For U.S. citizens, Bhutan is one of those places where you must travel via a tour operator, which includes having a guide on the ground with you during your entire stay in Bhutan. It’s not optional–you won’t get your visa without using an operator. In fact, only Indian, Bangladeshi, and Maldivian passport holders are exempt from this requirement.I’m not opposed to tours. Well, let me clarify: I’m not opposed to small tours (less than 18 people). With limited vacation time, tours are sometimes the most effective and efficient way to travel with minimal (literally no) planning. So I didn’t experience the initial gut reaction of “ughhh” that some independent travelers may have about this requirement.
With this knowledge, I started my long, windy road to finding a pot of gold and (I hope) what will be a great operator for us.
The fee structure for visiting Bhutan, as of Summer 2014, is as follows:
For a group of 3 or more: $250 per person, per night traveling in March-May and Sept-Nov (all other times $200 per person per night).
For a group of 2: An additional $30 per person, per night.
For a single: An additional $40 per night.
This ‘tariff’ includes: All internal taxes and charges, a sustainable tourism royalty, internal ground transport, meals, a licensed tour guide, and a minimum 3 star accommodation.
First, per my usually weirdness, I had already created a short-list of hotels that I wanted to stay at in Bhutan. Let’s just say I’m a bit selective/particular when it comes to accommodations and leave it at that…On my short-list was the Taj Tashi, Uma Paro, the Aman properties (as if these were in our budget..hahahahaha), Uma Punakha, Zhiwa Ling, and a few others.
Second, I looked at itineraries for U.S. companies with whom I have previously traveled (or was familiar with), but most of the trips were 9++ days. We were a bit constricted on time, particularly given the extra days we needed to build in a cushion for any possible delays. A 9-day trip was rapidly looking like at least 13 days, and that didn’t even count spending some quality time in Bangkok, which we knew we wanted to do. I also wasn’t totally convinced I wanted to spend 9 days just in Bhutan (commitment issues?). So this wasn’t going to work.
Side note: Had I known there were red pandas in the remote regions, I probably would have done anything possible for a red panda sighting. Alas, another time.
Third, I had read on the TripAdvisor forums that booking through a local operator reduced the cost (obviously), so I started sorting through local operators to create a customized tour. The daily rate only includes 3* accommodations, so I knew I’d have to pay more for the luxury properties I wanted. Even without hotel upgrades, we were looking at $560 per day, and operators rarely (ever?) start at the minimum tariff in the first place. And after a few quotes topping an additional $350 per person per night or more for the hotels I wanted, I was questioning whether I really wanted luxury accommodations after all. Daily fee+supplement for only 2 ppl+operator surcharge+ $700 extra per night=not going to happen.
Fourth, I whined a bit to DH how I really wanted to go to Bhutan but things were just looking really expensive and I really wanted to stay in nice places (I told you I had accommodation issues, and Bhutan is my 30th birthday present to myself, too).
Then, I stumbled upon Uma Paro’s (by COMO Hotels) packages when looking at their rack rates. Yup, they were expensive, but they already included the “extra” for upgrading the accommodations. Plus, they threw in some luxury extras like massages for two and a free night in Bangkok (awesomesauce!). There were no additional fees. I was intrigued! Now–the packages weren’t ‘cheap’ enough that I booked the same day….no, no they very much weren’t.
Instead, I spent hours emailing Uma Paro’s wonderful reservation managers, who answered all of my questions to my satisfaction and in an extremely timely manner. I also preferred Uma Paro as some (not all) of the local tour operators requested wire transfers. I won’t go into why this is a huge pain in the ass for me, but it is and I get uncomfortable wiring thousands of dollars; I feel more protected with a credit card transaction (+ pointtsssss!!). So that was a plus.
After playing date roulette more than I would have liked, we finally took the plunge and put down a deposit. As our departure date draws closer, I’m beyond excited to have our entire trip through COMO Hotels, staying at the two Uma properties in Bhutan. Time will tell if the choice was a good one, but I am pretty confident that–for what we wanted (luxury, relaxation, and an awesome cultural experience)–it will be an excellent choice.
Tiger’s Nest…here we come!
Do you choose hotels before you choose anything else for a trip? Have you been to Bhutan and have advice for us? I’d love to hear from you!
