PREPARING TO GO TO BHUTAN

CAPITAL
Thimpu

LANGUAGE
Dzongkha (a Tibetan dialect) is the official languages of Bhutan.

RELIGION
Approximately 70% of Bhutanese are Buddhists. Hinduism accounts for approx 24% of the population with approx. 5% of the population are Muslim’s.

LOCAL TIME
Bhutan Standard Time (BTT) is 6 hours ahead of GMT.

ELECTRICITY
220-240 Volts (although be prepared for voltage instability). Sockets are mostly of the European two pronged round pin variety, but odd sizes are common. Power cuts are common in more remote regions and occur occasionally in major towns.

PASSPORT & VISA
Visas are required by everyone visiting Bhutan (except Indian nationals who are issued a 14 day permit on arrival). Indus Travels will arrange a visa clearance authorization for you in advance. For this we will need to have your passport details (name, nationality, date of birth, passport number, date of issue and expiry) at the time of booking. We also require a color jpeg copy of your passport photo & details page in order to apply for your visa. The actual visa endorsement is stamped into your passport on arrival in Bhutan. You should bring two passport photos with you to complete the rest of the formalities at the border. Visa requirements are subject to change without notice so please ensure you check with us or your local Bhutanese embassy for current advice before you travel.

LOCAL CURRENCY
1 Ngultrum (BTN; symbol Nu) = 100 chetrum (Ch). The Ngultrum is pegged to the Indian Rupee (which is also accepted as legal tender). Notes are in denominations of Nu500, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of Nu1, and 50, 25 and 20 chetrum. Smaller denomination notes and coins have been discontinued but are still in circulation and are legal tender.
US Dollars are also widely accepted.
Note: INR (Indian Rupees) denominations of 500 and 1000 are not accepted in Bhutan.
XE.com is a useful site for currency conversion.

Credit cards:
POS (Point of Sale) services are available nationwide, meaning visitors can pay by credit card at most hotels and handicrafts stores.

ATM:
ATMs are located within all main towns throughout Bhutan, where money can be withdrawn using a Visa or MasterCard. Your debit card will not work in Bhutan.

CLOTHING
As a general guideline, clothing should be lightweight, loose fitting, hard-wearing and easily washed. Even in the summer months Paro and Thimpu can be cool and in the winter the weather can be very cold (particularly in the mountains). Make sure you allow for climate changes and remember that even when daytime temperatures are quite high, night-time and early morning temperatures can be extremely cold. You will generally find it is better to have several thin layers rather than one thick layer as it gives you more flexibility and warmth. A fleece can be invaluable. You should also bear in mind that Bhutan has conservative attitudes towards dress – the country has a national dress code and people always look smart and neat so scruffiness (as well as revealing clothing) will look out of place. Women, and also to a certain extent men, will find that the way they dress will often determine the degree of respect they receive from both men and women and both sexes should avoid wearing shorts in towns. Make sure you bring lots of clothing that covers shoulders and knees and also more than one outfit which covers your legs to ankles and your arms past the elbows. Out of respect for local values, we ask that you follow your guides advice at all times.

COMMUNICATION
Email
Internet cafes can now be found in larger towns. The average cost for an hour is approx. $US 7 in a hotel and $US 4 in an Internet cafe.

Phone
The Bhutanese phone system is fairly good. There are many public call offices (PCOs) throughout the country and some offer ISD calls overseas. Most hotels can also arrange international calls. A 3 minute call (to the USA) will cost approx. $US 12 from a hotel and approx. $US 6 from a PCO.

Post
The postal service is fairly good and stamps are available from hotels and post offices. An overseas stamp will cost approx. $US 0.40.

WEATHER & CLIMATE
The southern part of Bhutan is tropical and the east generally warmer than the west. The central valleys enjoy a semi-tropical climate with very cool winters, whilst Thimpu and Tongsa suffer a harsher climate enduring heavy monsoon rains in the summer and heavy snow falls in the winter (often blocking the passes leading into the central valleys). Winter in Bhutan is from mid-November until mid-March and at this time of year the climate is dry, with daytime temperatures of 16-18 (celcius). At night these fall to below zero. The monsoon usually arrives in mid-June and rain falls mainly in the afternoons and evenings. At the end of September, after the last of the heavy rains, autumn suddenly arrives offering a magnificent season for trekking lasting until mid-November.

Thimphu: (approx)

MEALS
Approximate costs for meals and snacks not included are shown below:

• Simple snack - $US 1
• Light meal - $US 2-5
• Fancy restaurant - $US 4-7

DRINKS
Approximate costs for drinks that are not included are shown below. Prices in restaurants and hotels can be as much as double those specified.

• 1l of water: $US 0.30
• 30cl bottle of soft drink: $US 0.40
• 50cl bottle of beer: $US 1

It is not recommended that you drink the local tap water in Bhutan; however bottled water (often imported from India) carbonated soft drinks and fruit juices are widely available throughout the country

FOOD
Generally meals served at hotels are buffet style and offer a selection of western, Indian, Chinese and Bhutanese dishes. Traditional Bhutanese food always features chillies and ema datse, and often hot green chillies as the vegetable rather than seasoning. Other popular dishes (with chillies) are phak sha laphu (stewed pork with radish), no sha huentseu (stewed beef with spinach) and bja sha maroo (chicken in garlic and butter sauce). You will find that most of your meals revolve around chicken, pork and cheese or vegetables are accompanied by rice – either white or the locally produced Bhutanese red variety, which has a nutty taste. Buckwheat is also used to produce pancakes and noodles. Tibetan dishes including momos, which are steamed dumplings with a vegetable or meat filling and thumkpa, a noodle soup are also common in Bhutan. Tea and instant coffee are readily available, as is the Tibetan style hot butter tea sud-ja (tea served with salt and butter). Bottled water and soft drinks – Pepsi cola, lemonade, orangeade can be found almost anywhere as can fruit juices of which apple deserves special mention. Alcoholic drinks like beer, rum and whisky are imported from India and relatively cheap. Some hotels also have international brands which are more expensive. Bang chhang is a locally produced warm beer made from wheat and Arra is a more typical Asian distilled “rice wine” fire water.

TIPPING & GRATUITY GUIDELINES
Tipping your guide and driver is at your discretion, but we recommend you offer a gratuity if you enjoyed your tour. A suggested amount is USD $5 -10 each day to both the guide and the driver.

HEALTH & MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES
As a general recommendation, it is advisable to check with your family doctor or travel clinic for latest health information.

TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance. Your home country health plan may only provide limited coverage while traveling outside of the country. Indus Travels can offer you a complete travel insurance package. Some credit cards do offer travel insurance, however they do not always provide adequate coverage. Review and understand the terms of your credit card insurance policy. Extra travel insurance can be purchased. Most insurance companies do have exclusions in their coverage. Pre-existing medical conditions are not insurable.