A Landlocked Country in Asia - Kingdom of Bhutan
A Landlocked Country in Asia - Kingdom of Bhutan
Bhutan, officially the Kingdom
of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in Asia, and it is the smallest state
located entirely within the Himalaya mountain range. Located in the Eastern
Himalayas, it is bordered by China (in the north) and India (in the south).
Bhutan lacks a border with nearby Nepal due to the Indian state of Sikkim and
with Bangladesh due to the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam.
The independence of Bhutan has
endured for centuries, and the territory was never colonized in its history.
Situated on the ancient Silk Road between Tibet, the Indian subcontinent and
Southeast Asia, the Bhutanese state developed a distinct national identity
based on Buddhism. Headed by a spiritual leader known as the Zhabdrung
Rinpoche, the territory was composed of many fiefdoms and governed as a
Buddhist theocracy. Following a civil war in the 19th century, the House of
Wangchuck reunited the country and established relations with the British
Empire. Bhutan fostered a strategic partnership with India during the rise of
Chinese communism and has a disputed border with the People's Republic of
China. In 2008, it transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional
monarchy and held the first election to the National Assembly of Bhutan, that
has a two party system characterizing Bhutanese democracy.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
All tourists (excluding
Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian passport holders) who wish to travel to
Bhutan require a visa and must book their holiday through a Bhutanese tour
operator or one of their international partners. The tour operator will take
care of Visa arrangements for visitors. A listing of licensed Bhutanese tour
operators can be found at the link below.
Comprehensive list of Tour
Operators: http://www.tourism.gov.bt/plan/tour-operators
Learn more about visa
requirements: http://www.tourism.gov.bt/plan/visa
IMPORTANT NOTICE
It has been brought to the
notice of the Tourism Council of Bhutan Secretariat that some guests are
booking their tours through unregistered Tour Operators and also making direct tour
payments to the companies contrary to the official transfer channel. Such
arrangements have caused immense difficulties to both guests as well as this
office. This office would like to inform
and request all travelers planning their tours to Bhutan to make their
reservations only through registered Tour Operators in Bhutan. A list of local
Bhutanese Tour Operators is available on www.tourism.gov.bt/plan/tour-operators
or if in doubt, this office can confirm the authentication of the operators
should a request for the same be made.
Therefore, we would like to
inform all concerned parties that the Tourism Council of Bhutan will not be
responsible for any complaints related to or resulting from a tour booked through
unregistered Tour Operators.
MINIMUM DAILY PACKAGE
The minimum daily package
covers the following services.
• A minimum of 3 star
accommodation (4 & 5 star may require an additional premium).
• All meals
• A licensed Bhutanese tour
guide for the extent of your stay
• All internal transport
(excluding internal flights)
• Camping equipment and
haulage for trekking tours
It also includes:
• All internal taxes and
charges
• A sustainable development
fee of $65. This sustainable development fee goes towards free education, free
healthcare, poverty alleviation, along with the building of infrastructure.
The minimum daily package for
tourists travelling in a group of 3 persons or more is as follows:
USD $200 per person per night
for the months of January, February, June, July, August, and December.
USD $250 per person per night
for the months of March, April, May, September, October, and November.
These rates are applicable per
tourist per night halt in Bhutan.
On the day of departure, the
‘local agents’ host obligation shall be limited to providing breakfast only and
any extra requirements shall be payable on usage basis.
The list of hotels and lodges
approved to provide accommodations all listed on this website. If your
accommodation is not listed on this website, then it is not licensed cater for
international tourists.
The Royal Government of Bhutan
sets minimum selling prices for packages to Bhutan. These must be paid in US
dollars prior to arrival in Bhutan.
http://www.tourism.gov.bt
Make travel plans and Meet travel mates here!
Play with planetwith!
Comments
Post a Comment