We had an absolutely amazing five day tour with TeePee our guide. And our driver Cheku. Cheku was patient, punctual and professional. He had a good sense of humour and we enjoyed our visits with him. He was a safe, careful driver on those challenging roads. Thanks for everything, Cheku, including your help carrying our bag up the mountain and encouraging us to keep going all the way to Tiger's nest. TeePee was incredibly knowledgeable. Her English was amazing and she was very clear in her explanations to us. We loved seeing her practice her faith at the temples. We got to see so many special rituals with the monks. We loved our time at Duchola pass, the museum, the walks in nature, learning about the trees and plants and traditional food. We loved the cultural museum and the hot stone tub soak. She answered every question we had and gave us so much information on Buddhism. She was amazing. We were so blessed to have her as our guide. We especially enjoyed the peaceful day on our walk in the woods in the early morning up to Tiger's Nest. Without her help and encouragement we wouldn't have made it to the top. Thanks for everything. We loved all the beautiful scenery and crisp mountain air in the Himalayas.it was a special time for us.

Just came back from 7d6n trip. The country is beautiful, and the dzongs that I visited were all unique in its own way. Trek to bumdra was the highlight of the trip and I totally love the experience!

Both my driver Sonam and guide TP are friendly, humourous and patient .

TP will explain the history of each places we went to patiently and clearly. And she will always lend me her helping hand when the route is slippery. I would have slipped a hundred times, if she was not there.

Thanks Druk Asia for planning such an interesting and memorable trip!

All photos credit to Sherlyn Su

Hi Sangay,

We are very pleased and lucky we choose Druk Asia for our Bhutan trip...it’s a wonderful experience and great journey.

Our guide Tshering Palden (TP) is very jovial, experience, efficient and funny while driver ‘Panda’ is very careful on the route, a happy and cheerful fellow who loves to sing and dance.

Thanks to their flexibility that we have encounter snowing and almost tried the white water rafting but due to rain and aunty Hew has catch a cold so in the end TP arranged a wonderful picnic for us along river in Punakha…should have gone for the rafting, a bit regret

Climbing the Tiger Nest was a challenge as the route is very sandy (loose sand) and certain area a bit steep but overall still manageable.

Thank you.

Warmest Regards

Ms Magdalene Cheong & group

All photos credit to Ms Magdalene & Group

Just got back from our Bhutan experience. We had a custom 5 day tour and it was an experience of a life time. We had an excellent guide in TP and an expert driver with Doji. Our group of family and friends, 3 young ones and 3 young “once” enjoyed each other in different ways! This is an adventure that we will truly cherish!

Photos by Ruby

Bhutan has been such a beautiful surprise. It is a gem of a place, more so with my wonderful guide and driver turned friends, Tshering Pelden and Tobdhen Barwa. They were amazing companions for my solo tour through Bhutan. The 10 days there seemed so short considering the unique beauty of Bhutan. I especially love how genuine and sincere they have been and how they have taken care of me all through my stay. I cannot thank them enough for all that they have done for me. I am really thankful to have visited Bhutan through Drukasia. I believe the hospitality and sincere care is what makes the trip a league above the rest.

Once again, thank you, Sonam, for assisting and advising me prior to my confirmation of this trip of a lifetime. I am pretty certain you will be hearing from me again in good time. Bless you.

Kadin cheyla,

Tashi delek.

Best regards,

Alvinna Alphonso

Basically we enjoyed the trip very much. Mainly the guide and itinerary was good. A few things that I could suggest include:

1. The tiger's nest needs more stamina and strength than anticipated. Perhaps people bringing young children (5 and below) and old people are not advisable because it is really tough. The hike is also more than 4hrs. More towards 5-6hrs, for the round trip.
2. The lunch provided could be better if we could choose the restaurants given within your available restaurants so that we can pick.
3. Haa valley was not worth going, considering the long, windy road trip that is more tiring. If there are a list of activities to do, like horse riding around the wilderness, or to see something more special, than perhaps it is worth going.
4. Our guide suggested water rafting and we totally enjoyed that! It could be an optional activity suggested in your brochure too.
5. We enjoyed the hotels very much, mainly because we topped up quite a bit for the 5-stars and dinner was included. Como, Taj Tashi, Le meridian Thimphu was really good. Dhensa was only ok. The food selection was not too good.

