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How to Start a Travel Blog

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How to Start a Travel Blog

a laptop on a desk
Last Updated: 4/13/21 | April 13th, 2021

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links, including the links for HostGator and Bluehost. At no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase using these links. If you have any questions about the companies or my status as an affiliate, please don’t hesitate to email me.

Whether as a hobby or profession, starting a travel blog is pretty easy. You can set it up in under 30 minutes. It’s a lot easier than when I started my blog in 2008. Back then, I didn’t know the first thing about making a website. Luckily, on my adventures around the world, I met Matt and Kat, a British couple who also happened to be web designers.

When I came home and decided I wanted to start this travel blog, they agreed to help me set it up and teach me HTML. I hand-coded the website and used a funky tool called Dreamweaver to build it. It was painfully slow and I wasn’t very good at it. (And my original website was really ugly!)

Luckily, you no longer have to build websites that way!

Creating a website has gotten a lot easier and simpler thanks to WordPress, an out-of-the-box platform designed to make sites easier for those not technically savvy (like myself). It powers over 25% of the internet and is the best platform to start a blog on. It’s super flexible and can do whatever you want it to do — from a simple journal to complex blogs and e-commerce websites.

In our blogging masterclass, we’ve had thousands of students start a website on WordPress without any technical skills. They got them up and running — and you can too!

While I’ve talked about how to succeed as a travel blog in the past, today, I want to give a quick tutorial on how to create a travel blog from scratch in seven easy steps.

  • Step 1: Picking a Name
  • Step 2: Signing Up for a Host
  • Step 3: Installing WordPress
  • Step 4: Setting Up Your Website
  • Step 5: Installing Your Theme
  • Step 6: Creating Your Main Pages
  • Step 7: Joining Our Blogging Masterclass

 

Step 1: Pick your name

The first thing you need to do is pick a domain name (i.e., your website name). When doing so, there are no hard and fast rules. There’s no such thing as a “wrong domain name,” but there are a couple of rules I like to live by:

  • Make a name that can last – If you pick “JohnsAsiaAdeventure.com” and then you leave Asia, the domain name won’t make sense anymore. Make sure you pick a name that isn’t so focused that if you decide to shift gears, you can keep the same domain name.
  • Don’t date your blog – Don’t pick something related to your age either. “Twenty-Something Travel” becomes really irrelevant when you get older, which actually happened to a blogger I know. Pick a name that can be used no matter your age!
  • Avoid certain words – Avoid words like “nomad,” “vagabond,” “wanderlust,” and “adventure.” They have been done to death, and they will make you seem like you’re copying people, not being original.
  • Pick a name that describes what you do as much as possible – I was a nomad, so “Nomadic Matt” was the best pick for me. If you’re into luxury, put words in your domain name that convey that. You want people to see the name and go, “I get what that website is about.”
  • Keep it short – Use 3-4 words maximum. You want the name that rolls off the tongue. Even Ramit Sethi from “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” abbreviates his site to “I Will Teach” or “IWT.” The shorter, the better.
  • Keep it simple – I’m not a fan of using jargon or slang in your domain name, as I think that makes things confusing for people who don’t know it. The last thing you want is someone saying, “What does that mean?” or being confused. If someone has to think hard about the meaning, then you’ve already lost them. So don’t try to be clever!

 

Step 2: Sign up for a host

After you’ve picked out your domain name, you’ll need to register it online and buy hosting (the little computer in the sky that’s going to power your website). There are a lot of basic hosting companies out there — and most of them are pretty terrible.

However, the two biggest and best are HostGator and Bluehost. I would go with one of those two.

While they are owned by the same parent company, I lean toward HostGator, as I find its call center customer service quicker and friendlier, and HostGator is prone to fewer outages (no one wants their website to go down!). It’s also really improved its service and now offers free SSL certificates (that’s the thing that tells users your website is secure).

Here’s a walk-through of how to set up your host with HostGator (it won’t take long):

First, head over to the website’s sign-up page and get hosting for only $2.78 per month. That’s over 60% off the normal price!

Enter your desired domain name at the top of the page. Make sure before you signup that the domain you want is available so as to avoid issues with your signup process.

The system will then prompt you to take out “domain privacy protection” which we recommend you do.

Why? This will hide your address and contact details from appearing online when someone queries your domain name. By law, website registry information is public. If you don’t opt for domain privacy, your information will be on public record – and you’ll probably get annoying calls from people trying to help you with your website. Be sure to opt-in for domain privacy so you don’t get annoying phone calls. Hostgator will be listed on the registry not you and you won’t get any spam!

If you already have a domain name but need hosting, simply select the “I already own this domain” from the tab at the top. Then, enter your domain name and continue to the next step.

Make sure you have selected the right hosting plan from the drop-down list and then select the billing cycle you are prepared to pay. The longer you lock in for, the cheaper initial pricing will be.

We suggest starting with the “Hatchling Plan” (which gives you hosting for one single domain) but if you have plans for more than one website then opt for the “Baby Plan” instead to give you room to grow (since you can host unlimited domains with it).

Next, you will then select the username for your account and a security PIN.

Fill out your billing information and preferred payment type (credit card or PayPal.)

You can opt out of all of the additional services on offer by unchecking them.

Review your order details and make sure everything is correct. Then click “Checkout Now!” at the bottom of the page.

Once your order has been received you’ll be redirected to the Hostgator billing portal. You will also be sent two separate emails with the login credentials to your hosting control panel and the billing portal for your Hostgator account. Be sure to save the information. Save them on your computer and/or print the emails for safekeeping.

They will look similar to the example below.

For those of you with an existing domain or a domain purchased from a 3rd party site like Godaddy, take note of the nameservers listed on your hosting account email. You will need to add those to your domain where you purchased it to link your domain and hosting together. Please refer to the support documents from where you bought your domain for exact instructions on how to update your nameservers.

That’s it! All that takes about five minutes from start to finish!

Again, you can click here to go to HostGator to set it up.

 

Step 3: How to Install WordPress

After you’ve registered your domain name and chosen your hosting package, the next thing you’ll want to do is install WordPress. (WordPress is what will actually run the website. The host is simply the computer your site sits on.)

WordPress is an open-source, free web publishing application, content management system (CMS), and blogging tool built by a community of developers and contributors to make it easy for people to blog!

After you’ve paid for your domain, you’ll get an email telling you your login details. Log in to your hosting control panel using the link provided to you by email when you purchased your hosting from Hostgator. The link would look similar to this:

https://gatorXXXX.hostgator.com:2083

The email will be titled “Your Account Info” if you have trouble locating it in your inbox.

