Any of you cunts been to Bhutan? Main reason I'm going is my mum - she's always wanted to go to Bhutan so I figure surprising her with a family holiday would make a nice present for her 60th.Plan would be mostly just your typical sightseeing but I'd like to spend at least a few days doing a multiday trek of some kind.Would be going either autumn this year or spring next year, leaning towards spring so the wildflowers will be in bloom when we're trekking and we can catch the Paro Tsechu, but if there better festivals in Autumn then it'd be cool not to wait until next year. So, any advice?Main thing I'm struggling with is how to choose a tour agency. Most of my holidays in the past have been independent backpacking so the mandatory package tour aspect of Bhutan is new to me. Seems like having a good quality guide could make or break the trip but fuck knows how you choose one.
>>2879505I don’t know anything about the country except that they became a real-life Shangri-La by embracing Utilitarianism as state ideology and prioritizing maximizing happiness instead of GDP.
>>2879505Isn't that one where the government forces you to use a guide? Can you even choose what to do?
>>2879531>they became a real-life Shangri-La by embracing Utilitarianism as state ideologyMore like by embracing traditional values and active preservation of their culture.>Access to foreign media is restricted (although less so now that internet access is widespread)>The education system is expected to foster pride in the national identity>Traditional dress is mandatory for government officials>Traditional architecture is mandatory for all buildings>Tourism is built around the principle of 'high value, low volume', hence the daily fee and guides>>2879533My understanding is that a guide isn't technically mandatory if you're just wandering about the cities of Paro and Thimphu but is required for access to most sites in those valleys and for anywhere else in the country.It's not like you're prevented from travelling wherever you want within the country though, you just need to have your guide with you. You can absolutely choose what you want to do.
>>2879505I used to mess with a Bhutan girl before. Standard thirdy behavior from her
>>2879533Travel restrictions for outsiders are much more common than you realize for the Himalayan region. There are lots of areas where you must get permission to enter, and you must be sponsored by a tour agency. This region of the world is the complete opposite of idiot-proof, particularly in the backcountry. >>2879556>high value, low volumeAfter experiencing overcrowding in cramped mountain valleys that made them feel more hectic and stressful than Old Delhi, I'm almost ready to admit that Bhutan is on to something. Covering the mountain slopes with luxury resorts, parking decks, mountain view cafes, and other gentrified establishments...throwing piles of rubbish into the mountain creeks...running pedestrians off the road with aggressive driving behavior...environmental destruction everywhere you look, hardly a single acre of quality natural habitat left unraped. Instagrammers are extremely selective with their shots. They don't reveal the reality of 99% of the mountains.
>>2879505BHUTANESE passpooooooort
>>2879573?
I have been to Bhutan. I don't think there is any difference between whatever travel agency you choose, they still have the same minimum pricing and standards. The only difference is if you want to pay for extras like a fancier hotel in some places.
>>2879588>I don't think there is any difference between whatever travel agency you choose, they still have the same minimum pricing and standards.Really? I get that they all have to meet the minimum standard but I'd have thought there'd be a lot of scope to exceed that.Can you tell me more about your trip? When did you go? Highlights? Etc
go there and buy gold bullion. buy all of the gold bullion they'll legally sell you.then bribe your guide so he won't narc on you and then buy even more gold. don't buy TER or any of that need shit, buy actual physical objects made of real gold. buy gold jewelry and wear it all through the scanner because customs doesn't count that. If you're missing any teeth you can wedge some pretty sizable pieces of gold in your mouth before they get suspicious.and remember, customs won't hardly bother you if you don't look indian.
>>2879505https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xALZs5mxPdU
$100/day fee is pretty cooked, I would like to go but it's a lot of extra money
>>2880211why?
>>2880187I went in 2012, so most likely things have advanced a bit since then. I just picked a random one off the net. Generally there are two types of trips, a culture trip and hiking trip. I took a 5 day culture trip, basically just going around and seeing temples and nature and stuff. The highlight was of course the Tiger's Nest, I'm pretty sure no matter what tour you pick that one will get included. I posted a few pics from my trip on /trv/ when I came back.Just pick a random one and tell them what you want and they'll send you a proposal for the trip, most likely you will be moving around and staying in a bit of a different place each day. Traveling in the country is slow as there are only mountainous roads.
>>2879505>Any of you cunts been to Bhutan?did the Amankora Journey pre corona>Main reason I'm going is my mumfunnily enough, I went with my parents as well>spend at least a few days doing a multiday trek of some kinddepending on your mothers fitness I'd rather opt for day hikesit's basically the same hiking experience but you can go to the Spa in the eveningolder people typically like that more>Main thing I'm struggling with is how to choose a tour agencyif you have the fundsgo with one of the luxury resorts (Aman, Six Senses, Como Uma etc.)and let them organize this aspectotherwise I'd recommend glamping for 1 o 2 nights
>>2880211Why? Is gold cheap there?
>>2880262>>2880248cheapest gold on earth BY FAR. zero taxes and trade is effectively isolated to locals (and a few indian smugglers).bhutanese gold bullion is about half the price of gold in the USA, which already has competetive prices. the gap is even wider if you look at jewelry. even if you pay the duty you're still looking at a free trip.
>>2879573>>2879582Old shitpost that was up on Wikipedia for way too longhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xALZs5mxPdU
>>2880437>CheapestI guess minus the cost to get there, accomodations, tour guide, and daily tourist fee.
>>2879531It's quite fascinating how they managed to sell that scam to the world and everyone just bought it. FYI they ethnically cleansed a significant portion of their Nepali population just a few decades agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_cleansing_of_Lhotshampa_in_Bhutan
>>2881566Sounds like a Shangri-la to me
>>2881566t. rich enough to live in an all white suburb
>>2879531ROFL>>2881566Yeah, it's just another dictatorship with a fantastic PR campaign.
>>2879505Are you and your mum going to share a bed? I'm curious. Just to save money
>>2883372Nah bro, I wouldn't want to make your mum jealous.
>>2883391That's immature
>>2880211As someone knows knows someone who's mom knows more about bhutanese gold smuggling then the UN, fuck you on every level. You'll set the man up, he doesn't know shit about gold or about Bhutan, and you don't know about Perth mint and kangaroo customs. He's on holiday with his mom not trying to get locked up over $300
>>2879531That's propaganda. Next you're going to tell me DPRK achieved total Autarky Worker's paradise.
