Bhutan when to go?
 

We still have Bhutan towards the top of our list for a trip. I understand that Spring & Autumn are the "best" times to travel there. It may be that we can choose between either a March/April time or an October time for going. We definately want to take in a festival and do some short day hikes. Anyone any thoughts or experience on the pros & cons of these different time frames? Thanks in advance.
J

I should add that we plan on travelling all the way across to the western part of Bhutan.
Thanks again J

tt

Jules,
I just returned from Bhutan; we arrived in Paro on May 25th and left on June 2nd. We went during the shoulder season and were highly concerned that we'd get rain everyday as that's what weather.com stated!. Happily, we didn't see a drop of rain till we got to Bangkok! The weather actually seemed to get better and better each day. Sunshine and cool breezes! It was an amazing time to go as there were very few tourists. Several times we were the only guests in our hotels. We got better rooms, better meals, and better all around attention/service. The one con is that we missed a festival. We think we may return to see one in either Paro or Punakha (what a beautiful dzong!). We were told though that at festival times there are far more tourists than Bhutanese. (We were saddened to hear that as we believe Bhutan is best when it is TRULY Bhutan). Therefore, the timing was perfect for what we hoped to see and do. Regardless, the country is amazing with people rich in respect, humility, and genuine kindness. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Hi Jules,

i would advise you in the month of March & April if you are still planing.Good climate,bit cold in the morning.Able to see the Punakha or the Paro festival.You cannot travel on your own,have to use a local tour operator to get to Bhutan.
If you are serious about visiting Bhutan.Be in touch with my friend,who organise private tours,and can take care of all your visa/transportation/
hotels to sightseeings.

He worked as a guide for more than 15 yrs,and now runs his own private [email protected]'s his address,and best of luck.







your

My wife and I were in Bhutan from August 6 thru 12, 2007. We both thought that it was an excellent place to visit. However, you should be aware of the ongoing road construction projects, particularly between Paro and Thimphu and between Thimphu and Phunakha. In August, the roads were entirely closed during certain parts of the day to facilitate the roadwork. Even when the roads were open, travel usually was delayed. This roadwork is not expected to be completed until January 2008 for the coronation of the new king (the father abdicated in favor of his son).

We're going to be in Western and Central Bhutan from December 13-23. We chose this time because there will be few tourists and we will have 2 days at the festival in Trongsa. We understand this is a smaller festival attended mostly by locals. Also December may be cold (50's during the day) but the crisp weather brings clear days I am told.
If you look at the festival schedule (many Bhutanese tour operators put them on line), I'm sure you can find one that works with your time frame and how long you have. If you have only a week, you'll want to do a festival in Paro or Punaka (the Western part), anything further east will have you on the road for long stretches.
My local tour operator in Bhutan supports what jrrukk says about travel time and road repairs.

Hi Jules,
In March/April you can time your trip to coincide with the Paro Festival. In October/early November there are other smaller festivals in the Bumthang valleys. Both times are great and these areas offer day hikes and sightseeing.

Andy

Thanks Andy We have actually started to make plans for an October trip in the process of finalising our itinerary & awaiting Druk Air schedules! Exciting>

J

jules, I look forward to hearing the details of your trip. Bhutan remains on our list of "must go" destinations.

Kathie I thought I would start another post to sum up our Bhutan plans so look for that!
J