Once logged into your control panel, you need to scroll down the settings page to locate the “Software” section. Then click on the “QuickInstall” link. The Software section will be located towards the bottom of the page.

On the page that loads, select WordPress.

Select your domain name from the drop-down. Leave the “directory” rectangle blank and then click next.

Enter the name of your blog, an admin username (Make sure the admin username is hard to guess), your name, your email address and then agree to the terms and conditions below. Then click the “Install” button.

Once the install process has finished, you will be given the password you need to login to your WordPress install. Take note of the password as we will show you how to change that later on. Once you have it saved click the “Login” button.


 

Step 4: Setting up your website

After you’ve installed WordPress, go to domainname.com/wp-admin and use the username and password you created to log in. You’ll see a screen like this after you log in:

Here’s a little overview of the menu on the left side of the screen:

  • Dashboard – The dashboard is the first thing you see when you log in to WordPress, and it’s the main administrative area for your blog.
  • Home – This will take you back to the main dashboard view.
  • Updates – This area will tell you if WordPress, your plugins, or your theme need to be updated.
  • Jetpack – Jetpack is a plugin that allows you to add a spell-checker, contact forms, extra widgets, etc.
  • Posts – You can view all your blog posts here, as well as set up new ones and add categories and tags.
  • Media – Here’s where you can view your media library and add new media content, like photos and videos.
  • Pages – Pages are the individual landing pages on your website (like your About page, Contact page, Resources page, etc.). You can add new pages here as well as review and edit existing ones.
  • Comments – Comments on your blog posts go here. You may want to check the spam folder periodically to make sure you’re not missing real comments.
  • WPForms – WordPress’s contact-form plugin.
  • Marketplace – Here you can create an online marketplace.
  • Appearance – This section lets you entirely customize your site’s appearance.
  • Plugins – Review, install, and update your plugins here.
  • Users – If there’s more than one person accessing your blog, you can create accounts and give them certain privileges here.
  • Tools – This section has certain tools to aid you with management tasks.
  • Settings – You can adjust all your site’s settings here, including things like your blog title and the size of thumbnails being used.
  • Insights – Insights provides traffic and user stats about those visiting your website. (Google Analytics is a better choice, though.)

Plugins are a great way to add additional functionality to a WordPress-powered site. And with over 50,000 listed in the WordPress Repository and many more premium options available from developers, there are endless possibilities as to what you can do with your site. (I’ll list some examples below.)

To get started, click on “Plugins” and then “Add New” when logged into your WordPress dashboard. Here you can search for plugins that you want and install them via a one-click install that automatically installs them to your WordPress platform.

Alternatively, you have the option to upload a plugin you have purchased or downloaded from a third-party site. To do this, see the “Step 3” arrow in the picture above. All you have to do is click “upload plugin” and you’ll be asked to upload the ZIP file of the plugin that you downloaded from the third-party website.

Once you have uploaded a plugin (or searched for one, as I’ve shown in the image below) you can install it.

After clicking the “Install Now” option, the button will change to say “Activate.” This allows you to enable the plugin on your site and makes it ready to be configured and used.

If you can think of a feature you’d like to have on your site, I can almost guarantee there is a plugin for it, but here are the essential ones for your travel blog:

  • Akismet – Just like getting junk mail in your mailbox, your website will get spammers looking to leave junk comments on your site. Akismet seeks to reduce the amount of this by automatically filtering it for you. This plugin comes installed with WordPress.
  • Yoast SEO – The best SEO plugin out there. This combines the ability to create meta tags and descriptions for your posts, optimize your titles, create a sitemap for search engines to read, customize how your posts appear across social media and do a whole lot more. It’s simple, easy to use, and comes with foolproof instructions.
  • Relevanssi – While WordPress does a lot of things well, what it fails at is adding search functionality to your site. Relevanssi seeks to fix this and give your readers the most accurate results when searching on your site.
  • UpdraftPlus – You can never back up your site too much. The WordPress database holds every word you’ve ever written, and if your blog has started to make you a few dollars, you would be nuts not to keep regular backups. UpdraftPlus does it perfectly. With the ability to schedule backups, you needn’t worry about doing it manually (especially useful to the more forgetful among us). There’s also the option to upload backups to Dropbox, Google Drive, and other cloud storage services, ensuring that if the worst does happen, your data will be safe.
  • Grow by Mediavine – A great social sharing plugin for your site. It comes with great a simple set of icons that work well on both desktop and mobile.
  • Cache Enabler – This plugin works by creating saved copies of your site, saving WordPress from having to generate them for every new visitor. This, in turn, cuts down on the amount of work your hosting server has to do and makes loading your web pages much faster.
  • Jetpack – Jetpack (pre-installed) is aimed at supercharging your website with a host of features from WordPress’s free hosting platform, giving you the best of both worlds. With this plugin, you can add a spell-checker, contact forms, extra widgets, and a whole slew of more features, all with just one plugin.
  • Code Canyon – This interactive map is a cool way to highlight your travels and share them with your readers.

 

Step 5: Install your theme

One of the most important things a blog needs besides good content is a good design. People decide in seconds whether or not they trust your website and choose to stay. A visually unappealing website will turn off readers and reduce the number of return visits you get.

So to accomplish a good design, you will need an amazing WordPress theme (i.e., design templates and files).

Luckily, there are lots of out-of-the-box options for you where you can download a predesigned theme, upload it to your website, switch it on, change some settings, and presto! A new look for your website!

You can get:

  • Free themes – Free themes are plentiful and for budding new bloggers looking to make their mark online. They seem like a great option, as they allow you to keep costs low. There are many great free themes online, but most of them are not amazing. If you plan on blogging for a long time, this might become a problem as your website grows. However, if you just need a simple design to blog for your friends and family, then go the free route. You can find some good free themes at wordpress.org.
  • Premium themes – The next step up from a free theme is a premium theme. Premium themes are paid themes that offer a bit more uniqueness, flexibility, and functionality. These cost $25 USD and up, depending on the developer and features.

I suggest getting a premium theme. Yes, it’s another cost — but here is why you should do it:

  • With a premium theme, you almost always get customer support from the developers. If you get in trouble, they are there for you. You don’t get that with a free theme.
  • With a premium theme, there are more controls and instructions so they are easier to change. Free themes don’t have that.
  • Premium themes tend to be a lot prettier.
  • Premium themes are faster and more SEO friendly.

The best company for themes is StudioPress. They are more SEO-friendly, a bit sleeker, and cooler. Before I had a custom theme, I used Studiopress exclusively. They take the least amount of work to tweak and their support is really great. I recommend them to all my students.

