| Booking information | ||
Booking your trip |
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It is advisable to book your holiday several months in advance to ensure the smooth planning of your trip. Since tourism started relatively recently in Bhutan, tourist infrastructure is still limited. There is also a limited number of flights in and out of the country. This means that peak season can be quite busy, so the earlier you book, the better chance we have of securing flights and good hotel rooms for you. At festival times you may need to book around four or five months ahead to get flights, especially if you are unable to be flexible and are tied to particular dates You can find a simple step-by-step guide to booking your trip here |
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| What does it cost? | ||
Every traveller to Bhutan has to book through a recognised tour company (of which Blue Poppy Tours and Treks is one). The Royal Government of Bhutan imposes a standard tourist tariff which governs the way that tour companies charge for their tours. This is based on a "daily rate" which is levied for each night spent in Bhutan and this is currently set at US$250 per person per night. Single travelers and those travelling in a group of two pay an additional US$40 and US$30 per night respectively by way of a small group surcharge. These amounts determine the basic cost of your trip. Once paid the tariff charge covers practically all the in-country costs for your holiday. You will have a personal guide and driver throughout your trip. All accommodation is included (unless you opt for luxury hotels for which you pay a supplement) and all food, transport, sightseeing, festival and trekking arrangement, permits, entrance fees, airport transfers and so on will be arranged for you and included in this price. In effect this means that the only extra money you need to bring with you to spend during your holiday is for things such as gifts and souvenirs, personal items and laundry, drinks and tips. There is also a US$30 visa fee to pay. At Blue Poppy our pricing is based on the standard tourist tariff, but becomes more competitive the more people travelling in your party and the longer you stay. Please contact us for a personalized quote. We arrange the flights in and out of Paro for you with Druk Air, and these are charged separately from the tour price above. Find out more about getting to Bhutan here. You may find this currency converter useful to help you calculate the cost of your trip. You can also use this to find out the current value of the ngultrum, the Bhutanese unit of currency. The tourist tariff is discounted during the off season months of December, January, February, June, July and August. A number of other discounts are available. In some cases (particularly where a single traveller chooses a trek or a journey to the east) the costs of running the trip are not covered in full by the rates referred to above as a result of a recent marked increase in local costs such as trekking, animals and fuel costs. In such cases we will quote a price for you based on us running the trip on an economic basis and will explain this to you when we quote. Regrettably, we now have to levy a surcharge for all treks arranged for a group of one, as otherwise we run a loss on the tour as a whole. |
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| How do I confirm my booking? | ||
| Payment for your trip is made via bank transfer to Bhutan through the Tourism Council of Bhutan. We will provide you with bank details once your choice of trip is confirmed. Please note that it is not possible to make payment by credit card as the payment has to be routed through the government's account and is not paid direct to us. Payment should be made at least 30 days in advance for cultural tours and treks and 60 days in advance for festival tours. During the high season (March–May, September–November), it is advisable to dispatch payment for Druk Air flights at least three months in advance to allow us to confirm seats. Once we receive notification from the bank that your payment has arrived we will send you a formal trip confirmation and receipt. | ||
| Payment shortfalls | ||
| If your payment is sent in sterling (or any currency other than US$) it is not uncommon for there to be a small shortfall on receipt of the funds. The reason for this may be that intermediary banks deduct charges en route, but also because your bank will work out the sterling or other currency equivalent of the dollar amount on sending, but the money is converted on arrival in Bhutan at the prevailing dollar rate, which may be different. We charge a US$30 administration fee to process your payment which helps us to cover these costs. If there is a shortfall of more than this we will confirm to you the exact amount received (and if requested send you a copy of the receipt from our bank showing the dollar amount received) and will ask you to make up the shortfall in US$ cash on arrival. | ||
| Flights | ||
| Once your funds arrive we instruct the bank to transfer the part of the payment which relates to flights directly to Druk Air on your behalf. Druk Air will then issue your ticket in the form of an e-ticket and we will forward this to you on receipt to print out and take with you when you go to check in. | ||
Security |
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The TCB will continue to hold the money you have sent for your tour until your trip has taken place. It will not be released to Blue Poppy until you have left the country on your return flight. This provides you with the security of knowing that your money is safe until your holiday takes place. If for any reason the trip doesn't go ahead then the government will not give your money to Blue Poppy but will return it to you (subject to any cancellation charges which apply if you have cancelled the trip). So in the unlikely event that we do not run your trip for you, you would not be out of pocket. |
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| Accommodation and food | ||
Tourist accommodation in Bhutan is generally comfortable and characterful but can be fairly basic, especially as you travel further east. Most hotels in the main tourist destinations have rooms with private bathrooms, hot water (at least at some stage during the day), telephone and electricity. Plumbing is not always up to the standard you may be used to and there are no hotels with central heating. Heaters of some sort will generally be provided, but you may find yourself making good use of thermal underwear and thick socks! |
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At the other end of the spectrum Blue Poppy can arrange for you to spend a night in a traditional Bhutanese farmhouse - ask us if you want to include this in your itinerary. | ||
Tourist hotels throughout the country tend to provide meals buffet-style which gives you the opportunity to try a variety of Bhutanese dishes. In the larger hotels a la carte service is also available, although they may not always have everything on the menu. Many restaurants, especially in Thimphu, also offer Chinese, Indian or Nepalese dishes. Thimphu even has a pizza restaurant (the Seasons) and if you are craving western food there is a particularly good café in the centre of Thimphu (near the Swiss bakery) called the Art Café which serves sandwiches, pasta and cake. If you want to try local food you can ask your guide to take you to a local restaurant or to be served the food that is served to guides and drivers when you stop on the road. As you go further east you should be prepared for less choice and variety, but just see it as a chance to sample the local cuisine! |
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If you are hankering after a bit of luxury (particularly at the end of an arduous trek) you could treat yourself to a stay at one of the 5-star establishments. These are 
