If it wasn’t obvious from my first two posts I think Bhutan deserves a spot on everyone’s bucket list.
The one thing I wish I had known about Bhutan before going is that Chip Credit Cards DO NOT work. I spent 45 minutes on the phone with Visa while sitting in the Bank of Bhutan main office in Thimphu – to the tune of $150 in roaming charges, only to discover there didn’t seem to be anything anyone could do.
The country as a whole only accepts Visa & Master Card – but if you have a modern chip card, it will not work in ATMs, Stores or Hotels.
When I travel I “preload” my Visa with the amount I estimate I’m going to need in cash, then simply use an ATM to get local currency. I’ve been doing this since I was 15 and have never had an issue. Preloading also means I’ve never paid the obscene interest on foreign cash advances. Typically this method works like a hot damn – but not in Bhutan. Bhutan does not have ATMs that recognize chip cards… at all.
Thankfully I always travel with some emergency US Dollars and had some Thai Bhat on me as well – which I was able to change at the post office. Yes, my entire tour had been paid for, but I still wanted some cash for souvenirs and to tip my wonderful guide and driver.
So bring foreign currency – whether USD, Euro, Yen or even CAD and change it at the Airport. It’s the one thing that threw a wrench into my plans and caused me a lot of stress.
Other than that – my trip was virtually stress free —
Bhutan’s system of Low Impact, High Value tourism means many of the questions and decisions I usually make before, or during my trip, were taken out of my hands.
I know there are millions of people around the world who only travel with tours, so this is common to them, but for me the idea of giving up this much control was as foreign to me as going to Bhutan in the first place. I’m a control freak, I research methodically and when I feel I have enough information then I just go for it – there was none of that here.
As I said previously the only thing I had to research was my tour company and they took care of the rest. Druk Asia was the only and best choice I had to make for my whole trip.
Car Rental?
Nope. Foreigners are not allowed to drive and there are no car rental agencies in the entire country. The speed limit in Bhutan is 60km/h and 40km/h in the mountains. There is no such thing as being in a rush in Bhutan and they have amazing road signs to remind you.
There are also no traffic lights in the entire country (the busiest intersection in Thimphu has a policeman directing traffic), and no road or directional signs – making your driver even more valuable.
Flights?
Flights will be booked by your tour company and there are only two airlines that fly into Paro (the only international airport). My tour company was Druk Asia and they fly Druk Air. So I flew Druk Air, Bhutan Royal Airline – and it’s the Royal Airline for a reason, on my flight out to Bangkok the Royal Family was on my flight. I kid you not. The King (whose face is everywhere in Bhutan so there was no mistaking him), the Queen and the little Prince were all on my flight.
Pro Tip: If you’re flying from India sit on the left side of the plane and you might get a view of Everest. Or if you miss it on the way in try to sit on the right side on your departing flight.
Hotels?
All my hotels were booked by Druk Asia – I was given 2-3 choices for each of my nights and got my first choice for each of them. When the weather changed our plans and we abandoned going to Gangtey and went back to Punakha instead my guide, Tee Pee, made all the arrangements and I waltzed back into the hotel where I had stayed previously. I didn’t have to do a thing.
I opted for the 3 Star hotel tour (which is what is covered in the $250USD a day price), I could have paid more for 5 Star hotels.
Restaurants?
Breakfast & Dinner were almost always at my hotels, and lunch was at other hotels or restaurants in towns we were passing through – same with morning tea.
Breakfast, morning tea, Lunch, hotel check in tea, Dinner… I felt like a Hobbit. And always with some incredibly well meaning server standing next to me asking “more?”
The food was amazing – granted I’m a Westerner who happens to live in a city with an incredibly vibrant Asian immigrant culture and cuisine – so even if the actual dishes were new to me to ideas were not.
Look out for a whole post on Bhutanese food in the coming week.
But I will say this here – watch out for the Chilli Cheese, it’s not what a North American thinks and depending on the cook can be extremely spicy. Like lips aflame spicy.
What to pack?
I swore I would never do a “what to pack” but if you don’t dress appropriately you will be turned away from entering many of the Dzongs and all of the Temples – and that would be a tragedy.
I was there in February so being covered for the Temples wasn’t a concern – but if you’re there in summer remember to have a long sleeve shirt with you and know that not even men can’t wear shorts into some of the Temples. On my particular tour I don’t think there was a single day I wasn’t in at least one Temple – so plan accordingly.
Also if you want to enter the prayer room of the Temples (and I highly suggest you do – they are stunning) you have to remove your shoes.