To install your theme, simply go to the left-hand column, click Appearance –> Themes –> Upload.

Whatever theme you picked will come as a .ZIP file for you to easily upload. From there, you just activate it, and it’s turned on! All themes come with a manual and help file so you can customize your design to your specific needs.

(If you want a custom logo or need to hire any designers, two sites to find freelancers are Upwork and 99designs.)
 

Step 6: Create your main pages

After you’ve uploaded your theme, you’re going to want to make a few basic pages on your website in addition to the blog posts. The difference between a page and a post is that a page is a static piece of content that lives separate from the blog. A post is a blog post that gets “buried” as you write more and more. For example, this post is a blog post. When I update again, another blog post will get put on top of it, and it will be pushed down in the archives, making it harder to find.

But a page, like my About page, lives on the top of the website, right near the main URL, and does NOT get buried. It’s a lot easier to find.

To create these pages, go again to your left sidebar and click Pages —> Add New. (For blog posts, use Posts –> Add New.)

I recommend creating four basic pages to start:

  • About page – This where you tell people about yourself and your history, what your blog is about, and why it will help them. This is one of the most important pages on your website, so make it personable!
  • Contact page – People need a way to reach you! Be sure to be very clear on what emails you will and won’t respond to, so people don’t send you spam.
  • Privacy page – This is a standard user agreement page informing readers what the applicable laws on your site are, that you use cookies, etc. etc. You can find out-of-the-box examples throughout the internet.
  • Copyright page – This is a standard page letting people know you own this work and not to steal it. You can find out-of-the-box examples of these, too, throughout the internet.

(If you look in my footer, under the “About Us” section, you can see examples of all four of these pages!)
 

Step 7: Join our blogging program! (optional)

Superstar Blogging travel blogging program
If you’re looking for more in-depth advice, I have a very detailed and robust blogging class that uses my ten plus years of blogging knowledge to help you start, grow, and monetize your website. It gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how I run this website and features detailed analytics, tricks, tips, and secrets about what I do. You’ll learn everything I know about creating a successful blog.

I will help you come up with your domain name, sign up for hosting, create engaging content, go viral, network with bloggers, get media attention, master SEO, create products, grow a newsletter, and make money. I will give you the tools for success — and then show you how to use those tools!

Plus, you’ll weekly strategy calls with me (ask me anything!), tech support and help setting up your blog, and a community of bloggers to help you succeed right out of the gate.

I’ll be there every step of the way. I’ll be your personal mentor.

If you’re interested, click here to learn more and get started!

***

That’s it! You’ve set up your basic website. Sure, there are social media buttons to add, blogs to write, images to upload, and things to tweak but all that comes later. Once you do the steps above, you have the framework needed to create and share your story with the world! To recap on how to start a travel blog:

  • Step 1: Pick a Name
  • Step 2: Sign Up for Hosting
  • Step 3: Install WordPress
  • Step 4: Set Up Your Website
  • Step 5: Install Your Theme
  • Step 6: Create Your Main Pages
  • Step 7: Join Our Blogging Masterclass (Optional!)

By following these steps, you can start your travel blog and your stories and tips with the world! (That’s where the real fun begins!) Don’t let the tech scare you. I didn’t know anything when I started. I was totally clueless and had to teach myself how to do this. If I can do this, you can start a blog too! I believe in you! (Email me if you want more encouragement.)

 

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Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

  • World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
  • Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
  • Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)

Ready to Book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, including the links for HostGator and Bluehost. At no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase using these links. If you have any questions about the companies or my status as an affiliate, please don’t hesitate to email me.

The post How to Start a Travel Blog appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

Filed Under: Family Vacations

Annual Reader Survey: What Can We Do Better?

By

Annual Reader Survey: What Can We Do Better?

a laptop notebook and smartphone
Posted: 4/12/21 | April 12th, 2021

Hello all!

Just a quick post today.

Once a year, I like doing a reader survey to learn what everyone thinks of the website, discover ways we can improve, find out about things you like that we’re missing, and get a sense of how you all plan your trips and travel.

We didn’t do a survey last year because, well, COVID and all.

But, with the world opening up again and travel so changed, I wanted to do one now.

These surveys help us know a bit more about you, understand your travel style, how you plan, and give us a chance to get your feedback on what content you want to see more (or less) of here on the website.

This year, we’re going to redesign the website, start taking guest posts again, and further develop our virtual and in-person events series.

So, if you want to share your opinion and help shape the direction of this website, click here to fill out the survey. It’s completely anonymous.

This is a longish survey and will probably take 5-10 minutes to complete, but it will really help us improve this website and guide our future content.

With travel resuming in various stages this year, your feedback makes it a lot easier for us to serve you better.

I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to complete the survey so we’re able to give you the content you need to travel cheaper, safer, longer, and smarter.

That it’s! If you have any questions, drop them in the comments!

Sincerely,

Matt

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

  • World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
  • Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
  • Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)

Ready to Book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

The post Annual Reader Survey: What Can We Do Better? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

Filed Under: Family Vacations

Travel to Bhutan: An Experiential Guide to Explore this Remote Kingdom

By

Travel to Bhutan: An Experiential Guide to Explore this Remote Kingdom

Have you ever dreamed of traveling to Bhutan or wondered what it’s like to visit this remote kingdom tucked away in the Himalayan mountains? From Buddhist temples and fortress visits, to Bhutanese cuisine to trekking in the Himalayas — all with the Buddhist mysticism and legend that surrounds it — we cover the essential Bhutan travel experiences and places to visit. In addition, we address all the questions from readers about traveling in Bhutan including when to visit, daily package costs, Bhutan visas, and Gross National Happiness.

Bhutan Travel, Tiger's Nest on G Adventures Tour
Tiger’s Nest, Bhutan’s most famous site. And one of its most sacred Buddhist temples.

Prior to our visit, Bhutan was a destination that, for us, held the space of the protected, the preserved, the unknown.

Upon landing in Bhutan, we grasped how our experience would reflect that notion. We were removed physically but also mentally from the day-to-day, tucked away in this mysterious place. It is perhaps rather fitting that Bhutan was the last trip we took prior to the pandemic so that we were able to take away some of its lessons regarding the value of a community approach that by protecting others we protect ourselves and everyone benefits.

Covid-19 Update for Bhutan: Borders are still currently closed, but you can check for updates as they are expected to open later in 2021. Bhutan used its focus on community and trusted leadership to manage the pandemic quite well, with only one death and 900 cases. In early April 2021, Bhutan was able to vaccinate 85% of adults (first shot) in just one week, showing the country’s commitment to public health and protecting its people. Find more Covid-19 travel resources and recommendations on how to travel responsibly with care towards local populations.

