Bhutan
Bhutan
- Countryside
- Kingdom in the clouds
- Country life
- Happy, healthy, and holistic
The world’s last surviving Buddhist monarchy may be modernising (slowly), but if you’re looking for a palpable sense of history in a jaw-plummeting mountain landscape, Bhutan is hard to beat.
Cradled by the snow-hatted Himalayas between India and Tibet, the remote and, until recently, almost inaccessible Kingdom of Bhutan has fiercely guarded its secrets from the rest of the world, maintaining limited flights and hefty tourist fees in order to preserve its ancient Buddhist cultural traditions. The advantage to those lucky enough to set foot on its mountain soil is the lack of queues, crowds, or any of the other tourist trappings that have tainted its neighbours – when it comes to getting away from the tribulations of the modern world, there’s no better destination. Unspoilt forests clamber up the plunging valleys, monasteries, temples and fortresses perch precariously over mountain passes, and, throughout the year, colourful masked dance festivals fill the streets of the capital, Thimphu.
Pictured: Amankora
Boutique hotels in Bhutan
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and boutique hotels in Bhutan
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Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best Bhutan has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
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Eating, drinking & dancing
We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Bhutan. All you have to do is make sure you've packed your favourite threads…
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Smith Maps
Here is the map of Bhutan; each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel is marked by a flag; click it for more details.
moreLocal knowledge
- Taxis
- Given that Bhutan’s government assigns every visitor a car, it’s unlikely you’ll need a cab. Nevertheless, taxis of all kinds – vans, minivans, jeeps and sedans – pootle along Bhutan’s roads and passes, serving the local population.
- Tipping culture
- Service charges are usually included in hotel and restaurant bills. However, tips of around 10 per cent are always very welcome.
- Siesta and Fiesta
- Shops and businesses open and close at different times depending on the seasons. In warmer months, work starts around 8.30–9am and ends around 7–8pm. Hours are reduced in winter, with many businesses closing around 6pm. Bars tend to open around 1pm, but remain closed on Tuesdays, when no alcohol is served.
- Packing tips
- Himalayan highlands are hell on the heels, so a pair ankle-bolstering walking shoes are a must. Parts of Bhutan enjoy subtropical heat, other areas are chillier; sunscreen and sunglasses should share suitcase space with cosy jumpers.
- Recommended reads
- Quirky, astute and surprising, Beyond the Sky and the Earth tells of Canadian Jamie Zeppa’s relocation to Bhutan, and her nine years living as a teacher there. The first novel by a Bhutanese woman, Circle of Karma by Kunzang Choden, is a simple but evocative tale of growing up in the country, brimming with cultural detail.
- Cuisine
- While Bhutanese restaurants are unlikely to challenge Indian, Chinese or Thai for dominance of the international high street, the country has a few culinary flourishes worth sampling (including, for the bolder palate, smoked hornets). Bhutanese cuisine is simple, rustic food, powerfully flavoured with chillies and a hefty scattering of salt. The national dish is emadatse, a feisty-flavoured curry made with cheese and chilli peppers. Yak meat is a staple, whether in curries of dried and dipped in a chilli paste. Dried yak cheese is frequently eaten as a snack (be warned though: it is served rock hard and takes at least one to two hours of sucking to soften). Momos – steamed dumplings filled with cheese, pork or cabbage – are popular between-meal nibbles.
- Currency
- The Ngultrum (Nu); US$1 is equivalent to roughly 48Nu.
- Time zone
- GMT +6.
- Dialing codes
- Country code for Bhutan: 975.
- Do go/don't go
- Bhutan’s nickname is ‘land of the thunder dragon’, a reference to the rumbling storms that can strike the country, particularly in July and August. December brings the clearest skies, October is a bumper month for festivals, March and April sees the flowers of spring blooming in the Himalayas.
