Bhutan top 25 best trips for 2010

National Geographic Ad­venture has named Bhu­tan among the top 25 best new trips to undertake in 2010. “More than ever, travel­ers want their dollars to do more—for others, for the planet, for themselves,” says National Geographic. “From wolf-tracking in Slovakia to rafting a for­bidden river in Bhutan, here are 25 brand-new ad­ventures, all of them just right for right now.”National Geographic de­scribes the Drangme Chhu river in eastern Bhutan as Bhutan’s “largest drain­age, a spillway for Hima­layan snow and ice that roils into turquoise Class IV and V rapids through sheer granite walls. And it has never been run”, it says. National Geographic goes on to say that its initial survey of Bhutan’s whitewater found some of the most amazing rapids on the planet although they were all short, rocky runs. “In the Drangme Chhu – which has sections of con­tinuous whitewater, golden langur monkeys as onlook­ers, and optional side trips to Bhutanese villages – they hit the jackpot.”

Bhutan Happiness....Gross National Happiness(GNH)

Gross National Happiness

Gross National Happiness. What really happiness is for people around the world means.....For Economist Happiness means Gross National Product. But for Bhutan, we depend on GNH...(Gross National Happiness).

The concept of gross national happiness (GNH) was developed in an attempt to define an indicator that measures the quality of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms than gross national product or GDP.

After centuries Bhutan was in isolation from the rest of t In 1961 Bhutan opened its doors to the world. The Bhutanese learn that in the pursuit of economic prosperity, many countries had lost their cultural identities, their spirituality, and compromised their environment. For Bhutanese economic growth alone did not bring contentment.

The term was coined in 1972 by Bhutan's Fourth King King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has opened up Bhutan to the age of modernization.He used the phrase to signal his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan's unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values. The Bhutanese grounding in Buddhist ideals suggests that beneficial development of human society takes place when material and spiritual development occur side by side to complement and reinforce each other. The four pillars of GNH are the promotion of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance. At this level of generality, the concept of GNH is transcultural--a nation need not be Buddhist in order to value sustainable development, cultural integrity, ecosystem conservation, and good governance. In 1998 Prime minister of Bhutan Jigme Y. Thinley identified the "Four Pillars" of GNH.

The first Pillar is "Sustainable and equitable socio-economic development". This stresses the improvement of the economic health of people, road and bridge, education, trade and commerce, employment, urban development, and housing. In Bhutan education and health are provided free of cost to all Bhutanese.

The second pillar is "Conservation of the environment". Only 16% of Bhutan's land is arable, so there is pressure to fell trees and sell timber. But the law requires that the proportion of tree cover must not be less than 65%. At present, about 72% of Bhutan is covered with forest. 

The third pillar is "Preservation and promotion of culture". The present government views this as a crucial strategy to preserve the country's sovereignty. It has implemented policies that conserve and promote Bhutanese religion, language, art & architecture, performing arts, national dress, traditional etiquette, sports and recreation. 

The fourth and last pillar is "Good governance". The Bhutanese believe that good governance is vital for the happiness of the people. Our Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuk handed his power to power to the people. Now Bhutan is Constitutional Monarchy in 2008.

Tour to Bhutan

Steps for Tour to Bhutan 

Bhutan Himalayan Holidays Checklist for planning your tour to Bhutan. 

1. E-mail us at tshewang.penjor@gmail.com  your details and your interest of visiting to Bhutan.

2. Email us the details or contact through our website form

 * the number of nights/days you plan to spend in Bhutan 

 * tentative date of arrival and exit from Bhutan.

 * Group Size(no.of pax)

 * personal interests..cultural, trek, nature walk, mountain biking..etc.. and things you want to do while in Bhutan

 * Indicate clearly your Port of entry and exit(sectors) on Druk Air.or Bhutan Airlines(Bhutan Flights). No International flights operates in Bhutan. You can charter your flight with neccesary Bhutan Governmnet protocols of Air space regualtions.

3. We provide you all information including Bhutan Tourist tariff and Druk and Bhutan Airlines Airfare.

4.If you find the rate and itinerary good enough and you can proceed for Bhutan Tour booking with us.

5.Payments for your travel to Bhutan including Druk Air or Bhutan Airlines Fare. Payment must be made in advance prior to your arrival in Bhutan.

Payment through wire transfer:  Bank Address - Standard Chartered Bank Ltd.

(Correspondent Bank)  : One Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010-3603, SWIFT Code: SCBLUS33                     CHIPS ABA: 0256 FED ABA: 026002561

Beneficiary Bank Account: 358-202-171-9001 (USD A/C)

Beneficiary Bank -Bhutan National Bank, P.O Box 439, GPO Building, Chang Lam, Thimphu, Bhutan 

SWIFT Code: BNBTBTBT   

Beneficiary / Ultimate Beneficiary: Account No: 0000044992014 of Bhutan Himalayan Holidays with BNB, Thimphu, Bhutan.

6.Please note that all tour operators in Bhutan are subject to the same payment procedure of forwarding funds via a bank account maintained by Bhutan National Bank in New York. Your confidentiality and security are fully assured. 

7.After transfer E-mail/fax a copy of the Bank Transfer to Bhutan Himalayan Holidays or fax to +975-2-325393. On receiving full payment, your Druk Air E-Ticket and the visa approval copy will be e-mailed to you. 