Known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon because of the alpine storms which sweep in from the Himalayas, Bhutan understands the value of protecting itself — just as it did when marauding Tibetans historically rolled in from the plateau seeking coveted Buddhist relics. The Kingdom of Bhutan, forged from fortress-bound kingdoms, was for much of its history off limits. In fact, international tourism only began in the 1970s and there are still limits on the number of visitors allowed per year to manage this.

Even now, open yet careful, Bhutan feels somehow out of reach — yet it’s not. It’s accessible. But it is one-of-a-kind with all the cultural facets one might expect from a place flush with a complicated royal family history, monasteries stitched into Himalayan hillsides, and a pervasive mysticism which does not find distinction from the state.  

That’s the allure of visiting, especially as the country and its people define their place in the world and teach others through its example as the first carbon-negative country in the world and its focus on prioritizing community.

This is what we encountered in Bhutan. And why you may want to consider adding Bhutan to your travel wish list when it is safe to travel again.

The following experiences are highlights from our Bhutan Tour with G Adventures and are presented in chronological order as we experienced them. If you are considering a similar tour to Bhutan and want to know what to expect, here’s a taste of the itinerary, activities and destinations you’ll experience. Our tour included the Druk Path Trek, but not all tours include this so if you are a big hiker this might be something you add on to your trip. The experiences outlined here are representative of travel to Bhutan.  Disclosure: This tour was sponsored and provided to us in conjunction with our partnership with G Adventures as Wanderers

Experiential Guide: Places to Visit and What to Do in Bhutan

1) Hike up to Bhutan’s oldest nunnery, Kila Goempa

Spend any
time in Bhutan and you’ll quickly realize that many of the country’s temples,
monasteries and meditation centers are perched on cliff or stuffed into a
mountain’s edge. Kila Goempa, located near Paro and believed to be Bhutan’s
oldest nunnery, is no exception. But, you have to work a bit —i.e., hike for
several hours — in order to see it for yourself.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
Our hike to Kila Goempa had a bit of a surprise thrown in, a fresh layer of snow!

Our hike
began at Chelela Pass at 3,810 meters/13,500 feet, a layer of snow and frozen
prayer flags reminding us of the season: winter. The hike follows a relatively
easy trail through the forest, though with snow it becomes a little tricky and
slippery. After a couple of hours you emerge from the trees below Kila Goempa and
its compound of meditation cells and residential halls perched above.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
The final hill up to Kila Goempa nunnery perched on the mountain’s edge.

It’s
believed that this has been a place for meditation since the 9th century,
but that the temple and monastery was built in the 17th century.
Today, it is home to around 50-70 nuns who live and study there, including a
few in the process of doing a 3 year, 3 month, 3 week silent and solitary
meditation retreat. Respect.

Bonus: This is good acclimatization hike.
It also exercises some of your gear if you plan to do the Druk Path Trek. (link)

2) Immerse yourself in Bhutan’s mountains on the Druk Path Trek

If you know us, you’ll know we take every opportunity we can to go trekking and get into nature. We specifically chose our tour because it included the Druk Path Trek — four days exploring Bhutan’s mountains, disconnecting and getting away from it all.

Each day of
the trek included a diversity of landscapes and trails – through the forest,
along mountain ridges, up rocky inclines, over mountain passes. As we chose to
do a winter trek we also experienced the thrill of occasional snow, which turned
out to be both beautiful and peaceful. Evenings and nights could get quite
cold, but a sense of “invigorating” adventure pervaded as we camped in the
Himalayas in winter.

Druk Path Trek in Winter, Bhutan
Enjoying the silence of the frozen Druk Path Trek.

3) Celebrate at the highest point of the Druk Path, Labana Pass (4,200 meters/13,800 feet)

One of the
highlights of the Druk Path Trek was reaching Labana Pass, with its views of the
nearby Himalayan sub-ranges and surrounding valleys. Not only was this a
challenge to reach because its elevation at 4,200 meters/13,800 feet, but
during our winter trek we also had to make our way through a considerable
amount of snow and ice to reach this pass.

G Adventures Druk Path Trek in Bhutan
Getting a little silly and celebrating at Labana pass during the Druk Path Trek.

All worth
it though.

4) Admire the temple cats…and understand their symbolism

Buddhism,
the primary religion of Bhutan, asks its devotees to care for all sentient
beings, including all animals. This is why you’ll often see food left out for
stray dogs and cats near Buddhist temples and monasteries, as well as in chosen
spots in towns and cities. It was no different at the Thujidrak Goemba temple
on the third day of our Druk Path Trek. Water and food was left out for local
cats and dogs. Signs were posted about caring for animals, too.

Bhutan Tour with G Adventures
Food left out for stray cats, dogs and other animals outside a Buddhist temple.

It’s also
worth noting that in Bhutan there are four levels of prayers for devotees entering
a temple. The first is for animals since they do not have the ability to pray
for themselves. Then comes prayers for society and the nation, followed by
prayers for family. And last, are the prayers for oneself. A very fitting – and
deliberate — order.

5) Circumambulate around Memorial Chorten in Thimphu

Built in remembrance of Bhutan’s third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, the Memorial Chorten (or National Memorial Stupa) is a popular place for locals to hang out. The tradition now is that family members drop their elderly parents off on the way to work so they can spend the day with their friends, take time to pray, do circumambulations of the Memorial Chorten and nearby prayer wheels, and have some fresh air. (Note: circumambulations – movements around a sacred object – in Bhutan are always done in a clockwise direction.)

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures Tour
Joining the locals to circumambulate around the Memorial Chorten in Thimphu.

Although
the Memorial Chorten is painted white and may appear plain on the outside, the
three-story interior is flush with color, imagery and idolatry — paintings,
statues, shrines, mandalas and more. Our CEO (tour leader) walked us through
each floor, explaining the meaning of and stories behind the different deities,
Buddhas, incarnations and shrines.

Note: It is forbidden to take photos inside any Buddhist temple in Bhutan, which is why you see only exterior images here. This restriction is minded out of respect to sacred destinations and to avoid disturbing or distracting praying visitors. We like it.

6) Get your fill of Bhutanese food, especially ema datshi (chili and cheese)

We didn’t know
what to expect of Bhutanese cuisine before our trip, but were pleasantly
surprised. It’s tasty, generally pretty healthy and distinct yet influenced by its
neighbors (India, China and Nepal).

Bhutan Travel, Bhutanese Food
A typical Bhutanese meal will have several traditional dishes like this.

