Essential Bhutan Info For The Guide-Less Indian Traveler

thats real good piece of info....I heard that bhutan govt on;y operates buses directly from NJP to Phuentsholing.....is there no single bus atleast from NJP to jaigaon....I thot bhutan is quite near from NJP if transport is good...now I have started rethinking....also how did u cross to phuentsholing in the night ...I heard a report in the Indian embassy is needed that will hep u get bhutan permit..is that not true?...It would also be good if u can say how frequent is the bus from phuentsholing to Thimpu...atleast every 30 mins

and finally can I find heavy snow in the months of feb/march as in North sikkim

You just need an Indian Passport or Voter's ID card to stay in Phuntsholing. To go further into Bhutan you need a permit from Phuntsholing itself or from Paro(if you arrive by flight).

The frequency of buses from Phuntsholing to Thimphu is very low. I arrived at the bus stand at around 11.30 - 12 PM and there was only one bus leaving at 3.30 PM. I assume that there would've been one or two buses in the morning. But that's it.

Snow in Feb in Bumthang is a possibility. Not sure about other places.

oh good...I thought bhutan since being in the heart of himalays will be cold and more snowy than uttarakhand and sikkim...have to find that out

Hi Vinay, Based on your advise I am planning to cover Thimphu, Paro etc. and Bumthang in this year end. While returning from Bumthang is it good to return through Thimphu-Phuntsholling or via Samdrup Jongkhar-Guwahati. I mean connectivity, time aspect. I have return train ticket from Hasimara and this train originates from Guawati. Regards,

No, Vinay, the permit for Thimphu and Paro can be obtained in Kolkata itself. There is an office in DumDum area.

Nevertheless, yours is a wonderful report.

I would recommend exiting from Thimpu - Phuntsholing. The towns in Eastern Bhutan are not clean and the traveling would also be tiring. It takes 2 whole days of traveling to exit via Samdrup Jonghkar.

@mousourik, thanks for the info. I didn't know that.

Yes I got the permit from the consulate General of Bhutan, Bhutan House, near Dumdum. They gave it within two days after receiving the application form with copy of identity proof. Original was verifed and returned immediately.

Thanks Vinay for your practical advise. I will ask some more questions on Bhutan shortly. Regards,

Hello Mr.Vinay and other experts,

Our kids are 7 and 5 years old. Is it a good idea to travel to Bhutan for sightseeing with wife and kids ? We are pure vegetarians (no eggs also) and are also thinking of taking my parents with us (parents are 72 and 65 years old).

Is it asking for too much and should we stick to conventional holiday options ?

But I am mystified by Bhutan and want to visit with family but am not sure about the hardships to be faced in terms of food, travel, etc. Also will kids enjoy Bhutan ?

We can go after school is over which is mid April 2011.

Please advice.

Thanks.

Visiting Thimpu & Paro shouldn't be a problem. You won't have problems getting vegetarian food. In Bumthang if you stay in a mid-range hotel then the in-house restaurant can arrange vegetarian food for you.

From my report you'll get an idea about the travel duration. So you'll be in a better position to decide whether your parents can undertake the journey based on their current health. If you arrange a private vehicle while in Bhutan then the trip would be even more comfortable.

April/May is an excellent time to visit Bhutan as the hills would be covered with flowers. It'll be beautiful.

In my opinion traveling with kids shouldn't be a problem. With aged parents you'll have to consider the distances i.e. from Pune -> Badgogra/NJP -> Phuntsholing -> Thimpu/Paro -> Bumthang & back.

Will the kids enjoy Bhutan? Well, that's a million dollar question Would they enjoy a completely different landscape to India? Will they enjoy visiting Dzongs? Would they enjoy watching beautiful hills roll past the car window? Would they enjoy taking nature walks?

This thread should be a sticky.

(Atleast I think so)

Meaning

A "Sticky" thread shows on top of the list in a forum.

Vinay,

I am planning my route
I will be staying rangamati forest rest house (should be near to phuntsholling border) for 1.5 days. Since I already got the permit, I hope to catch the first bus to Thimpu from Phuntsholling. I would like to stay 2 days at Thimpu and 1 day at Paro and 2.5 days for Bhumthan apart from traveling time. Could you suggest any better advise for planning as above. Going through your excellent report I am confident to get a valuable advise from you. Regards,

It looks fine. I don't know if there are buses from Paro to Bumthang. So you might have to come back to Thimphu. The distance is not far so you can get a cab from Paro early in the morning to catch the bus from Thimphu. Book the return ticket for Bumthang to Thimphu in advance from Thimphu itself.

Don't forget Bumthang will be very cold So carry lot of woolens.