- Important points
- Choosing wings
- Hotel on the roof of the world
- Transport subtleties
- Nightingales are not fed with fables
- Useful details
- Perfect travel to Bhutan
The small but proud Kingdom of Bhutan ranks only 135th in the ranking of the territories of the world powers. However, the small area does not prevent it from being the object of desire of tourists, for whom "only mountains can be better than mountains …", and therefore the Ministry of Tourism is forced to constantly limit the number of those wishing to land at the high-mountainous airport of Paro. It is not so easy to organize a trip to Bhutan - for a trip here you need to comply with a number of conditions, including a special procedure for obtaining a visa.
Until 1974, Bhutan was a completely closed country, and today its guests are surprised to learn that there are no railways and central heating in the kingdom, television appeared only in 1999 after the Internet, hunting and smoking are prohibited and strictly punishable by local laws, and in On the list of other legislative bodies, there is the Ministry of Happiness.
Important points
Russian tourists need a visa to Bhutan. It is issued only to those who use the services of a Bhutanese tour operator and are able to pay a considerable amount for their stay in the country in the amount of $ 200 per day, depending on the season. Visa confirmation is issued by the tour operator after receiving the entire cost of the selected tour on its account, and at the airport upon arrival, the visa itself is put in the passport. The issue price is $ 20.
The "high" season, when one day of stay in the country costs $ 250, is spring and autumn. "Low", when you have to pay $ 200 per day - winter and summer. The price includes accommodation, meals, transfers and services of a tour guide. The maximum stay in the kingdom is limited to 15 days.
- Traveling on your own to Bhutan is not possible without the participation of a local travel company.
- Upon arrival at the airport of Bhutan, the luggage of any tourist can be thoroughly checked, and therefore guests are not recommended to violate customs rules.
- One unit of the Bhutanese currency is roughly equal to the ruble. You can exchange dollars for ngultrum in banks. For trips to the provinces, it is important to have a supply of cash with you, moreover, in the ngultrum.
Choosing wings
There are no direct flights from Russia to Bhutan and getting to the local Paro international airport is very difficult. Only three airlines are allowed to fly here, and therefore ticket prices are not very democratic:
- The most popular air route passes through the Indian capital. Regular flights to Delhi are on the Aeroflot schedule daily, the cost of such a ticket is about $ 350. Then you will have to transfer to Bhutan's national airline Druk Air. The whole journey will take 9 hours, excluding the connection.
- You can also change trains on the way from Moscow to Bhutan to Kathmandu. Etihad Airways are the cheapest flights to the capital of Nepal. The cost of the ticket is from $ 500, you will have to spend 9, 5 hours in the sky, excluding the connection in Abu Dhabi. In Kathmandu, you will have to board the same Druk Air.
You can buy a ticket from Mumbai, Delhi or Kathmandu to Paro only if you have a visa to Bhutan.
Hotel on the roof of the world
Foreign tourists when traveling in Bhutan find themselves in hotels of at least 3 * in rank. This rule is strictly valid for local tour operators. Hotels in the kingdom are quite comfortable.
The cost of a night in a "three-ruble note" will be about $ 40 in the capital. Guests will be offered rooms with comfortable beds, the ability to use a private bathroom and free internet. Such a room will be heated with the help of an electric fireplace, and for breakfast guests will be invited to a restaurant at the hotel.
On a tour of Bhutan in the province, travelers can stay in home-style guesthouses, where the local flavor of the mountain kingdom is especially vividly presented.
Transport subtleties
The only available transport in Bhutan is cars and buses, since there is no air or rail link between settlements with the kingdom. Any tourist will be able to move around the country only in accordance with the route developed by the tour operator, which means, accompanied by a guide and on the company's transport.
If you don't like the idea of traveling in Bhutan as a group, you can ask the tour operator for private transport. In any case, the car at your disposal will be "equipped" with a local driver.
Nightingales are not fed with fables
Bhutanese cuisine is represented by a variety of dishes from milk, cheese, vegetables, cereals and meats. The peculiarity of the local cuisine is a generous portion of chili in almost every dish, and therefore try to warn the waiter not to be served too hot.
Usually, the tour price includes not only a transfer with a driver and an English-speaking guide, but also food, and the traveler does not have to choose a restaurant on his own.
Useful details
- Smoking in public places in Bhutan is strictly prohibited, and the fine for breaking this law is approximately $ 200. If you are a heavy smoker, you will be allowed to bring in cigarettes for personal use, but you will be asked to pay a duty of 225% of the price of tobacco products. You can smoke in strictly designated areas.
- Show respect when mentioning the king and respect the dress code when visiting religious sites.
- Bring a surge protector with you if you have expensive photographic equipment and computers in your luggage. In hotels, tension often rises.
- Bargaining in souvenir shops in Bhutan is not accepted.
- When choosing a seat on the plane flying from Delhi to Paro, sit on the left, and back - on the right. So you will be able to see all the Himalayan eight-thousanders, including Everest, through the window. To do this, you should be among the first to come to registration at least 3-4 hours in advance.
- Above the famous monastery Tigrinoe Nest there is another one, very small and inconspicuous. The best views of the Tiger's Nest itself are opened from there. The guides will help you find the path to the upper monastery.
- In the kingdom, 25 languages are considered official, but tourists just need to know spoken English.
Perfect travel to Bhutan
The kingdom's climate varies greatly depending on the height of the area above sea level. The weather is also influenced by monsoons, which bring precipitation over most of the territory.
In the southern plains and foothills, the climate is subtropical and humid, in other places it is temperate to cold.
In the capital, located at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level, in summer the thermometers rise to + 26 ° С, and in January they can drop to –15 ° С.
When traveling to Bhutan, it is worth taking warm clothes. Heating in local dwellings is not provided and hotels are no exception.
For tourists, the period of celebrating the Tibetan New Year can be especially interesting. It is called "Losar" and the time of its occurrence depends on the lunar calendar. Tours to Bhutan for February and March should be booked in advance, since during the New Year holidays the largest archery competition is held, which is considered the most important national sport of Bhutanese.
