OK----all done

I am happy to give more info or answer any questions anayone might have.

Tourism in Bhutan is down at least 30% already. Plane was far from full, hotels and restaurants empty. We rarely saw more than a handful of other tourists. Just a couple of groups. There are new hotels springing up everywhere, but with the drop in tourism, I fear for the country%26#39;s future.

It was the journey of a lifetime.

OK----all done

Hi JeanieT,

Thank you for taking the time and write about your experiences.I know tourism is down, that%26#39;s why they refrained from rising the prices.

Never saw Bhutan brown, must be the impact of global warming.Didn%26#39;t it rain when you were there? All my times is was wet, and I could understand why Bhutan is so green. March is a bit before spring season.

I hope the blessing you received will bring the desired results. I know of some people where blessings and prayers in Bhutan did wonders.

Tenzing is a nice an funny guy, I%26#39;m glad you had him with you and enjoyed his company.

Sonam and Dechen can really make every wish for a tour come true. Once someone wrote me about his wedding which they organised in Thimphu!!

Welcome to the group of fans of Bhutan.

OK----all done

Jeanie T.

Great Report:

We stayed in the same hotels in Punakha and Paro and I thought your%26#39;re reviews on those places were right on.

One thing I was wondering; I saw where you didn%26#39;t spend an evening in the Phobjikha Valley. The short time we were there was one of the highlights of our trip. If we would have known how beautiful it was we would have rearranged our trip to stay an extra day. In fact over the weekend my wife and I were talking about doing a trip that inclues a six day stay in the valley ( I understand they have a three day trek) and a six day stay in Pokkra in Nepal.

I%26#39;m glad your%26#39;re trip went well and the Nirvana worked out for you.

BluePhantom,

The Pobjikha valley is my favorite. But the trek is from there one way to the road not far from Wangdi,we did it last year. If you plan a stay in this valley, try to be there when the Black Necked Cranes are coming for the winter, from end October till March. There is a nice viewing area with lots of information. It is nice just to stroll in the valley and see the villages far from the roads.And of course the newly renovated Gompa,at the entry of the valley. By the way, the valley is still without electricity as it has to be underground because of the cranes. They have solar mostly.

Blue Phantom----

We were told the cranes were gone already.

I felt that way about Bumthang----could have stayed there a lifetime.

Dechen and Sonam are musing about the possibility of adding heli services to their company, to eliminate the time of driving all the way back from Bumthang, so people can spend that driving time seeing other things and going other places. Great idea, as we definitely would have used those 2 return driving days in Bumthang area.

Hi Jeanie,

I am planning a 14 day trip around Bhutan with the help of a local tour operator. Would be really great if you could advise me of the top 10 things to see and places to stay (in terms of nice views, local feel etc).

Desk based research just isnt the same as real experience!

Many thanks,

Debbie

Debbie----see my Favorites post for activities I enjoyed.

As far as places to stay----none were memorable except for Swiss Guest House. Phuntsho Pelri in Thimphu was most modern in look and feel. One thing to possibly think about regarding hotels-- all tourists see and do most of the same things while in Bhutan, so as long as the hotel is clean and functional, which most are now, it probably won%26#39;t matter much where you stay. Especially since you won%26#39;t do much other than sleep in the room, and all the beds are hard as rocks for the most part! :-)

Hi Jeanie,

Just looked at the posting in the forum - its really useful, thank you.

Relatively new user to TripAdvisor and there%26#39;s so much information here.

I hope you had a wonderful time in Bhutan and wish you all the very best.

Debbie

Debbie:

If you take time to go over the various trip reports and other comments on this forum, you%26#39;ll get a real good idea of what to expect. They were very helpful for us. If you check out Bhutan Traveller, Ozchuck, Silver Swimmwer and of course Jeanie, you%26#39;ll get a pretty good overview.

When the tour agency is organizing your trip, make sure they put you in the Dewachen Hotel during your visit to the Phobjikha Valley. Try to stay there at least two days if possible. The cranes weren%26#39;t there when we were there, but it was well worth visiting anyway. I agree about the Tiger Temple. It was a tough hike but well worth it. I have one of the pictures in my office, and it gets more comments than a lot of the more familliar ';wonders'; of the world!

Hi BluePhantom,

Cheers for your pointers too.

Cant wait to travel there - only a few weeks to go now.

Debbie

Hi,

I just wrote to you before but forgot to ask how I get in touch with Nirvana and whom to ask for?

(by e-mail?) Any other companies (Blue Poppy?) might also be good so I can have a comparison. I figured the recession might hurt the tourism in Bhutan..it%26#39;s hurting us and we already put this trip off ..but I feel now or never as my arthritis kicks in! We are not trekkers but really LOVE to get deeply into the cultural experiences and meet the people. Your input is terrific! KEEP POSTING!