HHR review for Bhutan trip 8D/7N Jun 2012
Trip to Bhutan
(Written on 03 Aug, 2012)
I used the services of Himalayan Hotels and Resorts (HHR) to book my Honeymoon trip to Bhutan during Jun 2012. During my initial negotiations with them, I found them to be very professional and prompt (Read More). They were able to patiently answer my queries and clarifications. I also found their rates to be competent when compared with others. For the same number of days/nights, I received the most competitive rates from HHR. I booked a 8 Days 7 Nights trip to Bhutan including airfare, stay inclusive of breakfast (we chose semi-deluxe mid range hotels), and sight seeing inclusive of all required entry permits, road permits, vehicle fees, monument entry fees, guide fees etc.
The process of initial booking, visa etc was seamless there were no problems with entry. We had our host/driver waiting at the airport to receive us. We had a nice, almost new, clean, luxurious Hyundai Santa Fe vehicle at our disposal. Upon landing we realized that the guide was missing. We assumed that he might turn up the next day when we start our sight seeing, or that the driver himself might double up as guide, but that assumption was a mistake on our part. We should probably have talked and sorted things out, but day 2 onwards we decided to go ahead with the services of a guide. For people interested in history, a guide is definitely a necessity, as there is only so much that others can help you with. Fellow travellers, please be aware that most standard package tours to bhutan come with an assigned driver and guide and you'd have already paid for their services. The driver assigned to us (Santosh), though, was very courteous and prompt and we would strongly recommend him. He would always report at the decided time without any undue delays, and was always willing to engage in a friendly chat.
Our first destination was Thimpu, and our Hotel dragon roots. I would rate the hotel average - clean interiors, but on many occasion, we had to ask the staff more than once for them to respond to service requests. One advantage is the proximity of the hotel to the city centre and to the clock tower square, and we could easily take a stroll around the area. We had our breakfasts in the hotel, and again i'd want to rate the food average/decent. We tried other restaurants around the area, and we could easily get indian food. Souveneirs were grossly expensive and so were other items for shopping. And this was the story wherever in Bhutan. Surely not for shopaholics.
From Thimpu to Punakha/Wangdue, 3 hrs away, where we were supposed to stay for 2 days. We stayed at Hotel Kingaling and we were their only guests for those 2 days. Quite a new experience :). The room was nice, huge and airy with a good view of the river. The staff, in contrast to dragon roots, were very courteous and were more than willing to accommodate our requests. The food though was strictly average and priced on the higher side. This part of the trip was dull when compared to Thimpu/Paro. Probably because the location of the hotel is far removed from the city and without any sources of entertainment nearby. Though the staff more than compensated with their lively attitude. They invited me and my wife to be their guest for a party that the staff were organizing in honour of an employee who got promoted. We also visited Punakha dzong, Phobjika valley - The winter home of the black necked crane, and Gangtey Monastery. Since it was not winter, needless to say that we did not see even a stray bird. Surely not recommended for people travelling outside of winter. Our driver friend Santosh, though, told us that it is a wonderful sight in winter with thousands of migratory birds nesting there. What could have been a better itinerary is that we could have avoided the stay in Punakha/Wangdue and visited the Punakha dzong and gone back to Thimpu the same day, thus converting this part of the trip into a day affair. This could have resulted in the trip reducing by 2 days or we could probably have accommodated Bumthang or some other destination.
Punakha to Paro, 5 h
