Bhutan a purely Buddhist Kingdom Vested in the lapse of the Himalayas is truly mystical bliss enveloped in its natural splendor. The Last Shangri-la Kingdom is unsurpassed in its scenic majesty and vibrant culture. The kingdom shares with Nepal the world’s greatest concentration of mountains and living heritage of Buddhism. The Himalayan paradise is still wrapped in a time, recollected
by many as “those good old days” with modern transportation facilities and hotels, we can now comfortably experience the warm hospitality of its friendly people, the carefree Bhutanese lifestyle and the culture of this peaceful haven. the fifty minutes flight from Kathmandu to Paro can truly be described as a flight into dreamland.

FACTS OF BHUTAN

Bhutan maintains the policy of strictly limiting the numbers of people who can visit the country in a single year, and all visitors are charged for the tourist services. (hotels, meals, guides, transport etc) at a fixed daily rate. This has helped Bhutanese earn the foreign currency that they require for the various development work. The only way to visit Bhutan as a member of a tour group, which is organized through a recognized travel agency.

Entering Bhutan	The only practical way for tourists to enter Bhutan is by air. Druk air the Bhutanese flag carrier flies from Kathmandu, Delhi, Calcutta, Bangkok & Dhaka.
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Visa	All visitors to Bhutan require visas except for Indians. All visa applications must reach Bhutan well in advance to the tourist intended arrival date. No foreign missions abroad grant Bhutan Tourist Visa. Tourists are required to bring 3 original photographs as required by the Immigration Authority. Individual tourist visas for a period of two weeks $ 20 and extension can be obtained at an additional cost of $20. These actual visas are stamped on arrival in Bhutan. For all travellers, entering Bhutan by Druk Air, the visa clearance number is forwarded to concerned Druk air stations. This clearance number is must to board the Druk air flight.
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Geography	Lies east of Nepal and south of Tibet. It is a land locked country surrounded by mountains to the north and west. The altitude range in between 1000 ft to 17000 ft.. The altitude of the capital city Thimphu is 7,700 ft. 4. Climate: It has four distinct seasons. The southern plains close to the Indian border are warmer and more tropical than higher central valleys. the winter months are fiercely cold subsiding around the end of February. The annual monsoon affects the south and central regions.
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Clothing	It is advisable to bring along warm clothing while traveling from November to February. In summer the temperature is 29-31degree centigrade, during the day time, 12-14 degree centigrade during night time. In winter the day temperature is 22-24 degree centigrade during the day time and 0-4 degree centigrade during the night time.
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Religion	Bhutan is the only country in the world to retain the tartaric form of Mahayana Buddhism.
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Population	Bhutan’s indigenous population is the Drukpa and it is about 6 Lakhs. Three main ethnic groups, the Sharchops, Ngalops and the Lhotshampas (of Nepalese origin) make up today’s Drukpa.
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Language	The contrasting ethnic diversity of Bhutanese people has meant that number of different languages and dialects are spoken throughout the kingdom. The national language is Dzongkha, Which is taught in all schools.
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Money	Bhutanese currency is the Ngultrum (NU). Dollars and travellers cheque are acceptable in large hotels and tourist shops. 1 NU is 100 Chetrum. The NU is fixed to the value of the Indian Rupee. US$ 1 = 45 Ngultrum. (as per 2001).
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Holiday	Saturday and Sunday are the weekly holidays.
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Accommodation	Hotels vary in style and quality from town to town. All government approved hotels are clean and well maintained. In Thimpu and Paro and central districts all hotels are equipped with telephones, fax machines and international dialing. Traditional Bhutanese food is very hot and spicy. The food given to tourists is tempered to western taste and includes western dishes. Evening meals are invariably buffet style and served in the dinning rooms of the hotels.
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Time	Bhutan Time is 6 hrs ahead of GMT and there is only one time zone throughout the country.
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Health	No vaccinations are currently required for traveling to Bhutan. However if you are traveling into Bhutan from some epidemic infected areas you required to have vaccinations.
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Electricity	In Bhutan, electricity runs 220/240 volts. If you do bring electrical appliances, take along an international converter kit complete with a set of adaptor plugs.
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Food	Bhutanese food is rich with spicy chilies and Cheese. The selected hotels and lodges even provide Chinese, Continental, Bhutanese and Indian food.
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Package Includes	Normally package and tariff is set by Royal government of Bhutan which is inclusive of accommodation, transport, guide, meals, entrance fees to monuments.
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Reservations	Reservation is to be made for all the tours at least 4 weeks before the tour start. But the tours during the festivals more advance reservations are required because it is very difficult to confirm the flight seats and hotels.