Perhaps a package for 5-star hotels could be provided for your future tourists if they would like to spend a little more.

Hope these helps!

Pei Ming Lee

Safely back from Bhutan.

Thanks for your perfect arrangement. Our guide Ms T.P. and driver were very very good!! Me and Yuka had a very good time, once in a life time!! Guide TP suggested we leave early for Tiger Nest, at 6am. Arrived the top earlier than other groups! Not crowded and morning breeze!! Will write a review on Druk air Facebook!! Guide TP and driver Mr Karma a very good combination!! Druk Asia is the best!!

Thanks Sonam, will let all my friends know about Druk Asia!

Many thanks for your email. First off, I would like to express my thanks to your team, Tshering and Pema for being such wonderful hosts for my first trip to Bhutan. Tshering was a wonderful, kind and conscientious guide. She was very sensitive to my well-being during the trip, and provided me with a wealth of knowledge on the culture and history of Bhutan. Many thanks to Pema as well for being a wonderful driver, especially on the rough roads. Despite the rainy season, we were blessed with sunny and warm weather most of the trip.

I have already shared my feedback with DrukAsia in a separate feedback form given to me by Tshering and will not repeat them here. In the meantime, I attach some photos from my experience and my food blog post on Bhutan and hope to visit your country again, albeit in a different season and when there are some festivals abound.

Warmest regards,

Genevieve Bong 

Thank you for arranging the trip of a lifetime! Bhutan is so beautiful and magical!

We enjoyed the trip from the very start at Paro Airport. The majestic mountains greeted us when we arrived. Thank you, Sonam for letting us have the wonderful opportunity of meeting our guide Ms Tshering Pelden aka Ms TP and our driver Mr Kuenzang. We had a whale of a time and also made good friends with her and Mr Kuenzang.

The tour was so jam-packed with activities and within a span of 9 days we packed in more than we should have with the many nooks and crannies in Bhutan - culture, nature, travel destinations, culinary delights, school visits, religious ceremonies and most of all the many friendships and meeting Bhutanese people in their natural environment. This trip was one of our best. This was all possible because of Ms TP and Mr Kuenzheng who went out of their way to make this trip a great one.

They are experienced, professional, resourceful and most of all treated us like family. They gave us an adventure we would never forget. We probably experienced more in those 9 days than most of our other travelling companions from the other groups. Most of the hotels were okay. however, the ones that stood out were Hotel Lobesa, Dewachen and Zhiwaling. These hotels were so spectacular in terms of views, rooms and service provided. The rest were okay but the service was excellent.

The trip was so packed with activities that we did not have the chance to enjoy them as we had stayed there only for a night. One feedback that I would like to give is for the chance to stay at least 2 days at a destination, one of which would be a free and easy time to give people a chance to explore and experience the place and enjoy the surroundings. I would like to highlight that Dewachen hotel treated the guides and drivers quite badly when we were there.

They had to stay at a place far from us and it did not make sense, as, if we had needed help or an emergency would have cropped up, it would have been quite illogical for them to come back all the way to solve it. Other than that, the places we visited from Thimphu to Punakha and beyond were amazing. The treks were gruelling for us unfit individuals but we actually made it and in the process enjoyed them all. The trip made us go beyond our limits in terms of endurance and also our expectations. Bhutan is truly a wonderful place and my friends and I hope to go back there in 2018 to re-live the magic of this beautiful place.

Thank you, Sonam and Druk Air.

