Bhutan

Bhutan: The Country That Charges You to Visit and Is Correct to Do So

Bhutan’s Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) was restructured in 2022 from a daily all-inclusive rate of USD 250 to a daily fee of USD 100, separate from accommodation and tour costs. This has made independent-style travel more accessible in theory, though you still need to book through a licensed Bhutanese operator and the total cost of a week in Bhutan remains substantial. The argument for the fee is straightforward: it limits visitor numbers, funds infrastructure and conservation, and prevents the kind of mass tourism that has degraded similar Himalayan destinations. Whether USD 100 per day is the right number is debatable. The principle is sound.

Bhutan is a landlocked Buddhist kingdom between India and Tibet, roughly the size of Switzerland with a population of about 800,000. The capital, Thimphu, has no traffic lights, the government trialled them in the 1990s and removed them in favour of white-gloved traffic officers, which is either charming or impractical depending on your temperament.

The Tiger’s Nest

Paro Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, is the defining image of Bhutan: a complex of temples and courtyards clinging to a granite cliff 900 metres above the Paro Valley. The 8th-century sage Padmasambhava is said to have flown here on a tigress to subdue a demon; the monastery was built around the caves where he meditated. The hike takes 2-3 hours up through pine forest and prayer flags, with a view of the final cliff-face approach from a tea house at mid-height that gives you time to register what you’re looking at. The final ascent involves steel staircases bolted into the rock face.

Non-Buddhist visitors are welcome. The inner shrines require removal of shoes, bags are left at designated points, and photography is restricted inside the buildings.

Paro Valley

Beyond the Tiger’s Nest, the Paro Valley has rice fields, farmhouses painted with protective Buddhist motifs, and the National Museum of Bhutan in a former watchtower above the Rinpung Dzong fortress. The dzong itself, a traditional fortified monastery-administrative complex, still houses both the monastic body and the district’s civil administration. This dual function, monastery and government office, is characteristic of the dzong architecture throughout Bhutan.

Punakha

Punakha Dzong, built in 1637 at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers, is arguably the most architecturally impressive dzong in the country. The setting, white walls rising above the river confluence, backed by mountains, is exceptional. The dzong was the seat of Bhutan’s government until the 1950s and is still where the Je Khenpo (chief abbot) spends winter. During the February-March Punakha Tshechu festival, monks perform masked dances in the courtyard over several days.

What to Eat

Ema datshi, fresh chillies cooked with local cheese, is the national dish and appears in some form at nearly every Bhutanese meal. It is genuinely spicy; ask if you have low heat tolerance. Red rice, a nutty short-grain variety grown in Paro, is the staple grain. Momos (steamed dumplings with meat or vegetables) are everywhere and good. Buckwheat pancakes (khule) appear in the Bumthang region.

Getting There

Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines operate from Delhi, Kathmandu, Bangkok, Singapore, and several other regional hubs to Paro International Airport (PBH). The approach to Paro is one of the more dramatic commercial landings in the world, the aircraft threads through Himalayan valleys at low altitude and only a handful of certified pilots are qualified to fly it. Book early; Bhutan’s airline capacity is limited.

Practical Notes

The monsoon runs June through August and makes trekking wet; spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) are the recommended windows. Altitude in Bhutan ranges from subtropical valleys to mountain passes above 5,000 metres; acclimatise before any high-altitude trekking. Most cultural sites require modest dress and shoe removal on entry.