Buzz
The best time to travel is when?
Peak season is March-April. Festival season runs from late September to the end of November every year. If you plan to go, Nguyen Khang advises booking six months in advance to be sure.
You should visit in October because it's the king's birthday, so there are many interesting festival activities. Bhutanese celebrate Lunar New Year. The most fun in Bhutan during Lunar New Year is the nationwide archery competition.
Bhutan boasts numerous captivating festivals, among which Tsechu stands out. This festival takes place around October each year and lasts for 3-5 days. Tsechu festival attracts thousands of people, who come here in their finest attire, adorned with the most beautiful jewelry. The highlight of Tsechu is the Cham dance - a lively dance performed exclusively by men. The dancers wear impressive masks and elaborate costumes adorned with jewelry, depicting stories of morality and spiritual life. Therefore, these colorful masks are unique souvenirs to give to friends and family.
Bhutan has four distinct seasons, and the spring climate is also beautiful because there are many flowers blooming throughout Bhutan. Among them, Nguyen Khang's favorite is the purple bougainvillea, which is planted abundantly in Punakha, especially in front of Punakha Dzong, because the colors are very beautiful.
How to travel?
To reach Bhutan, you must transit through one of three locations: Singapore, Bangkok, or India. Traveling to Bhutan is somewhat challenging because there are not many flights to this country. There are only about 2 international flights per day. It's best to plan early to secure your plane tickets.
Typically, travel companies will charge you on a per-day basis, around $250 for peak season. This cost includes hotels, private cars, drivers, guides, three meals a day, and sightseeing fees (visa fees and airfare are separate). This is what makes backpacking in Bhutan difficult.
Where to visit?
The cities you should visit are the capital Thimphu, and other cities like Paro, Punakha, and Bhumthang. Typically, you should spend 2 days exploring each city. There's plenty of leisure time for photography and experiencing life here.
If you have limited time, Nguyen Khang suggests a 4-day trip to visit Thimphu and Paro (where Tiger Nest is one of Bhutan's landmarks).
If you have 6 days, consider adding Punakha (where the dzong - a type of palace - is the most beautiful in Bhutan).
With 8 more days, it's definitely worth adding Bhumthang, a rather distant place, located higher with colder weather and stunning scenery.
What to eat?
Usually, we think travel always goes hand in hand with cuisine. But perhaps Bhutan is an exception. Almost all Bhutanese are vegetarians and their main dishes are made from rice. Rice and corn are the main food staples.
Honestly, Khang finds Bhutanese cuisine very bland, dull, and unappealing. Even in the capital Thimphu, there are only a few Thai and Korean restaurants. No other types of restaurants.
During my days in Bhutan, I ate similar dishes every day. Mostly steamed vegetables with occasional fried chicken or occasionally beef. Bhutan is a Buddhist country so they avoid killing animals. Chickens are raised for eggs, and cows for milk. Most savory dishes are imported from India.
The comforting thing is that their fruits and vegetables are quite clean and safe to eat, so you can eat with peace of mind. They grow their own produce by hand, without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Perhaps that's why Bhutanese people are healthy and youthful. If you're not accustomed to Bhutanese food, you should prepare some Vietnamese snacks to bring along, such as shredded pork, sesame salt, or dried fish...
What to wear?
Khang visited Bhutan in spring. Spring starts from April, with temperatures around 18-20 degrees Celsius. You can bring a light jacket. In the evening, it gets a bit cold so you might want to bring a warm jacket as temperatures drop to around 10-12 degrees Celsius depending on the area.
One thing to note is that if you visit a dzong and wear traditional clothing, you must have a scarf. If not, wear regular clothes but make sure to wear long pants.
How to spend?
- Airfare: Only when you have a visa and a planned tour itinerary can you book flights with Bhutan's airline (DrukAir), the only airline allowed to fly to Bhutan. Because there are only 2 flights per day, seats are quite limited, so during peak seasons, you should book in advance to ensure you have tickets. Flight routes: you can fly from 3 points: Bangkok (Thailand), Kolkata (India), or Singapore.
- Daily expenses range from $200 USD per day upwards depending on the season, including government tourism tax, meals, accommodation, transportation, guides, and souvenirs (usually books, postcards about Bhutan).
– The most memorable experience you must have is hiking up to Tiger's Nest in Paro, also known as Paro Taktsang. It is believed that if we meditate at the Paro Taktsang monastery for just one minute, the result achieved could be equivalent to months of meditation elsewhere. Paro Taktsang is an extremely sacred place in the minds of the Bhutanese people throughout the centuries of history and perhaps for eternity.
The uphill path here is extremely challenging due to steep slopes and difficult terrain. You have to hike for nearly 2 hours. However, for the elderly, you can ride a horse for the first half of the journey. For the second half, you can use a walking stick to climb to this monastery.
– The cheapest experience is soaking in hot stone baths in Paro. They use river stones, heat them up, and put them into hot tubs, then add some fragrant leaves. Whether you like this experience or not, it's okay, but you can learn more about how people immerse themselves in hot stone water.
Nguyen Khang's most soul-stirring memory in Bhutan:
It was the domestic flight from Paro to Bhumthang. I had mentally prepared myself very well for the international flight from Bangkok to Bhutan, knowing that Bhutan is a rugged mountainous country. Only about 8 pilots worldwide have the ability to land, so after overcoming it, I felt very relieved.
But unexpectedly, the domestic flight left an indelible impression on me. It was an ATR aircraft with propellers. The flight wasn't long, but the plane went up, down, swayed, and sometimes felt like free-falling in mid-air, making me feel like I was on a roller coaster. My American seatmate felt nauseous at least 3 times. As for me, I was so scared that I held the hand of the person sitting next to me tightly. Thank goodness, I finally landed safely. And what awaited me was a particularly small airport, exactly just a small house, which completely surprised me.
According to Ngoi Sao
***
Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourMay 13, 2016