Also
pictured in the image: mixed veggies, Bhutanese chili sauce “Ezay” (yes, you read that right), pakshaa paa (greens or green beans,
chili peppers and hefty strips of pork fat), buckwheat noodles, carrot ginger
soup, and Jasha Maru (Bhutanese
chicken curry).⁠⠀

A typical
Bhutanese meal will consist of several, mainly vegetarian, dishes like you see
in the image below. One traditional dish that stands out and is a nearly ubiquitous
favorite: Ema Datshi — chili and cheese (pictured top right in the image). In
this dish, the chili peppers are the
vegetables. Each version we tried featured varying levels of heat, but they all
gave a kick and served as a welcome side or condiment.⁠⠀

Bhutanese Food, Chili and Cheese
Ema datshi (chili and cheese) where chili peppers are the vegetable.

⁠Our recommendation for eating in Bhutan: focus on the veggies. Almost all vegetables you find in meals in Bhutan are organic and grown locally. All meat is imported from India. This is because killing animals is outlawed in Bhutan for religious purposes.⁠⠀

7) Admire traditional Bhutanese archery at a local competition.

Archery is the national sport of Bhutan. Yes, it’s
much more difficult than it looks. (We know as we tried it later in the trip.)

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures Tour
Admiring the skill at an archery competition in Thimphu.

Traditional
Bhutanese archery employs a bamboo bow in an effort to strike a tiny 90 cm/3
feet tall and 30 cm/11 inches wide bullseye from 145 meters/475 feet away. Yes,
that’s almost 1.5 football or soccer fields away. It’s insanely far.

And yet,
when we crashed an archery competition in Thimphu, we saw an occasional arrow
strike the target. When it did, the shooting team would do a short dance and
sing in celebration. Silence returned soon after as deep concentration was
needed to repeat.

8) Try to count the 100,000 statues inside the giant golden Buddha Dordenma 

Overlooking Thimphu sits the massive golden Buddha Dordenma, the second largest seated Buddha statue in the world (the largest is in Hong Kong). Although this Buddha is impressive from the outside, what’s inside is even more remarkable: an estimated 100,000+ small Buddha statues, all of gilded bronze.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
Notice how small the people are to get perspective on the size of this Buddha Dordenma.

In addition
to several shrines and a large meditation area, the interior also features several
photos of the Bhutanese royal family which tell the succession of kings and
queens over the centuries. An in-depth visit here will outline the role of and
relationship between the royal family in Bhutan and Buddhism, the country’s
primary religion by constitution.

9) Visit the open air market to learn about local spices, chilis and incense

While in
Bhutan, take all opportunities to visit local markets and strings of local
vendors on the street.  We suggest this
not only to learn about the ingredients of and culture around local food, but
also to engage with and meet local people in Bhutan. The Centenary Farmer’s
Market in Thimphu is definitely worth a visit, with its piles of dried and
fresh chili peppers (why Bhutanese food has such a kick to it), Sichuan peppers,
chopped bitter gourd and much more.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
Couldn’t resist picking up some Sichuan pepper and roasted chili flakes from this mother and daughter team.

We were
also impressed also by the endless varieties of incense, of varying colors,
textures and blends. Incense is a bit of an art in Bhutan and is used to purify
air in temples, homes and markets.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
So many varieties and types of incense at the markets.

10) Check out some live rock music for a taste of modern Bhutan

You
wouldn’t think a visit to a venue featuring rock music cover bands should make
a top travel in a destination list. In Bhutan, it’s different.  

While much
of what you’ll see and experience in Bhutan is connected to traditional
culture, it’s worthwhile to spend a night out at live rock music bar to get a
feel for the flip side of modern day Bhutan and its youth culture.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
Enjoying the cover songs, plus a bit of modern Bhutan at Mojo Park.

The
highlight at Mojo Park in Thimphu isn’t hearing a live band cover songs from
Coldplay to David Bowie. Instead, it’s being in a bar — one that could be
anywhere in the world — and watching young Bhutanese interact, dress in both
traditional and non-traditional Bhutanese clothing, drink, sing along with western
rock songs, but sing even louder and more passionately to Bhutanese rock songs.

If you happen to spend a night or two in Thimphu, hop on over to Mojo Park for a craft beer, a fun night, and a little insight into Bhutan’s future.

11) Admire the phalluses (in sculptures and paintings) en route to Chime Lhakhang, The Temple of the Divine Madman

Yes, you
are seeing these photos correctly. Phalluses of all sizes, colors and designs are
painted on the sides of homes in Bhutan. They symbolize power and are thought to
ward away evil spirits and protect against gossip. As a side benefit, they also
shock – and sometimes delight – visitors.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
Yes, you are seeing the paintings on the house correctly.

The
prevalence of painted and sculpted phalluses is especially high around Chime
Lhakhang, or Temple of the Divine Madman, dedicated to the lama Drukpa Kunley of
the 15th and 16th century. He was a rather unconventional
lama who preached in an unorthodox way which shocked traditional Buddhist
priests and the hierarchy of the day. He is known to have subdued a demon with
his “magic thunderbolt of wisdom” and advocated for people to display the
phallus symbol on walls and to hang it from the four corners of their homes.

To no
surprise, the Chime Lhakhang temple is also known as a fertility temple. Visitors
travel there from all over Bhutan and the world to be blessed and to have
special prayers said for them in their hopes of having offspring. The temple even
maintains a photo album of photos sent by parents who’ve borne children after
their visit.

12) Take in the rituals and living history at Bhutan’s Temples

 All of Bhutan’s temples and fortresses are
alive, active with monks, nuns, and devotees. None, it seems, are static. Few
if any serve only as museum. This means that as a visitor you are a guest,
respectful of the local people, and the rituals, blessings and silence
happening around you.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
A Buddhist monk carries out a bowl of fruit offerings.

For
example, it’s common for locals to make offerings — of food, money, incense,
etc. — for blessing and to pay respect. For those who have made them, these
offerings don’t serve as pretty displays. Instead, offerings like the fruit bowl
above are used to feed and support the monks studying at the attached monastery
school. Often, these young monks come from poorer families who rely on the
monastery to educate and support their children.

13) Admire Punakha Dzong (Fortress) in Bhutan’s old capital

Punakha
Dzong is among a series of fortresses built across Bhutan in the 17th century
to protect the country from invaders (mainly from Tibet) as it formed a union
of the country’s various kingdoms. The fortress is strategically built between
the Pho Chhu (Male) and Mo Chhu (Female) river in the Punakha–valley. In lore,
it draws on the strengths of both genders. 

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
Admiring Punakha Dzong (Fortress) between the two rivers.

