Travel Guide to Bhutan - Paro airport, airline, airfare, flights - Bhutan Valley Adventures

BVA Bhutan Valley Adventures

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English Speaking Private Tour, Flexible Departure Date

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	Minimum Preparation Time	Please be patient!	What happen during my holiday booking
	Package Price	Infants & Children	Choosing your Program
	Getting to Bhutan	Cities Served by Druk Air	Visa Application
	Allow extra day at city of transit	Druk Air Flight Booking	Making Payment to Travel Agent
	Transit Visa	Druk Air Flight Schedule	Passport Validity
	High Altitude Symptoms	Before You Leave Home	Travel Insurance

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Things to remember

Details

Minimum Preparation Time

Allow minimum 4 weeks for normal time during the season and 12 weeks for visiting around festival time as flights and accomodation are on high demand during peak visiting time.

Be patient

Booking a holiday in Bhutan works differently from other places in the world. Visitors and all local travel agents are expected to follow a set of procedures as stipulated by the Royal Government of Bhutan & the Tourism Authority. One such difference is that full payment of tour package has to be made before visa and Druk Air tickets can be issued to any visitors. All operators have to follow the exact process with no exception. Start well in advance of your departure is a must since it takes far more time to handle the paper work than elsewhere.

Sequence of Events:

Inform Bhutan Valley Adventures of your intended arrival date and no. of days of your stay and no. of people in your party
We can help you to determine a suitable itinerary based on your specifications if you haven't decided what to do and provide the quotation
Review the itinerary and terms and communicate your agreement to the final quotation and terms on your package
Most importantly, double check the Druk Air departure and arrival time to make sure that there is adequate transit time for your onward flights. Beware of time zone difference.
Fax completed visa application form and passport details to Bhutan Valley Adventures.
At the same time, make full payment on tour package and airfare by Telegraphic Transfer in USD to Bhutan Valley Adventures. Refer to the Visa and Payment session for the necessary details.
Bhutan Valley Adventures will process your visa application and handle Druk Air reservations on your behalf once we receive the visa form and payment from you.
Once you are notified of your Druk Air reservation, secure your connecting flights from your home country.
Your Druk Air tickets and visa number will be pouched to your designated address by Bhutan Valley Adventures BEFORE you leave home.
You are ready for a dream holiday now.

Choosing Your Program	Your choice of visiting time and length of your holiday determines the sort of activities you can do during your visit. Spring is a good time to see Rhodondendron. October has a better chance for you to have a clear view over the snow caps. Festivals are the best time to see the traditional dances and songs and to see the most concentration of local people in one location but it will definitely be crowded and your tolerance will be put under pressure. You can choose from one of our standard itineraries or have one customized according to your requirements.
Package Price	The Royal Government of Bhutan who has a big stake in the tourism industry through the collection of tourist tax. It sets all the rules regarding the package price. There is a minimum price for each day a tourist is in the country including departure day. Small group of up to 3 visitors and those staying in single room in a larger group has to pay a single supplement. The payment can only be applied to accomodation, meals, transportation, guides and driver service. Surcharge will be added during peak season and applies to visitors staying in luxuary hotels as required by each hotel.
Infants & Children under 18	Discounts on full package price will be given to children under 18 years to 6 years old accompanied by adults. Children under 5 years are free if sharing bed with parrents. Extra charge will apply if they need extra bed put in parents'room.

Visa	All visitors required a visa to come to Bhutan. Any local travel agent in Bhutan can process visa application on behalf of visitors.
Requirements for Applying Tourists Visa	(1) A faxed copy of passport details for each visitor including children and infants. (2) A completed and signed visa application form is required from each adult and for children 18 years old or under, the form should be signed by their accompany adult visitor. (3) Full payment for your package has to be received by your travel agent in American Dollar(USD) before submitting your visa application.
Druk Air Flight Booking Requirement	Druk Air flights are booked on first-come-first-serve basis with full payment of airfare at time of reservation. No flights can be confirmed or protected without full payment. Two requirements must be met before your flights can be secured: (1)An approved tourist visa (2)Full payment of airfare amount to your travel agent in Bhutan. The only acceptable currency is American Dollar(USD).

Making Payment to a local Travel Agent	You can make payment by telegraphic transfer via your bank in your home town to the designed account held at Bank National Bhutan for the travel agent. Make sure all handling charges are paid at your end.
Connecting Flights	You should be prepared to stay at the entry point the night before flying to Bhutan and allow minimum 5 hours before your homebound connecting flights.

Means of Getting to Bhutan	The national fleet, Druk Air, is the only airline that flies between a few cities in the region to and from Paro Airport each week. You may also enter Bhutan at the border town between India and Bhutan: Phenchsoling.
Cities Served by Druk Air	Bangkok(Thailand); Delhi & Kolkatta(India); Kathmandu(Nepal)
Druk Air Flight Schedule & Fare Price	There is only one flight each day for each direction and on some days, no scheduled flight at all. We have a copy of Druk Air Flights for the period of March 25th to October 28th, 2007 to help you to do your initial planning. Please be aware the timing is LOCAL TIME at the city quoted. You are advised to refer to the Druk Air website for the most up-to-dated schedule during reservation. What does the code mean: BKK – Bangkok, CCU – Kolkata, DAC – Dhaka, DEL – Delhi, KTM – Katmandu, PBH – Paro, GAY- Gaya

Transit Visa at Point of Entry or Exit	Remember to check whether you need a visa at the entry and exit country and you are likely to require a multiple entry visa if you are staying both before and after your visit to Bhutan.
High Altitude Symptoms	Bhutan lies between 150m and 6000m. The territories mostly visited by tourists are between 1100m and 3300m except "snowmen" trekkers who go up to 5000m. Please consult your doctor regarding taking precautions against high altitude sickness.
Validity of Your Passport	Your passport should be valid for at least 6months on the day of your homebound flight as a standard practice.

Travel Insurance	Buy travel insurance to cover your entire trip before you leave home.
Before You Leave Home	Read the packing list and get some knowledge on culture and religious sensitivities while in Bhutan. You will feel more welcomed by your host and your tour supporting staff.

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