Kuzu zangpo la!! 😘

We just returned from Bhutan 5 days ago and we are tremendously impressed and satisfied with our tour operator, DrukAsia, and our hosts - Mr Dorjee/Dorji Tshering (guide), and Mr Chimi Rinzin - who possess the sweetest dispositions!

Booking & Communications

Booking of the tour was a breeze and the communications were excellent. The arrangements (confirmation of tour, visa application, booking of airline tickets, and travel insurance) were made in such short order, and could be done or coordinated conveniently online - we only made one trip to their office! It was a joy liaising with Ugyen Dema as she would respond to our queries promptly. She stayed in constant contact and would immediately update us on any changes. The information on the tour package provided was extremely comprehensive and detailed, thus really helpful if one's too busy to do any research beforehand! The overall programme was well-planned; highly customisable, always something of interest, but with enough down-time! 👍

Our Guide

Mr Dorjee / Dorji Tshering has this intriguing, calming aura and soothing voice which puts you at ease immediately. And one cannot help but gravitate towards him whenever he speaks. He is exceptionally knowledgeable and will take great effort to introduce and explain Bhutan's sights/attractions, religion, folklore, history and culture to us. Through his thorough sharing and story-telling, we were able to gain a deeper insight/understanding and appreciation of the Bhutanese traditions and way of life. He is very attentive and patient, and will always make it a point to check on you frequently, whether in the car or while hiking, to ensure you are fine. The highlight of our trip was definitely the trek to Taktshang Goemba (or Tiger's Nest Monastery), and throughout the 'epic' journey, Dorjee/Dorji would give us encouragements and remind us to "take it easy" and to take a break if we feel unwell. Many times, he would point out interesting flora or fauna along the path, as a way of 'distraction' from our 'pain' hahaha and/or to make us stop to catch our breath. He will miraculously appear whenever you need him and discreetly keeps his distance when he senses that you wish to have your own space. He always tries his very best to grab the best tables/seats for us at the eateries and even got us an 'upgrade' of our room to one under 'a million stars' and a fabulous view of the paddy fields, on the 2nd night at Hotel Lobesa, Punakha. He is exceedingly gracious and generous where food is concern as he would buy the different snacks like yak cheeses and rice crackers for us to try at the various markets. He also has immense respect and compassion for animals (he will rescue insects from harm's way i.e. from getting crushed or stepped upon by ignorant travelers), the elderly (he helped an old lady fix her broken garden sun-shade), and the environment (have witnessed him picking up litter/rubbish from the ground on numerous occasions!) He is truly the perfect ambassador for the company and his country! A true class act! 🥰

Our Driver

Do not be fooled by Chimi's youthful demeanor. He is an experienced guide too, who doubles up as a driver from time to time, and an accomplished professional archer - or some say the best in Punakha?! 😝 He is a fantastically competent and skillful driver who is able to maneuver the winding roads and hairpin turns without resulting in any of us turning green or throwing up. He also owns a huge, awesome collection of songs and hits for road trips, keeping us entertained and relaxed during all the car rides (unfortunately, we did not get to hear them sing even though they promised to hahaha). He is a very polite and hardworking guy with boundless energy, always ensuring the car is clean and in tip-top state, and that we have sufficient water at the backseats. He has a great sense of humour, is fun-loving, and sporting, and would offer suggestions and/or his views whenever appropriate. Both the pick-up and drop-off at the airport were very comfortable and punctual and the vehicle provided was superb and capable of handling the often-times less-than-ideal road conditions. 😻

Both Dorjee/Dorji and Chimi are some of the friendliest, humble, and most accommodating hosts we have ever encountered! We certainly felt safe (as well as privileged and pampered) with them around during the entire trip. We will be visiting Bhutan again in the near future and have made a pact with Dorjee/Dorji and Chimi that we will engage/request for them to show us the Central and Eastern parts of their lovely country, if possible!

