Travel tips

Money

Bhutan’s currency is called ngultrum (Nu), it’s divided into 100 chetrum. It has same value of Indian rupees. Tourist can change their cash at the bank of Bhutan and Bhutan national bank and at some hotels as well. The international accepted currencies like the Swiss francs, the pound starling, the Japanese yen, the Thai baht, the euro, US dollars and etc. Credit cards, Visa, master cards are accepted international cards, but surcharge is levied on your actual costs. American express cards are accepted only in some 5 star hotels. Now Bhutan has also ATM machines in the entire main town across the country and will allow the withdrawal of local currencies from master and visa cards at the maximum amounts of 10,000 per withdrawal, 40,000 per day.

Time

Bhutan’s time is six hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, and half an hour ahead of India. It is 20 minutes ahead of Nepal and is 1 hour behind Thailand. Bhutan has only one time zone throughout.

Health Inoculations

Before your trip to Bhutan, we recommend you to seek some medical advices from doctors. Although no inoculations are compulsory, it is advisable to have the vaccinations of typhoid, tetanus, polio, diphtheria and hepatitis A.

Precautions

Please avoid drinking tap water as most of the water sources in Bhutan are untreated with anti water bond diseases .we advised you to have all the time bottled mineral water. If you are susceptible to motion sickness, you should bring motion balance spray or medicines since the roads here in Bhutan are too curvy.

Travel and health insurance

We strongly recommend you to have comprehensive travel and health insurance before you travel to Bhutan. For the trekking, your travel and medical insurance is very important since it includes provision for evacuation by helicopter and repatriation.

Climate

  In Bhutan it is hard to generalize the weather since the mountain climate varies from one region to another. Southern part of Bhutan is subtropical with a monsoon season. The east is warmer than west. The central regions of Bhutan enjoy semi subtropical climate with cool winter, whereas western region have much harsher climate. The northern parts of country are inhabited up to 5,000 meters/16,400 fits. The climates there are rough, with light rain falls in summer and heavy snow falls in winter. The valleys where the most tourist activities are concentrated, the winter (Dec to Feb) are dry with day temperature varies from 18 to 22 centi grade (65 – 75F), if sun is shining. But in the evenings and mornings are cold with the night temperature below freezing point.

The springs and the autumn seasons are favorable climatic conditions with moderate temperature all over the Bhutan. The summer season is more humid and melds hot temperature with the monsoon rainfalls. 

Clothing

Due to the wide range of temperature we recommend you to wear several layers, such as cotton shirt, pullover, and wool cardigan or fleece jacket and wind proof gears. Comfortable sport shoes or sneakers, hiking boots, etc. are the highly recommended gears you should bring while you travel to Bhutan.

Trekking gears

The gears you should have for trekking are as follows:

• Thermarest and sleeping bags
• Mountain trekking boots
• Rain and wind proof gears
• Gloves, scarves
• Water bottle
• Cap/ hats
• Sunglasses, sunscreen, lip protection and sun burn relief cream
• Insect repellent
• Tooth paste, tooth brush, and other sanitary items
• Camera and extra chargers(batteries)
• Flash light with spare batteries
• Energy bar sweets
• Personal medicines and altitude sickness tablets
• Water proof backpacks
• Duffel bags to pack  your belongings

Electricity

Almost all the parts of country are electrified and it is run on 220/240 volts. We recommend you to bring adaptor or converters for your electronics if necessary; however most of the hotels provide multi plug sockets.

Photography

Our country provides great opportunity for photography during the outdoor sightseeing. You are free to capture the  beautiful sceneries  of landscapes, mountain ranges, rural life, flora and fauna, and Bhutanese distinctive architecture of local farm house, exterior of dzongs [fortresses] and chortens in particular, however, you should refrain yourself from taking pictures inside the temples of dzongs and monasteries, it is strictly prohibited.

While coming to the filming or photographing of dzongs, temples, monasteries and religious institutions, you should check with your guide and follow his or her instructions since some of those places are prohibited from filming.

Custom

The articles that are exempted from duty are follows:

• Personal articles for day to day use by visitors
• Instruments, apparatus, or appliances for professional use
• Photographic equipments, videos cameras and other electronics goods for personal use

Import / export restrictions of goods are as follows:

• Arms, ammunitions and explosive
• All the narcotics and drugs except medically prescribed drugs
• Wildlife products, especially those of endangered species
• Antiques

Note: Sale of tobacco products is banned in Bhutan.  Import of tobacco products for personal consumption requires payment of import duty (200 cigarettes, on payment of import duty of 200%).

Imports of plants, soil, etc. are subject to quarantine regulations. These items must be cleared on arrival.

Shopping

Bhutan has many fine indigenous arts and crafts. The hand woven textiles, wooden mask and bowls, woven bamboo baskets and bowls, handmade paper products, finely crafted slivers objects, Buddhist thangka paintings, and Bhutan’s exquisite postage stamps are the items may be interested to buy from the handicraft shops by travelers.

Note: Buying and selling of antiques are strictly prohibited by the law of Bhutan.

Communications

Now Bhutan has good network coverage of telecommunications facilities all over the places. Almost all the hotels, restaurants and café have internet wifi access, however in some hotels internet wifi services are chargeable and some offer free services. The country has also comprehensive mobile (cell) phone network coverage with global roaming also assessable. Tourist’s sim cards are available in Thimphu and Paro towns (you should buy it from authorized dealers in town).

Language

Bhutan has more than twenty three dialects. Dzongkha is our national language which is originally spoken in the Dzongs (fortresses) and in western parts of our country. English is commonly spoken language since it is principal medium of instructions in school throughout the kingdom. Beside national language Dzongkha, English is second official language in the country.

Gratuity

Tipping is a purely personal matter. In Bhutanese culture tipping is considered very important part of life, since it determines how much you enjoy the hospitality provided by your host but it is not compulsory to be tip. Therefore, we leave up to you as to whether you want to tip your guide, driver and trekking crew (on trek). If it is so, we recommend you to place it in an   envelope.