I went to Bhutan in September and now while I am putting together my photo album I could not help but thinking about this wonderful country.
I contemplated going there for 2 years and finally I went in September, alone.
As many of you, I did lots of research and spoke to some people that have been there.
Here are some comments that I hope will be useful:
1. Travel Agencies: yes there are som 200 agencies in Bhutan but most of them do not work regularly or receive less than 10 groups a year. Also, because they do not have a stream of clients then they hook you up with guides which may not be professional. Because I went during the high season of the festivals in September I came accross many people who complained alot about inexperienced guides.
I went with Yu-Druk Tours and Treks. They are very professional and patient (as they responded to many of my emails), managed to get me the hotels I wanted (Except one) and gave me a good and professional guide.
Another big agency is Etho Metho but my impression is that they deal mostly with big groups.
As said i went alone and I did not regret it. Bhutanese are very respectful people and it is a very safe country. I had no problems - even though I am a young woman.
Hotels: unless you stay at Uma Paro in Paro (the Aman is like a prison), hotels in Bhutan are basic. Like a basic 2 maybe 3 star in Europe/America. This has its drawbacks if you are a fussy guest (like me).
Bring along ear plugs, they are a must in Thimpu. Even if you stay in the best place as this city is quite noisy and there are lots of astray dogs.
Food: again do not expect this to be a culinary experience. Food tends to be the same and quite bland. They tend to prepare a buffet of what they think is good (mostly rice, some vegetables and chicken) and it gets very repetitive. But if you ask your guide for a change they may be able to accomodate this. Ask for the nepalese cheese dumplings, these cn be good.
I had my best meals at the Swiss Guesthouse in Bhumtan (inc some delicious local cheese).
Bhutan is a beautiful country, whether you go to see the festivals (which I will highly recommend) or go trekking.
And it is one minute away from changing dramatically. So if you can, go there soon.
And take a good camera. I've had some of the best pictures ever.

thanks for the review....can you write us a short trip report about what you did and saw??

Thanks for posting. We are very interested in a March 2007 visit - therefore I hope that Bhutan is more than "one minute from changing dramatically". I appreciate you sharing your perspective on what agency to use - Yu Druk is one that I am looking at. My impression of going to see the festivals is that you spend a lot of time (days) in one place observing the activities - is this correct? What was your itinerary and did you determine it yourself or go on your agency's recommendation?

Thanks for your report. I'll be going to Bhutan in late December, so I'd really appreciate any other comments you may have.

Can you tell me what your itinerary looked like? I'll be staying 8 full days. Some agencies have recommended including Bumthang in this short schedule, but most of the days would be taken up with 6-7 hour drives on winding mountain roads. I don't think I want to spend the whole time in a car. Do you think Trongsa and Bumthang are that spectacular and different from the rest of Bhutan to do the very long drives on a short trip? Other agencies have recommended staying only in Western Bhutan and seeing that in depth. Any suggestions about this? What places impressed you the most?

Could you comment on the hotels? Which ones did you use? I'm thinking of the Gantey Palace in Paro, Jumolhari in Thimphu, and Kichu in Wangdue.

I've checked out quite a few travel agents and still making the final decision. I'm considering Yu-Druk, Rainbow, Chundhu Namsey, and Lhomen. If you have any other comments on your experience with the different agents, that would be much appreciated.

Thank you very much!