Tashi delek and log jay gay!! 🙋‍♀️

Accommodation

Namgay Heritage Hotel - 4/5

Hotel Lobesa - 5/5

Gangtey Palace Hotel - 4.5/5

In my opinion, though Hotel Lobesa is considered a small B&B or Inn in Punakha, with just 14 rooms, it's one of the BEST accommodations we have ever stayed in! Our rooms were huge (even the bathroom!) commanding a spectacular view of the beautiful valley. It was here that we enjoyed the best Bhutanese cuisine (okay, on par with the dinner we had at the traditional farmhouse - both equally delicious!) The staff and services rendered were flawless and surpassed all expectations. Special shout-out to the owner/proprietor, Mr Passang Drukgyel, who is ever present at the 'reception' keeping a close, hawkish eye on the smooth operations, and making everyone feel welcomed with his broad, sincere smile and hospitality! It was so comfortable there - a cozy Scandinavian lodge/cabin feel - that I wish I could extend my stay, admiring the sunrise or sunset views, wake up to sounds of cows, chickens, birds, running streams, and - yes - the solar-powered dogs too! :)

Namey samey kadrin chhe la!! 🇧🇹🇧🇹🇧🇹

We traveled to Bhutan in April and chose Druk Asia to plan our trip. Sangay was very helpful and responsive via email. After an exciting flight with perfect visibility, our guide Dorji and driver Kencho made our stay in Bhutan an unforgettable experience! Even more so as we were travelling with our children, 8 and 6 years old — they were very accommodating and playful with them; they became part of our family! The nature, temples, people, culture were one of a kind; also the weather was beautiful at this time of year. Highly recommend to experience Bhutan through Druk Asia.

Our guide @Dorjee Tshering and our driver @Karma Jamtsho are true professionals. They did their job with their hearts. Dorjee knows a lot and is very willing to share. He speaks well in English. Karma was a very defensive driver, deliberately went slow 30-40 km/h on treacherous bends on hilly drives. They worked well together and demonstrated good camaraderie, very enjoyable company to be in. They project the Bhutanese way and are gold ambassadors of their beloved homeland.

Our top 5:
Chelela pass - stay longer and hike up!!
Hike through rice fields to Divine Madman's temple
Dochula's pass - walk up the forest opposite!
National Museum at Ta Dzhong - make time to learn all you can
Tiger's Nest hike - no pain no gain!

Kuzu zangpola!

I can't stop my sadness of leaving Bhutan. It is such a wonderful place with a warm hospitality that I just feel like really want to just move and stay there. haha.. I hope that will never change until I come back to Bhutan in the future.

Me and my husband really lucky to have Mr. DORJEE and Mr. HAAP SANGAY as our travel companion. 10-12 hours of ride on the bumpy road and 7 hours of trekking feels like a joyful experience. They both feel each of our day with joy and endless of laughter! They even help me to arrange a simple birthday celebration for my husband and he is just so happy and touched. And also really thank you so much for helping me with all of my unstoppable questions. The name of Sangay Dorji will be my lucky charm forever haha. You know what we even met Mr.Sangay the owner of Valley resort in Bumthang which is the best owner. The resort might be average but the owner is so welcome and it really put a good memories in our hearts which is sure if we back to Bumthang again we will stay there again.

I have already have my husband promised that we will visit Bhutan again maybe next 2 years after all the road construction finish and we will stay longer there especially in Bumthang and Gangtey.

Kahdrin chey la and laso laaa.

Yes, we felt sad to leave Bhutan.

It is a very beautiful country. The people are very warm too.

We enjoyed the trip very much though there were challenging moments for me while doing the trek, haha.

Please convey our special thanks to tour guide Dorjee Seering and the driver Aue Tshering for making our stay in Bhutan a very pleasant one.

Also Kadrin Chhey to you for helping us with the trip arrangement.

Best regards,

Geok

Hello Sonam,

I have had a wonderful tour here in Bhutan. Thank you for organising it and to the team here.

Best Regards
Carol Knox

Dear Sonam,

We had a fantastic trip to Bhutan! We really appreciated the kindness of the people, the smile of the children, the general peacefulness and happiness even though the living conditions are sometimes tough especially in the mountains. We appreciated as well the religious feelings which are present everywhere and are part of the landscape with these so wonderful pray-flags and of course these temples and monasteries.

