When I decided to launch Utmost Ink Abroad I knew my niche was going to be Solo Introvert Travel. It’s an odd combo – because I know so many people travel to meet other people… me not so much. And I’m not alone, a third of the world is thought to be Introverts.
Launching this blog got me thinking about my travel habits – and all the amazing places I haven’t been yet. I have whole continents I have yet to tick off my list.
My first thought was Tokyo. I’ve always wanted to go, I even studied Japanese for years. So on to Pinterest I go and I’m not sure what’s going on with their search algorithm but there it was: the Tiger Monastery in Bhutan.
Bhutan.
I’d seen a documentary on Bhutan years ago about the King’s decision to measure the success of his country not by Gross Domestic Product – but Gross National Happiness.
Tokyo can wait for the Cherry Blossom Festival one of these years.
But next stop: Bhutan.
And down a rabbit hole I went. Having just been to Iceland when some websites told of how expensive Bhutan can be I just laughed. But then another site said there was a $290 (USD) A DAY tax. Wait, what?
Hold Up! Do you have to pay $290 (USD) a day to be in Bhutan? Potentially Yes, that is the maximum you could pay as a Solo Traveler (there is a surcharge for traveling alone) going in Peak Season. So let’s break it down.
Bhutan is not a wealthy Nation. They were known as the Hermit Kingdom for years because it was not open to Tourism. Now that they are, they believe in High Value, Low Impact Tourism. Meaning they didn’t want to become another stop on the super cheap backpacking treks across Asia and have people camping in vans and potentially run amok in their pristine country. So as a foreigner I can only enter the country on a tour.
A tour?! There’s a reason Tour is a four letter word. I hate tours, I’ve been on one tour in my entire life and that was in high school. It was a great way for a bunch of 16 year olds to see 7 countries in 12 days – but that’s about all they’re good for according to me. The idea of being trapped on a tour with a bunch of strangers is enough to make my skin crawl. But then I read the fine print…
A tour can be one person. Now we’re talking!
I’m going for 10 days, half of those days are Off-Peak, and half of those days Peak, so my total is $235 a day (if my whole trip was Off-Peak I could go for $220 a day). And for that I get:
- Entry Visa
- An English speaking Guide (my own personal Guide)
- A Driver & SUV (Yes, my own personal Driver)
- Accommodations at 3 Star Hotels
- All Meals
- All Entry fees
- A Royal Tax of $65 a day that goes to fund Education and Health Care for the Bhutanese people
Take my Money! The only thing not included is Airfare – so an additional $945 (USD) for roundtrip from Bangkok to Paro. There are only two Airlines that fly into Paro, Drukair Royal Airlines & Bhutan Airlines. And my tour company arranged for my flights. With the limited flight options I checked all the direct routes and opted to fly from Bangkok because I could get cheap flights into Bangkok.
In a developing country I love the idea that I’m directly employing two people for the duration of my stay and helping to fund Education and Health Care. I’m also excited I don’t have to drive, I can just stare out the window and watch the amazing countryside. Not that I think driving would be particularly difficult – Bhutan has no traffic lights in the entire country, but I think it’s going to be nice to be driven for a change.
We’ll see how the Introvert in me handles spending 10 days in an SUV with two people. I’ll report back.
So next stop: Bhutan.