10 things you (surprisingly!) can’t do in Bhutan • The Petite Wanderess
Bhutan is probably one of the most magical places on Earth right now. Did you know, despite how open the world is now via social media, there are still limitations to what you can do in this special country?
Sept 2022: Bhutan has finally opened up for travel since 23 Sept 2022. There are no quarantine nor vaccination requirements now, but with new increased Sustainable Development fees. Reach out to Druk Asia, the best Bhutan travel agency to plan your next trip!
Ten Things You Can’t Do in Bhutan
1. You Can’t do Shallow Breathing in Bhutan.
In Bhutan, you CANNOT be breathing shallow for sure. Other than in Thimphu (Bhutan’s capital, which had been developing far too quickly for me this traveler’s liking =X), the air in Bhutan is generally really fresh and clean.
Bhutan is the first country in the world to reach carbon-negative state. Meaning, Bhutan removes more carbon dioxide than it produces. About 70% of Bhutan’s land is under forest cover (the law mandated a minimum of 60% forest cover at all times), wow!
It will do your lungs good to DEEPLY inhaleeeeeee in the freshness of Bhutan’s air.
2. You’ll Have to Try Really Hard to Lose Your Temper.
I can only attempt to explain why in one sentence:
The energy in Bhutan is just too zen & spiritual.
If a person really loses his cool while travelling in Bhutan, he must be a really bad-tempered person to begin with. But then again, I don’t think someone with a bad temper will even think of visiting a country like Bhutan. It’s like, imagining someone who needs modern facilities all the time — will want to travel to the countryside, right?
3. You Can’t Read while Travelling on Bhutanese Roads.
Nor can you do work on the laptop in the car. Or even try to use social media too much.
Roads are cut into the sides of mountains. Getting from place to place, therefore, often takes a long time along winding roads that are not always super smooth.
If you’re thinking of reading on your phone or a book while sitting in the car on Bhutan’s roads, or attempt to get productive on your laptop, I suggest you not try this for too long. Because you’ll probably get car-sick soon. Anyway….
Why choose work or the virtual world, over missing out on Bhutanese road-trip views like these?
I had tried to do some travel journalling on my mobile to document the journey, and always end up having to put the phone away.
You can still try. Let me know if you meet major success!
4. There is Very Little Possibility of Getting Hit on the Road
Because of the road situation (one lane might be shared by dual directiosn), drivers in Bhutan tend to be more careful. Cars don’t speed that much, and even animals feel safe trotting along the road. In the morning and evening, you’ll see children walking to/from school.
Again I hope this aspect of safe-driving in Bhutan will not change too much.
5. No one sprints or walks fast in Bhutan, so please don’t be that Anxious Traveller.
Everyone only strolls in Bhutan. They walk to school, walk to work, walk everywhere. I barely ever saw anyone rushing anywhere in Bhutan.
6. There’s No Way to Not Eat Clean in Bhutan
True health-conscious enthusiasts will be happy to know that the food that’s home-grown on Bhutan’s ground is mostly organic. As of 2014, around 70% of the produce is organic.
Also, in Bhutan, you’ll eat more veggies compared to meat. Killing [of animals] is forbidden in Bhutan, so meat has to be imported from their next-door neighbour: India.
As an Asian coming from clean Singapore, three trips to Bhutan by now, and I’ve never once felt any stomach unease after eating my meals in Bhutan.
|Read: All Your First-World Questions about Bhutan Answered! |
Btw, there’s no international fast-food chains in Bhutan.
Hurray! In Bhutan, you won’t find international fast-food chains like Mcd or Jollibee. (You also won’t find Starbucks!) I loved this aspect and hope it will NEVER change.
7. You Can’t Have Everything Go As Planned for Your Bhutan Trip.
Your itinerary might change.
Your licensed Bhutanese tour guide will try to keep to the schedule and itinerary. However, there’re too many only-happens-in-Bhutan factors that can affect your itinerary. Such as road-blocks (Bhutan is trying to upgrade its roads). Or a tree fell and blocked the road. Or bad weather –– the domestic plane can’t arrive on time (happened to me in Bumthang to get to Paro).
Time is a strange concept in Bhutan.
We like to describe it as Bhutan Stretchable Time (BTS). My guide can estimate a certain amount of hours to the next city, two hours later, repeat the same estimated time 🫠 I’ve learned to find this more funny than annoying and not take it too hard. Being on the roads in Bhutan is another experience itself.
Besides that, Bhutan also has certain dates where they’ll have festivals celebrated by the locals. If your trip happens to fall within those dates, they might even include bringing you to see the festival. I love that my Bhutan itineraries were always kept flexible actually.
The hot water in your hotel room might not come.
Or water will appear in the form of brown water, despite it being a new hotel in the wilderness of Paro. But don’t worry, eventually, the water issue will work out! Else you adapt to it 😝
| Read all my tips on how to be a smart traveler in Bhutan! |
If you’re venturing past western Bhutan, you might even need to try the Bush Toilet.
Ok to be fair, I only used the Bush Toilet once, and it was a unique case as the area (eastern Bhutan which most travellers will not venture to) was too secluded. Armed with an umbrella, I made my way up a slope to find a bush that can block views, squat, apologize with a little prayer for my ‘rude intruding’, and hope for the best 😂
When you’re in Bhutan, you’re constantly traversing between reality and illusion. Everything will seem to be out of this world, yet everything is as real as it can be.
It is what is it.
Mindfulness will go a long way towards helping you fully appreciate the beauty that makes up a trip to Bhutan. If mindfulness is not your thing yet, why not consider doing a meditative trip when Bhutan eventually opens up to tourists?
| Read the first part of my eastern Bhutan road-trip here! |
8. You can’t hike too quickly in Bhutan.
You might feel unwell if you do that.
If you’re a nature-lover, and really enjoy the great outdoors, a trip to Bhutan will ensure sufficient hikes to keep your soul really happy.
For passionate [hardcore] hikers though, I’ll encourage you to take things slow in the very different Bhutan. Especially if you’re hiking up Tiger’s Nest. From the valley base, you’ll gain 900m in altitude and finally reach Tiger’s Nest at a height of 3,120m.
9. You Can’t Dress Casual (as in, Sloppy) in Bhutan.
There’ll be plenty of Dzongs (huge fortresses that now operate as administrative offices and religious temples) to visit when in Bhutan, and you’re expected to dress decently. Although extreme thinkers like to exercise their right to dress whatever they want wherever they go, I would recommend exercising maturity and sense instead, to know the right time and place to respect other people’s cultures and religions.
I can’t remember the exact dress code to enter temples and Dzongs, but it should be along the line of covering up the shoulders, legs, and also removing sunglasses and caps.
Even if you’re hiking Tiger’s Nest (and some IG hikers like to dress only in sports bras), the hike is considered a pilgrimage to the locals. There are plenty of monks hiking it all the time too.
Besides, it’s usually not warm in Bhutan, and can get cold even in spring season.
10. You Can’t Travel Light for A Trip to Bhutan.
The weather can vary a lot in Bhutan.
Before Covid happened, I went Eastern Bhutan in May 2019, which was spring season. Thankfully, I was prepared for both warm and cold weather because that was what we experienced. At Trashigang, it was 30ºC at 4pm, and 14ºC @ 9pm on the same day at TrashiYangtse, and then 7ºC at another region on the same trip.
I never knew what to expect in Bhutan, not even the weather, and that’s what I love so much about Bhutan.
Ok! That’s it for the 10 interesting things you can’t do in Bhutan! Check out my other Bhutan posts in the list below!