And we were fascinated by the landscape, the combination of the Himalayas Mountains scenarios and the man's work around the agriculture and construction of so nicely decorated house farms. Bhutan is an example within an agitated world where peace and happiness are in danger in so many places. We did feel so well in Bhutan that we only think now when we'll be able to come back!

Thanks a lot to Drukair and Druk Asia for organizing our trip there.

Best regards
JM & M Guillermou

Dear Sangay Dorji,

Thank you for your e-mail. Yes, we have been well and are now in Bangkok for a few days of resting. Our departure from Bhutan went very well and I wanted to thank you again for taking care of our excess luggage allowance. Our stay in Bhutan was very pleasant and interesting.

We had a very good driver and we liked our guide (Dorji). He was very informative, discreet and courteous. The only criticism I could have for him or rather a recommendation would be to encourage him to perfect his English as it is sometimes difficult to understand him.

With regard to the hotels: we loved of course the Uma Paro and it was a great way to say goodbye to Bhutan. But, we equally liked the Druk Hotel where we enjoyed a beautiful room, the change to the Lobesa Hotel was also great. A very nice owner, very present for his guests and a hotel that has great potential to increase its stars. The one hotel, as I said in a previous e-mail, that I did not like too much was the Dewachen and yet, I know it is me who insisted in staying there.

But we loved being in the valley, watching the black neck cranes and doing the walk. It ended up being a bit much of a walk for us (75 and 67 at 3000 m altitude) and actually, had the driver picked us up as we exited the forest and driven us up to the temple, it would have been perfect. But never mind, we did it and felt better for it albeit a bit exhausted.

As far as the Tiger's Nest is concerned, I asked Dorji our guide, to rent us some mules of which I had read about in a magazine at the hotel. He then proposed the poney to go up to the cafeteria and that was a good solution for us as we did then not have the fatigue of the uphill in order to come down.

You have a beautiful country that one can feel is going places and shall become a great nation.

The challenge for your government and King will be to preserve your traditions and culture in the midst of the invasion of western cultures through tourism and television.

One think that should be made clear to your visitors is the fact that buildings do not have central heating and hence it can get real cold up in the mountains and out of high season. We were somewhat prepared, given that we had just come from Nepal where it was freezing and there was no electricity for over 11 hours a day, so no heating nor hot water.

The arrival and departure at the airport were flawless.
Our car very comfortable and we had water every day and as much as needed.
We look forward to the completion of the roads from Thimphu to Punakha and from Punakha to Gangtey valley. That would make a big change for the villages and for the tourists.

Of course, we are aware that we only saw a little part of Bhutan. Maybe the next time we will want to see the rest of the country. But we are happy for now and thankful to have had such good support through your agency.

Pictures will follow and yes, you can release them to other customers.

With best regards and thanks again
Matilde Bingemer

Dear Sonam,

Kaadinchhey La for your email and apologies for taking such a long time to respond to your email. Straight back to work since then.

Personally, I truly enjoyed Bhutan and if I could, I would visit Bhutan again, that's for sure. Unfortunately, our flight delayed so we missed a number of sights in Bhutan. And of course, due to the roadworks, we had to adjust our timing as well.

We really enjoyed our stays in Druk Hotel and Metta Resort. And I like to thank your agency as well for allowing us to make amendments to our dinner menu at Druk Hotel on the second night, because we are small eaters and could not eat as much as the hotel provided.

It was amazing when it started snowing as we made our way to Dochula Pass on the first day.. it was gorgeous. And even during Bumdra trek, it started snowing all around, it was so beautiful. We really enjoyed the weather going up to Bumdra trek and coming down as well.

The tent accommodation in Bumdra was excellent, so was the food. Unfortunately, we were not used to such cold weather, I think it was around -6C at night and in the morning when we woke up, with very strong winds. So that was a bit of a challenge. But we really enjoyed it as a first time experience, for all of us, trekking. I would like to go back one day and do the Druk Path trek.

