Ancient Culture, Sustainable Future

John Strohl
June 30, 2013

 Capital: Thimphu

Population: 738,267 (2011 World Bank)

Money: Bhutanese ngultrum, Indian rupee
State Language: Dzongkha language
Government:
Constitutional monarchy
King: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Parliamentary system
Unitary state

State Religion: Vajrayana Buddhism

Predominantly Buddhist, next most common - Hindu

 Primarily Himalayan Alpine Biome (2)

Eastern end of the Himalayan Mts. (2)

China to the north, India to the south, east, and west
One of the highest mountain reliefs on Earth (2)

Bhutan Himalayas Range Between

16K & 23K in height (3)

Neighbors to Everest

(3)

Bhutan Himalayan permanent snow

caps feed long valley glaciers (3)

14, 812 square miles (5)

 Climate varies with elevation

subtropical in the south
temperate in the highlands
arctic climate (year-round snow) in the north

Five distinct seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn,

winter , & spring.

Heavier monsoon rains in the western part.
Hot humid summers & cool winters in the southern
part.
Temperate and drier than the west with warm
summers and cool winters in central & eastern parts.

 Ancient Buddhist culture composed

of many small fiefdoms

1616 - Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal , Tibetan lama &
military leader, unified the country Established dual
system of religious & secular government
Long period of isolation from western influence
1907 - British Indian influence resulted in a monarchy
being established with Ugyen Wangchuk as king
1910 - Treaty signed with British giving them control over
Bhutan's foreign relations.
1949 - Treaty signed with newly-independent India
guaranteeing non-interference in Bhutan's internal affairs,
but Delhi continuing to influence foreign affairs.
1952 - National assembly established.

 1999 - Limited television and internet

services allowed
2005 March - Proposed constitution is unveiled. It envisages a
parliamentary democracy and will be adopted or rejected in a
referendum.
2005 December - King Jigme Singye Wangchuck says he will
abdicate in 2008
2006 December - King Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicates;
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, crown prince, becomes king
2007 April - Mock elections are staged to familiarize voters with
the concept of parliamentary democracy
2008 November First National Parliament voted in; Jigme
Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is crowned king
2012 July - Parliamentary elections (second round) Winners
form government.

 Rich cultural heritage largely intact

due to long period of isolation

Rich artistic heritage dating back into ancient times
Buddhism established about 747 AD
Strong moves, during recent years,
to modernize while
preserving ancient
traditions
First nation to establish National Value
Measurement Index for Gross National
Happiness, subsequently adopted by the UN in
2012 (7)
'You have to understand,' says a Jesuit priest who
has lived in Bhutan for decades. 'By and large,
most of this country still exists in the time of
King Arthur.'

 Rich array of primate varieties, including rare

species such as the golden langur.

A variant Assamese macaque, possibly a new species, Macaca
munzala, has been seen.
Tropical lowland and hardwood forests in the south Bengal tiger, greater one-horned rhinoceros, clouded leopard,

hispid hare, and the sloth bear . Endangered wild water buffalo
occurs in southern Bhutan, although in small numbers

Temperate zone
grey langur, tiger, Indian leopard, goral and serow, Himalayan black

bear, red panda, squirrel, sambar, wild pig and barking deer.

Northern alpine
snow leopard, blue sheep, marmot, Tibetan wolf, antelope,

Himalayan musk deer and the takin, national animal of Bhutan

 Counted among the 234 globally

outstanding eco-regions of the world (WWF 1995-97)

Bhutan seen as a model for biodiversity conservation
measures
Received international recognition for its actions
supporting biodiversity conservation
National commitment to maintain a minimum of 60%
of the land under forest cover
Over 40% of the land is national parks and preserves
with 9% of the land as biodiversity corridors

 Bhutanese cuisine
Rice, buckwheat, and increasingly maize, are the staples
The local diet also includes pork, beef, yak meat, chicken,

and mutton.
Soups and stews are made of meat and dried vegetables
flavored with chillies and cheese.
Ema datshi, made very spicy with cheese and chilies, might
be called the national dish.
Dairy foods, particularly butter and cheese from yaks and
cows, are also popular.
Almost all milk is turned to butter and cheese
Popular beverages include butter tea, tea, locally brewed
ara ( a kind of rice wine) and beer.

 Travel Documents
Obviously, youll need a passport. Dont

expect to get one quickly even if you pay for expedited

handling. Expedited handling knocks it down from 6 weeks
to 3 weeks. If you really want it expedited take it to a regional
state department office and get it done that day.
You will need your passport to get your visa stamp when you
arrive in country, however, you must have applied for a visa
(through your tour operator) and been approved BEFORE you
arrive.
No special form for the visa just provide your name,
permanent address, occupation, nationality, date and place of
birth, passport number and its date and place of issue and
date of expiration to your tour operator.

 About $950 (round trip) will get you

into rock throwing distance of Paro, Bhutan essentially thats a trip to New Delhi & back from
Columbus, Ohio.
Another $750 will get you the round trip from New
Delhi, India to Paro, Bhutan
Alternatively, you can fly round trip to Bangkok,
Thailand for $875 and then $900 for the Paro, Bhutan
roundtrip
This is ALL economy seats. No wine, no cocktails
unless you pay extra
(all flight information from ASAP Ticket Service @ http://www.asaptickets.com/, Prices subject to change without notice.)

