Bhutan Travel

  Myself and two friends completed the Jomolhari trek with Bhutan Travelers. It was my first time traveling like this - with a guide and everything planned. At first I was... read more like.. is this really how this works I just wire money to this company I found on the internet and it will all worked out? Anyways, it did work out! Overall we had an amazing experience - post hike afternoons in our tent with snacks and hot tea delivered to our door, hot water bottles for cold nights, mid morning hike breaks with juice boxes. Overall I would say this felt like a no frills experience that still had every detail taken care of. It was really refreshing to just spend a lot of time with only each other to entertain each other! We read books, journaled, talked a lot and played imagination games hah. As someone who usually travels in a bit more unstructured way, it felt nice to do something like this where everything was taken care of, and in Bhutan you really are contributing to the local economy with the fees that you pay.

A few random tips: don't rely on ATMs to work in Bhutan (they don't have the ability to handle chip cards yet w/ their atms) - bring cash! Make sure you bring enough warm clothes for sleeping (I slept in like three jackets and sleeping bag and was still slightly cold in early March!). Our group were all runners and mostly hiked in trail running shoes and that was totally fine! During the day we wore loose light pants and a technical long sleeve, carrying puffy jackets and waterproof layers in our daypacks - that was perfect. Also Bhutan Travelers can watch items for you if you don't want to bring on your hike with you - I would not recommend leaving behind valuables as we did have some items turn up missing (although I do not fault the travel company for this). Also we used one phone to take pictures and it lasted pretty much the whole week on airplane mode and turned off at night. That said, there were a few campsites with electrical outlets along the way so you have that!

  Our first trip to Bhutan had been nothing less than an awesome experience. Warmly welcomed by the assigned guide Tshering Norbu, and driver Sampa, they partnered well and took... read more real good care of my family throughout. Kind, attentive and always on the lookout for us during the trip was heartening. Norbu exercised flexibility in the itinerary, tweaked to better accomodate our speed and energy levels at different times. These made our experience extra pleasant. Special mention to Norbu to accomodate my younger son's frequent requests to play soccer when each day ended. A reason why both built a close relationship. We truly felt as if Norbu and Sampa are members of our own family at the end of trip such that we parted ways clearly emotionally on the morning of the departure. Will highly recommend Bhutan Travelers as well as Norbu and Sampa to take care of your intinerary.

  Had one of the best travel experiences of our lives in September, organized through Bhutan Travelers. Everything taken care of seamlessly through our guide Chencho who with his vast... read more experience and knowledge of all things related to Bhutan, left us with vivid memories. Lots of fun on the trek, meeting fascinating local people, experiencing their wonderful hospitality and everything the country has to offer. Captivating, beautiful landscapes. A true travel adventure!

  on behalf of our group of seven I would like to thank your company for professional organization of the trip . All the people involved were very helpful particularly Norbu.... read more We would suggest to make a trip in the mountains 2 days longer/ Altogether 6 days/ with starting point at lower height for acclimatisation.Yak trail / done for the first time/ is beautiful and we enjoyed every minute of it.. Food excellent and all the people very nice. We would recommend BHUTAN TRAVELERS to anyone

  I did a cultural tour by myself but did not feel so alone due to the guide Norbu and driver Leekdeen are very friendly and entertaining. Though they are also... read more professional, they know what they are doing. Norbu has a special talent in making history sounds not so boring and fun, eventhough I have a bad memory but I still learn something. They went above and beyond to take care of their guests. They are fun. I highly recommend anyone who wants to visit Bhutan to check out Bhutan travelers and esp Norbu as a guide and Leekdeen as your driver. Eventhough u r by yourself, you will never feel alone, also safe and you will be in good hands

  Just back from our 12 day trip to Bhutan. This was a completely customized trip to Haa, Punakha and Paro.

Our guide Norbu and driver Kinley were outstanding. They... read more went out of their way to make the trip memorable. Every time we went off itinerary they were at hand suggesting options. The experience was enhanced because Norbu and Kinley always gave us local info that we wouldnt have had otherwise.

One day in Punakha we just pointed at a hill opposite to our hotel and said "Norbu, lets climb that". It turned out to be an experience to be remembered. It was a difficult climb, and the trail was not well marked but we ended up having a 7 hour adventure that the kids absolutely loved, up the hill and then by the water channel amidst the paddy fields.