We really like Dorji as our guide. He was really patient and very supporting during out trek and we appreciate it. As you know, we had someone in the group with a health condition so we had to take many many stops along the well and Dorji was most accommodating. And Red Panda was a really good driver too.

Some feedback in terms of improvement:

- it would have better for you to send us a message via phone or called us to inform us about the flight delay. We were in Bangkok as you know and only had intermittent email access. So, it was only just before we left the hotel in the morning that one of us in the group decided to check his office email and saw your email. And we had already arranged for a taxi to the airport, so it was quite troublesome.

- Also, our first guide mentioned to us that we had waited at the airport for us, not knowing that our flight was delayed. So the amendments the tour itinerary was not communicated to us.

- Personally, I did not enjoy the hotel in Punakha, Hotel Vara. The accommodation is really basic, compared to the same 3 star Metta Resort, it was not a good stay and the food was not great either.

- It would have been great if we could have had a picnic during our Tango Trek, Norbu (our first guide) told us that it was raining but it was a perfect day.

- The roadworks should have been communicated to us earlier so that we could be consulted on which places we wanted to go.

I guess that's all the feedback I have for you.
Thank you for helping us to arrange the trip. And thank you for such a beautiful country!

Tashi delek!
Log Jay Gay

Hi Sangay!

Bhutan was fantastic and I was extremely sad to leave. As a person who travels frequently for leisure, this has been one of the best holidays I have been on so far! The country is really breathtakingly beautiful. Digital images do not do justice to its beauty. The scope and magnificence of its valleys and mountains are simply indescribable and must be experienced first-hand. And Bhutan seems to be doing everything right to maintain its natural beauty, culture and way of life.

As a single traveller, I was extremely pleased with the travel arrangements of having one guide and driver to myself. This eliminates the problems of having to compromise with other strangers in a group. I would also like to thank you Sangay, for your patience and assuring emails. Bhutan is a very remote destination but you manage to blend professionalism with a personal touch of friendliness to make me feel extremely welcomed to your country, even before I stepped foot into Bhutan!

While there is a set itinerary, I never felt restricted. I was even asked whether I wanted to have dinner outside of the hotel should I get bored with the food in the hotels. I did so twice, not because I was bored with the food but upon my guide's recommendation and I'm glad I did. The first time, I was surprised by a lovely dinner to celebrate my birthday, joined by a family group of friendly travellers who was on the same itinerary as I was. And the second time was dinner at a farmhouse (with the same group and their guide and driver) after a relaxing hot stone bath. It was my last dinner in Bhutan and it was befitting to end such a memorable trip in the company of new-found friends!

There were some early-morning departures, due to scheduled road blocks enroute (which thankfully, only happened once), the hike up Tiger's Nest Monastery and my early flight departure. But most of the time, it was a comfortable set-off time at 9am. I even managed to bargain for a later set-off time for Tiger's Nest Monastery by promising I would walk faster. And we managed to finish the hike in 4 hours in what would usually take an average of 5 hours.

I am missing my chilli and cheese! Bhutan managed to turn this meat-eater into one who finishes all his vegetables at every meal! After all, most, if not all, of the vegetables are organically grown and taste incredibly fresh and crunchy. I stayed a few nights at Uma Paro and the food and service were world-class. However, as I mentioned to my guide, the food may taste incredible and the service was excellent, I still missed the family-like warmth and hospitality and home-made hearty taste of the food from the three-star hotels in towns like Punakha, Trongsa, Bumthang and Gangtey.

The only problem I faced during this trip was hot water shortage (which was rectified the next day) at Rinchenling Lodge and the room at Dewachen in Gangtey which was extremely cold! Due to its remoteness and location near the crane reservation, it is understandable why Dewachen would not have electric heaters. However the fire stove at Rinchenling Lodge was twice the size of the one at Dewachen, even though the room at Rinchenling Lodge was half as small! If they were to swop fire stoves, it would have been perfect! Thank goodness they had hot water bottles at Dewachen! Don't get me wrong, Dewachen is a beautiful hotel in a very breathtaking location but a larger stove would made it perfect!

