General Information

Wangdue Phodrang

View Details

Newsletter

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Refer to Friend

Your Name:

Friend's Email:

Places to see in bhutan

Getting into bhutan \|	General Information \|	Tariff & payment policies \|	Driving Distance
Average Temperature \|	Trekking Seasons \|	Bhutan Visa \|	Booking Conditions

General Information
Language
Dzongkha, the Language of Dzong belongs to the Tibetan Linguistic family originally spoken in western Bhutan. It is now the National Language. English is commonly spoken in the main towns and it is the principle medium of instruction in schools throughout the kingdom.

Time Zone
Bhutan being tiny country has only one time zone. Bhutan Standard time is 6 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), one hour behind Bangkok time, 30 minutes ahead of the Indian time and 11 hours ahead of the standard New York time. Bhutan's time matches with Bangladesh time.

Currency
The Bhutanese currency is called Ngultrum. Currency note s is available in various denominations: Nu.1000, Nu.500, Nu.100, Nu50, Nu.20, Nu.10, Nu.5 and Nu.1. Coins are available in denominations of Chertrum(Ch) Ch. 50, Ch 25, Ch10,Ch 5 and Ch 1.Ngultrum (Nu in short) is as par with the Indian currency, Rupees. Ngultrum is accepted only in some bordering Indian towns, whereas Rupee is accepted throughout Bhutan. However, please note that the Indian Ruppess of the 500 and higher denominations are not accepted in Bhutan. One US $ is roughly equal to Nu.45. More information on up-to-date currency exchange visit www.bnb.com.bt. Most travelers cheques are accepted but shops generally charge a levy on credit cards. Payments sometimes can be made with American express, VISA and the JCB cards although the hotels and shops that accept are usually confined to Thimphu and Paro.
Cash is always more convenient, particularly in the districts outside Thimphu, Paro and Phuentsholing towns.

Postal & Communication Services
The Bhutanese postal system is reliable, you can send mails from hotels and post offices and no special procedures are necessary. If you mail cards or letters from the Thimphu post office, you can buy exotic Bhutan postage stamps from the philatelic bureau and use them on your letters and postcards. Bhutan Post offers outgoing EMS [expedited mail service], which is a reliable and fast international mail delivery facility that is cheaper than courier services. It also has a LUM [local urgent mail] service for delivery within Bhutan. DHL is the only international courier to operate from Bhutan. Most of the kingdom major towns have both domestic and international direct dial facilities. Nearly all hotels and some PCOs have facilities to send and receive faxes. Bhutan has its own Internet and email services and B-mobile facilities.

Customs
Visitors are required to complete a passenger declaration form for checking by concerned officers on arrival. The following articles are exempt from duty:-
(a) Personal effects and articles for the day to day use by the visitor.
(b) 1 litre of alcohol (spirits or wine).
(c) 200 cigarettes, on payment of import duty of 200%.
(d) Instruments, apparatus or appliances for professional use.
(e) Photographic equipment, video cameras and other electronic goods for personal use.

The articles mentioned under (d) & (e) must be declared on the declaration form. If any such items are disposed of in Bhutan by sale or gift, they are liable for customs duty, On departure visitors are required to surrender their forms to the customs authorities.

Exports of antiques, plants or animal products are strictly prohibited. The custom authorities will not allow you to take any old items if they have not been certified as non-antique. Therefore all the visitors should be cautious in purchasing any old and used items, especially of religious or cultural significance, as such items may not be exported without a clearance certificate.

Tobacco.
On 17th December 2004, Bhutan became the world first nation to introduce a complete ban on tobacco sales, following a resolution taken by the National Assembly. Smoking is also now restricted to private areas. However, tourists are allowed to bring 1carton cigarettes subject to payment of 100% customs duty and 100% sales tax.

Season to Visit Bhutan
Bhutan has four seasons. Every season has its own beauty and adventures one. The best season that we can recommend you are the spring season - March, April and May. Other suitable season is autumn in months of September, October and November where most of the festivals (Tshechus) take place. For sightseeing purpose of the great Himalayan mountains ranges, autumn season is recommended as during that time the skies are very clear and you can catch the rare glimpse of the great Himalayan mountain ranges.During the summer season (months of June, July & August), the monsoons would be already in and it is likely that one may encounter rain. Winter Season (December, January and February) are extremely cold. Some of the upper trek routes may remain closed due to heavy snow fall.