Although it
has suffered several fires and invasions, Punakha Dzong stands as Bhutan’s
second largest and second oldest fortress, and is widely considered the
country’s most impressive. It remains home to the same holy Buddhist relic — Ranjung
Karsapani, the “self-created” statue — that attracted Tibetan invaders all
those centuries ago, and is flush with local mystique and legend.

14) Turn the prayer wheels at Kyichu Lhakhang Temple in Paro

Prayer
wheels are ubiquitous in Bhutan. Used to accumulate good karma (which is often
equated with wisdom to combat ignorance) and to rid oneself of impurities (bad
karma), prayer wheels are always spun clockwise, typically while reciting
prayers or mantras.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures Tour
Turning the prayer wheels at Kyichu Lhakhang temple in Paro.

At Kyichu
Lhakhang, one of Bhutan’s oldest temples located in the town of Paro, an
elderly nun spins the prayer wheels during a visit to the temple with her
family.

As
anywhere, a moment or two of people watching in Bhutan tells a good deal about
the importance of belief and the role of devotion in Bhutanese society.

15) Soak your muscles in a traditional hot stone bath

Think of
the hot stone bath as the traditional Bhutanese farmhouse spa. River stones,
supposedly mineral-laden, are collected and heated on hot coals for several
hours until they are glowing red (and around a temperature of 300 Celsius). They
are then deposited into a wooden tub filled with water in order to heat it,
thereby releasing minerals. This process is what local people historically used
for bathing prior to in-house plumbing taking over.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures Tour
Heating the hot stones for our traditional bath at the farmhouse.

The way it works here is that you are in a hot tub of your own, on the other side of the wooden tub holding the hot stones which heat your water. While you share the water warmed by the hot stones, you are protected from accidentally touching them by a secure divider. The idea: you get to enjoy privacy and the warmth and minerals from the stones, but you don’t risk burning yourself.

Should you require more heat or warmer water, there’s no switch or tap. Instead you call out “more stones” and another glowing hot stone will be deposited on the other side of your tub. You keep doing this until your desired temperature, which we found to be about 3 or 4 stones (in the middle of winter). You can also ask for cold water if you find that you’ve been overly ambitious along the way.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
Relaxing in the steamy traditional hot stone bath.

Then, you
soak in the mineral-laden hot water. The water is relaxing and therapeutic.
Particularly after four days of trekking in the mountains on the Druk Path Trek,
this experience is well-timed and just about perfect.

Note: While many hotels and spas offer hot stone baths, we did ours at a family farmhouse outside of Paro. It was a nice family-run operation and we know that the money we paid went directly to the family.

16) Visit a local family farmhouse for a home-cooked meal

As much as
we enjoy eating in restaurants, we’ll opt for a home-cooked meal in a family
home any day. These opportunities not only often result in delicious meals, but
they also provide an opportunity to meet a local family, see how they live and
know that your tour money is truly staying local.

This was the
experience we had at a local family farmhouse our CEO (tour leader) took us to
outside of Paro on one of our last nights in Bhutan. We enjoyed a hearty meal featuring
several vegetable dishes, pork, ezay
(Bhutanese chili sauce) and homemade rice wine in a pleasant living room
adorned with paintings and symbols.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
Learning about the symbolism of the paintings in the family farmhouse living room.

The 5-year
old granddaughter played host, making sure we were well fed and that we
possessed all the right utensils. Unwittingly funny and entertaining, she also practiced
her English with us. Despite only being five years old, she’d already figured
out how to manage everyone and had assumed full control of the house. We wouldn’t
be surprised if she’s prime minister one day.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
Grandma and the 5-year old boss of the house.

17) Join the pilgrims on the hike up to Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest)

Before
arriving in Bhutan, we’d come across plenty of Tiger’s Nest temple images. It’s
the de facto symbol of the country.
What those photos often don’t convey is what an enjoyable and challenging
experience it is to get up there, including sharing the path with local
pilgrims along the way.

Bhutan Travel, Tiger's Nest - G Adventures Tour
Starting our hike up to Tiger’s Nest. Can you see it as a dot high in the hills?

Our G
Adventures group set out early in the morning. The idea: to capitalize on the
crispness of the early morning light and air and to avoid the crowds. If you
look closely in the photo above you might be able to spot the tiny Tiger’s Nest
tucked high (3,120 meters/10,240 ft) into the mountain in front of us as we set
off on what would be three miles (or five kilometers) of winding uphill.

Bhutan Travel, Tiger's Nest Hike with G Adventures Tour
One of the several stops for pilgrims to turn the prayer wheels on the way up to Tiger’s Nest.

On the way
up, you’ll encounter prayer wheels and prayer flags at different turns. You’ll
find all manner of contemplation, including locals reciting mantras, saying
prayers. The arrangement, tone and color of this particular scene really struck
us.⁠⠀

While a
visit inside the monastery itself is worthwhile, it was the journey up for us
that made the Tiger’s Nest experience so memorable.⁠

18) Admire Tiger’s Nest from across the canyon

After
hiking for several hours up some steep hills you finally reach a turn and a short
descent. From there, Tiger’s Nest finally appears in full view across the
canyon. It’s a remarkable sight; the 17th century temple is built
right on the mountain’s edge.

Tiger’s
Nest is placed at the location where the Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) is
believed to have brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century and is said to have
meditated in a cave for 3+ months. This direct connection to Guru Rinpoche has
made Tiger’s Nest one of the most sacred temple sites in the country. It is not
only popular for foreign visitors, but also for Bhutanese visitors who come as
part of a pilgrimage to pray and to receive blessings.⁠⠀

Bhutan Travel, Tiger's Nest on G Adventures Tour
Tiger’s Nest in the early morning light, right on the cliff’s edge.

After a
short descent back into the canyon and a short hike back up again we finally
reached the entrance to Tiger’s Nest. Due to the early hour we had much of the
temple to ourselves, sharing it only with a few monks providing blessings. By
the time we began our descent, most others were just beginning their hike up.
Perfect timing for us.

Note: Upon arrival at the monastery at
the top, you’ll be required to secure your phone, camera and any other bags or
electronics in a locker at the entrance to the temple. This is to prevent any
photos from being taken inside the temple, as well as to avoid distraction and bumping
into things with bulky items.

19) Get all dressed up, Bhutanese-style

 On our last night we got decked out in the traditional Gho (for men) and Kira (for women). While traditional dress such as this is required for official visits, in official buildings and at festivals, you’ll find men and women throughout Bhutan continuing to wear similar clothing in everyday life.

We clean up rather well in Bhutanese traditional dress.
All dressed up, Bhutanese style.

