BEGUILING BHUTAN

A blend of the traditional and the modern, Bhutan is all about simplicity and rustic beauty.

GETTING THERE

It is a deceptively large country. If you want to see all of Bhutan, enter at Phuentsholing and exit from east Bhutan to Guwahati. Take a train from Kolkata to Hasimara junction, from where it’s a short jeep or bus ride into Jalgaon, the Indian border town. Stay in Jalgaon, or drive into Phuentsholing in Bhutan. Stay overnight, or drive up to Thimpu, if you can leave early enough for the six-hour ride. Permits are done in Phuentsholing. It takes half-a-day. Within Bhutan, it is best to hire a cab and drive around. There is a public transport, but it is very sketchy.

Another option is to enter Bhutan from Guwahati. Entry permits from Guwahati might be harder to get, but it is worth checking.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Important: Always go with a Bhutanese Travel Agency for everything: Car, guide, reservations. There are Indian operators, but they are mostly out of their depth, as we discovered rather expensively.

An impulsive trip will be difficult to pull off; you are better off knowing where you want to go, at least broadly. Contact: Mindup, an experienced tour operator at mindupg@yahoo.com or 17609768 or Dorji, a seasoned driver and guide at 17621214.

Prices: Coffees and teas might seem expensive at no less than 15 bucks, but food is affordable, and the portions are always large, and substantial. The cabs are Rs.12/- per km if you drive more than 100 km a day or Rs. 1,200/- per day. Hotels range from Rs. 800/- to Rs. 1,200/-. Indian currency is accepted everywhere, and in fact, Bhutanese currency is accepted in Jalgaon.

This information gathered from a tourism magazine and a daily news paper.