The last Shangri-la, the Land of Happy People, the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon are just some of the poetic epithets that Bhutan is used to describe - a small state in the Himalayas that opened the doors for foreigners just over 30 years ago .From neighbors - India and Tibet - Bhutan is characterized by almost complete isolation from the outside world to the most recent times, thanks to which, being here, you feel literally outside of time and space: the streets of cities are wandering around the local people in colorful outfits, everywhere - Buddhist monasteries and dzongi, lost on the forest-covered slopes of the Himalayas .Tourists in Bhutan are invited to enjoy amazing exoticism, visit Buddhist shrines, including unique rock monasteries-fortresses, make ascents in the Himalayas, rafting, and feel the healing effect of Tibetan medicine - there are enough "fencers" in the country with excellent spa centers .

The capital is Thimphu.

Popular cities - Paro, Jakar, Mongar, Tashigang.

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How to get to Bhutan?

In Bhutan, there is a single international airport, where all flights from abroad land. Paro Airport is located 65 km from the capital Thimphu. Only three airlines are eligible to land at the airport - two domestic and one Tibetan.

From Russia to Bhutan can only be reached with a transfer - in Delhi, Mumbai, Singapore, Bangkok or Kathmandu, the first option is the most popular. Every day Aeroflot direct flights from Moscow, as well as Emirates (through Dubai), Etihad Airways (via Abu Dhabi) and Thai Airways (via Bangkok) fly to Delhi. There it is necessary to transfer to the flight of the national air carrier of Bhutan, the airline Druk Air. Travel time from Delhi to Paro - 2 hours 50 minutes, the ticket will cost in the amount of 900 USD.

Visa

Russian citizens need a visa to visit Bhutan upon arrival at Paro airport on the basis of the previously received electronic visa authorization.

Customs

Import and export of national currency is prohibited. Foreign currency is subject to mandatory declaration at the entrance.

Duty-free can import up to 2 liters of alcoholic beverages. Tobacco products for personal use to tourists are allowed to import with the condition of paying a 200-percent fee. Photo and video equipment, as well as electronic equipment, must be declared at the entrance - at the exit they will be asked to present a declaration and check the conformity of the quantity of the exported equipment.

It is prohibited to import drugs, weapons and ammunition, explosives and dangerous substances, military equipment, antiques, plants and animals, as well as seeds and goods from hides, bones, etc. You can export antiques from Bhutan upon presentation of a special certificate (issued by the seller of antiques ).

Money

The monetary unit of Bhutan Ngultrum is tied at the rate to the Indian rupee. The Indian rupee and US dollars are widely circulated in the country. Foreign currency and traveler's checks can be exchanged for ngultrums in bank branches or hotels.

Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:00, small offices in tourist locations can also be open on weekends on the same schedule.

Credit cards of large international systems (Visa, MasterCard, Diners, etc.) are accepted in the capital hotels and large stores. In the province, you should not count on currency exchange, nor on payment on a credit card. ATMs in Tibet are not common.

Useful phone numbers are

Russian diplomatic missions in Bhutan and Bhutan in Russia are not available.

Bhutan Tourism Corporation (BTCL): (2) 322-647, 324-045.

Department of Tourism of Bhutan (TAB): (2) 323-251, 323-252, 323-695.

In Thimphu: 113 - police, 112 - first aid, 110 - fire service.

Transport of Bhutan

The movement of tourists on Bhutan is regulated by a route compiled by the tour operator in advance. This means that a group transfer with a driver - in 99% of cases the only option is to travel around Bhutan.

The local population moves by buses connecting not only large cities, but also small settlements. Among other things, in Bhutan a lot of voters along the roads are often the only way to travel in the provinces. Despite the difficult terrain - numerous mountain serpentines - the roads are maintained in very good condition and safe for driving. However, their tortuosity greatly increases the travel time. In the summer season, rockfall is possible, and in winter - landslides.

There are no railways in Bhutan, there is no domestic air service either, although conversations about the beginning of flights are in progress.

Rent a car

Rent a car in Bhutan is not common. Tourists are provided with organized transfers. However, it is possible to obtain a permit for individual movement, however, a Bhutan tour operator, through which the tourist has arrived to the country, must also apply for it. But in this case the tourist is more likely to be provided transportation with a chauffeur.

