When to travel Bhutan?
Bhutan is a very beautiful place and welcomes all the visitors with open arms. However, the visitors usually don’t visit during the monsoon months of June, July, and August as the place gets quite wet, making it uncomfortable for the visitors towards comfortable adventures in the Himalayas.
However, the visitors can enjoy the best of Bhutan during the spring and autumn months of March, April, May and September, October and November. Bhutan is a nation with about 70 percent of its forest under its cover making it a green nation with lush environment around. If the visitors visit during these months, you can enjoy the essence of beauty of Mother Nature moreover the spring and the autumn months bring with them lots of festivities and celebrations in the country taking the visitors to the world of varied cultures and the true essence of the Bhutanese way of living.
Weather and Clothing
Though Bhutan is a small nation but it has wide range of temperature and climatic conditions across the country. The months of October, November, December, January and February can be chill especially in the mornings and the evenings. Therefore, the visitors are recommended to carry with them some thick clothes to comfy yourself or the visitors can bend in with the local attires. Otherwise the months of March, April, May, June, July, August and September the days are warmer and the months of June, July and August can be little wet. Therefore, the visitors must also bring in with them some rain gears. The southern and the central parts of Bhutan are much warmer comparing to the eastern and the western parts of Bhutan.
Accommodations
When it comes to the accommodations, Bhutan offers one of the modest and gives all the visitors the feeling of being home. Tourism is one of the fast-growing industries of Bhutan and is well-developed in all the parts of country. The visitors can enjoy the comfortless of lush hotels and resorts in the western parts of Bhutan, the farmhouse feeling in the eastern parts of Bhutan, and one of the best local hospitality in the central parts of Bhutan. We would make sure that all the visitors are placed in the nation’s best hotels and resorts as well as houses if they wish to which would be properly recommended by the Royal Government of Bhutan. It is also the responsibility of the travel agency to take care of the security of the visitors keeping in mind the best interest of the visitors. So far visitors have always left the country with the feeling of complacency and accomplishment in their mind. The agency would give their best of their best efforts in maintaining that smile and the sense of satisfaction on the faces of the visitors.
To wrap up the Bhutanese would welcome every visitor with their arms wide open and make visitors adore the nation as well as the people.
Transport
Bhutan Trekking Services would arrange comfortable coaster buses in accordance to the visitors. We would also take in special arrangement if the visitors want to traverse with their families or friends. For instance the vehicles like SUVS/MUVS or Coaches would be provided to the visitors travelling in smaller groups of seven to nine. The Tour operator will also look into the arrangement of smaller vehicles and mountain bikes on the demand of the visitors. The A path to Himalayan country Bhutan tours and treks would arrange all the travelling necessities for an adventurous journey in the Himalayas.
Meals
Local food, Cheese and Chilli
The Bhutanese Hotels and Restaurants serve all kinds of delicious food as per the taste of the visitors. The visitors can go for Bhutanese special such as the famous ema datshi (red/green chillies with lots of cheese) with red rice for a change as shown above. Bhutanese love spice in their foods and that’s why the visitors should really mixed into the culture and try out the national dish. Chillis are an essential part of nearly every dish and are considered so important that most Bhutanese people would not enjoy a meal that was not spicy. The red rice is just like the brown
rice, it is pale pink in colour, and has excellent texture, pretty soft and really nutritious for health. It is organic and cultivated by the local farmers. The national dish ema datshi has been further carved up into kewa (potato) datshi (cheese) and shamu (mushroom) datshi (cheese) as shown above. The rice is also served with vegetables as a side dish for the vegetarian and beef, pork and chicken for the non-vegetarian. Visitors can also order special Bhutanese cuisine like Jasha maru (Spicy minced chicken, tomatoes and other ingredients that are usually served with rice,
Phaksha Paa (Pork cooked with spicy red Chillis. This dish can also include Radishes or Spinach. A popular variation uses sun-dried (known as Sicaam). Hoentoe: Aromatic buckwheat dumplings stuffed with turnip greens,
datshi (cheese), spinach and other ingredients), or Tibetan style dumplings both vegetarian and non vegetarian.
Food for tourist
The visitors can also stick to their diet and order accordingly. Bhutan has lots of tourist hostels specifically meant for the tourists. The visitors can get dishes such as Chinese, Indian, and Continental and the visitors can also go out for outdoor dinner, and ask for the latest and fresh dishes in season. The travel agency can provide vehicles and even guides for the translation or the guidance on the way.
ATM and Credit Cards
If the visitors have visa, masters and Maestro with a pin code, you can cash money from all the banks in Bhutan. Credit cards are accepted in few hotels and shops in the capital and towns. All credit card transactions take extra time and are cumbersome to use. For convenience, it is preferable to have traveler’s cheques and cash. Bhutan’s currency is the ngultrum which is widely accepted in Bhutan. You will not be able to purchase ngultrum outside 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. It is advisable to bring ngultrum with you when visiting smaller towns as it may not be possible to exchange your currency.
Insurance
All visitors are advised to get their insurance coverage from their own country.
Dress Code
Visitors are advised to dress comfortably as Bhutan is generally a formal place. Shorts, skirts and revealing tight clothing are to be avoided. The Bhutanese people wear their full traditional dress and formal wear to Dzongs and to
temples. Visitors should wear long pants (even if jeans), shirts with full sleeves, and more formal skirts below the knees to these places. Slippers and sandals are discouraged. Sun caps are also not permitted inside Dzongs and temples. Bhutanese people have a distinct manner of greeting people, sometimes with a slight nodding of the head or bowing slightly if we meet older, senior people. Guests are encouraged to observe the local etiquette and not to talk too loudly when meeting Bhutanese. A nod of the head is also appreciated when meeting people, particularly in villages and towns outside Thimphu. Intimacy in public is generally not appreciated.
Photography
It is advisable to bring your own photographic equipment and needs. Films and camera batteries are available generally only in major towns. Slide film is generally not available so bring plenty of slide rolls if you’re shooting slides. Visitors love taking snaps because of the architecture, the colorful dress and even people won’t mind if you take pictures of them. However, snapping of photos is strictly prohibited in certain areas such as religious institutions and Dzongs.