On our Bumdra trek, Norbu was gracious enough to offer to carry the load that the kids would have had to carry (leaving him with a sore shoulder) but he was very cool about it and that helped the kids enjoy their trek, they even took the additional 1.5 hr trek up to the sky burial site.

They took us on an unplanned picnic spot for lunch, near Punakha. The setting was just like in the movies, we loved the whole experience.

Kinley and Norbu then suggested the hot stone bath at Deki farmhouse, which was a first for us and was a rustic setup, but very enjoyable.

Karma Tashi was very helpful during the booking phase and took ever request of ours for changes in itinerary , sportingly and gave us options that we were able to choose from.

The whole experience was exactly as they had promised in terms of the hotels and stays.

I would highly recommend using Bhutan Travelers and having Norbu and Kinley as your partners while on the ground

  I contacted various agencies, but Bhutan travelers was the only one coming straight to the point, listening to my wishes, answering every question in a very competent manner. Within a... read more short time I got an exiting schedule and everything I asked for. The whole process about payment and visa was smooth. Arriving in Bhutan I met a really nice chauffeur and guide. They were totally reliable, helpful and nice. Schedule was changed immediately if weather or other conditions required it and always to the best possible solution. I recommend Karma and his guys warmly and to everybody . Thanks for such a wonderful stay!

  We were on a 10 day tour in Bhutan and booked our trip via Bhutan travelers. The entire itinerary was designed by Dechen from Bhutan Travelers who was super professional... read more and helpful.

We were taken around Bhutan by Norbu (our guide) and Kinley (our driver). I have traveled in Srilanka, India, Europe, United States, other parts of Asiaj etc. and I have never come across such fantastic tour operators. They personify what Bhutan stands for - warmth and hospitality.

Norbu inserted great hikes in the trip which was not a part of the original itinerary, was always willing to be flexible and patient, was extremely nice to my kids and parents and always had a smile plastered on his face.

Kinley is one of the best drivers to have on mountainous roads. He made us feel very safe and was always alert.

I would highly recommend Bhutan Travelers especially these 3 individuals who plan to visit Bhutan.

  We were in complete awe of our experience in Bhutan starting from the first time we met our guide (Pema Sonam) and our driver (Sonam) outside of Paro airport. The... read more itinerary made by Bhutan Travelers suits and tailored perfectly to fit our needs because of the sensitivity of our guide in knowing his guests' dislike to crowded places. For example, Pema seldom switched our lunch time with a scheduled site visit to avoid the crowds. We took 3 days cultural visit in Paro-Haa Valley, 3 days Chelela Pass trek and 3 days cultural visit Thimpu-Punakha. This rhythm gave us excellent combinations of altitude preparations, just-right physical challenges and plenty of relaxation. The team chosen by Bhutan Travelers to accompany us during our trek are true gems of people: the cook, the assistant cook, the horseman. The cook baked us a surprise cake during our last night in our camp. It was the most luxurious camping experience we have ever had. We love how the horseman treated the horses who carried our loads, always with compassion and gave loads of freedom for the horses to roam free afterwards. During our cultural visit, Pema always entertained us with his ambigue sense of humour (we never know whether he's kidding or not), his deep motivation to cater to our needs, always happy to take hundreds of pictures, always happy to stop to feed the stray dogs. His sharing of Bhutan culture and his well being have been an unforgettable Bhutanese ambassador for us. Leaving this country had been insanely hard for all of us, as we have never experienced such a fulfilling holiday and we wish to continuously carry #thebhutaneffect in our daily life. Can't wait to be back! Thank's a lot, Karma!! Visiting Bhutan is not like eating in a 3-stars Michelin restaurant. It is like eating a home cooked meal prepared with plenty of love. Not only does it satisfy the palate, it also satisfy the soul. Kaadinchhey La and Tashi Delek to all Bhutan Travelers team!

  Six of us took a cultural trip across Paro, Haa, Thimphu and Punakha with Chengcho as the guide and Puncho as the driver. We didn't choose where to go, so... read more basically we just followed what Bhutan Traveller has recommended.

Chengcho was informative, friendly and flexible to accommodate our different interests. Puncho droves safely and smoothly during the long trip. We were very grateful for having them around us.

