10 facts you should know about Bhutan before you go

11- WHEN TO GO

Climate, and therefore season, is certainly a consideration when planning your trip to Bhutan, especially if you are trekking. However, Bhutan’s altitude range, from subtropical valleys to alpine peaks, and its busy festival calendar means you can pretty much visit Bhutan at any time of the year to explore its attractions and witness colourful festivals.

The ideal time for trekking and for travelling throughout the country is autumn, from late September to late November, when skies are generally clear and the high mountain peaks rise to a vivid blue sky. While the climate is best in autumn, in Bhutan an umbrella is usually never far from reach, and no matter when you go, there is likely to be rain periods. Autumn is also the time of the popular Thimphu tsechu (dance festival) and heralds the arrival of the black-necked cranes to their wintering grounds in central and eastern Bhutan. Not surprisingly, therefore, international visitors also peak in autumn, indeed about half of the total annual tourist numbers arrive between September and November. Avoiding the busiest tourist seasons can save you money (see opposite) and hassle.

2- COSTS & MONEY

Tourism in Bhutan is managed through partnership of government regulators and private travel agencies under a policy summed up by the mantra ‘high value, low impact’. There is no restriction on visitor numbers; however, there is a minimum daily tariff fixed by the government. Also your visit must be arranged through an officially approved tour operator , either directly or through an overseas agent. By dealing through an overseas agent you will avoid complicated payment procedures and also have a home-based contact in case of queries or special needs. On the other hand, if you deal directly with a Bhutanese tour operator you will have more scope to individualise your itinerary, though you’ll spend considerable time sending emails and faxes, and learn more than you want to about international bank transfers. For information on visas.

3- TRAVEL LITERATURE

Not surprisingly, this little-visited, little-known, out-of-the-way kingdom hasn’t generated swathes of literature from travelling wordsmiths. Historical accounts (reprinted in India and available in Thimphu) can be more entertaining than enlightening, sometimes revealing more about colonial attitudes of the writers than the Bhutanese subject. Yet they nevertheless provide an insight into traditional life, past politics and customs. More contemporary accounts reveal the life of ‘everyday’ Bhutan, usually through the more tolerant eye of an invited guest.

Dreams of the Peaceful Dragon by Katie Hickman is a traveller’s account of a walk across Bhutan in the 1970s, before the road between Bumthang and Mongar was completed. It provides a good picture of trekking in Bhutan.

4- CLASSIC ROUTES

FOUR DAYS

With just four days you should count on two full days in picturesque Paro, visiting Paro Dzong and the National Museum. On the second day, hike up to the dramatic Tiger’s Nest at Taktshang Goemba and visit lovely Kyichu Lhakhang. After lunch make the two- to three-hour drive to Thimphu, stopping at the charming Tamchhog Lhakhang en route. Alternatively, move the hike to your last day, when you should be better acclimatised.

If you have limited time or money, you can get a good impression of Bhutan in just four days by concentrating on Thimphu and Paro. Try to arrange to be in Thimphu on a Saturday or Sunday to see the weekend market and avoid Paro on Monday, when the National Museum is closed.

On day three you could just about squeeze in a long day trip over the Dochu La to Punakha but you’re better off budgeting an extra day for this. The Punakha Dzong is probably the most beautiful in the country. In October and November it’s worth getting up before dawn to see the Himalayan views from the pass. In March, budget an hour to walk through the gorgeous rhododendron forests above the pass. On the way back to Thimphu pop into the nearby Chimi Lhakhang, the chapel of the ‘Divine Madman’, Lama Drukpa Kunley.

Day four is in Thimphu. Go to the weekend market and visit Cheri or Tango goembas in the upper Thimphu valley. If handicrafts are your thing, hit the Textile Museum and National Institute of Zorig Chusum. Late in the afternoon drive back to Paro; most flights depart early in the morning.

5- SEVEN DAYS

For a more comprehensive look at Bhutan, invest in a week and definitely add an overnight trip over the mountains to Punakha and nearby Wangdue Phodrang, overnighting at either of these towns. This way you’ll have time to make the 1½-hour return hike to the nearby Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten, as well as visit Chimi Lhakhang and the dzong at Wangdue Phodrang.

A week gives you more time to get a feel for Bhutanese culture and enables you to get off the beaten track in the Haa or Phobjikha valleys, while still seeing the major dzongs and monasteries of western Bhutan. It’s worth spending the extra money for another day or two – after all, when are you next going to be in Bhutan?

6- To get off the beaten track in a short period of time add an overnight trip to the Haa valley, en route between Paro and Thimphu. The road goes over the highest motorable pass in Bhutan, the Cheli La, and in October it’s worth including a couple of hours hiking to get fine views from just above the pass. Arrive in Haa at lunchtime, and spend an afternoon and maybe the next morning exploring the Juneydrak Hermitage and Chundu Lhakhang, before continuing on to Thimphu.

Figure on two days in Paro, including visits to Taktshang, Kyichu Lhakhang and Drukyel Dzong in the Paro valley, and a full day (or two) in Thimphu. See the previous itinerary for more on what to see in Paro and Thimphu.

If you don’t visit Haa, you might be able to add on a day trip to the Phobjikha valley, especially worthwhile in winter (October to March) when the valley’s black-necked cranes are roosting.

At some point during your trip ask your guide to arrange that quintessential experience, a Bhutanese hot-stone bath, available in most tourist hotels (for a charge). If you’re lucky you may also be able to catch a weekend archery tournament, most likely in Thimphu.

7- CLASSIC ROUTES

FOUR DAYS

8- On day three you could just about squeeze in a long day trip over the Dochu La to Punakha but you’re better off budgeting an extra day for this. The Punakha Dzong is probably the most beautiful in the country. In October and November it’s worth getting up before dawn to see the Himalayan views from the pass. In March, budget an hour to walk through the gorgeous rhododendron forests above the pass. On the way back to Thimphu pop into the nearby Chimi Lhakhang, the chapel of the ‘Divine Madman’, Lama Drukpa Kunley.

9- ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

THE EAST

It takes at least two weeks to make a trip out to the little-visited far east. There’s certainly a loooot of driving involved but then getting there is half the fun! With this itinerary you avoid the long drive back to Paro by exiting Bhutan at Samdrup Jongkhar. Follow the earlier itineraries as far as Bumthang, from where you can see the highlights of the east in five or six days. Expect to be driving for up to five hours a day while in eastern Bhutan.

This wide-ranging itinerary takes you from one end of Bhutan to the other, well away from the main tourist itineraries. It’s a particularly great trip if you’re interested in traditional weaving. You’ll need to arrange an Indian visa before you arrive in Bhutan.

From Bumthang, day one takes you on a dramatic drive over the Thrumshing La to Mongar. Stay here two nights by making a scenic day trip up to remote Lhuentse, pausing to visit the dzong and hike 45 minutes up to the traditional weaving village of Khoma.

10 - Day three takes you on to Trashigang, with a two-or three-hour detour to Drametse Goemba, Bhutan’s most important Nyingma monastery.

Figure on two nights at Trashigang, with another great day excursion to Trashi Yangtse, with stops en route at the pilgrimage site of Gom Kora, the old Trashi Yangtse dzong and the Nepali-style Chorten Kora. March and April bring two important pilgrimage festivals to this region.

From Trashigang it’s a six-hour winding drive down to the plains at steamy Samdrup Jongkhar ; stop to check out traditional weaving at Khaling’s National Handloom Development Centre. From Samdrup Jongkhar, take a three-hour taxi ride to Guwahati then fly to Kolkata, Delhi or Bangkok, or take the overnight train to West Bengal for Darjeeling and the Nepal border.