are
available with all. Although, the catch is that bookings are only handled by
local Bhutanese operators, so they need to forward your request to
Bhutan. Alternatively you can deal with a Bhutanese agent directly. Trip
reports with recommendations are plenty in the Bhutan forum on TripAdvisor.
For a customized package, it makes
sense to directly contact a tour operator in Bhutan. There are many registered
tour operators, a comprehensive list is available here..
A local Bhutanese guide is not a must
for Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldives citizens in Bhutan but if you prefer,
to have your trip organized by a local travel agency, this will
assign you a guide. Guides are professionally trained and are very well
informed, they will accompany you throughout your visit and provide exhaustive
information on not only the places you visit, but on anything you want to know
about the country as whole. This becomes necessary as there is isn't any
visitor information board at most places. Guides generally speak English, but
quite a few understand Hindi and are able to speak basic Hindi as well.
CURRENCY
The local currency is the Ngultrum,
which is pegged to the Indian Rupee. The rupee is also legal tender in Bhutan,
so you do not need to convert any currency, rupees are accepted
everywhere.
Please bear in mind that though officially
500 and 1000 rupee notes are not supposed to be accepted, practically, all the
establishments accept these notes. .Very few places accept cards, so it's best
to carry how much ever you need, in cash.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
You can get a prepaid SIM card in any
shop on showing your immigration permit. Bring an unlocked phone with
you. For a weeklong trip a 100 Rs/Nu card is sufficient. Call to India are
charged at 5 Rs/Nu per minute.
TRAVELLING WITHIN THE COUNTRY
(Covering Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and Phobjikha)
For travel in Bhutan, if done
individually, you can either use public buses or hire a car with driver or
drive your own Car.
If you use a local agent, you'll have
a car and driver, apart from the guide. Hyundai H1 is a popular tourist
vehicle, which can accommodate 6, plus the guide and driver, apart from having
plenty of room for luggage. Your Bhutan registered car can come to pick you up
at Bagdogra or Siliguri. Alternatively, even Indian cars are allowed into
Bhutan.
The roads from Paro Airport to Thimphu
is good and Thimphu being the capital has good infrastructure. On the way from
Thimphu to Punakha, the roads are being widened for a Hydro Power Project (as
of May 2014). As a result, road conditions are bad and the road is only open to
traffic at fixed times during the day. Your guide will have update info
regarding these timings.
From Punakha to Phobjikha, the road is
in a very bad condition and can be classified as Kutcha for most of the way.
The drive is picturesque, but will be painful for those with motion sickness or
a back problem. Roads in the Paro area are good. All roads in Bhutan have many
curves and therefore the driving is slow.
There are very few (if at all)
restaurants and restrooms on highways, please do not be picky.
FOOD AND HOTELS (Covering Paro,
Thimphu, Punakha and Phobjikha)
Quite a few Indian travellers are apprehensive
about vegetarian food in Bhutan, but the problem is overrated. Hotels provide
you with breakfast and dinner in the package and most of them will specially
cook roti, dal, subzi and rice for you if it isn't there on the buffet, at no
extra charge. You need to tell them in advance though. The same applies for
breakfast. Do not be very picky about taste, it might not be the best, but they
spare no effort in catering to your needs. Bhutanese food has vegetarian
options too, if you aren't particular about sticking to Indian vegetarian. Ema
Datsche is the national dish and is essentially chilies and cheese. Chillies in
Bhutan are used as a vegetable and not as a spice. Vegetarian Thukpa, Bathup
and Momos are other options. Shops in Thimphu and Paro were well stocked with
packaged foods... juices; namkeen etc. and brands are predominantly Indian
ones, so you won't face a problem finding your favourite product. You can even
buy a bottle of pickles for your meals since you may find the food a bit bland
for Indian tastes. But do stock up on what you need for the long road journeys,
you won't get anything on the way.
For lunch, there are Indian
restaurants in Thimphu and Paro. In Thimphu, Chula, behind Taj Tashi serves
good Indian food, while in Paro, Sonam Trophel in the main market serves both
Indian and Bhutanese.
On the way to Punakha, you can have
Bhutanese food in the restaurant at Dochula Pass and again at the entry to the
walk up to Chime Lakhang.
Keep in mind that many hotels in
Bhutan, including some high end ones, won't provide you a TV in the room. WiFi
is available at some. Electric kettles are provided, but some places won't give
you tea/coffee/sugar/milk powder. Please check up on these based on your
requirement.
MISCELLANEOUS DOS AND DON'TS
- Taking pictures inside the alters of dzongs, temples and monasteries is strictly prohibited
- Take off your caps/hats inside dzongs, temples and in front of the national flag
- Wear full length, long sleeved clothes while visiting dzongs, temples, monasteries, schools and any government institutions
- Walk clockwise while crossing dzongs, temples, monasteries, prayer flags and other religious artifacts
- Please seek permission before clicking other people or religious items
- Do not give sweets, money, pencils, pens etc. to the children
- Although Bhutan is safe, please keep your valuable items safe
- There are a lot of stray dogs in Bhutan. Do not tease them as they aren't friendly. Barking dogs are also a nuisance at night in several areas
- Public display of affection is uncommon in Bhutan. Kindly refrain.
- Smoking in public places is prohibited
- Buying of antiques from Bhutan is strictly monitored by customs. Please insist on a cash memo/original bill while purchasing
Bhutan is really like no other! Do not
expect it to provide the commercial pleasures of a run-of-the-mill Indian hill
station. It's completely non-commercial and unspoilt (the way it should be).
Visually, it's very appealing. Government rules dictate that buildings, right
down from palaces and monasteries to apartment blocks need to conform to the
traditional architectural style and the overall effect is very impressive. The
people are trustworthy and friendly and ever ready to break into a smile. The
mountains, forests and rivers are in pristine condition. The cities are clean
and the traffic (whatever little there is) is well organized. People say that a
holiday in Sikkim or Ladakh offers a similar experience at a lower cost. But
no, Bhutan is altogether unique experience and well worth the extra cost!
Hope
this write-up gives you enough information to plan your next Bhutan holiday!
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