Monica Berger, Stephanie, Wang and Nisha

Dear Sonam,

Bhutan is a beautiful country with warm and friendly people. We enjoyed ourselves very much!

The iternary is well planned and our guide Tshering and driver Tandin are fantastic. They always ensure that we are comfortable and took special care when my wife fell sick on the 5th day. Many thanks to them.

One feedback is the coordination with Drukair. Our return flight was cancelled and we were arranged to fly to Bangkok at a later timing and connect to Singapore. However, no information of the connecting flight was provided. We were told to check with Drukair staff but they claimed that they do not have the details as well. On arrival in Bangkok, there was no ground staff assisting us. After checking with the concierge, we finally met up with Drukair Bangkok staff. She provided us the e-tickets for our connecting flight to us and told us it had been sent to your company earlier.

Other than this incident, everything is perfect!

Kadin Chey la and Tashi Delek!

Peh Chun Wei

Hi Eve,

Thanks for your email. The trip was fantastic, many thanks to my guide Tshering and my driver Mr. Sangay. A few photos are attached.

Sabrina K. Nguyen

Hi Sonam,

Thank you for your email and Happy New Year

Bhutan was amazing, we loved it so much!

Thank you for making the trip enjoyable for us and especially for being flexible to allow the last minutes cancellation for the Gangtey- Dewachen hotel without charging any fees. We love the places/people and hospitality from Bhutanese.

If there is any one minor improvement feedback from me, I would suggest to change the location for the first restaurant (lunch on 17/Dec) for all the travellers in future, my humble opinion the food is not great for our taste and for travellers, I believe we would like to have a First nice meal experience for the first time we arrive in Bhutan.

Thanks Sonam! We'll find some time for sharing some of our stories in the Druk-Asia FB page

Best Regards,

Cicilia S. Wulandari

Hi Sonam, 

Thank you for your email and Happy New Year

Bhutan was amazing, we loved it so much! 

Thank you for making the trip enjoyable for us and especially for being flexible to allow the last minutes cancellation for the Gangtey- Dewachen hotel without charging any fees. We love the places/people and hospitality from Bhutanese. 

If there is any one minor improvement feedback from me, I would suggest to change the location for the first restaurant (lunch on 17/Dec) for all the travellers in future, my humble opinion the food is not great for our taste and for travellers, I believe we would like to have a First nice meal experience for the first time we arrive in Bhutan. 

Thanks Sonam! We'll find some time for sharing some of our stories in the Druk-Asia FB page 

Best Regards, 

Hi Eve,

Our trip was fantastic. Have posted a review on Facebook. Sending you a few pictures and one with our lovely guide and driver who made the trip extra special.

Thanks for helping with the booking logistics.

Christine Lee

Dear Sonam,

We had a great trip, exploring the sights and breathing in the atmosphere in Bhutan. It is truly a place worth visiting. Bhutan is rich in history, culture and scenery. I have shared with my friends on the trip and encouraged them to visit Bhutan. I also suggested that they could go through Druk Asia in arranging for their trips.

Thank you for the support.

Mrs Gan

Hi Sonam,

On behalf of my friends and I, we would like to thank you once again for helping us a lot with the arrangement of our tour to Bhutan for the past few months. We have just reached back Singapore this evening. Bhutan is really a beautiful place and we have truly enjoyed ourselves very much visiting many places and dzongs, especially together with our wonderful tour guide, Tshering and driver, Passang. We hope to go back to Bhutan again in the near future.

Kadinchey la and Tashi Delek! :)

Regards,

Edna Pan

Our guide takes good care of us even though she wasn’t feeling well during the trip. She shows professionalism in her job and is very knowledgeable in explaining the places we visited.

Our driver Mr. Tshering is very experienced in navigating the sharp bends and narrow roads up the mountains. We felt safe with him driving us around.

The area which I felt could be better was hotel mix up. We had a confirmed booking for hotel Lobesa but had a last minute change to Vara hotel.