Safety of tourists

In general, Bhutan is an extremely safe country for tourists. In Thimphu and on the sights there are always a lot of representatives of the police, keeping an eye on the order. The cases of theft are almost non-existent, but still, documents, money and valuables should be watched.

Vaccinations for visiting Bhutan are not required, but those who come here with the purpose of tracking in the Himalayas will be eligible to have immunity from poliomyelitis, tetanus, typhus, cholera, hepatitis A and malaria.

In Bhutan, there is a total ban on smoking and the sale of tobacco products. Penalty for smoking is 175 EUR. Tourists can use imported tobacco products with the exception of public places.

In conversation, one should show respect to the former and present king and everything connected with religion. Stupas and other religious objects need to be circumvented so that the right shoulder is closer to them. Temples and monasteries should be visited in the most closed, modest clothes. Among other things, when visiting the chortens and stupas there is a whole set of rules of behavior, which tourists will be informed by the guide.

The climate of Bhutan is

The climate of Bhutan varies greatly depending on the altitude and is influenced by monsoons, although not as strong as in India .The eastern, central and western regions of the country, where most of the cities visited by tourists, including the capital, are experiencing the influence of a temperate continental climate .In summer in Thimphu air, as a rule, does not get warmer than + 24 ... + 26 ° C, in winter the temperature fluctuates within -6 ... + 2 ° С .In the highlands in the winter it can be -10 ... -15 ° С, in the summer - about +10 ° C .And in the extreme south, on the border with India, in summer the air warms up to +30 ° C and higher; Winter here is not less than +15 ° C .

Current information: Weather forecast for the main cities of Bhutan for the coming days.

Butane hotels

In Bhutan, several dozen accommodation options - from economical living in private homes to luxury holidays in a five-star hotel .Hotels in Bhutan are classified by the National Tourist Association and receive a rating of one to five stars ."Odnushki" and "kopeck piece" tourists do not threaten: tour operators undertake to settle foreign guests in institutions no lower than three stars .Really high-level hotels in Bhutan are few - a few high-quality "fives" to the whole country .But in such hotels to the services of tourists - a full range of services: from a preventive "room service" to modern spa centers, where it is offered to complete a course of Tibetan health procedures - $ .

In guesthouses - a basic set of options, but here you can feel the real Bhutanese life. This impression is even more vivid in the home boarding houses - local residents rent out the rooms to tourists and offer to join everyday life.

The voltage in the network is 230 V, 50 Hz. There are frequent power surges in the network, therefore, we recommend that before going to Bhutan, you have a network filter, so that expensive equipment will not fail. There are also short-term power outages.

Shopping

The main source of pride for Bhutan artisans is fabric made of hand wool. Geometric ornaments and bright colors, obtained exclusively from natural dyes, are a real bait for the eyes. Popular products are appliqués, sewn on clothes, wall panels, tablecloths and mats. The material is called "yatra", and famous for the whole country masters live in eastern Bhutan (although products are sold throughout the country).

Wooden bowls "dappa" - analogues of Russian vessels, are used for storing and transporting cooked food. They are sold in pairs, and the halves are practically hermetically docked. However, individually they can find the widest application in the economy.

Still from Bhutan it is necessary to bring bamboo baskets "banchun" - they also consist of two tightly closed halves. Bunchans do in southern Bhutan, but sell nationwide.

Among the trivial souvenirs - all sorts of figurines of dragons, the symbol of Bhutan, images of national symbols.

Kitchen

The impression of Bhutanese cuisine is most often twofold. On the one hand, rice and the mass of natural products - cereals, vegetables, milk cheeses; on the other - the ubiquitous and generous use of chili pepper, which negates the whole usefulness of the "pasture" for the European mouths that are not accustomed to fires. Nevertheless, in the tourist places have managed to cook from the point of view of Butane people "fresh" food for the guests of the country - most importantly, do not forget to clarify that you do not need pepper.

Lunch in Bhutan often consists of vegetable, less meat, ragout, cooked with chili pepper, accompanied by rice (here it is an indispensable side dish) and some kind of soft cheese or cottage cheese. Butane rice - a narrow long and almost red - is the only species that can survive in the highlands. Also eat buckwheat and corn, and in the Himalayas - also wheat and potatoes.