8.Travel to Bhutan with your Bhutan Visa and copy of Druk Air or Bhutan Airlines Ticket.

9.For those coming to Bhutan by road through India, your visa will be stamped at the immigration checkpoint in Phuntsholing or Samdrup Jongkhar. 

9. Finally you are in Bhutan..The Land of Thunder Dragon. We welcome you as our guest not as tourist. You will enjoy your Bhutan Tour.

Note : Due to Covis 19 Pandemeic travel to Bhutan is further restricted. Please confirm from your embessey or contact your tour company in Bhutan

Visit Bhutan

You can visit Bhutan  as 

1. Tourist

2. An official guest of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

3.Work for an international agency operating in Bhutan......UN organizations, VSO, VSA, and JOCV. 

4. As a consultant for the government. 

5. In a few special cases will be like host families of Bhutanese students abroad. The visit without paying the tourist tariff. These special cases are considered on case findings from the Department of Immigration after submitting details. 

1. VISITING BHUTAN AS A TOURIST

The official rate for a tourist visiting Bhutan is US$250 per person per night. All tourist visit is routed through the local licensed Bhutanese tour operator. The visa process is different from other countries. The main objective of Bhutan Tourism policy is the maximization of foreign revenue from tourism with minimal impacts on the culture and environment. Bhutan follows the policy of High value and low impact. 

The rate applied is the package tour to Bhutan, which includes  Accommodation(3-4 star category), all meals, standard tourist Transportation, Entry fees for all places of visit, A licensed English-speaking guide(for any language guide you need to pay extra), The tour operator also pays a fraction of this fee as royalty to the Royal Government(US$65) from the tour package. (This amount goes to Govt. revenue and in Bhutan, we get free education and free health care). Your visa fee is a one-time payment of US$40.

Steps to follow for visiting Bhutan after Covid-19

1. Contact tour operator of Bhutan

For Regional Tourist visiting Bhutan

Note: Indian, Bangladeshi, and Maldive origin passport holders are exempted from the Bhutan Tourist tariff. They were allowed to come by their own travel arrangement till June 2020. From July 2020 Royal Government has applied a minimum tourism fee of Rs 1200/- (equivalent to US$16.57 with a dollar rate at Rs 74.5 = US1) per person per night. Now due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the law is not applied. After the opening of the tourism of Bhutan very soon the revision of tourist tariff for regional tourists will be applicable.

What documents you required to visit Bhutan and steps you follow after Covid-19

Trip To Bhutan

How to Book your trip to Bhutan 

Tourists can book trip to Bhutan through authorized Bhutanese tour operators. Please check the list of tour operators from government website(Tourism Council of Bhutan). The Royal Government of Bhutan set the price and this must be paid in US dollars or any equivalent currency through wire transfer prior to arrival in Bhutan Price. • $250.- US per person/night in the high season (March, April, May, June, September, October, November, December), and • $200. - US per person/night for the low season (July, August) 

Note : The above mentioned Bhutan tourist tariff is for 3 pax and above. If you stay in luxury hotels or do some extra-ordinary tours, additional fees is applied to the main tariff. For independent travelers of group of 3 or less surcharges apply, above the daily rate. The surcharge is US$40 per night for one person and US$30 per night per person per night for a group of 2pax. 

The Bhutan Tourist tariff includes 

• All internal taxes and charges (including the royalty US$65.00) 
• Accommodation - 3-4 Star category.of hotels
• All meals Meals (Breakfast, lunch & Dinner) 
• All travel with a licensed Bhutanese Tour Guide 
• Standard Tourist Transport..throughout the tour(Toyota and Hyundai brand are used) 
• Camping Gears for Trekking.

The following categories of visitors are eligible for discounts on the daily rate

1. Children: Up to the age of five, are free of Government part of fees. You just have to pay their actual expenses such as food, bed, other additional expenses, if any. Kids from six to 12 accompanied by parents or guardians receive a 50% discount on the royalties and taxes portion .
2. 25% discount on the rates applies to diplomats from foreign embassies or missions accredited to Bhutan.
3. Group Leaders: A discount of 50% on the rates is given to one person in a group of 11 to 15 people. A free trip is allowed for one member per group exceeding 15 people.
4. Students: Full-time students 25 years and younger with valid identity cards from their academic in¬situations are allowed a 25% discount.
5. Outside Travel Agents: Tour companies intending to put Bhutan into their programs may apply for a discounted familiarization tour. It's unlikely that you can manage this arrangement unless you are already a serious player in the travel industry. TCB has an excellent network of connections worldwide and will check the status of travel agents. It also requires both a pre-trip and a post-trip briefing.

Contact Tour Company of Bhutan

Finalize the deal with your tour company from Bhutan. All tour agency outside Bhutan promote Tourism through local tour company from Bhutan. One has to depend upon the Bhutan tour Company. Bhutan Visa is process by the local tour company.

Payment Procedures

Direct transfer Wire Transfer: The most straightforward and efficient procedure is to make a US dollar transfer to the account of the Bhutan National Bank with with any international Bank outside. Your Tour company will provide you details after finalization of Tour. Bhutan Visa is not issued unless payment is transferred to Bhutan.