Every year I take a trip on my birthday, preferably a solo trip.
And this year I went to Bhutan - The land of Happiness as they say.
What a beautiful country !
Although I will not lie, as an Indian I did not feel away from home for even a minute.
One of the easiest abroad trips for any Indian!
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No Visa requirement
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Everyone watches Bollywood (that’s always a plus right?)
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Indian food available everywhere (& literally at the same rates)
But I will urge you to try their local food as well. Ema Datshi & Koka were my favourites in particular.
PS: I’d recommend having a veg Koka as they add fried chicken pieces in the non veg ones which are too hard & chewy so it’s better to have a veg one.
Although I have to acknowledge that the country is far far cleaner than India & people there are really good citizens.
The country is carbon negative which is nearly impossible for any country to even imagine!
They are also the most kind & sweet hosts I have ever come across, having travelled to 10 other countries. No matter what you ask them & when you ask them, they will do anything for you with the sweetest smile that really fills your heart!
Want to share 2 small incidents here:
- The day we reached, our hotel told us that dinner time is till 9. I walked in at 845 for dinner & the place was all empty, buffet was gone. I asked what happened & the person told me that the time was up. I asked that it is only 845 & then the person showed me their watch which displayed 915. (Bhutan is half an hour ahead of India & my watch was on India time, hence the confusion). These lovely people then told me to take a seat & brought me all the food there was at the buffet. I genuinely was so hesitant for them to go through all that trouble for 1 person but was so touched that they were ready to serve me even when I hadn’t told them the time mixup.
- It was my birthday & I hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. We were dropped back to our hotel in Thimphu at 6pm & because our hotel was a little away from city centre I asked our guide if there was anything nearby to do. He was joking a bit so I had to reveal to him that it was my birthday. (My plan was to go out & spend time with myself) He then told me to wait for a bit & went to call back our driver uncle who had already left 10 minutes ago.
The guide also called another lady guide (to make me comfortable.) The guide, driver uncle & the lady guide then got me a cake & celebrated the evening with me. This is hands down the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.
Coming back, the trip does not burn a hole in your pocket if planned well or through a good agent, which is a must as a guide is mandatory in Bhutan. No one is allowed to enter or go around without a guide.
About the trip:
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All organisers will mostly ask you to book your own flights from your respective city. You will be given a time slot to reach Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri. You are then taken to the Bhutan border by road which is around 3-4 hours away. It is at Jaigaon.
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At the Border, you are asked to get off & cross on foot. There is an immigration office you have to go through. You are asked to preferably carry your passport (as a tourist + you get a stamp so why not ?
). You can carry your voter ID if passport is not available. There are separate counters for workers & tourists. It may be crowded depending on the time of the day.
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Entry fees of Rs. 10 has to be paid. Indian currency is accepted everywhere. You can carry all denominations as payment everywhere is with cash.
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You are given a sim card there which also has calling to India.
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You are then taken to your hotel atPhuentsholing & next day you are taken for the rest of your trip as is your itinerary with your organisers
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There is an entry fees of at least Rs. 500-1500 at every temple or heritage site you visit. You can pay this with 500 rupee notes. The reason I am mentioning this is because our organisers told us they do not accept 500 rupee notes whereas they do.
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Please ensure you are dressed modestly as most of the attractions there are temples & usually there are people praying & processions will be on. You can carry scarves & jackets to cover yourselves up whenever necessary.
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All the people speak fluent Hindi & English.
I really urge anyone & everyone to go to Bhutan & take a sip out of their butter tea, beautifully rich culture, clear skies & their lovely hospitality Couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate a milestone birthday.