There are so many things to say and write about Bhutan.
I was there 9 nights, went to Paro, Thimpu, Wangdi, Trongsa, Bhumtan and Punakha. Spend 3 nights at bhumtan because there was a festival there and there are quite a few temples to see and some light trekking to do.
The problem with Bhutan is that the roads are 1.5 lanes (like India) and is one turning after the other, so driving takes up alot of time. At times driving was heavy but I had a pillow and that helped. But where you go depends on whether you are prepare to put up with the driving. I went from one place to the other without stops or just the minumum.
In terms of what to see, Trongsa and Punakha are quite beautiful and their Dzongs are very special. I did not like Thimpu (stayed there at the Jumolhari, nice, good restaurant but noisy) and will skip it if I were to go back - it is more Indian than Bhutanese. The kichu chain of hotels is quite nice. The Taj Hotels are building one in Thimpu so check when that is opening.
The festivals: Paro is supposed to be the most beautiful one. I went to Wangdu o Wangdi and it was amazing. And yes you spend time seated just watching but it is quite special and the people are amazing. Specially the children. I took like 150 photos just there.
Then I went to the festival in Bhumtan which I did not like at first (it is outside the Dzong, rather than inside) and thanks to my guide I had a seat most times (many tourists don't). But then I got to enjoy it because it is a smaller festival, there were almost no tourists (I am afraid there are plenty of tourists in most festivals) and was more intimate. They were also filming a movie while I was there, so they tried to keep it authentical and local.
Re agencies: I am afraid that I have not heard about those mentioned. I do know about BTS, Chhundu and of course, Etho Metho and Yu-Druk.
note that during the festivals the demand for good hotels is quite high and if you have a good agency they may have more chances in securing a good hotel than a less known agency will do.
Regarding itinerary, because I was alone my guide could change a few things on the spot but this may not be possible if you are a group.
Hope it helps

are you planning to make your pictures available to fodorites??

I suggest limiting time in Thimpu, and adding time to drive to Trongsa. I can't justify more than 1/2 day in Thimpu, and honestly could have avoided Thimpu altogether.

These comments are really helpful. Thanks.

I need to finalize my itinerary very soon. Sounds like neither of you were all that excited by Thimphu. With 8 full days (departing on the 9th day), would you recommend going all the way to Trongsa and Bumthang too? Was this your favorite part of the country and well worth the long drives? What did you think of the Phobjika Valley? Did you go to the Haa Vallley?

Any comments would be much appreciated. Thanks.

I have also read that the Haa valley is worth a day trip from Paro and would like to hear your opinions.

It is possible to drive from Paro to Wangdi or Punakha... which are quite beautiful. not possible to drive from Paro to Trongsa in a day. Bhumtamg is quite special (some of the oldest temples in Bhutan are there), it is a bit like switzerland but again driving to there is a long way. But with 8 nights you have time.
HAA Valley, I also heard it was beautiful but it is a good 3.5hs to go and then 3.5hs to come back (from Paro) and you cannot overnight there. So, after all the driving I did not want to spend most of my day in a car just to have lunch in HAA. Unless there is a festival in HAA (some fellow tourist said the festival there was really beautiful), do not bother. Rather spent time in Punakha (there are some light trekking you can do there) or in Bhumtang than go to HAA.

I also recently returned from a 7 day trip to Bhutan and loved it. We visited Thimphu, the Haa Valley and Paro. I would like to respond to some questions raised in this post. HAA: You can overnight in Haa. We stayed at the Rigsum Resort for one night, which is just outside of "downtown" (which is only one small block.) It was nice getting away to a more rural area, and I really enjoyed the ride to/from Haa (we drove from Thimphu to Haa, then from Haa to Paro). You get to see the beautiful countryside and experience a different pace than what you will find in Thimphu and Paro. HOTELS: I didn't stay at any of the luxury hotels, although I did visit a new luxury hotel called the Zhiwa Ling in Paro that has not been mentioned here. It just recently opened and is worth checking out. As others have mentioned, most Bhutanese hotels are basic. However, the best hotel we stayed in was Gangtey Palace in Paro. It is the former residence of the prime minister of Bhutan and has beautiful views. It also has the best linens out of all of the hotels we stayed at - the towels and sheets were notably soft. TRAVEL AGENCIES: We LOVED our guide, Tsewang Nidup with Bhutan Expeditions. I highly recommend him and his company. We had a very big group (25 family members)and it was amazing how well Tsewang took care of us. He is very knowledgable, patient and responsive, and can lead both cultural and trekking tours. Here's his information if anyone is interested: http://bhutan-expeditions.com or [email protected] It may take him a few days to get back to you (he is often out leading tours), but he will respond. I encourage everyone to visit this amazing country. I agree that it feels like it's on the verge of change and modernization. See it while you can!

miss_saigon, tracyk, and others: Any other comments about hotels? Any more information on the hotels where you stayed in Paro, Thimphu, and Haa? Also curious about the hotels in Punakha, etc. Any comments would be much appreciated. Will be leaving to Bhutan soon. Thanks.