They picked us up from the airport in time, not hard at all to find them and they were quick to facilitate what we wanted. I was hungry at that time and it was not lunch time yet, they drove us to the city and pointed us a cafe where we could eat. Please note that any meals but breakfast, lunch and dinner will be on us.

Prior to departing, our friend has warned us about Bhutanese foods which may not be for everyone. Hence, being Indonesians (who love spicy foods and spices) we have equipped ourselves with spicy beef floss and fish floss. Bhutan custom is not so strict on these kinds of foods. So, for people who dont fancy vegetables so much can bring their own supplies.

To our surprise, we could eat almost anything they served there. Their chilly cheese was great, spicy and creamy at the same time, something that we have not tried before. In the evening, the hotel we stayed offered a vast variety of Indian foods. We just used the opportunity to try everything.

Paro was beautiful, clean and traditional. The dzongs there were majestic. One thing that struck us the most was the absence of traffic lights everywhere across the cities we visited. It told us everything we needed to know about Bhutanese! Patient and compliant!

Then we went to Haa around two-hour-drive from Paro. We were wondering why Bhutan Traveller took us there as the city is very small and barely anything to see.

Luckily, there was an archery competition in the field so we could watch sportsmen compete with each other. We liked Haa the least.

The hotel in Haa, however, has the best beds ever! The owner even welcomed us in person and allowed us to play archery and darts for free. In the hotel in Paro we have to pay Nu 600/30min.

The highlight of the trip was, of course, the Tiger Nest temple. We did not expect it to be so dusty and smelly from dry horse manure mixed with dirt. We took four horses as my friend's parents are >70 years-old. So, going there in the spring/summer may be best to equip ourselves with masks.

The horse-ride cost Nu.500 to go up and Nu1,000 to get back (because it is steep and one horse is handled by one man). The trekking and stairs were doable even for the senior citizens who came with us. We were not rushed and could stop to take pictures or catch a breath anytime we wanted.

We wore t-shirt and training pants as Chengcho has advised us to do so. Sunglasses, hats and walking staff were useful too. We used normal sneakers but I personally regretted my decision not to take my hiking shoes. It would have been more comfortable and easier for me to move around.

The cafe in the Tiger Nest only provides vegetarian meals. Coffee and tea were flowing endlessly.

Overall, we found the cultural trip with Bhutan Traveller rewarding. Perhaps if we have a chance, we would like to come back and see the other part of the country and do more trekking.

Bhutanese are indeed very friendly, trusting, patient and caring. We saw ourselves how a young Bhutanese lady in Le Meridien cafe in Thimphu handled a tough and arrogant resident tourist. We came back to see her again the next day.

  Our group of 6 senior persons went on a custom tour with Bhutan Travelers, recommended by our friend couple on similar trip 6 months ago. The tour is well,organized and... read more our young guide and driver are excellent in guiding us as well accommodating our various changes and suggestions. They stayed with us until very late afternoon, even after all the events of the day on tour. Very professional and attentive to details. Even offered to carry me on his back when I have difficulty breathing on the second day in the highest altitude hike of the trip. As we have time, they offer extra activities such as rafting suspension bridge walking in Punakha. On Tiger Nest hike day, the guide offered us additional hike to Earth and Haven summit, and the extra special Hot Stone Bath at the farm house which hosts our dinner.
However, be aware of long day on slow and bumpy road to Punakha, as well as spinning and curvy mountainous drive. There are two meals, one dinner in Punakha and the lunch on Tiger Nest are all vegetarian, with egg as additional cost. The tour provide ample water bottle and the guide actually carries all our water needs during the hike. We love our guide, Nobu, and our driver, Gimmi, they are very dedicated to make us happy. It is an experience of a lifetime and this agency is recommended.

  This was a 5 day/ 4 night visit covering Thimphu, Punakha and Paro. We planned our visit for the winter and made all the arrangements through Bhutan Travelers/ Pema. They... read more were outstanding. In the initial trip planning phase they were highly responsive, knowledgeable and constructive. They were able to plan the trip around cultural experiences and some trekking, exactly as we requested. All arrangements were perfect! The guide (Pema Sonam) and driver Tenzing were exceptional. Knowledgeable, flexible and always with a sense of humor. This was a memorable trip. Thanks to Bhutan Travelers.