Tshering is a very experienced and possibly the best guide we have ever met. She went out of her way to resolve issues for us, providing service beyond our request and when we had difficulty drawing local currency, she helped approach the proprietor of Druk Asia to change cash for us. Excellent top notch, top quality service attitude. If we return to Bhutan for another trip in future, it is because of the impression she had left us with.

Dorji is an excellent driver, he is very punctual and fast when needed, and careful when road is bumpy. Never a moment did I feel uncomfortable in his car. Infect we feel asleep a few times. He is also very friendly and helpful and ensured that the behind the scenes work are taken care of. (things like cleanliness of car and our water) 

Sangay

Kuzuzangpo La! :)

Our trip to Bhutan was not only very interesting and exciting but also very warm because of our guide :)

I attach two pictures of our small group (family) in Bhutan and I want to thank you one more time for the wonderful time we had in your beautiful country.

Kadin-Chhey!
Antanas Laurinavicius

Hello Sonam,

Kuzuzangpo La!

We have been well - thank you. We take this opportunity to thank you, our lovely guide Tshering Pelden, and our courteous driver Jigme Wangpo for making this experience one that my wife and I will remember and treasure dearly in our heart.

Through our 7D6N, we were deeply mesmerized by the natural beauty of the landscapes, the friendly people, and the rich culture of this beautiful kingdom. The hike to Tango Monastery followed by picnic by the river, Punakha Dzong, the walk in the forest in Gangtey, and of course Tiger Nest were some of the memorable moments. We appreciated the tailored and personal itinerary that let us see to the country with the flexibility to do the things we enjoyed.

Tshering is knowledgeable and passionate in showing us the history, the religion, and the people of Bhutan. More we have become friends with Tshering and Jigme and we look forward to the next opportunity to reunite and experience other parts of this beautiful country in the near future.

Best regards,
Tobiah Lo

Hi Sonam,

Kuzuzangpo la! Thanks for your mail.

We had a great trip to Bhutan and have had many wonderful memories of the trip. Our guide (Tshering Pelden) and driver (Ata Sangey) have been such a blessing to us. Tshering is indeed an experienced guide, sharing with us many stories and the history of Buddhism and of Bhutan. She even helped us very much during the hike up and down along the Bumdra Trek. She's a very strong lady! Please pass on my compliments to her. As for our driver, Sangey, he is a very skilful driver and was extremely careful driving through the dangerous mountain passes in the heavy rain. These people are indeed an excellent representation of Bhutan and its lovely people.

One point of improvement to note is regarding Metta Resort. According to our itinerary, we were staying there on nights 4 and 6, with the 5th night camping on Bumdra trek. Prior to leaving for our trek, we did ask the resort/hotel if we could leave our luggage in the rooms, to which they replied that we could as we were going to be assigned then same rooms upon our return. However, when we returned on the 6th night, we found that our rooms had changed, and our loose belongings (which were left unsecured as we were told we had the same rooms) were shoved into large plastic bags. This included an instance where clean clothes being put into bags filled with dirty laundry. We thought this level of service was unnecessary and unacceptable.

Apart from that one small incident, the proprietors and service staff at the other hotels (particularly Norbuling Hotel in Thimpu) were wonderful and had excellent service. All in, we did have a really good trip to Bhutan, including getting some gorgeous photos at the Bumdra camp site and at the various dzongs and monasteries. Thank you for recommending this trek to us. We also did the white-water rafting at scenic Punakha, thanks to Tshering's recommendation.

Kadin Chhey la, Sonam.
 

Dear Sonam,

Thank you for writing. Overall it was a very good trip. Your people are friendly and helpful. The natural landscapes are beautiful . To my surprise the hotel/resort were comfortable except I was disturbed by the flies during the night in my room at Lobesa. Otherwise, I am contented with this summer vacation.

