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One of my best trips ever. Excellent guide and fellow trekkers. Beautiful country and people.
Reaching Tiger's Nest monestery
Excellent. Truly dedicated. Nothing too much for him.
Don't hesitate. Walking in the Himalayas is wonderful and Bhutan is a beautiful country. Follow advice for trekking and ensure fitness beforehand.
Against a background of knowing nothing of Bhutan, I found the trip so educational and broadening of my horizons with regard to the country’s culture, customs, history, religion, etc. The trip fulfilled my desire to be immersed in the country’s culture. I found it so interesting to listen to the two leaders in an effort to learn as much as possible of the country both of whom went to a great deal of time and effort to impart their knowledge and experience. I also enjoyed being amongst like minded people within the group and enjoyed listening to their stories, especially of their travels already made and those planned in the future.
Listening to Valerie Parkinson's descriptions of treks she has completed and generally of her experiences, especially in the Himalayas. She gave me such inspiration and an impetus to tackle more. This against a background of mixing with ladies in my normal life who are generally not very assertive and rather insular.
2 leaders: Valerie Parkinson & Norbu Tshering: both excellent, both looked after our every need, answered all our queries and, what I appreciated most, were only too willing to take time to impart their extensive knowledge of Bhutan and the Himalayas in general Rinchi, guide, was also excellent
Pack Yak Trax if you have them; if not they may be purchased in Kathmandu. This was not on the list of things to take and therefore I did not take my own pair which would have been useful.
What an amazing trip which exceeded my expectations. Bhutan has been on my bucket list for many years and I particularly wanted to go on a trip which combined the experience of seeing the Paro festival firsthand, a visit to the Tiger’s Nest monastery and some trekking and this trip does just that. The festival was fantastic and such a wonderful and joyous occasion with the locals in their national dress watching in their hundreds the amazing storytelling through dance. The final day we were treated to a view of the Thangka which was beautiful. It was a real privilege to be able to witness this festival and be part of it.
The trek had stunning scenery and was challenging enough I just wish it had been a little warmer at night!. Waking up to snow was a little chilly but the hot water bottles in our sleeping bags at night helped to take the chill off!
Seeing my first glimpse of the Tiger’s Nest monastery. Wow!
Norbu was an excellent group leader, very knowledgeable and also supportive of everyone on the trek.
Thermals, thermals and more thermals! It really was very cold at night. A Nalgene water bottle would have been useful as some members of the group had theirs filled with hot water at night to use as an extra hot water bottle and then used it as drinking water during the day. I don’t normally walk with poles but found them really helpful in the snow and ice. Also if it is going to be cold buy some yak tracks in Kathmandu to help you stay on your feet. I enjoyed the hot stone bath in Paro. It was certainly an experience!
Loved it, loved it, loved it! I had wanted to visit Bhutan after seeing a film about scientists looking for the Yeti decades ago. Didn’t see a yeti but found a country that is so special, with a landscape that is so special and with people that are so special.
After the dirty madness of landing in Kathmandu the feeling of peace on landing at Paro airport for the start of the Bhutan trip was very special. Bhutan is a clean, welcoming country at peace with itself.
The trek, although not demanding, was lovely and gives a snapshot of a wonderful countryside.
The visits to various dzongs and stupas was interesting and the final visit to a monastery where the monks where involved in some of their rituals for a village festival the next day was fascinating.
As a vegetarian and an animal lover this country was the nearest to perfect for me. Loved the food and the fact that although there were dogs everywhere (they are mostly cared for by the community or the monks) I never saw any in distress or starving (as I did in Kathmandu).
The explosion of colour at the monasteries, the prayer flags in the mountains, the fact that shop keepers put out food and sacking on the pavements for the street dogs, the peace, the tranquility of the mountains and the humility and care of the support crew on the trek.
Both Norbu and Ganga were kind, gracious and thoughtful. Norbu's knowledge of his country is excellent. The whole support crew both on and off trek were kind, considerate and looked for ways to help.
Kathmandu is dirty, loud and unpleasant. I was a woman on her own and would not have been happy wandering around after sunset on my own.
If seeing Bhutan and hiking in the Himalayan region is on your bucket list, then the Land of the Thunder Dragon tour is for you! This trip was such a good mix, that it made me really feel like I got to see a good variety and experience Bhutan to the fullest.
We got to trek for five days, seeing beautiful scenery, visit two festivals (including a really fun, smaller local one, and a more famous and larger one in the city), and visited many cultural sites.
Exodus Travels has an amazing local staff in Bhutan, and the guides were all great. Everything was organized down to the last detail, and the trip was executed flawlessly.
I can’t recommend this trip enough!
On the fourth day of our hike, the clouds cleared and we got to see some of the world's tallest unclimbed mountains!
We had two leaders, Norbu and Tshering, and they were both excellent. They knew the answer to every question anyone could possibly have about Bhutan! They both had outgoing, fun personalities and worked to make sure everyone on the trip was happy and having a good time.
Pack warmer clothes than you think you'll need for the hike, and pack modest but cooler clothes for the rest of the trip if you're going in September.
Although the price is high, this is a great holiday and worth the cost. The only thing that could have been better was the weather, as we had two days of rain during the trek, but that made us appreciate all the other days of good weather more. The scenery was fantastic, the itinerary was perfect, and we were very well taken care of. We certainly left with a positive view of Bhutan.
