Our Bhutan Trip – a senior citizen's effort to backpack!

Hai Asish Da,
Have you any idea about the Hotel Peljorling room fare. Is there any mail no. to Hotel Peljorling or should I call them. Should I book hotel in Paro in advance or I go direct and bargain. What do you suggest? What are the cost of meal there?

I don't think Hotel Peljorling has a website or email ID. Even if it is there, I am not aware of. The Hotel is managed by a Lady (every one in the Hotel called her didi, but I think her name is Dicky or some such name) and she runs the Hotel in a very informal way. Yes, I checked their accommodation i.e. room etc. and the tariff. I found their accommodation is very basic, but okay type. Double Bed rooms were going between 600/- to 800/- per night.
I always (as matter of principle) try to book hotel on the spot after checking the accommodation, facilities, location etc. and most importantly spot booking allows scope of bargaining, which is integral part of Bhutan Hotel culture. By the way, when you are reaching Paro? If it is in the morning, I would recommend for spot booking.
As regards cost of meal, I found it quite reasonable. The food was tasty and good. I just got an old bill and it was for lunch. We paid 420/- for seven adult members of our group. It was Non-Veg meals.

@ Asish Da
I am sending you my revised tour plan for Bhutan in October 2012.

1st - Train Kanchan Kanya form sealdah.
2nd - Reach Hasimara - Phuentsholing - Bus - Thimpu
3rd - Permit office for Punakha. & Local Sight Seeing.
4th - Punakha
5th - Thimpu - Bondy - Chelela - Haa - Chelela - Paro
6th - Tiger's Nest & Local Sight Seeing.
7th - Paro - Phuentsholing - Hasimara - Train Kanchan Kanya
8th - Sealdah.

Is it OK?

One more thing, When I should go to 6, Mall Road (Nagerbazar) for Bhutan Permit? As I am going on October can I go now for permit?

Thank you.

1. Programme: Perfect. No change is called for.
2. Visit to Bhutan Consulate at Nagerbazar: No need of going so early. In fact they will issue the Permit only a few days before your projected journey date. I think you can submit your papers there a fortnight before the actual date of journey. Don't worry, I assure you it will absolutely hassle free.

Hi, we went to Bhutan House on June 11th and applied for the permit.
There is a little change, the entry door Asish Da mentioned is changed. The main door and the adjacent small one those adjacent to the embedded sign board, both were closed. A local rickshaw-walah advised to proceed further, and we discovered same type setup of doors only the small door is on the left side, and no embedded sign board. The large gate was closed, and entered through the small gate, it took 5-10 mins for form filling up, and voter ID variication. The permit will be obtained after 2 days.

Hi Anupam!

Many thanks for update. This is the culture of IM. Whenever a new traveler visits some place or starts pre-travel activities and encounters certain new developments/change etc., he/she immediately comes back to the Forum and reports the updated information. As a result of which members can always get fresh, updated and reliable information which no other source could provide. Keep it up, Anupam! Expecting a detailed trip report on your return.

Asish Da,
I mailed hotel Phunsum in Paro and the tariff is 1000 per night during July. I am thinking of booking it beforhand as I am reaching there at night. Please suggest the room with good view.

@ Anupam!

Book it beforehand. 1000/- is okay. The property is too good, you will not regret your decision. I don't remember any specific room number, but ask for back side room, which have view of Jumlahari peaks.

Thanks Asish da, and of course I shall post a trip report after return..as you say..payback..and I also like sharing...

@anupamkhan4u

Hai, I also looking forward to your trip report. Happy Journey.

Thanks bivabasupal.

My travelogue to Bhutan:

Got back after a very short and crisp tour to Bhutan.We were supposed to start on 2nd June,depended heavily on an agent for tatkal quota tickets,but alas!we got thoroughly disheartened,as the person failed.We just started to unpack,when the person assured for the tickets of the next day...this time he tasted success and our bags were prevented from getting unpacked!...So we started on 3 rd.by Kanchankanya exp...our short trip got even more truncated...

Day 1:Reached Hasimara dot on time at 10:25 am,took auto to Jaigaon...got a transit car to go to the Phuentsholing bus stand.After bargaining,we settled for Rs.3000 a day for a Bolero(We were 5 adults and a child of 5 years)..started for Thimpu at around 11:30.Our little companion and one of the adults started having severe motion sickness and we had to stop several times on the way,took lunch at hotel D2K near Wanthang...reached Thimpu at 7 o'clock after a long haul drive...Rested at Hotel Destiny(Rs.1000/room,at 5th floor with no lifts!with strong belief on our limbs!!)

Day 2:This was World Environment Day,5th June,Tuesday.Royal Bhutan Govt.decided to impose a strange rule on this very day,that the cabs with numbers ending with odd digits cannot ply on the city roads and this should alternate with the even no.cabs on tuesdays.Our cab had "1" in the end,hence we were prohibited to move within the city.We walked up to the immigration office for the permission to go to Punakha at about 10 o'clock,got back to hotel after submitting the docs.Our driver went to collect the permit after an hour and came back to us to accompany us to the outbound taxi stand(10 mins on foot)from where we started for Dochulla pass(we restrained ourselves to go up to Punakha,since we didn't have enough time and motion sickness factor was there as well.)Reached Dochulla in 1 and half hour,spent an hour there,walked around the Chorten and uphill to the monastery ...Came back to Thimpu at about 3 o'clock ,had a late lunch at Hotel Ghasel.Then we walked upto the Memorial Chorten which was about 15mins.walk...came back to hotel...reclined.

Day 3: started early at 7 o'clock,saw Thimpu Dzong,king's palace,took breakfast and went off to Paro,reached at about 11 o'clock ,visited Paro Dzong,Museum,then checked in to Hotel Sonam Trophel(Rs.1200/room,free wi fi),took our lunch,went out for Drugyel Dzong (near about 500mtr.hike to a old dilapidated fort which got burnt),Kyichu temple.Spent some cheerful time around the banks of Pa-chu(River flowing through Paro),strolled through the markets and got back to our hotel .

Day 4: Started around 9:30 am ,reached Phuentsholing at about 2:30pm,took lunch at Hotel Kasturi,in Jaigaon(sumptuous Bengali stuff),auto ride to Hasimra to get on to 13150 down Kanchankanya exp...longing begun for next excursion.!

A crisp report...just like your trip! To-the-point, didn't miss anything, I suppose. As I see, Agent's failure to get you tatkal tickets and motion sickness subsequently played spoil sport! I'm sure it will better next time. Thanks for sharing.

Avoiding all odds you finally made this as a nice & short tour, Congratulations.

nice trip report samadoc...though the photos show the cloud, you mentioned no rain...I am also hoping for a good weather during my travel in mid-July.