 Tourism in Bhutan is managed through partner-

ship of government regulators and private travel

agencies under a policy summed up by the mantra high value,
low impact.
No restriction on visitor numbers; however, there is a minimum
daily tariff fixed by the government.
Visit must be arranged through an officially approved tour
operator, either directly or through an overseas agent.
overseas agent - you will avoid complicated payment
procedures and also have a home-based contact in case of
queries or special needs.
Bhutanese tour operator - you will have more scope to
individualize your itinerary,
considerable time sending emails and faxes,
learn more than you want to about international bank
transfers.

 Daily visitors tariff - group of three people or more -

US$200 per day (US$165 per day in the low season of

July to August, whether you stay in hotels (a cultural
tour) or go trekking.
To encourage trekkers to make longer stays, the
Department of Tourism (DOT) allows a 10% discount
on days 11 to 20 and 20% from day 21 on.
The daily tariff includes all accommodation, food, land
transport within Bhutan, services of guides and
porters, supply of pack animals on treks, cultural
programs as appropriate, a US$65 tax, used to fund
infrastructure, education, health and other programs.

 The daily visitors tariff applies uniformly

irrespective of location or the type of accommodation

asked for (with the exception of several premium hotels).
If things get busy you may get bumped from a better hotel
to one of lesser quality, and you have no recourse.
Individuals & couples are subject to a surcharge, over and
above the daily rate, of US$40 per night for one person and
US$30 per night per person for a group of two people.
Visitors qualifying for any kind of discount still have to pay
this small-group surcharge. The surcharge may also be
applied if a member of a group arrives or departs on a
separate flight from the rest of the party.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uphDHRfO5w
Click on the Black
Screen to begin the
movie of Bhutan
(requires an Internet
connection with video
streaming bandwidth)

 We will leave from

Columbus and arrive in

New Delhi about a day
later, with a 4 hour layover
before catching our flight
into Paro, Bhutan
Our guide from
WindHorse Tours will
meet us, shepherd us
through the entry process
and take us to the Zhiwa
Ling Hotel where we will
enjoy a relaxed dinner

 Day 2 (in country) After our morning

Buddhist blessing we will visit Punakha Dzong, one of an

ancient string of fortresses , this one guarding the southern
end of the valley at the confluence of the Pho (male) and
Mo (female) Rivers.
Then we will travel to the beautiful alpine valley of
Phobjika (10,000 feet), the largest wintering site for the
endangered black-necked crane. Along the way, the we can
see environment changes from semi-tropical to pine forest,
and then to an alpine zone that is home to several species
of rhododendron, dwarf bamboo, and Grey Langur
monkeys.
That night we will stay at the Dewachen Lodge

 Day 3 (in country) Against a backdrop

of forest-clad mountains, the Gangtey Gonpa temple

complex rises dramatically from a cluster of hilltop
cottages. One of the oldest Nyingma monasteries in
Bhutan, the Gangtey Gonpa has recently been renovated,
allowing us to examine the fine workmanship of Bhutans
best woodcarvers, sculptors, and painters.
In the afternoon, we will spend a relaxed time meeting
local people and just exploring the Phobjika area.
In the evening we return to the Dewachen Lodge.

 Day 4 - We will set out for Thimphu

(7,900 feet), the capital of Bhutan. We will cross the Dochu

La pass (10,000 feet) en route and view a 200-mile
panorama of Himalayan peaks (weather permitting).
When we reach Thimphu, we will visit the National Textile
Museum and browse its exhibitions. Bhutans weavings and
brocades are considered spiritual expressions and are
admired for their diversity and sophistication.
Then we will check in to the Terma Linca and enjoy a
relaxed evening in town.

 Day 5 Day 9 We have this time to

do unscheduled exploration of the country with our

driver and guide. We have a mix of interests and wont
be sure of what we REALLY want until we get some
time in country so lets make the most of it. There is
plenty to see and do, not to mention things we want to
take home textiles, carvings, art

 Day 10 - Our journey in the kingdom

culminates with a hike to the most famous pilgrimage site

in Bhutan: Taktsang Lhakhang, or the Tigers Nest Temple
(9,300 feet). Visible from afar, this stunning monastery
clings to a vertical granite cliff 2,000 feet above the valley
floor.
That evening, we will celebrate our
Bhutanese adventure at a festive farewell dinner, staying again at the Zhiwa
Ling Hotel in Paro, Bhutan
The next morning after breakfast we
depart for New Delhi, India and our
return flight home

 ATMs Dont count on having ATMs

Credit Cards Dont count on using credit cards

anywhere in Bhutan. They have very limited use and

the credit card company fees are very high.
Cash bring in significant US dollars if you plan on
making major purchases. Dont worry about
exchanging. Most merchants are more than happy to
take your US dollars (they get the benefit of any
exchange rate plus up )

For a twelve day trip one day each way and ten days
there, with cheap tickets and no frills this is the deal
Item

Cost/Unit

Units

Total Cost

Major Round Trip

$950

$950

Minor Round Trip

$750

$750

Visitor Tariff

$200/day

10

$2000

Ind. Surcharge

$40/day

10

$400

Bhutan Goods

$100/day

10

$1000

Travel To Airport

$40 one way

$80

Misc. Expenses

$20/day

12

$240

Grand Total

$5420

 (1) https://www.google.com/search?q=Bhutan&ie=utf-8&oe=utf

8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutan
(3) https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bt.html
(4)http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/bhutan-guide
(5) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12480707
(6) http://www.kingdomofbhutan.com/
(7) http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/04/Short-GNH-Index-edited.pdf
(8) Lonely Planet http://www.lonelyplanet.com/bhutan/practicalinformation/money-costs
(9)WindHorse Tours http://www.windhorsetours.com/index.php
(10) ASAP Ticket Services http://www.asaptickets.com/