Upcoming Festivals 2013

Upcoming Festivals..
BHUTAN STUNNING TOURS

Toughest Trek in the World - Snowman Trek
Bhutan Festival Dates 2013
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Gross National Happiness
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7 Days Bhutan Festival Tour Itinerary

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Guru Rinpoche giving blessings to the local people.
In Bhutan, there are many festivals that take place throughout the year, in the various towns, and villages. These regilgious festivals are called Tshechu, which means on the tenth day of the months. Usually, they are held, and celebrated with the various masked dances, to commemorate the deeds of Guru Rinpoche, or widely known as Padmasambhava.

The locals will bring their families, with infants , children, and the old, and they come in their finest clothings to watch these dances in the hope to have their sins cleansed, and at the same time to get blessings for the whole family. You will see the men wearing their gho, the traditional dress of knee-length ( in raw silk, cotton or even silk), and the women in their Kira (ankle length ) skirt, with a long-sleeved blouse called the wonju, which is worn underneath the tego ( jacket).

Do plan ahead for the first quarter of the year, if you like to be part of the big celebrations, This is the best way to immerse in the steep cultural heritage of this Himalayan kingdom, often regarded as the Last Shangrila.

The celebrations are usually held in the courtyard of their Dzongs, or the fortresses.
Punakha Drubchen, 15-19 FEB 2013
Punakha Tsechu, 20-22 FEB 2013
Paro Tsechu, 23-27 MAR 2013

Fly from Kathmandu, Nepal,
Bangkok, Thailand,
Kolkata, India,
Delhi, India
Contact Bhutan Stunning Tours,
bhutanstunningtours@gmail.com
Or From Singapore, contact
EU HOLIDAYS PTE LTD
6535 8535

Bhutan Festival Dates 2013

Are you planning for a visit to Bhutan in 2013?

BHUTAN STUNNING TOURS

Toughest Trek in the World - Snowman Trek
Bhutan Festival Dates 2013
Map of Bhutan
Bhutan weather
Gross National Happiness
Flights to Bhutan
Visa
Recommended 3 Star Hotels
Classic Treks of Bhutan
11 Days Enchanting Bhutan itinerary
7 Days Bhutan Festival Tour Itinerary

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Peak Season
Spring ( Mar-May )
Autumn ( Sep-Nov )
For these periods, you will pay usd250 Per Person per day ( in a group of at least three people) excluding the Visa. For two persons travelling together, then you will pay a supplement of usd30 per person per day (single traveller pays supplement of usd40 more per day) on top of the standard daily tariff of usd250.

The monsoon period is from June to August. However, bear in mind that it is still possible to travel during this time as it is easier to book for hotels in the last minute. The rain usually comes in the night, and most of the time, during the day, it is still pretty sunny. That being said, it is usually not advisable to go trekking in the monsoon months, as you do not want the trail to be muddy, or have the prospect of walking in the rain, thereby getting drenched, and not able to enjoy the mountain views. If you travel during this period, then you pay usd200 per person a day, again with a minimum of three people.

But if you travel during the winter months, then if you go trekking, it is better to go for the lower altitude treks, like Phobjikha Valley Trek or the Semtengang Trek. There will be snow in Thimphu or even Paro in Late December to January.

But for me, the best experience that one can have will be to attend one of the festivals, and get a chance to immerse in the diverse culture of the country. Mingle with the locals, and see them in their finest clothing! Learn about the origins of the Festival through your tour guide, and feel the festive mood. Be fascinated by the various masked dances during the Thimphu, Paro or Bumthang Festivals. In fact, there are various festivals that are being held throughout the year, in the various towns and villages.

The most famous of the Bhutan festivals are Paro Festival in Spring, and the Thimphu Festivals in Thimphu. When I went for the Thimphu Festival in September, even all the five star hotels were fully booked. So, you could understand how precious an air ticket is! I can understand that the Westerners are particularly fascinated by such festivals.

So, my advise for you is to plan ahead, and try to book about six months ahead, in order to secure the hotels. From Singapore, perhaps the flight ticket might be easier to secure. But if you enter Bhutan through Kathmandu, Nepal, or Bangkok, Thailand, or Delhi, India, you might really need to try book early in order to be able to get the seats into the country. Otherwise, for the budget travelers, you could travel to Sikkim state in India, and then travel overland, by making the necessary arrangement ahead to get your Bhutan visa. That might be an alternative, if you have the time, and then can cover your sights in Sikkim as well.

So, I have included the Festival Dates for 2013 to help you with your planning.

Please find other Bhutan departures for 05Dec, 7D Magical Bhutan
07Dec, 12D Nepal & Bhutan

For other departures to India, South Africa, please refer to the blog -
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Wish that you will make a trip to Bhutan soon!

7D Bhutan Festival Tour Itinerary

BHUTAN STUNNING TOURS

Toughest Trek in the World - Snowman Trek
Bhutan Festival Dates 2013
Map of Bhutan
Bhutan weather
Gross National Happiness
Flights to Bhutan
Visa
Recommended 3 Star Hotels
Classic Treks of Bhutan
11 Days Enchanting Bhutan itinerary
7 Days Bhutan Festival Tour Itinerary

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The peak seasons in Bhutan are in Spring (Mar-May), and Autumn (Sep-Nov). Do note that the hotels/lodges are mostly quite small with not more than 20 rooms. Due to the many festivals that are being held in September, Thimphu, being the most festival, most of the hotels were fully booked a few months ahead. I had problem trying to get the hotel room, and in the end, had to settle for staying only in two places, in order to go ahead with our travel plan.

From Singapore, we have only two flights in a week, every Sunday, and Thursday, and then two returning flights - every Saturday, and Wednesday. But the tickets are not cheap, as it is a monopoly by DrukAir. Simply there is no competition, and hence, we have to pay $1,600 + including taxes, just to fly to Bhutan. Yes, the ticket costs more than flying to Europe!!!! So, many people were wondering why would a package to Bhutan costs so much!
I had checked for other alternatives from flying into the country, but again the tickets were fully sold, about three months prior to our departure. There are many International Tour Agencies that organise Bhutan holiday packages into the country, and most of them have to fly into Bhutan from Kathmandu or Delhi.

So, there are actually a few flights into Paro, the airport city.
Bangkok, Thailand
Kathmandu, Nepal
Delhi, India
Kolkatta, India
(In fact, the flight from Singapore make one stop at Kolkatta before flying into Paro)
Bear in mind that you need to apply for visa for entry into Nepal, and India. For Nepal, you could easily get the visa upon arrival for USD25 (up to 14 days stay, multiply entry). However, the visa for India is much more tricky. The India High Commission in Singapore actually grants a multiple entry for up to 6 months, but there is a catch. After the departure from India, you need to be away for two months before re-entering the country. So if you fly to Kolkatta, and transit (one night stay required due to the early morning flight from Kolkatta to Paro), you will need to apply for Re-entry visa, in order to be able to enter the country again on your returning leg. Yes, you would need to stay overnight again, as there are no daily flights from Kolkatta back to Singapore. So, you can see, that is quite a hassle, to apply not only for Indian visa, but also the need to apply for re-entry visa thereafter. This applies to Singaporeans.

Anyway, enough said of the flight into Paro. So, here is the itinerary that I covered Bhutan - with the main highlight , being the Thimphu Festival, and then the other, the excursion to Haa Valley, on the road to the most western part of the country.

To Achieve Massive Success

Festival Tour
08Feb, 11Feb - 12D Nepal & Bhutan

Do feel free to email me should you have any question regarding the planning of your trip to Bhutan.
Olevia Cheong
olevia@gmail.com