Brief Profile Of Bhutan
Bhutan is a land locked country lies in the eastern Himalayas between Tibet to the north, the Indian territories to the south, east and west. The Kingdom covers an area of 4700 sq. km about the size of Switzerland. Currently it has population of approximately 750,000 same populations as of San Francisco & California. Three main euthenics groups the Sarchops, Ngalops and the Lhotsampas (of Nepalese origin). Make up today’s populaton. Bhutan is the only contry in the world to retain the Tantrick form of Mahayana Buddhism (Drukpa Kagyu) as it’s official religion. Bhutan’s offical language is Dzongkha.
Bhutan is one of the few countries in the world that is still untouched. The impossible monasteries like Taktsang and unspoiled green grandeur of the country have still to discover. In order to protect the environment and culture of Bhutan Government allows only limited number of tourist hence it received less than 8,000 tourist annually.
The national carrier Druk Air operates from the only International Airport in Paro. It has scheduled flights to Kathmandu, Delhi, Kolkotta, Bangkok & Yangoon. By road it is possible to drive via India to the Bhutenese town of Phuntsoling.
Visa Formalities
Other than Indian nationals, all visitors to Bhutan require a visa; all visas are issued from Thimphu; visas are only issued to tourists booked with a local licensed tour operator, directly or through a foreign travel agent. Applications for tourist visas are submitted by the tour operator. Visa clearance from Thimphu must be obtained before coming to Bhutan. Visa clearance takes at least 10 days to process. Air tickets to Bhutan cannot be purchased without visa clearance. At your point of entry the visa will be stamped in your passport on payment of US$20, two passport photos will also be required. Visas are issued for a 15day period; extensions can be obtained in Thimphu at a cost of Nu.510.
Currency
Bhutan’s currency is the Ngultrum (Nu) equivalent to Indian Rupee, which is also accepted in Bhutan. There are no ATMs in Bhutan, and credit cards are accepted only at a few high-end tourist shops. You cannot purchase Ngultrum prior to arriving in Bhutan, but you can easily buy Ngultrum at the Paro airport, at Bhutan National Bank and the Bank of Bhutan, and at major hotels in Thimphu and Paro, all of which accept traveler's checks and/or dollars and various other currencies. When visiting smaller towns, however, you should bring Ngultrum for your purchases, as it may not be possible to exchange your currency.
Climate
Topographic features of Bhutan and its neighboring regions present a complex landform. Weather conditions vary from one place to another. Bhutan has four distinct seasons.
- Spring: March / May
- Summer: June / August
- Autumn: September / November
- Winter: December / February
Time
Bhutan has only one time zone. It is six hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), 30 minutes ahead of India, 15 minutes ahead of Nepal, and one hour behind Thailand. In the USA, during daylight saving time (April through October) Bhutan is 10 hours ahead of New York City. During standard time (November through March), Bhutan is 11 hours ahead of New York City.
Accommodations
The five star hotels are not available in Bhutan. Comfortable hotels and lodges built in traditional architectural style are available in the major towns. All tourists are lodged at the hotels approved and classified by the Department of Tourism. Western Bhutan has better hotels while in central and eastern part of the country, accommodations establishment are simple and offer minimum facilities.