While the
outfits are attractive and surprisingly comfortable, like any traditional
outfit of its kind, there’s a sort of magic to cinching and securing it.

We’d like
to think we cleaned up pretty well.

20) Take a spin during a Bhutanese mask dance

Bhutan is a
country of festivals and dances, each having its own special symbolism and
purpose. Many are connected to Buddhist traditions, beliefs and legends, and
the planting and harvest cycles of the agricultural calendar. Some are also
connected to the universal themes of love, life, and death.

Bhutan Travel, Traditional Mask Dance on G Adventures tour
Spins, jumps and singing as part of the traditional Bhutanese mask dance.

Although
our visit didn’t coincide with festival season, we managed to experience some
traditional and mask dances on our last night. Some were light and comical (the
two guys who dressed as the self-deprecating yak had us howling!), while others
more serious and spiritual. Most impressive, however, were the spins and jumps.

In this
way, Bhutanese dance reflects the ups and downs, the contours of daily life and
the passage of the seasons.

How to Plan Your Bhutan Travels + Common Questions about Visiting Bhutan

During our
travels in Bhutan, we fielded a lot of excellent questions about visiting
Bhutan, including some of the practical considerations regarding traveling
there, organizing a tour, and all you need to know for your trip.

How do I get a visa to Bhutan?

Getting a
visa to visit Bhutan is not difficult in terms of submitting a lot of documents
to an embassy and waiting for a visa to be issued. However, you must book a
tour with the required minimum daily spending requirements (see #3 below).
Then, the tour operator will coordinate your visa for you based on the dates of
your trip. Although we’ve heard the visa costs $40, this was included in the
price of our tour so we did not pay for it separately.

We received our Bhutanese visa by email from G Adventures about a week prior to our tour departure. We printed out the PDF document and showed it when we checked in for our flight to Bhutan and at immigration upon arrival. More information on visas to Bhutan here.

Note: This visa information applies to
all nationalities except Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian. Citizens from these
countries do not require a special tourist visa dependent upon a tour.

Must I take a tour to visit Bhutan?

Yes, you
must take a tour (unless you are a citizen from India, Bangladesh or Maldives –
see above). An authorized tour is a requirement of obtaining a tourist visa to
Bhutan, since your tour company will sponsor your visa.

You have the choice whether you want to book a small group tour (e.g., similar to our tour with G Adventures) or an individual or private tour. You have full flexibility to decide your Bhutan travel itinerary, length of your tour, and your activities.

How much is the minimum daily package for a tour in Bhutan? Why is Bhutan so expensive?

The
Bhutanese government tourism policy for over 40 years has been that of “High
Value, Low Impact.” The goal: to minimize the potential negative impacts of
high-volume tourism while maximizing the potential positive impacts and focusing
on sustainability from high value or “high quality” tourism.

In
practical terms this policy translates into a “minimum daily package” (i.e..,
the minimum amount spent per day and per person on a tour) that travelers must
spend when visiting Bhutan. The idea: a high daily spend rate and tour
requirement will automatically filter out the large number of budget travelers
who do not want to spend that much, yet it will not deter those who really want
to visit Bhutan and have no issue spending the required amounts.

  • Low season minimum daily package = $200/person/day (January, February, June, July, August, and December)
  • High season minimum daily package = $250/person/day (March, April, May, September, October, and November)

Note: these are minimum daily package amounts, meaning that it’s possible that the
tour you choose is more expensive due to the type of hotel, activities,
transport, itinerary, meals, etc., that are included.

  • Single person supplement: $40/night
  • Group of two supplement: $30/person/night

Note: These daily package rates do not
apply to citizens of India, Bangladesh and the Maldives.

If you are price sensitive then the least expensive option for Bhutan is to travel in a small group in the low season. This is what we did by taking a G Adventures small group tour (we had 7 people in our group) during the low season (late January to early February).

Bhutan also
limits the number of tourists who can visit Bhutan each year (currently at
around 100,000 people/year) so as to avoid overcrowding. Even if you travel in
the high season you shouldn’t face loads of tour groups and travelers, which
could negatively impact your travel experience.

More official information on Bhutan travel minimum daily package rates here.

What is included in a Bhutan tour? How is the money used? 

Essentially,
a tour to Bhutan is pretty much all-inclusive. This means that the price and
tour includes accommodation, local guide, transport, entrance fees, activities,
support services for trekking, and all meals. What’s not included are things
like additional drinks (alcohol, sodas, etc.), souvenirs/shopping, personal
activities (e.g., spa treatments) and tips.

Bhutan Travel, G Adventures tour
Our G Adventures CEO (tour leader) gives background on Buddhism on the way up to Kila Goempa nunnery.

In
addition, $65/day goes to the government as a Sustainable Development Fee. We
were told that this money is allocated towards providing free healthcare and
education to Bhutanese people. This is an example of how tourism money is
invested directly back into the country and its development. 

How do I get to Bhutan? What airlines fly to Bhutan?

We won’t lie, Bhutan is not the easiest or cheapest destination to reach. There is only one international airport, Paro (PBH). Only two airlines, Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines, are authorized to fly there, and only a limited number of airports links are available in Asia for inbound and outbound flights.

Bhutan Travel, Flights to Bhutan
Flying with Bhutan Airlines from Paro.

Since neither Druk Air or Bhutan Airways is connected with other international airlines or systems, you often need to overnight in the departure destination (and possibly sort out a visa there) to be sure you don’t miss your fight into Bhutan. In addition, the price of the flights to Bhutan are exceptionally high considering the distance and the general price of flights across the rest of Asia.

However,
since don’t have much of a choice flying to Bhutan, you make the best of the
situation and try to find the most convenient flights and connections. For us,
that meant flying into Delhi, India and overnighting there before getting a flight
to Paro on Druk Air. On the return we flew directly from Paro to Bangkok,
Thailand on Bhutan Airways. Most of our group flew in from Kathmandu, Nepal.

The price of flights is pretty much the same between Druk Air and Bhutan Airways. We tried both airlines just to see if there was a difference. Although they are pretty similar we’d suggest Druk Air as being a bit more organized and put together. You can book your tickets and pay online with both Druk Air and Bhutan Airways.

Note: The price of flights to and from
Bhutan depends on whether you are a Bhutanese citizen, a citizen from a SAARC
country (e.g., India, Bangladesh, Nepal, etc.) or a non-SAARC foreigner (i.e.,
rest of the world). The latter group has the most expensive tickets. If  you think you can trick the system regarding
your country of origin, note that Bhutan airline websites will ask for your
visa type in advance and warn that they can cancel your ticket if you provide
incorrect information.

