Bhutan


Bhutan,” ‘the land of thunder Dragon’ and ‘the last Shangri La’ on earth, is situated in the lap of Eastern Himalayas between India and the People's Republic of China. Covering an area of 18000 sq miles, the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is one of the most isolated nations in the world. Spectacular mountain terrain, varied flora and fauna and unique ancient Buddhist monasteries have made Bhutan an exemplar tourist destination, it is bestowed with rich bio-diversity harboring around 300 medicinal herbs and 165 endangered species. Each part of Bhutan has its own, historical, geographical, cultural, traditional and religious significance.

FACTS ABOUT BHUTAN
Capital city: Thimphu
Population: 2,139,549
Languages: Dzongkka, Tibetan, Nepali
Religion: 75 % Buddhist, 25% Hindu
Currency: Ngultrum (Nu)

Some Usefull informations about Bhutan

Meals
Accommodations
Transportations
Climate
Visa & other informations

Meals
We offer 3 tasty meals while on trek, on a mountain biking tour in Bhutan or on a cultural tour (break-fast, lunch and dinner).

Accommodation
All the hotels we use are comfortable, clean and offer all the amenities required. We have carefully selected the best hotel in Paro, Tiumphu and major cities of Bhutan for you and your group. If you would like to select your hotel, please let us know and we'll book everything for you.

Transportation
We use comfortable and well-maintained 4WD Toyota land cruiser. We ensure before leaving on a trip that our vehicule are double-checked properly. Your security is our main concern and you can be sure to have a safe trip with us.


                        DISTANCE BETWEEN MAJOR CITIES IN BHUTAN

From Destination (In kms) Driving Time(in hours)
Thimphu Pora 65 2
Thimphu Phuntsholing 175 6
Thimphu Wangdiphodrang 70 3
Thimphu Punakha 75 3
Punakha Wangdiphodrang 17 30min.
Wangdiphodrang Gangtey Gompa 50 2
Wangdiphodrang Tangsal 130 4
Tongsa Bumthang 68 2
Bumthang Tashingang 90 3
Mongar Tashigang 90 3
Tashigang Chorten Kora 52 2
Tashigang Samdrup Jongkhar 180 4
Samdrup Jongkhar Guwahati(India) 110 3
Samdrup Jongkhar Phuntsholing 380 10
Phuntsholing Bagdogra(India) 170 4
       


Climate
You can travel in Bhutan at any time of the year except during the winter which starts in December and ends in early March. During the summer, you should expect some light rainfall expecially in the south of Bhutan. In the winter time, the temperature can drop down to -6 degrees Celsius while in the summer time the temperatures reach an overage of 25 degrees Celsius.

The best time to travel in Bhutan is during the Spring (March, April and May) as days are warm and clear.

Average Temprature in Celcius Degree (Maximum/Minimum)

MONTH PARO THIMPHU PUNAKHA PUNAKHA WANGDUE TRONGSA BUMTHANG MONGAR TRASHIGANG
JAN 9.4/-5.8 12.3/ 2.6 16.1/ 4.2 17.0/ 4.3 13.0/ 0.2 10.8/ -5.1 15.5/ 8.2 20.4/ 10.5
FEB 13.4/1.5 4.4/ 0.6 19.6/ 5.3 19.0/ 7.8 13.9/ 0.4 10.0/ -1.4 15.9/8.3 21.7/ 11.5
MAR 14.5/0.6 16.4/ 3.9 21.2/ 9.2 22.8/ 10.4 16.7/ 4.4 16.2/ 3.5 20.0/11.6 24.8/ 14.4
APR 17.6/4.6 20.0/ 7.1 24.4/ 11.9 26.2/ 12.9 20.1/ 6.6 18.7/ 3.9 22.8/14.0 30.0/ 20.6
MAY 23.5/10.6 22.5/13.1 27.2/ 14.8 29.1/ 17.7 21.0/ 11.6 21.3/ 9.5 25.1/17.4 28.3/ 17.0
JUNE 25.4/13.1 24.4/15.2 31.2/ 19.5 29.2/ 20.1 22.2/ 13.6 22.5/ 13.5 26.1/19.5 30.7/ 22.6
JULY 26.8/14.9 18.9/13.4 32.0/ 21.6 18.4/ 16.2 25.3/ 15.3 14.1/ 10.9 16.1/15.8 30.2/ 22.7
AUG 25.3/14.7 25.0/15.8 31.4/ 19.8 29.1/ 20.0 23.8/ 15.0 23.0/ 13.7 25.4/19.6 31.5/ 23.1
SEP 23.4/11.7 23.1/15.0 29.9/ 20.0 27.5/ 19.1 22.6/ 14.2 21.6/ 12.1 24.7/19.4 30.0/ 23.9
AUG 18.7/ 7.4 21.9/10.4 27.8/ 18.9 26.1/ 14.7 21.8/ 11.7 19.5/ 5.9 22.7/ 5.8 29.1/ 17.7
NOV 13.9/ 1.4 17.9/ 5.0 22.3/ 13.0 22.6/ 9.6 19.8/ 6.4 16.1/ -0.5 19.9/ 1.2 26.1/ 13.6
DEC 11.2/ -1.7 14.5/ -1.1 15.0/ 7.9 19.1/ 6.3 18.2/ 2.5 12.3/ -2.3 15.7/9.5 23.0/ 11.6

 

Visa & other Informations
All visitors must hold passport and valid visa. Visa can be obtained at the Bhutanese diplomatic missions and consulates abroad. Visa is also issued at the entry points. Don't forget to bring 4 ID pictures and USD20 (payable in hard currency) for a tourist visa. It will allow you to stay 14 days in Bhutan. Bhutan is accessible by air and by road.

Vaccinations
As vaccination requirements change frequently, we suggest you consult your doctor at least 2 months prior to the commencement of your trip. We recommend protection against malaria, tetanus, typhoid, hepatitis and polio.

Insurance
Before joining the tour we recommend you take out travel insurance. This should include adequate cover for baggage, medical expenses, cancellation, helicopter evacuation and emergency repatriation. If you do not have travel insurance you must have a credit card with at least a US$5000 limit.

Personal expenses
We don’t pay for your personal expenses and recommend you to bring extra money to cover meals not included in the tour, extra activities, souvenirs, tips etc.

Bhutan currency: Ngultrum (Nu)
there is no ATM machines in Bhutan and credit cards are usually not accepted.

Traveling Responsibly
Wonderful environment of the Himalayas is also an extremely fragile one. Increasing population density and number of travelers threatens to destroy the very beauty which attracts us in the first place. At Explore Himalaya, we are extremely environmentally conscious and aim to minimize our impact as much as possible. Our staff members are well motivated towards Eco-friendly practices. Our aim is to help protect and preserve this beautiful environment for future generations of travelers to enjoy.

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