Popular dishes: "ema-datsi" - chili peppers, stewed in cheese sauce with spices; "Keva-datsi" - the same chili and cheese, but accompanied by potatoes, "chamu-datsi" - as you might guess, chili plus cheese and plus mushrooms. From the "hard" one should try "phagsha-pa" - stew with a rare pork, "keva-phagsha" - pork with potatoes and spices, "tshoe" - beef stew with rice and mushrooms. Thin fresh cakes and fresh vegetables are always served to main dishes.

The meal is usually taken with black or green tea, wheat beer "chang" or "changi". Butane tea is a very consistent drink: salt, pepper and butter are added there. Well, it's worth to try a strong rice or corn vodka "ara."

Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Bhutan

Attractions of Bhutan - a huge number of important Buddhist monasteries and temple complexes, historical monuments and amazingly beautiful untouched nature of the Himalayas.

The main attraction of the capital Thimphu - 350-year-old royal residence Fortress of blessed religion .Now here are the government agencies, and once worked the largest monastery in the country for 2000 monks .Another is to see the memorial stupa of the third king of Bhutan "chorten", not forgetting to give the father of the present ruler of honor "in shape" (as instructed by the guide), visit the National Library, where valuable Buddhist manuscripts are stored, look in the School of the tank, where they teach to create paintings on religious scenes, and see the process of making traditional paper from plant fibers using ancient Chinese technology - it is extremely durable and is acquired by Buddhist monasteries from different countries .

In Paro, you must visit the amazing alpine monastery Nest of the tigress - the main Buddhist shrine of Bhutan. The monastery is located on a steep 900-meter rock and includes seven temples, monastic huts and a waterfall. The Butane National Museum of Ta-Dzong, located in the ancient tower, the Palace of the Queen Mother, the large monasteries of Paro-Dzong and Rinchen-Pung-Dzong ("Fortress on the mountain of jewelry") and others are also interesting here. The best examples of the tank are kept in the Cheilil convent.

Jakar in central Bhutan is the spiritual heart of the country. Located among the four valleys, it boasts an impressive number of Buddhist temples with ancient relics, pilgrimage sites and fortified temples-temples "dzong". The circumference of one of the largest dzongs in Jakar is more than one and a half kilometers.

The Sakten Valley is the residence of the ancient nomadic tribes-pastoralists of Bhutan, who still speak their own language and have not changed the age-old way of life. And it is here that the mythical Yeti lives - a snowman. The route for tracking with the same name is about 30 days and is considered to be one of the most difficult in the world.

In Bhutan - 10 protected areas, occupying more than a quarter of the total area of ​​the country. Nature lovers are guaranteed to be charmed by the national parks of Bomdeling and Khaling. The first inhabits more than 100 species of mammals, including Irbis, Himalayan bears and Bengal tigers, and about 250 species of nesting and migrating birds. In the humid rainforest of Kalinga, elephants and dwarf pigs live.

Tracking

Tracking - a distinctive "chip" of Bhutan as a tourist destination .The gentle and steep slopes of the Himalayas, interspersed with spacious valleys with picturesque lakes and deep rivers, make it possible to build a route of any complexity - from one-two-day transitions to beginners to tracks of monthly duration .The most popular route is the "Druk" route from Paro to Thimphu (65 km), which takes 6 days, during which the forests of blue firs are replaced by high-mountain passes and sparkling lakes with scattered villages, dzongs and monasteries .Beginners can be advised an easy three-day route "Bumtang" along the valleys and rivers with a lot of ancient temples on the way .Also popular are the six-day track "A Thousand Lakes", whose name speaks for itself, and the route around the sacred mountain of Jomolhari (according to legend, it is there that gave the name of the country to the Thunder Dragon), lying at an altitude of 2500-5000 meters .

Events of Bhutan

A series of colorful festivals accompanies the lives of Bhutanese throughout the year - at least two dozen. Among the most colorful are Thimphu and Paro festivals, as well as the Tsechu festival held in monasteries and dzongs of the country at different times. It is dedicated to the birthday of Guru Rinpoche, held annually from the 8th century and consists of festive processions and blessings by lamas of believers.

Still definitely worth seeing competitions in archery - the national sport of Bhutan. They are regularly held at any level - from the village level to the "all-but" one. The main competition takes place during the celebration of the Bhutanese New Year, Losara. Photos of Bhutan (2)