Bhutan Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

South Asia (between Assam in northeast India and China).

Language

Dzongkha is the official language. A large number of dialects are spoken, owing to the physical isolation of many villages. Sharchop Kha is spoken in eastern Bhutan. Nepali is common in the south of the country. English has been the language of education since 1964 but there is growing emphasis on learning Dzongkha to strengthen national identity.

Area

47,000 per sq km (18,146 sq miles).

Time Zone

GMT + 6.

Electricity

230 volts AC, 50Hz.

Population

682,321 (2005).

Population Density

14.5 per sq km.

Capital City

Thimphu. Population: 100,000 (estimate, Greater Thimphu).

Government

Constitutional Monarchy.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Jigme Thinley since April 2008 (third non-consecutive term of office).

Head of State

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck since 2006.

Religion

The Tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism (Drukpa Kagyu) is the state religion; the majority of Bhutanese people follow the Drukpa school of the Kagyupa sect. Those living in the south are mainly Hindu.

Recent History

Bhutan is a Buddhist kingdom with close links between the monarchy and the priesthood. Some representative political institutions were established in the 1950s and in 1998, Druk Gyalpo (‘Dragon King’) Jigme Singye Wangchuk gave up some of the monarch’s absolute powers. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck took over when his father abdicated in December 2006.

In March 2008, the party of the former Prime Minister, Jigme Thinley, won a landslide victory after a move to democratic rule was proposed by Bhutan’s royal family.

The long-standing issue of ethnic Nepalese whose citizenship is in dispute is being addressed by the United-Nations with gradual resettlement to Western countries.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +975. The telephone service is reasonable though getting a line can be slow at times.

Mobile Telephone

Coverage is extensive but since the mobile network is now superseding the landline service, oversubscription can lead to problems.

Internet

Access is growing. There are Internet cafes in large towns and access in major hotels across the country.

Media

Fears of outside influences undermining the country's monarchy, freedom and culture meant that for years Bhutan had a deliberate policy of isolation, including a ban on television. The state-run Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) launched the first TV service as part of celebrations surrounding King Jigme Singye Wangchuk's silver jubilee in 1999. Radio broadcasting began in 1973 and the first Internet service was introduced in 1999. There are no private broadcasters, but cable television is thriving though 'undesirable and irrelevant channels' have been filtered out.

Post

Mail from Bhutan is liable to disruption because of the high value of Bhutanese stamps; they may be steamed off the envelopes en route.Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1200 (summer); Mon-Fri 0900-1600, Sat 0900-1200 (winter).

Press

•Kuensel is the autonomous weekly. The Bhutan Times and Bhutan Observer are privately-owned.

Radio

• Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) is the state-run radio station.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
17 Dec National Day

2011
3 Feb - 4 Feb Losar
20 Feb *Traditional Day of Offering
21 Feb - 23 Feb Birth Anniversary of Fifth Druk Gyalpo
2 May Birth Anniversary of Third Druk Gyalpo
13 May Zhabdrung Kuchoe
2 Jun Coronation Day of Fourth Druk Gyalpo
15 Jun Lord Buddha’s Parinivana
10 Jul Birth Anniversary of Guru Rinpoche
3 Aug *First Sermon of Lord Buddha
6 Sep - 8 Sep Thimphu Tshechu
2 Oct Thimphu Drubchen
6 Oct Dashain
1 Nov The coronation of Druk Gyalpo
11 Nov - 13 Nov Birth Anniversary of Fourth Druk Gyalpo
17 Dec National Day

2012
14 Feb - 15 Feb *Losar
20 Feb Traditional Day of Offering
21 Feb - 23 Feb Birth Anniversary of Fifth Druk Gyalpo
2 May Birth Anniversary of Third Druk Gyalpo
13 May * Zhabdrung Kuchoe
2 Jun Coronation Day of Fourth Druk Gyalpo
15 Jun *Lord Buddha’s Parinivana
10 Jul Birth Anniversary of Guru Rinpoche
3 Aug * First Sermon of Lord Buddha
17 Sep - 19 Sep *Thimphu Tshechu
1 Oct *Thimphu Drubchen
6 Oct *Dashain
1 Nov The coronation of Druk Gyalpo
11 Nov - 13 Nov Birth Anniversary of Fourth Druk Gyalpo
17 Dec National Day
* Dates to be confirmed.
The traditional Buddhist holidays are observed, including Day of Offerings, Losar (New Year), Shabdung Kuchoey, Lord Buddha's Parinirvana, Birthday of Guru Rinpoche, First Sermon of Lord Buddha, Thimphu Tsechu and Thimphu Tsechu Dromchoe and the Descending Days of Lord Buddha. Also to be noted are the Winter Solstice, Blessed Rainy Day, the Meeting of Nine Evils, Dashain, the National Day and royal anniversaries. The Buddhist festivals are declared according to local astronomical observations and it is not possible to forecast the date of their occurrence. Please contact local authorities for the latest dates. Dates of smaller festivals are liable to change at short notice.

Contact Information

Department of Tourism

PO Box 126, Thimphu, Bhutan
Tel: (2) 323 251/2.
Website: www.tourism.gov.bt

Bhutan Tourism Corporation Limited (BTCL)

PO Box 159, Thimphu, Bhutan
Tel: (2) 324 045 or 322 647.
Website: www.kingdomofbhutan.com

Royal Bhutanese Embassy in India

Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110 021, India
Tel: (11) 2688 9230 or 9809.

Bhutan Tourism Corporation Limited (BTCL) in the USA

c/o Far Fung Places, 1914 Fell Street, San Francisco, California 94117, USA
Tel: (415) 386 8306.
Website: www.farfungplaces.com or www.kingdomofbhutan.com