I will encourage my friends to pick Bhutan as their choice.

Kadin-Chhey.
Annabelle Teo

Hi Sonam,

Thanks for your welcome back message. Sorry that I did not response as I was very busy with my work. The trip is really enjoyable but tired. I don’t expect the journey to be so tough and is not mentally prepared, but we made it. I understand truly what you mean by Bhutan is often once in a lifetime trip now. Please send my regards to Tshering and Thinley. They are both wonderful and always there for us when we need them.

Thanks and regards
Siew Wah Tan

Hi Sonam,

Thank you for your email. Sorry for the late reply.

It was a good trip and we had an enjoyable time. Overall itinerary was not bad - covered the main sights/places that a first time visitor to Bhutan should visit. We particularly enjoyed the nature walk.... Our guide Tshering Pelden was very knowledgeable and very patient. When we didn't understand, she would repeat herself so that we understood. The driver Kuenzang drove with car too. The car was spacious for the 3 of us which is very good.

Food-wise it was not bad. However, it would be good if we are given options to try authentic Bhutanese food. Believe what we had most of the time is food modified to western tastes.... When we asked about local Bhutanese food, Tshering did bring us to a local Bhutanese family's house in Paro to have home-cooked Bhutanese food for dinner on one evening. That was a good experience. The worst food experience on the entire trip was our dinner in Meri Puensum Resort in Punakha. Ending the last couple of days of our stay at Metta Resort in Paro was nice - the menu prepared by the owners were good and catered to those who missed Chinese food.

Hotels-wise, they were all clean and good with helpful staff. Found the staff in Peaceful Resort in Thimphu and Rincheling Lodge in Bumthang especially nice and helpful.

Thank you for making the arrangements for this trip.

Regards,
Foong Lim

Hi Eve,

My trip to Bhutan was great and I really enjoyed it. I am very happy that I was able to see this unique and unusual country and had many nice experiences. Temples and monasteries are nice. Hot stone bath is absolutely awesome.

My smiley face on the official Bhutanese post stamp sent on the postcards to my family and friends is absolutely mind-blowing experience and which none of the other countries would allow for such thing to happen.

Himalayan mountains and scenery are brilliant.

My tour guide and driver are both absolutely wonderful and tour guide is very knowledgeable and arranged a lot for me in order for me to get the best experiences. All the rest is great as well.

I will send some photos to you as well which you can share on your website / with future travellers / etc. No problem. Just give me a few weeks to sort them out. Am a bit of so called a Japanese tourist on this matter and snap so many photos that it takes time for me to go through them.

Many thanks and kind regards,
Natalia Tuson

Hi Sonam,

We had a lovely time in Bhutan!
The people and the views are equally beautiful!

We would suggest some changes though:
1. The trip itinerary should be changed according to the actual plan, some days are too pressed for time and activities must be cut out. Please get in touch with the Bhutan tours guide company, they will help to adjust.

2. Since Bhutan has only few highways, the way from Punakha to Bumthang and the way back are on the same route (one day to and one day back). We command that you offer future travellers to travel one way by plane (short 30 minutes). The trip to Bumthang can be split into 2 days, breaking in half the 8+ hours ride. It will be possible to sleep in Trongsa on that night, and have more time on the way to do some short hikes or visit other places.

Please see some photos we took from lovely Bhutan - you can use them if you like, please include my name (Roey Nitzani) as photographer. - I have many more, if you want :)
 

Dear Mindu:

Many thanks for arranging our visit to Bhutan. We had a very enjoyable stay throughout, and found everyone to be very hospitable and welcoming.

We are very pleased to have dealt with you in all our travel arrangements, especially our visas and tours. Your suggested itinerary allowed us to visit all the places we wanted to visit within a short space of time. Our driver and guide were both very entertaining and accommodating in all our requests. The local food was great. We observed local artisans at work (photo). Many thanks again and we hope to be able to make a return trip soon.