General Info for Travelers

Visas and transport: Foreign travellers must possess a visa for Bhutan which is granted initially for 14 days. While the actual visa is stamped on arrival in Bhutan upon payment of US$ 20, visitors need to obtain visa clearance from the Tourism Authority of Bhutan (TAB) in advance. Visa can be extended in Thimpu for up to six months. The operator making your arrangements will handle the official formalities.

Transport is provided by tour operators who have their own fleet of luxury buses. All major places of interest are connected by paved roads.
Health risks: Altitude sickness, diarrhoea, hepatitis A, malaria (lowland areas only)
Time: GMT/UTC plus six hours
Electricity:230V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

Customs

The Bhutanese authorities strictly monitor the export of any religious antiquities or antiques of any kind from the Kingdom (100 years or older). Personal videos, cameras, personal computers, portable telephones or any other electronic device should be registered with the customs authorities on arrival at Paro and will be checked by the same on departure. Upon arrival you will be issued a "customs form" this form must be filled out, with declarations, and returned to authorities before leaving the kingdom.

Newspaper

Kuensel, the national newspaper of Bhutan is published weekly in three languages; Dzongkha, English and Nepali. Well written and highly informative. Kuensel does a good job keeping its Bhutanese and international readers up to date on the politics and current events in the kingdom. Kuensel website: http://www.kuensel.com.bt.
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Seasons

March-May and September-November are the high season months, while June, July and December-February comprise the low season. Bring cotton or light woolen wear in summer (maximum temperature 30 degrees Celsius) and heavy woolens and down jacket in winter (minimum 1.1 degrees Celsius).

Climate

Bhutan's climate ranges from tropical in the south, to temperate in the center of the country, to cold in the north...and like much of your adventure in the Himalayas it will be quite unpredictable. The weather can vary dramatically from place to place and can vary equally dramatically from day to day or within the same day. In the Thimphu and Paro valleys, the winter daytime temperature averages 60 degrees Fahrenheit during clear winter days but drops well below freezing during the night. Mid December to early January can be a beautifully clear and dry time in Western Bhutan. Late December through mid February is the period of heaviest snow fall in the higher elevations.

The fluctuations are not quite so great during the summer and daytime temperature often rises to the mid-eighties Fahrenheit. Punakha and the central valleys are lower than their Western neighbors and tend to always be a few degrees warmer. The higher peaks will be snow-covered all year. The higher passes, particularly Thrumsing La&endash;between Bumthang and Mongar, can be treacherous during the winter as snow falls frequently and ices up the road. Light snow will often dust Thimphu and Paro in winter but infrequently will there be heavy snowstorms despite their location in the Central Himalayas.

The Summer monsoon from the Bay of Bengal affects Bhutan from late May to early October. Views over the Himalayas from the higher passes are usually obscured from May to August. There are notable advantages to visiting Bhutan during the wet season including the spectacular rhododendron blossom from March through May and the deep green valleys.

The Spring season in Bhutan can only be compared to a master artist's palette. Colors that, until now, have only existed in the imagination. Truly a spectactular time. The Autumn season, October through November, is usually very mild and clear. The Fall colors surround and embrace your senses.

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Festivals

The largest and most colourful festivals (tsechus) take place at Bhutan's dzongs and monasteries once a year, in honour of Guru Rimpoche. They normally take place in spring and autumn. Tsechus consist of up to five days of spectacular pageantry, masked dances and religious allegorical plays that have remained unchanged for centuries. As well as being a vital living festival and an important medium of Buddhist teaching, tsechus are huge social gatherings. The Bhutanese revel and rejoice together, dressed in their finest clothes and jewellery, in an infectiously convivial atmosphere where humour and devotion go hand in hand. For visitors, the tsechu provides an ideal opportunity to appreciate the essence of the Bhutanese character. If you can't take a good photograph here, you should hock your camera. Pack as much film as you think you will need and then double it.