Really, the whole holiday was inspirational. Watching the sunrise during the trek was beautiful and we were glad the guides woke us up to see it. We also visited Punakha Valley even though we were supposed to miss it as we were going to a festival and we were very glad we got to go as it was great. All the dzongs were interesting and the buildings were photo-worthy everywhere we looked.
Norbu was very knowledgeable, attentive, and accommodating. He had clearly been a guide for a long time. Our other guide was also helpful and a very nice man, although his English and his knowledge were not quite as good.
It can be very cold on the trek, especially at night, and very hot in the valleys. You are also likely to get sunburnt on the trek, no matter how much sunscreen you apply. Pillows are provided on the trek. Take cash on the trek for the tips as this will be given to the camp crew at the end of the trek before you get to the hotel in Thimpu. The recommended tip in the trip notes didn't include the main guide on our trip. Take cash -- some people had trouble using cash machines. Leave some clean clothes in Paro before starting the trek. You will get them in Thimpu after the trek. You have free time in Kathmandu at the beginning and end of the trip -- there is nothing organised before dinner. It's not difficult to visit sites on your own but if you are a woman travelling on your own, try to go with someone else. Sole women often get harassed, probably not as badly as in some places, but enough to be a nuisance and, potentially, slightly menacing. People in our group experienced this. For myself, on one occasion I was walking behind my husband so it wasn't clear that we were together and I was followed by a man who wouldn't take no for an answer until my husband turned around and threatened him.
We did this trip with some fear and trepidation as we would be trekking at altitude for the first time. We were very keen to visit Bhutan before it modernises and we also hoped to see the rhododendron in bloom in the Himalaya. We had done quite a bit of training for the trek and this paid off as we were fit enough for the grade of walk. We loved the country, the people, the Buddhist culture and the government philosophy of ‘improving gross national happiness’. This is evident everywhere and seems very genuine. From the minute you land in Paro you know you are somewhere very special. It is quite wonderful to be immersed in their culture for the whole time you are there. The trek was not what we expected as we had snow every night and had to walk on icy surfaces some days and were perhaps colder than we had anticipated. The excellent trip notes had suggested we bring adequate sleeping bags and down jackets, so we were always cosy at night. We did perhaps miss some of the spectacular views because of the weather and the rhododendrons were only just in bud..so if you want to see them you should plan your trek in May rather than April. However, we were able to be a part of the Paro festival and this was fascinating. Exodus puts together a very good and varied itinerary, in comfortable accommodation, with great guides, good transportation and excellent food throughout. You are well acclimatised to altitude and the trekking is not too hard. We were disappointed to have to share campsites with other groups. There are a lot of trekkers on the Druk path and if you want solitude on trek you should go on one of the longer treks. This is a great introduction to trekking in the mountains and we felt extremely well looked after. My gluten free meals were always varied and plentiful. The main food is rice and veggies and many differing ways of cooking them. Breakfast was always wonderful too. We thoroughly recommend this trip and Exodus as a company. Go…you won’t be disappointed.
Reaching the highest summit and hanging prayer flags.
Our leader Norbu was absolutely fabulous. He was calm and confidant and always with a smile. His knowledge was outstanding. He always helped out if anyone was struggling with the trek or altitude.
Take adequate warm clothing and a good sleeping bag.
Bhutan is a country whose culture and environment are still free from the negative influences of the modern world. It’s a quiet even serene place, free from pollution and benefitting from a low population (just some 700,000 people live in this small kingdom). The five day point-to-point trek was well run and enjoyable. It included visits to a couple of fascinating monasteries. The highlights have to be attending the spring festival in Paro and the half-day trek to the world-famous Tiger’s Nest monastery.
Although the spring festival in the Dzong in Paro was amazing, it's the unexpected things of most trips which last in my memory. For my trip in Bhutan, this was the welcome we got from the monks in the monastery on the last day of our trek as we headed down the valley towards Thimphu.
Our guide Norbu and his team looked after us very well. I hope to go back one day and see more of this lovely country. Norbu informed me that Exodus is thinking about opening a new trek in the high Himalayas in the north-west of the country. I couldn't see this trip as an option in 2018 - but will keep a look out for it.
Bhutan had been on my bucket list for quite a few years and I was not disappointed. While the cost of the trip is prohibitive, the tourist tax means that there are still relatively few tourists in Bhutan, meaning it's unspoilt. Furthermore, you really don't need much spending money as the tourist tax covers pretty much everything from the accommodation and transport to meals. The only money you'll need is for drinks and souvenirs. This makes the price of the trip more bearable in the overall scheme of things.
A good combination of an interesting, short trek and cultural visits, including the Thimpu festival.
Hanging lots of prayer flags at various of the summits. The momos at the end of the trek were very welcome.
Norbu and Ganga were excellent guides! Great fun to be with and very informative about the country they are so passionate about. The team as a whole was excellent and looked after us really well
Take gaiters ... we didn't and regretted the omission. The descent on the final day was very muddy. Definitely take walking poles ...
Excellent trip packing in the cultural highlights, a festival, and trekking which is kind of necessary given the daily rate charged by the Bhutanese authorities! So probably the best and most affordable! way of experiencing Bhutan
a toss up between the Paro festival and the 5 days trekking
Norbu was an excellent leader; extremely knowledgeable and helpful in explaining his countries culture and showing us the sights, including an impromptu archery lesson!
For the 5 day trek I would suggest that people prepare for lower night time temperatures, possibly down to -10 degrees C
