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BHUTAN TRAVEL INFORMATION CENTER

The minimum daily tariff is set by the Department of Tourism in Bhutan and can not be negotiated. (These rates can be higher, depending on the nature of services). The rate is the same for all tours; cultural tours, festival tours, birdwatching and trekkking. Your tour operator will take care all of the arrangement for visas, Druk Air reservation, hotel booking, and obtaning permits to visit restricted places.

REGULATED TOUR RATES : High Season Tariff US$200 per person per night. Low Season Tariff US$165 per person per night. Surchage: Individual travellers: US$40 per night. Groups of 2 persons: US$30 per person per night. Groups of 3 persons or more: no surcharge.

ABOUT DRUK-YUL: Bhutan is nestling in the heart of the himalayas, it remained in self-imposed isolation for centuries. Its doors were cautiously opened to the tourists in 1974, the environment is pristine, the scenery and architecture is beautiful, the people are hospitable and charming, and the culture is unique. Despite the huge potential of its natural resources.

RELIGION : Bhutan is the last bastion of the Mahayana form of Buddhism in the world today. It was in the 8th century AD that Guru Padma Sambhava introduced Buddhism to the country. Subsequently this was promulgated by various other religious figures who visited Bhutan. The dominant sect that came to be established in the country was the Drukpa Kargyu sect of Mahayana Buddhism, which is now the official religion of Bhutan.

PEOPLE : The country's population of 600, 000 is composed of three main ethnic groups. The Sharchopas, who are considered to be the earliest inhabitants of Bhutan, live mostly in Eastern Bhutan and they are of Indo-Mongoloid origin. The Ngalops populate mostly Western Bhutan migrated from the Tibetan plains and are the importers of Buddhism to Bhutan. The Lhotsampas who are of Nepalese origin settled in the southern foothills of the country in the early twentieth century. This ethnic diversity of the people has resulted in numerous dialects and languages that are spoken throughout the country. Dzongkha is the National language. English is the medium of instruction in schools and is widely spoken.

TREKKING IN BHUTAN

Bhutan offers many opportunities for trekking with its high mountains deep valleys and untouched by modernization. Trekking in this mountain of Bhutan is a wonderful experience for any one who enjoys hiking and camping in rich natural forest, meeting with the local people/yak and their cultures. The country ranges from the dense forest of subtropical forest to the alpine shrubs, with a many different of flora and fauna. The land is thinly populated with scattered settlements.

VISA AND PASSPORT
VISA AND PASSPORT : The visitors are required valid passport and visa to enter Bhutan, except for Indian nationals. Travelers to Bhutan must have a visa approved prior to arriving in the kingdom of Bhutan. Those who have not had a visa approved will not be permitted to board their Druk Air flight to Bhutan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thimphu issues visa to all foreign travelers.
VISA COST

A visa cost US$20 and visa is stamped in the passport at Paro Airport ( or entry port) during the immigration process. Visas are approved and issued prior to entry, with the pre-payment of travel itinerary. The visitors are required to produce two passport size photographs. The visa can be extended upto six months in Thimphu. The visitors to Bhutan are advised to finalize their travel plans well in advance. Visa applications must reach the Thimphu, at least 4-6 weeks prior to the intended arrival date, earlier if traveling to the Kingdom in the peak months of September, October, November, March, April or early May. Your tour companies will advise the status before your departure date. The actual visas are stamped in the passports at the entry points, either Paro airport or Phuentsholing (land entry or exit).

FESTIVALS
Religious festivals (Tsechu) are important events and celebrated throughout the kingdom of Bhutan. The tsechus are the most colourful event and all Bhutanese gathers and celebrate at every Dzongs (fortress), temples, and monasteries.
CLIMATE

Bhutan's climate ranges from tropical in the south, to temperate in the center of the country, to cold in the north...and like much of your adventure in the Himalayas it will be quite unpredictable. In the Thimphu and Paro valleys, the winter daytime temperature averages 60 degrees Fahrenheit during clear winter days but drops well below freezing during the night. Mid December to early January can be a beautifully clear and dry time in Western Bhutan. Late December through mid February is the period of heaviest snow fall in the higher elevations.

MEN's NATIONAL DRESS

The national dress of Bhutan is called the gho for men and kira for women. It was introduced during the 17th century by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel to give the Bhutanese a unique identity. All Bhutanese are required to wear the national dress in government offices, schools and on formal occasions. The gho is a long robe hoisted to the knee and held in place with a kera, a woven cloth belt, wound tightly around the waist. This forms a large pouch above that to carry traditional items like a bowl and betel nut.

WOMEN's NATIONAL DRESS

The kira is a floor-length rectangular piece of cloth wrapped around the body over a blouse called wonju. The kira is held from the shoulders by broach-like hooks called koma and is fastened at the waist with a kera. The dress is complete with a short, open jacket-like garment called toego

BHUTAN FLAG

The flag of Bhutan is representative of the country's general features. The secular authority of the king is shown by the upper half of the flag which is yellow, the colour of fruitful action in state and religious affairs. The lower orange half of the flag represents the religious practice and spiritual power of Mahayana Buddhism. The thunder dragon running diagonally across the middle of the flag signifies the name Druk Yul. Its white colour is an expression of purity and loyalty of the various ethnic and linguistic groups in the country. The country's wealth and perfection are the jewels clasped in the dragon's claws, protected by the strength of deities expressed by the snarling mouth of the dragon.