Accommodation
We provide homely and comfortable accommodation where you are welcomed as an esteemed guest and offered the traditional hospitality at its best. There are comfortable hotel and lodges that are certified by Department of Tourism, at all tourist destinations. Western Bhutan has better hotels while in central and eastern parts of the country, accommodation establishments are simple and offer minimum facilities. Luxury accommodations are now available in Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang.

Food
Bhutanese delicacies are rich with spicy chilies and cheese. All hotels, lodges and guest houses on Discovery Bhutan Inc selected list of accommodations offers delicious Chinese, Continental, Bhutanese and Indian cuisines. We provide suitable dishes to western taste in the above range and every effort will be made to accommodate the individual dietary preferences of your own to trekking groups.

Insurance
To protect against unforeseen accidents and mishaps, we advise you to have Travel Insurance policy from your country. It should adequately cover helicopter evacuation and medical assistance. Discovery Bhutan Inc will not be liable for any kind of injury, illness or death during the tour/trek in Bhutan.

Guides
All guides are licensed by The Tourism Council of Bhutan. All guides speak good English. French, Japanese or German speaking guides can also be arranged.

Communications
The estate has recently installed a full range of telecommunications and computing facilities for use by its guests. Internet Service in Bhutan was introduced recently in 1999 and making international phone calls from most towns are available while touring Bhutan. And Bhutan is also connected with the GSM mobile services. Now it is available in every tourist lodge/hotel as well as in town cybercafe cafes at cheaper rates.

Medical & Health cares
Anyone who enjoys out door life and is physically fit can participate on our treks and tours. How ever some treks maybe rigorous and difficult because of high altitude and therefore a good training of fitness for at least a month at home is required for treks going to an altitude in excess of 4000 mtrs, there are no compulsory vaccinations for travel to Bhutan or within the continent. However, its recommended that you will be protected against Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid, Cholera, Hepatitis A, Malaria, especially if you are traveling out of Bhutan. If you have heart condition, please check with the doctor to ensure that you are fit to undertake high altitude treks.

Clothing
The wide range of temperature does not make dressing easy. From May to September. cotton clothes are sufficient, plus a woolen sweater or light jacket. From October to the end of April, on the other hand, you will need very warm clothes including long underwear or woolen tights to wear under trousers, and down jacket or coat etc. The necessary things you should pack for the trip are sunglasses/spare glasses or contact lenses. A pair of casual shoes, washing kit, shaving kit, towel, hat umbrella, camera, film and accessories, maps, insect repellent, hand cream, small sewing kit & safety pins, torch or flash light with spare batteries, mirror, sun screen cream, lip salve or soluble aspirin, antiseptic cream, preparation for the relief of sunburn. You may not be tuned to the Asian drugs so it is always better to bring own brand.

Shopping:
The country's exquisite postage stamps, lovely hand woven fabrics, carved masks, woven baskets, wooden bowls, handmade papers, finely crafted metal objects, thangka paintings are the items mostly purchased by travelers in Bhutan. Buying and selling of antiques is strictly forbidden in the Kingdom.

Gratuity:
In general, tipping is neither compulsory nor there is any fixed amount and the bottom line in determining whether and how much to tip is to ask yourself how much the individual did to make your travel more enjoyable.

Electricity:
In Bhutan, electricity runs 220/240 volts. If you do bring electrical appliances, take along an international converter kit complete with a set of adapter plugs.

Safety
Bhutan is generally a safe place and the streets are safe to walk around but visitors may find no reason to wander out late at night since the towns close early and packs of stray dogs tend to take over the streets. But do not walk alone when on trekking. You may get lost or encounter wild animals like the Himalayan bear in certain seasons.

Other Information
Tourism has been strictly limited in Bhutan so that traditional culture can be preserved and nurtured. The 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.
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. And for these reason the number of tourists visiting Bhutan are kept to an environmentally manageable level.

Getting into bhutan \|	General Information \|	Tariff & payment policies \|	Driving Distance
Average Temperature \|	Trekking Seasons \|	Bhutan Visa \|	Booking Conditions