Holiday to Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon
| country: | Bhutan, Nepal |
| departures: | Private weekly Thursday departures ex Kathmandu, daily departures ex Bangkok |
| price: | From US $2040 - US $2480 (11 days) excluding flights, price depends on group size (1-6 persons). Single supplement US $250. Flight cost: Kathmandu-Paro-Kathmandu US $430, Bangkok-Paro-Bangkok US $785 |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Discover a little-known kingdom deep in the Himalaya.
This Himalayan Kingdom calls itself Druk Yul, Land of the Thunder Dragon, and carefully guards the traditions of its past.
Little touched by the outside world the traditions of art and architecture and, most importantly, religion are upheld. The modern world is admitted only cautiously.
The result allows you an encounter with a stunning, pristine landscape of forest and mountains, a proud, friendly people and a vibrant, living religious tradition.
This Himalayan Kingdom calls itself Druk Yul, Land of the Thunder Dragon, and carefully guards the traditions of its past.
Little touched by the outside world the traditions of art and architecture and, most importantly, religion are upheld. The modern world is admitted only cautiously.
The result allows you an encounter with a stunning, pristine landscape of forest and mountains, a proud, friendly people and a vibrant, living religious tradition.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-2: | The flight into Paro provides a most dramatic view of the Himalaya as you fly alongside the world’s highest mountain range. The tiny town of Paro is bursting with color and tradition overlooked by a dramatic dzong. Travel into the remoter regions of the valley to spend the night with a local family in their traditional farmhouse - help prepare the evening meal or relax and enjoy the stunning scenery. |
| Day 3: | Thimphu lies in a wooded valley, sprawling up a hillside on the west bank of the Thimphu River. Quiet and peaceful, with its streets lined with traditional shop fronts, this town seems almost too small to be a capital – it is often said to be the only one without traffic lights. |
| Day 4: | Wangdue Phodrang Dzong is dramatically perched on a spur at the confluence of two rivers; Punakha Dzong is the winter residence of Bhutan’s spiritual leader. It too is built between two rivers known as “Phochu” (Male River) and “Mochu” (Female River). |
| Day 5: | The approach to 16th century Trongsa is spectacular - its dzong is built on several levels backing into the mountain. |
| Day 6-7: | The Bumthang region encompasses four major valleys and it would be difficult to find so many important temples and monasteries in such a small area anywhere else in Bhutan. |
| Day 8: | Return to overnight at Wangdue. |
| Day 9-10: | Taktsang is the most famous of all Bhutanese monasteries - perched on acliff side. The only sounds are the murmurs of wind and water and the chanting of the monks. Taktsang means ‘Tigers Nest’; the Guru is said to have flown on the back of a tigress to the site of the monastery where he meditated in a cave for three months. The ruins of Drugyal Dzong mark a fortress from which the Bhutanese repelled many Tibetan invasions. |
| Day 11: | departure. |
travellers' tales
Being able to stay at a farmhouse, have breakfast with the family, meeting my guide's family; night in Podhjikha valley with no electricity, having dinner around the stove with all the hotel staff hotel and just myself (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
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All travel to Bhutan is carefully controlled by the Bhutan Tourist Association in order to ensure the protection of Bhutan’s unique culture and minimize the impact of tourism on the lives of the people whilst ensuring that they benefit from the revenue tourism brings to the country.
All our itineraries in Bhutan are operated by a privately owned Bhutanese agency, using licensed local guides and drivers. Groups and individuals may make donations to a privately owned and operated orphanage in Thimphu - assistance with providing school uniforms is always appreciated. Providing notice is given, visits to the orphanage are both possible and greatly enjoyed by children and teachers alike. In Eastern Bhutan we offer support to a school for the Blind and whilst few travelers venture that far, it is possible to contribute through our local agent. As a wholly Nepalese owned and managed company, we are inviting tourists into our home. As such we want them to gain as much as possible from the stunning natural environment and the immense cultural wealth of the Himalayan region. We are also very conscious of the impact that mass tourism can have on the environment and the negative impacts that this can have on small communities, whilst appreciating the social and economic benefits that tourism can bring. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |