Bhutan Travel Tips & FAQs.
The Bhutanese cuisine.
Travel / Medical Insurance:
One of the important travel tips is insurance for your Bhutan trip. The Royal Corporation of Bhutan has initiated a travel and medical plan solely for the visitors. Hence it is important that you get detailed information about the insurance scheme from your Bhutan travel agency here in Bhutan. You may also visit the web site at www.ricb.com.bt
Electricity:
All major towns are well connected with electricity that runs on 220 / 240 volts with round hole two-pin and three-pin power outlets. Our energy is clean and green energy generated by hydropower.
Traveling Kits (One of the Important travel tips):
Bhutan experiences a great variation in its climate. Summers are warm with average daily temperature ranging from 20 to 25 celsius, while winters are cold. In winters temperatures are usually below 15 Celsius. So boring with you a couple of warm clothes and comfortable shoes to go with the weather, the terrain and the program. You might want to consider ‘what to wear’ for hikes, trekking and sightseeing, as well as for dinners, appointments and functions that we have for you.
Others that you could consider bringing with you would be a pair of sunglasses, sun screen lotion and a hat; antiseptic cream, anti-histamine cream, anti-diarrhea pills, altitude & car sickness medicine; insect repellent, flash light (w/spare batteries) umbrella, camera, films and accessories (including spare camera batteries) etc.
Photography:
Bhutan is an ideal place and a frequent haunt for photographers offering immense opportunities for photography especially during our outdoor sightseeing trips. However, you may need to check with your guide for indoor photography as taking photographs inside dzongs, temples, monasteries and religious institutions are restricted unless you have a special permission from the Department of Culture. One can however, capture images of landscapes, the panoramic views of mountain ranges, the rural folk life, the flora and fauna, the Bhutanese architecture and the dzongs and chortens in particular.
Shopping:
For people who love shopping and taking home gifts, Bhutan offers a variety of goods that revolve mainly round textiles. You may shop for items like hand-woven textiles that is either in raw silk or silk, carved masks of various animals, woven baskets of cane and bamboo, wooden bowls known as Dapas, handmade paper products or finely crafted gods of silver. You can also shop for thangka paintings and Bhutan’s exquisite postage stamp. One can come across these items in the many handicraft shops in and around Thimphu, Paro and also in major towns. Please remember that buying and selling of antiques is strictly forbidden in Bhutan (Important travel tips for visiting Bhutan.).
Clothes and other Paraphernalia (One of the important travel tips):
With great altitudinal variations weather is quite erratic in Bhutan. So be prepared to brace the erratic weather as you step outdoor. We expect visitors to dress modestly and respectfully especially if you are planning a visit to the monasteries, dzongs and other religious institutions. As a mark of respect, be kind enough to remove your hats, caps etc, as you enter religious and administrative premises, institutions and in any other place that you come across with the national flag being raised. This is one of the important travel tips.
The Memorial stupa in Thimphu.
Time.
Our standard time is 6 hours ahead of GMT and there is only one time zone throughout the country.
Health & Inoculations:
Before embarking on travel to Bhutan, it is advisable to have tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A inoculations.
Precautions (One of the Important travel tips):
Avoid drinking un-boiled water or taking ice cubes at all times as most water sources in Bhutan are untreated though they have their source in the mountains. One can come across treated and bottled water readily in any town and are affordable. (One of the important travel tips).
Tobacco / Smoking (One of the very important travel tips):
We have a duty to protect Bhutan from drugs and tobacco Products. To do this we need your help and cooperation. If we stop you and ask you about your baggage please cooperate.
Please do not carry tobacco goods that are over the limits. This is one of the important travel tips.
Accommodation (One of the important travel tips):
Over the years, many quality hotels have come up in Bhutan. Most hotels in Bhutan meet the recent standardization policy, most tourists accommodate in a 5 star or a 3 star hotel. The hotels are well maintained and have all basic amenities such as geysers and shower rooms and are properly maintained. Visitors can be assured of their warmth and comfort of the hotels, and the ambience and the hospitality offered by the hotels are incredible. The 5 star hotels are mostly located in Thimphu and in Paro; towns like Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang also have a variety of hotels that are comfortable. Away from town, you may find it tempting to camp outside in the forest or make a night halt at the purpose-built-in cabins sprinkled along some main trekking routes. This is one of the important travel tips.
Food:
Most Bhutanese dishes are rich and spicy with a lot of cheese and chilies. It is advisable that visitors stick to the Chinese, Continental or Indian cuisine that is served in most restaurants. Visitors can also choose among the various vegetarian and non-veg food. You can also try out momos, the Tibetan dumplings and for those daring; you may try out the ema datshi dish served with cheese and chilies and other typical Bhutanese dishes.
Safety Precautions (One of the important Bhutan Travel tips):
While safety is not much of a concern, however it is good to come prepared for any mishap. One needs to avoid walking alone or roaming the streets after 9 PM as you may never know of any mishap that may occur. The capital city has begun to see burglaries, street fights and an increasing number of drug abusers. It is advisable that you keep a safe distance and be in your rooms. Or else you may visit the town in groups or with your guides.
Also please ensure that your belongings especially your passports, route permits, cameras, wallets and purses are properly secured. There have been incidents where visitors found their important documents missing. (This is one of the important travel tips).
Guides and Interpreters:
Bhutan has a good team of interpreters and guides who are well-versed in history and posses good communication skills. They are all certified who undergo training conducted by the Department of Tourism, Bhutan. There are also guides who speak fluent Japanese, Thai and other European languages.
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