I have saved the best for last. Bhutan is beautiful in its landscape and people. But all these would not have made this trip so unforgettable if there was no one show me Bhutan's inner beauty, and to take such good care of me for the entire 10 days (and see me off at the airport in the early morning of Day 11)! A big thanks to Dorji and Khandu! Dorji not only tells me about the historical significance of all the sights, he adds in legends and stories, as well as insights to nature and the Bhutanese way of life (I was taught how to play a game similar to Animal Chess). He also arranged good rooms for me and made sure that I had my chilli and cheese, even when it was not on the menu! Thanks to him, I sampled cheese, nuts and rice crispies at the Farmers' Market, and also tasted sweet dried resin from the trees during the hike in Gangtey. Khandu's driving skills were fantastic. I really admired how he navigated those difficult mountain roads, while keeping his sense of humor! I really trusted him and felt very safe, and he always got us to where we were supposed to go on time. And thanks to these two, I had a very fantastic surprise birthday dinner! It was not big and flashy but the thought, sincerity and effort to planning it really warmed my heart and placed a big smile on my face!

It's already been two weeks but the memories are still fresh. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see such the natural beauty and the beauty of its people! Accommodation were all great and rooms were spacious and clean (most with fantastic views). I loved the food! And my guide and driver were simply wonderful. Thank you Bhutan for changing my life!

PS: I included a few photos. Everyone is showing photos of Tiger's Nest Monastery but I like the Burning Lake because of its story so I'm including it here. I also included a food shot so others may now what to expect. I also forgot to mention that Dorji mentioned you when I was there, and he said that your name, Sangay, means "Buddha" :) And is it possible to pass me Dorji's email address? I didn't manage to get it from him on the last day :(
 

Hi Sonam,

We wish to thank Druk Asia for the wonderful experience we had. It's our first visit to Bhutan and we enjoyed our trip very much. Our guide was Dorji and driver was Tenzin.

We find Dorji to be a very knowledgeable and caring guide. I was having motion sickness in most all of the bumpy car rides, he said I could sit in front if I want, and that really helped me a lot. I did not feel nauseous as much. When we have preference for other food, Dorji will give recommendations and take us to the restaurant. He will try to make our trip as comfortable as possible for us. Tenzin is also a careful and nice driver who always wear a smile on his face, and gives us water to keep us hydrated.

We enjoyed every sights that we were brought to from visiting the Dzongs. One of us was actually hoping to see the airplane fly pass us (same level as us as we are on the mountain). Fate really allow us to witness an airplane flying into the valley.. We were there at the right place, right time and our driver kindly stopped the car for us to enjoy the views. However, I'm sorry that we didn't get the chance to take nice pic of that.

One of the feed-backs we wish to highlight to you is that as some of the hotel rooms are too big, the rooms get too cold easily. Just hoping if they could improve on their heater systems in the room that would be great.

I guess the most memorable part of the trip is to visit Tiger's Nest. I never thought I could climb that high up in the mountains to visit the monastery. It was indeed a good experience. Dorji gave very good commentary of the place and explanation of what the drawings on the walls meant etc. It was a very cultural experience, and I will recommend all my friends to book their tour package thru Druk Asia if they wish to visit Bhutan.

Thanks Druk Asia for the wonderful experience.

Best Regards,
Ivy Ng

Kuzuzangpo la Sangay,

I have just returned to Los Angeles after a brief stay in Taipei to finish off my trip. I went into Bhutan with high expectations. I was hoping to witness and maybe practice the Bhutanese style of archery and maybe learn a few secrets to happiness. What I got exceeded even my wildest dreams. I met up with another group on a virtually identical itinerary and my guide Dorji and their guide Tshering were able to fit many activities into my schedule that I had wanted to do but did not want to do alone. The biggest example of this was the addition of the Bumdra Trek near the end of the trip. I don't know how many strings Dorji had to pull to get me into that activity at the last minute but looking down at the sea of clouds from the 3800m campground in the morning felt like I had visited heaven itself. Make sure to bill me any difference in price between my original itinerary and the final one so that I can make sure you are reimbursed.