Which is the best side of the plane to sit on when flying into Paro, Bhutan?

When flying
from Kathmandu to Paro, the left side of the aircraft offers the best views. A
window seat on the left side (try to get one that’s not directly over the wing,
of course) will provide the best views of the high Himalayan mountains,
including Mount Everest.

Bhutan Travel, Flying to Paro
THIS is why you try to sit on the left side of the plane from Kathmandu to Paro.

When is the best time to visit Bhutan?

Many people say that the best time to visit is in the spring months of mid-March to early May when the rhododendrons and other flowers are in bloom and the weather has begun to turn warm. Another good time from September to November, in autumn when skies are supposed to be clear so you should have good views of the mountains. Festival season seems to be mostly in March/April and September/October (you can see a list of all 2020 festivals in Bhutan here).

The monsoon rains usually arrive late May and last through the summer
until late August. Although the fields and hills would be super green during
this time, I don’t think I’d recommend doing a trek then because of the rain,
mud and clouds (no views).

We visited Bhutan in late January/early February, meaning the heart of
winter. We chose this time as we usually enjoy visiting places in the shoulder
or off season. Although we had to be prepared for some cold weather, especially
during the Druk Path Trek with camping in snow, we found winter a good time to
visit Bhutan. It was usually sunny and relatively warm during the day, which
was quite pleasant. 

In addition, we encountered almost no other tourists the whole time we
were in Bhutan, and that also included having the Druk Path Trek trails and
campsites to ourselves. Almost all the temples, fortresses and other sites were
also quite empty, save an Indian tour group from time to time. This also meant
that our walk up and visit to Tiger’s Nest Temple was pleasantly empty.

Are there ATMs in Bhutan?

Before we proceed to the long and somewhat complicated story of using ATMs in Bhutan, we note that carrying U.S. dollars($) or Euros(€) cash is wise. You’ll find this money useful in making exchanges in a pinch and also using in many shops. Exchange rates vary widely between currencies, as well as the denomination of bill (i.e., higher denomination = better rate), and from hotel to hotel and shop to shop, but they are usually based on the Bank of Bhutan rates.

Although there are ATMs in Bhutan (in major cities like Paro and Thimphu), the machines are fickle. We and others in our group made several failed ATM withdrawal attempts before figuring out what steps to take and which types of available ATM withdrawal requests to make in order to see money emerge from the machine.

If you wish to use an ATM card to make withdrawals of local Bhutanese currency (the Ngultrum), you should notify the bank associated with your ATM or debit card that you will be traveling in Bhutan. When withdrawing money from major banks (e.g., Bank of Bhutan, a.k.a. BOB), the “fast cash” withdrawal options (e.g., 5000, 3000 or 1000) were the only ones that seemed to work for us. Selecting the regular withdrawal from a current or savings account did not work. When we needed more money than those options offered, we simply made multiple withdrawals.  (Note: ATM fees are less a concern for us because we bank with Charles Schwab Bank, which refunds to us any ATM fees at the end of each month.)

Even if you notified your bank in advance of your trip to Bhutan, might still fail in getting money out at the Bhutanese ATM and then need to call your bank again…as we did. When inquiring as to why we were experiencing difficulty, we discovered that while there was no issue or block with our bank, there was an issue with the interbank network (Visa, Maestro, Cirrus, etc.). In our case, our bank had to have a conversation with Visa to request that they allow withdrawal transactions from Bhutan to proceed.  Again, try your ATM card first and the fast-cash option might work. If it doesn’t, call the bank and make sure that neither they nor the intrabank network are in the way.

Finally, although you should officially be able to exchange any leftover Bhutanese currency back into a major currency, we would not recommend piling up cash and expecting the exchange to be easy at Paro airport.  Perhaps because it was low season (or the coronavirus pandemic was just underway), money exchanges were empty. Even they were open, I would not be particularly confident that they would be adequately supplied with the proper denominations of currency you prefer or require on your way out of Bhutan.

What is Gross National Happiness?

While most countries in the world gauge their progress using a measure known as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), one based ostensibly on output as a measure of collective wealth, Bhutan uses something different called Gross National Happiness (GNH). The idea: that there is a more holistic or multi-dimensional approach to development and measuring “success” than just GDP and financial yardsticks.

The idea of GNH originally came from Bhutan’s fourth king, Jigme Singye
Wangchuck, in the 1970s. Since then it has evolved into measurement device which
attempts to quantify whether or not the country is meeting its happiness
development goals. The four pillars of GNH include:

  • Sustainable Socioeconomic Development
  • Environmental Conservation
  • Preservation and Promotion of Culture
  • Good Governance

While we are not particularly big fans of the “Gross National Happiness” title (it’s a bit gimmicky and reductive) we do respect and appreciate making a more holistic attempt to understand and measure progress and development. It’s admirable that any government, national or otherwise, might attempt to elevate and somehow quantify social, environment, cultural and governance factors – in pursuit of a more sustainable development model. More on GNH here.

As for Bhutan being the “happiest country” and its people being “the
happiest in the world” that also strikes us as a gimmick and art of marketing.
It’s interesting to note that many of the articles I read authored by Bhutanese
people highlighted that “happiness” is personal and what makes one “happy” is
often based on a variety of subjective factors.

Bhutan struggles with development and the rush of modernity as many societies do and have. That will likely be apparent to any visitor to the country. And while there’s no one way to make anyone “happy”, there’s arguably some benefit to a people when its government makes an effort to elevate the importance of the environment, culture, social issues and transparency.

Disclosure: Our tour to Bhutan was provided to us by G Adventures in cooperation with its Wanderers in Residence program. This article includes affiliate links — that is, if you book a G Adventures tour by clicking on one of the links above the price stays the same to you and we earn a small commission to support this website and stories like this. Check out all the different G Adventures tours we’ve taken and recommend. As always, the thoughts contained herein — the what, the why, and the how — are entirely our own.

The post Travel to Bhutan: An Experiential Guide to Explore this Remote Kingdom appeared first on Uncornered Market.

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The Best Things to do in Hamilton, Ontario

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The Best Things to do in Hamilton, Ontario

The best things to do in Hamilton, Ontario

Looking for things to do in Hamilton? A popular day trip from Toronto, Hamilton is fast becoming one of Ontario’s favorite outdoor destinations. With a growing art scene, independent galleries, and historic architecture and museums, “The Hammer” is a truly thriving city. It offers easy access to recreation trails, watersports, and conservation areas providing a […]

Read the original post The Best Things to do in Hamilton, Ontario on The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog.

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