| The Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked haven | | | | the views of the Himalayas are exceptional. |
| between India and China , and it is often | | | | Departure tax is included in the ticket |
| described as the last place you will find | | | | price, and you must ensure you have a visa |
| traditional Himalayan Buddhist culture. It is | | | | organised before you set out from home. |
| virtually surrounded by the Himalayas, and | | | | |
| for centuries has been a difficult place to | | | | You can enter by road through Phuentsholing |
| visit. | | | | on the southern border with India, and you |
| | | | could have a fantastic trip from Kathmandu to |
| Bhutan opened its doors to tourism on a | | | | Darjeeling then to Sikkim prior to entering |
| limited scale over thirty years ago, so now | | | | Bhutan. |
| it is possible to think in terms of a Bhutan | | | | |
| vacation. | | | | To get around in Bhutan you need to hire a |
| | | | motor vehicle or walk!! There are no |
| The Kingdom of Bhutan is known locally as The | | | | railways, no helicoptors, and public |
| Land of The Thunder Dragon, and it is one of | | | | transport is packed and uncomfortable. |
| the most isolated and least well developed | | | | |
| nations in the world. | | | | The entire country of Bhutan is mountainous |
| | | | apart from a small sub tropical plain area in |
| It is difficult to comprehend a place like | | | | the south. The mountains rise to as high as |
| Bhutan which is a kingdom whose main issue is | | | | 7000 metres, so the climate has enormous |
| with happiness. Everybody seems happy, | | | | variation. The rainy season lasts from May to |
| cultural values and traditions remain | | | | September, and visits to altitude are at |
| unchanged since Buddhism began to be the | | | | their best in October and November. |
| dominant religion in the 7th Century. In | | | | |
| other words the world that we live in today | | | | Apart from the sheer beauty of the Himalayas |
| has left Bhutan largely untouched. | | | | there is much to see and enjoy on your Bhutan |
| | | | Vacation, and space precludes large |
| You will fall in love with the beauty of | | | | descriptions, but you ought to visit. |
| Bhutan, the lack of pollution, be it 21st | | | | |
| century rubbish, or the noise of pop music | | | | Bumthang which is the spiritual epicentre of |
| machines. The scenery and architecture will | | | | Bhutan and home to its most ancient and |
| hold you spellbound, and you will find the | | | | precious Buddhist sites. |
| people quite the most charming, and very | | | | |
| hospitable. | | | | Thimpu is the only world capital without |
| | | | traffic lights, has a real medieval feel to |
| A Bhutan vacation will normally begin by | | | | it. Dechenphu Lhakhang at over 8000 feet this |
| entering the country by air using the | | | | imposing chapel is accessed by a stone |
| national carrier Druk Air. The airline flies | | | | staircase Taktshang Goemba is the most famous |
| into Paro from Bangkok, Delhi, Kolkata, and | | | | monastery in Bhutan on the side of a cliff |
| Kathmandu every week, and it is the only | | | | 2925 feet above the Paro Trongsa Dzong is the |
| airline that flies in and out of Bhutan. If | | | | most impressive fort monastery in Bhutan and |
| you fly from Kathmandu ensure you get a seat | | | | can be seen from far away. |
| on the left hand side of the airline, because | | | | |