Here is a poem I wrote while observing the clouds from above at Bumdra:

The Dakini Road

Beneath stone guardians
Pass a parade of clouds
At the feet of the snowy king
A rainbow gate unseals the way
To the mortal world beneath
As dakini dance in the skies
And the hero girds himself to
return from heaven to the earth

I've attached a few photos. You may want to double-check to make sure it is okay to share the archery photos because I am on the range in non-traditional garb. Security allowed it because I was a foreigner but next time I do this, it would probably be best to arrange to wear a gho first. By the way, I am publicizing Bhutanese archery to the traditional archery community here in the US, many of whom can shoot 145m just like I can. Don't be too surprised if you start getting foreigners showing up wanting to participate in friendly matches.

Here is my weblog: http://bluerose.rwei.net. I will be writing reviews and impressions of my trip here for the next few months.

Kadinchey la,

Dear Sonam,

Our trip to Bhutan was excellent. Our guide was knowledgeable, and the driver was skilful. We were very pleased with both of those gentlemen. The mountain driving was perhaps the least enjoyable part of the trip, but even so the scenery was beautiful and we had plenty of tea breaks. All of the hotels were very good with the exception of the Gangtey Palace in Paro. The internet was not working at the Gangtey Palace; they did not provide bottled water; and the room and hallways needed a good cleaning top to bottom. We very much enjoyed the dzongs, temples and museums, and the culture and history of Bhutan in general. We also liked watching archery and the farmers' markets in Thimphu and Paro.

I have a website with over 5,000 photos from many trips, including Bhutan:
Website home page: http://www.whencanyou.com/index.htm
Bhutan first group: http://www.whencanyou.com/bhutan1/index.html
Bhutan second group: http://www.whencanyou.com/bhutan2/index.html

You are welcome to use any of the photos.

We were happy with the food both at the hotels (breakfast and dinner) and restaurants (lunch). The vegetables were uniformly fresh and tasty. The chicken was usually very good, though the beef and pork were often chewy. I don't care about the meat -- I was very happy just having vegetables. I took photos of many of the meals -- a PDF is attached.

We were pleased with DrukAir. Our flights were on time, the planes modern and clean, and the meals good.

Thank you for your help in organising a great trip.

Dear Sangay,

We all had a great time in Bhutan!
The people we met were all very friendly and helpful.
We also appreciate that we could make changes to the itinerary along the way, like going for a temple festival when we heard that there's one, instead of going for a hike in Ura valley.

We particularly liked our guide, Dorji Tshering. He made the trip an excellent one by taking care of us, told us many stories and providing suggestions to make the itinerary better along the way. He would always check with us whether we liked the food or what we would prefer having. When he brought us to the Farmers' Market, he even bought some local snacks so that we could try it before we decide if we wanted to buy some. When we went on hikes, he ensures that we all stayed safe, giving us sound advice and being there to help us along the way. We would recommend him for friends who may wish to go to Bhutan in the future.

Our driver, Tenzin Dorji, was also great! He is a safe driver and ensures that our drives were always pleasant. He would also join us on our treks and provided us with assistance when we require it. He's also quite humourous and we had a great afternoon with him playing some traditional archery.

I've attached a picture of the feedback form that we filled in for Dorji and Tenzin. =)

Regards,
Aryssa

Hello Sonam!

We are back in Singapore after a wonderful trip to the Land of the Thunder Dragon. I made it to Tigers Nest! :) People were very friendly, kids are really beautiful, our guide and driver were great and took care of us along the way. Their sense of humour made the trip more enjoyable too! We also tried the local Ara, on the whole, it was a great trip which gave us all many memories to remember for a long long time. Thanks for all your arrangement!

However, there was a slight hiccup at the start of the trip which we thought we should share with you so it doesn't happen to other tourists.

