Our trip to Bhutan was fabulous! So glad we finally made it happen, thanks to help from Kim Kim.
The country itself is magical, with history and culture spread throughout. Highlights included the trek to Bumdra and the Sky Burial at 13,300 feet followed by a hike down to Tigres Nest, the town of Punakha and it's incredible dzong, and the national dish of chili cheese!
There was a lot of driving back and forth to accommodate a festival which I'm not sure was worth it. The festival...
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Our trip to Bhutan was fabulous! So glad we finally made it happen, thanks to help from Kim Kim.
The country itself is magical, with history and culture spread throughout. Highlights included the trek to Bumdra and the Sky Burial at 13,300 feet followed by a hike down to Tigres Nest, the town of Punakha and it's incredible dzong, and the national dish of chili cheese!
There was a lot of driving back and forth to accommodate a festival which I'm not sure was worth it. The festival was nice, but as a foreigner and non-Buddhist, it was difficult to follow along. It was also overrun with pushy tourists trying to grab photos so it wasn't peaceful at all. In hindsight, I wish we would have arranged the trip more efficiently, not bothering to go to the festival which came with about an extra 6 hours of driving the same roads. But so be it, we still had a fabulous trip!
Hotels were mixed - some were fantastic while others were just average. Same with the food. All meals were included which was great. Overall Bhutanese food is delicious and we wanted to try more but we were often taken to the tourists spots on the routes which catered for a more western, simple palette. When we did go to a few real local restaurants, the food was fabulous!
The weather in November was perfect - I highly recommend this time. It was warm during the days and cool at night (except of course at 13,300 feet where it was cold all day and even colder at night!) I understand there are fewer tourists at this time, too.
What really made our trip special was our guide and our driver. Tashi and Tsering were absolutely darling. We learned so much from that, not just about the sights but also about life in Bhutan, Bhuddism, and just another way of living. They opened our eyes to so many things and we are so grateful. We were sad to say goodbye.
Overall, I'm so glad we went. It was worth every dollar and every hour of flying to get there!
Hotel Reviews
Older hotel but they have done a good job with what they have. Service and food were fabulous (in fact, dinner was one of the best meals we had on the trip!) Room was huge (a one bedroom apartment) with good heating and good hot water.
Location
Top of a hill with lots of dogs around so not easy to go walking/running on your own
ABC Lodge
Phobjikha Valley
In the middle of nowhere which added to the experience!
Rustic but cute room. Great water pressure and temperature. Good food and nice service.
Amazing what they can do at 13,000 feet!
I was so impressed by the setup and comforts they provided, including flushing toilets and real beds! Dinner and breakfast were terrific. Staff was beyond amazing. It was freezing at night but the tent was extremely warm (so many blankets on the bed!) I loved this place!
Location
On top of the world!
Staff
Went above and beyond
Meri Puensum Resort
Punakha
Excellent hotel. Food was the only disappointing thing. Amazing view from the room which was huge and comfortable. Great shower. Great staff.
Room was fine and clean. Water pressure and shower weren't great. Did laundry which was good but expensive. Food was average at best. Surprised that we were charged for water at the end (at ridiculous prices!)
Service was excellent. Food was average. Not much character (this is a conference hotel). Location isn't awesome.
Location
Not walking distance to anything
Local specialist: Mieke Arendsen