Bhutan Travel Overview
Important facts
Capital: Thimbu (See more on ITYPEMBA.COM)
Official language: Dzongkha
Currency: Ngultrum
Continent: South Asia
Land of the Thunder Dragon
The Kingdom of Bhutan is a sparsely populated area at the foot of the Himalayas that is packed with cultural highlights.
Location
According to Countryaah, Bhutan is a state in South Asia. It borders on the Himalayan Mountains, as well as India and China. Bhutan is more than half the area of Austria, but with only 750,000 residents it is only very sparsely populated. The country is strongly characterized by mountain agriculture and has no real urban centers. In Bhutan it is only allowed to build houses in the traditional way. Buddhism shapes daily life just like the country’s architecture, which leaves a lasting impression on every traveler.
Travel to Bhutan
Entry into Bhutan is only possible with a visa. This must be redeemed in advance at the consulates. One exists, for example, in New Dheli, India. Bhutan is like no other country, so tourists traveling alone are not welcome. Entry is almost only possible with a tour group, or if you really want to travel individually, with an accompanying driver and guide. Smoking in public is prohibited, as is buying tobacco. The food in Bhutan is not for weak stomachs, because chilli is served with almost every dish!
Keep calm and serenity and try to get involved in the customs of the country. With this travel rule they should have a good start.
Travel destinations Bhutan
The best way to organize your Bhutan trip is to join a tour group. Information on specialized travel agencies is also available here on Atanango.com. Bhutan has many great places to visit if you are interested in culture and Buddhist heritage. If you are less interested in culture, you will not find much joy in Bhutan. The most interesting places in the country are certainly Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Wangduephodrang & Bumthang. For the first two you need a permit. When traveling with a tour operator, they take care of the formalities.
Important facts
Capital: Thimbu
Official language: Dzongkha
Currency
Currency (sub-unit)
Ngultrum (100 chetrum)
ISO 4217 code
BTN / 064
Geography
Continent: Asia
Region: south
Geo coordinates: N 27 ° 30 ’51 ” E 90 ° 26′ 1″
Highest mountain: Kula Kangri (7,553 m)
Total area: 47,000 km²
Mainland: 47,000 km²
National border: 1,075 km
Politics
Dependency: India until 1949
UN member since: 1971
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy
Economy
Export goods: Tin, silver, tungsten ores
BSP: $ 861,000,000
GDP: $ 817,000,000
GDP purchasing power parity: $ 3,363,000,000
Economic growth: 5.1%
Oil consumption: 1,600 million m³
Cultivation area: 2.64%
Bovine: 341,000 pieces
Pigs: 39,100 pieces
Sheep: 61,000 pieces
Fishing: 330 t
Demographic data
Residents: 2,279,800
Residents in cities: 483.200
Average age: 20.4 years
0-14 years: 38.9%
15-64 years: 57.1%
> 65 years: 4%
Population growth: 2.1%
Birth rate: 34.03 / 1,000 residents
Death rate: 12.7 / 1,000 residents
Ratio men / women: 1.07
Fertility: 4.74 children / woman
Infant mortality: 98.41 ‰
Life expectancy men: 55.02 years
Life expectancy women: 54.53 years
Country codes and abbreviations
ISO 3166 Alpha 2: BT
ISO 3166 Alpha 3: BTN
ISO 3166 numeric: 64
Top Level Domain: bt
IOC country code: BHU
UN / LOCODE: BT
Source: Abbreviationfinder
Communication
Telephone connections: 43,000
Cell Phones: 22,000
Radios: 85,000
TV: 38,000
Computer: 23,000
Internet users: 27,000
Transportation
Paved roads: 5,149 km
Cars: 15,000
Health
Number of doctors: 170
Daily food intake: 2,080 kcal / resident
Education
Illiteracy: 50%
History
Foundation: 1949
Last sovereign since: 1949
Religion
Main religious group: Buddhists
Military
Armed forces (troop strength): 7,000
Defense Spending: $ 9,700,000
GETTING THERE
Arriving by plane
Bhutan’s national airline is called Druk Air (KB) (Internet: www.drukair.com.bt).
International connections to Bhutan exist by plane from Bangkok, New Delhi, Kathmandu, Dhaka or Kolkata and with Druk Air to Paro, a small town 70 km from Thimphu in western Bhutan. More information from Aviation & Tourism International GmbH (Internet: www.atiworld.de). If you book in advance with an agency in Bhutan, you can also be picked up in India.
Note on arriving by plane
Since the airport is located in a deep valley at 2,100 m altitude and the climate conditions change quickly, the return flight from Bhutan can be delayed by hours or even days in bad weather.
Departure fee
Entry fee at Paro Airport: US $ 20.
The departure fee is included in the ticket price.
Arrival by car
The only currently open border crossing to India is in Phuntsholing. The other border towns of Gaylegphug, Sarbhang and Samdrupjonghkhar in southern Bhutan are also connected by paved roads with towns in the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam, but are regularly closed due to political unrest.
Arriving by train
Siliguri (India) is the closest main train station.
ON THE GO
Traveling by plane
There is no scheduled air traffic within Bhutan. From October to March, if the weather conditions are good,
Druk Air offers a one-hour scenic flight over the mountains – the so-called “Kingdom of Air”, with a breathtaking view of the mountains, lakes and waterfalls of Bhutan.
On the way by car / bus
Left-hand traffic. The road network covers approx. 8050 km, more than half of which is paved. The largest road, about 700 km long, runs through the whole country in a wide arc from Phuntsholing in the southwest to the capital Thimphu and on over high passes of the Himalayas through central Bhutan to Samdrupjonghkhar in the southeast. The Pele-La Pass connects the valleys of the eastern region. There are no roads in the northern Himalayan mountain ranges.
Long-distance bus:The former state buses offer the minibus connections Phuntsholing-Thimphu, Thimphu-Bumthang, Bumthang-Tashigang, Tashigang-Samdrup Jongkar and Tongsa-Gaylegphug several times a day, but these are not suitable for tourists. However, yaks, ponies and mules are still the main modes of transport in remote areas. An international driving license is required when renting a car.
On the go by train
There is no rail traffic.