We all met up really early at Changi airport on 6th Apr at 3am hoping to be the first ones in the queue so we can get the good seats to catch a glimpse of Mt Everest. And we were the first ones! But upon checking in, and to our great disappointment and contrary to what you have told us, the check in guy informed that our seats were already pre-allocated and we were not allowed to change the seats although we were the first ones in the queue. To our further dismay, when we boarded the plane, our view was entirely blocked by the wing of the plane, the exact seats which we didn't want, rows 15 and 16. We didn't manage to capture good pictures because of this too.

I am not sure if this should be the case but it didn't give us a good start to the trip. We were all pretty disappointed. But thanks to Dorjee and Thinley, they made up for it in no time. Great guys!
 

Dear Sonam,

Sorry for the late reply as we have been quite packed since we got back.

I must say the overall experience in Bhutan has been overwhelming - we were treated to amazing scenery, kind people and beautiful culture. We enjoyed the various trekking routes Drukasia has prepared for us although we had to adjust to the higher altitude initially; all went extremely fine. We had no problems on the food as they were mainly Chinese / Indian fusion. We especially love the authentic chilli cheese dish!

We also want to specially thank our guide, Dorji, and our driver, Jigme for their wonderful care and attention to all our traveling needs. Dohji was informative and Jigme is one of the most careful and focused driver we know. Credit to both, please.

The hotel arrangements were good and although they were basic, they satisfied most of our needs. Special attention to Meri Puensum resort as they specially prepared breakfast for us to bring to the airport as we had a very early departure flight back to Singapore.
 

Hi Sonam,

Thanks for following up. I really enjoyed my trip in Bhutan and both my guide and driver (Dorji and Karma) were fantastic.

I did fill out a feedback form before leaving which I left with Dorji – hope that is OK.

If I had to pick the two highlights of the trip these were the Tigers Nest and Gangtey Valley.

Kuzu zangpola Mindu!

We arrived back to Singapore on Sunday night after a fantastic week spent in your wonderful country.

I wanted to thank you for helping me organise this trip that proved to be really magic. We were both very satisfied with the tour, the places we visited, our driver and Dorji, our guide. I would have liked to meet you there and invite you to tea, but I thought you would be in Paro where we spent two days. Only at the end of the trip, I realised that you were in Thimphu and we had already left it -sorry (^_^).

Could you please send me, if possible, the email address of Dorji, so that we can email him a few pictures we took with him and the driver (his name is Pup, but I am not sure about the spelling).

I do not know if we will be able to come back soon, but if we decide to visit during the festival season, I will get in touch with you again, as you and Druk Asia did a great job in organising our tour.

This trip has been a truly unique experience and great adventure for me! Body and soul have been newly challenged and rejuvenated!

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself - all the Dzongs, monasteries, museums and trekking through the hills and valleys were simply amazing! The pace was just right for me, although I must admit some of the hikes proved to be quite daunting for me!

The picturesque nature, landscape and changing colour, coupled with the beautiful culture, history and warm people (always had a smile on their faces) all around certainly made this trip an unforgettable one!

Dorji our guide has such a good command of the English language – I’m truly impressed! He’s ever so professional and patient, and has an immense knowledge of the cultures, heritage and religion beliefs of Bhutan and shared many interesting stories with me. Fun loving and gracious are just some of his traits.

The driver Sangay is a super shy young man (baby!), a man of few words, but his smile is so magical and brightens up my day every day! He’s driving skills are excellent! I felt 110% safe in his hands when we had to cover some hazardous travels.

Both of them make such a good pair of touring companions and an immense joy to be with.

Last but not least, my sincere thanks to you Sonam for the impeccable service - you’ve been so responsive and patient with all our enquiries! Thanks tons also for the numerous calls to check on us during our trip – it’s very thoughtful and very much appreciated!

I would definitely return for a visit to catch one of the many Tshechus and hopefully by then would be physically fit to hike up Tiger’s Nest on my own, without the aid of a horse! I would also recommend my friends to travel with Druk Asia any time.

Thanks everyone for a memorable time!

Kadinchey La,
Ivy Tay

Other than being slightly disappointed about insufficient hike, I am generally happy with the arrangement.

