Just returned from Bhutan-reviews and photos.

Bhutan is stunning,we were blessed in late October with the best of weather- crystal clear skies with day temperatures of 25C and nights down to 6C.

Stayed at Paro,Thimphu and Panakha valley and crammed all of the sights into 7 full days.

Couple of quick points ,the drive from Thimphu to Panakha is fairly grim with narrow roads and hairpin bends. Some do it as a day trip but it is at least three hours each way and not for the faint hearted or those with a queasy stomach.

Food is generally fine , even in the mix of hotels we used, but 6 lunches and 6 dinners of steamed veg.,potatoes in cheese sauce, and iffy meat or very bony fish can get boring.

Did get french fries once ,to great cheering.

Breakfasts are usually OK with most hotels running up a decent hot egg dish on request.

Beer and wine is generally available and you can buy stocks in the shops in Paro and Thimphu.

Expect to pay IR550 for wine,IR35 for soft drinks and IR60 for beer in shops but wine (CdR,Aussie Shiraz or Beaujolais Villages) can cost from IR1250-1800 in hotels and beer IR120.

Spirits are available but only with Coke or Soda.Never found Tonic water or other mixers.

The only horror of our visit was discovering the Delhi agent had neglected to reserve our Druk air flight out and having to endure a ten hour road journey from Paro to Phuntscholing on a road ';under reconstruction'; with a shear 3000ft drop and no barriers. Only arrived safely due to the skill of our Bhutanese driver who more than earned his tip. We then had a further 5 hours the next day to catch a plane back to Calcutta.

Don%26#39;t go there!!

Make sure your flights are ticketed and confirmed.

Loved Bhutan and hope to return-this time of the year is the best.

Our guide told us it was his 6th tour for the company this year and all the others had been mainly a rainy,windy and cold experience.

Our hotel reviews and photos are posted as follows,will do trip report soonest.

Phuntsholing: Hotel Lhaki

Wangduephodrang: Punatsangchhu Cottages

Paro: Namsey Chholing Resort:

Thimphu: Kisa Hotel

plus two further reviews,pre and post Bhutan

Kathmandu: Hotel Yak %26amp; Yeti

Kolkata (Calcutta): The Oberoi Grand

Real shame about our 10 hour horror drive because Bhutan is a wonderful place with fine proud people who could have not been kinder.

Just returned from Bhutan-reviews and photos.

Quick thought-to those of you not aware of the quickest way to these reviews, then go to my Trip Advisor page and click on to Contributions and then click again on the individual reviews.

Just returned from Bhutan-reviews and photos.

Glad you had a great trip. Pity about the mixup on your flight out.

Please add the name of your tour operator - would hate to see incompetence get rewarded by future business.

Once I establish whether it was the Delhi Operator or its%26#39; Bhutan Agency I will go public with the culprit.

I quote from the response from our tour agency

';Unfortunately Druk Airways do not take early bookings or hold allocation for flights between Paro and Kolkata and seats are held on a waitlist basis and we were advised there were no seats available and it was necessary for us to make alternative transport arrangements';

Can anyone tell me whether this sounds like the truth -is this how Druk Air operates,or is it an excuse because the agent did not confirm the booking.

As we had booked 6 months earlier,and had received confirmation of our International and Indian internal flights,I find this difficult to believe.

Hi,

I know that for all our travels, the touroperator bought our tickets from Delhi to Paro , and return. He said that without full payment in advance Drukair would not hold places. All the times it went well, except the last time, when Drukair announced a change of schedule one week before our arrival. It turned out to be a delay of one day from Delhi to Paro. Our operator took care of the change of visa and our local itinary, Drukair arranged transport in Delhi, hotel and all meals. Although not our original plan, they took good care of us, and I feel we got the most out of the situation.

Did you get your e-ticket for the Drukair-part? If so, what did it say, one way or return? If return, your agent should have taken care of the confirmation.

I hope we can get answers too from Bhutan-located posters.

Bhutantraveller thanks.

Our international flights were on etickets but as we were on an inclusive group tour including Calcutta,Nepal and Bhutan our tour manager had the tickets for the Indian Airlines and Druk Air flights.

Our tour manager was superb throughout but his agency in Delhi appears to have been the problem and it is them,and their local agent in Bhutan,who have responded to the ';no tickets for flight'; problem.