Dorji was very attentive during the entire trip and attended to our request willingly & efficiently. The driver Sangay was careful and we felt safe riding in the car.

The accommodation did not always meet our expectations despite the fact that we have lowered them tremendously. However, I suppose that’s something that’s beyond the agent’s control. One recommendation for hotel in Paro. We had coffee at Gangtey Palace and viewed the room & was suitably impressed. You may wish to include that in your preferred list.

All in all, I will give it an 8/10. Thanks again to Dorje and Sangay for taking care of us during the trip.
 

Hello! 

I’m back! Very reluctantly I must say.... It’s been an awesome trip. Thanks so much to Druk Asia for EVERYTHING! It’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun. 



Bhutan has showed me more than what I was looking for. I was telling my friend that every time i look up into the sky, it is postcard worthy.

Air is amazingly fresh.. i will wake up an hour earlier everyday.. Just so i can take a walk around the woods and trails and villages around my hotels just before breakfast.



So far of the different districts i have been to within the trip, i would say i love Phobjika Valley the most, with Bumthang in second place (losing just by a wee bit). I was telling Dorji the guide I can just pitch a tent by the valley and live there forever! Also, in the nine days i was there, i saw rainbows thrice.. And you know there is these saying- good things happen in threes.

Actually I was a little skeptical prior the trip.. As in how true is the GNH theory and is it all hyped up and overrated. Now that I have left my paw prints there myself. I can understand why Happiness is taken so seriously. I also respect how Bhutanese are very into their heritage and religion, how they are extremely proactive in environmental conservation.. And how they believe in "live and let live"... The best? - Dogs roam around like they are the national pets of the country :) I love dogs... even adopted a Bhutanese name myself.. Rochi Gatokto (haha it means Happy Dog). 



I am born a Buddhist, but that is just cos my parents are Buddhists and usually i just do what i was told. With this trip, it also serves an induction as well. I have been reading up to learn more about Buddhism. Frankly i am seeing it more as a belief and philosophy rather than a religion...

I think I left my heart in Bhutan. Are you employing? Haha. I’ll love to work and stay there, forever.

Hi Sonam, Joni, Cipto,

Just dropped a note to say thanks for the wonderful itinerary and the great plans for the vacation. I should have done this earlier, but was busy sorting out my office work. Sorry about that. Dorji Tshering, our guide and our driver were fantastic

I had the chance to meet Cipto when I was there as well, it was great meeting up and having a chat over a drink. I have just a few feedback for you hoping that it would help in some ways. Not complains, but more of just a feedback of some things that could have been better.

I stayed in a couple of hotels, and here they are..

Khang Residence: Fantastic views and good service. Nothing that I can comment about.

Meri Puensum: Great location, quiet and peaceful. However, just a short note about hot water for showers. It seems like there were no hot water or the heater was down. And also maybe the room could have a kettle for us to boil some hot water incase the water heater was down and we can have some hot water for a shower using the bucket.

Dewachen: Great rooms, Rustic feeling. Maybe the staff could teach the customers how to re-start the fireplace again in case the fire died out. I know other customers were having problem trying to re-start the fire again.

Metta Spa: Great place, excellent service. But I found a couple of bugs on my bed linings. this is not a major issue, but would have been a perfect stay if not for this. But overall it was a good hotel.

Basically, this is about all that I have for the hotels, I can’t thank you guys enough for the fantastic trip. I will be looking forward to visiting Bhutan again with Druk Asia again. By the way, I have a colleague who is planning for a Aug trip. I will send him a separate mail with your contact on copy so that you can link up. Thanks.

Hi Joni,

We would like to thank you for arranging the tour. It was great and we really enjoyed it although trekking uphill visiting Phajoding Monastery and Tiger’s Nest were the challenge to us. We saw the King cycling by with 2 friends but were not able to see him clearly. The stay at Metta Resort & Spa was great because the lady boss cooked Bak Kut Teh and Fried Bee Hoon for us. Please send our thanks to Dorji and the driver.

Wish you A Happy and Prosperous 2012.

God Bless,
Ester & Friends