BHUTAN - GETTING THERE

20th - 22nd Apr 2026

Poor pic out of the window of a Drukair Airbus A319 on the hairy approach through the mountains to Paro airport in Bhutan. The runway was hidden somewhere in between the mountains. Not for a faint-hearted pilot!

To visit Bhutan you must be escorted by an official Bhutanese guide. There is no ability, as is my normal desire, to go solo and wander. As such it is necessary to organise the journey through an approved travel agency for a 'guided tour' (something I am not normally keen on) and it is not cheap. I chose to use a company called 'Wild Frontiers'. They were in fact most communicative, efficient, informative and helpful in all respects.

Preparing for this trip via Delhi one has to complete and submit within 4 weeks of arrival, on-line, a request for a months' Indian E-visa, which I did 4 weeks before. What an appallingly tedious, and long form that is requesting all sorts of information including such vital information as 'your mother's place of birth'! I hadn't a clue. Any mention of visiting or any of your contacts having any connection with Pakistan would have got you a refusal.  It took several failed attempts and most of an afternoon before my application was eventually accepted...and then you have to wait, indefinitely, for confirmation and issue of the E-visa. I waited over 2 weeks for this and was beginning to panic. There was, of course, nobody to speak to. It did arrive with 5 days to spare. Then another 'on-line' form to complete within 72 hours for an E-arrival card. What a bureaucratic hassle.

I left the scrum at London Heathrow at 7.00pm on the 20th April for the BA 8 hour flight initially to Delhi. We arrived at 8.00am local time. I had a semi-overnight stay before the Bhutanese Drukair (Druk is the Bhutanese word for Dragon) flight to Paro left at 04.45am! the next morning.

I had found a cheapo hotel in the vicinity of the airport for £10 per night, with a £5 taxi fare to get there. Left: My hotel on the left in a rough backstreet. The taxi driver got lost in the jungle of small streets but found it eventually. There are, according to the rather sullen receptionist, about 600 similar doss-houses in the area. It was fairly basic with a few faulty electrics, an appallingly loud fan (30º outside) and very limited hot water, but perfectly acceptable and no fleas in the bed. I had an early sleep before departing at 10.00pm for the terminal...taking no chances of being late.

I had given myself a lot of time, too much in fact, to get back by taxi to the airport. Delhi airport is one of the largest in the world with few facilities before you can get into departures. In fact they won't even let you into the terminal building until 4 hours (I had to wait outside for an hour) before your flight and then there was a long delay in a queue before being able to check-in hold baggage 2 hours before the flight with a multitude of 'disclaimer' forms to fill in. More Indian bureaucracy. Eventually into 'departures', or rather another vast shopping mall which account for most of the space in all international airports nowadays.

I am now going to bore you with a long, but to me relevant, story concerning smoking. I used to smoke cigarettes (not many I hasten to add) until 15 years ago when I lived in a small flat in London. One day my CD player packed up. I knew a helpful local Indian electrician, Viraj, who repaired such things. I took it to him and he rang me two days later to tell me he had fixed it. He then asked me "Mr Matt, do you smoke?". I replied "yes, what's that got to do with it Viraj?". He said "Ah, that explains, the lens in your CD player was covered in tar from cigarette smoke and I have replaced it". I then went around my flat and wiped glass surfaces with a kitchen towel and found they were all covered in greasy black/orange tar. My television picture improved as a result. I realised that this tar would also be embedded in all the carpets, curtains and chair covers and, most significantly, in my lungs! I gave up smoking there and then, all thanks to Viraj, but I missed the relaxation of having a cigarette to puff in the evenings. I then, about five years later, discovered e-cigarettes and 'vaping'. I became, after trying many vape flavours, rather addicted to them and they certainly provided a suitable and seemingly harmless replacement. They, as the word implies, produce vapour (not smoke), which contains no residue (ie. solids such as tar) nor lasting odour. They certainly don't cause me to cough up in the morning or have any ill effects other than, I suppose, an addiction to nicotine. I have been travelling the world with my 'vapes' without any problem and they have passed through airport X-ray machines such as in Heathrow without comment. Until now! After passing through the passport check-out there was the normal cabin baggage X-ray check. I had much electrical stuff in my shoulder bag. The very hostile looking and scowling man on the X-ray machine (indeed all the officials at this airport looked hostile and unwelcoming) made me empty my bag and said "you have e-cigarette". I said yes. "Not allowed" he snapped. I tried to explain that I was leaving India now (technically I had already been stamped out) and had been allowed in with it. "Not allowed" he repeated, and before I had the chance to say anything more he grabbed the e-cigarette and just threw it into a bin. I was rather pissed-off to say the least. I subsequently gathered that one of my fellow tourists had the same experience.

OK, but why are e-cigs 'not allowed', I pondered, when cigarettes are not only allowed but were on sale in multiple shops in the departure area shopping mall. The excuse that they encourage children to buy vapes and become nicotine addicts does not wash with me. They should prohibit children under the age of 18 buying vapes, as with cigarettes (and children still manage to get hold of cigarettes). Some mention that the batteries could catch fire in the aircraft. I have never heard of an e-ciggy bursting into flames. Could there be a financial reason?

Right: Not only that, but the ultimate hypocrisy was that at every departure gate there was a well used 'Smoking Room'!

Left: I went into one of the smoking rooms. It was a lot 'smokier' than this photo shows.

I remain baffled.

OK, enough of the side-track and on with the journey. The the 2.5 hour Drukair flight from Delhi to Paro was on time leaving (04.45am) and we arrived at about 7.00am. As shown at the top I have much admiration for the pilots here as there was a most alarming approach, following valleys, to land! Right: It was a quiet and pleasant airport with a most attractive arrivals hall and smiling welcoming officials. We had been provided with visas by the efficient travel company.

Left: Even the baggage collection area was beautifully decorated. I came to see later that all buildings and houses in this country were similarly well and skilfully decorated.

Our party, six of us, and the first time we had met up, were greeted outside by our 'guide to be', Sonam, and our driver Tensin, with a comfortable mini-bus. They were to be with us and look after us for the next two weeks. It was a 1 hour drive east from the airport to the capital city Thimphu which gave us a first impression of the spectacular mountainous terrain. Right: A glimpse of the mountains as seen from the aircraft.

Our first day (22nd) and we arrived at a very comfortable hotel in Thimphu, the Phuntsho Peira, at about 9.00am where we were given a welcome and briefing by Sonam. Left: He is the one wearing the red 'Gho', a sort of loose dressing gown which is the traditional men's 'official' dress. Plus three fellow 'tourists'. After which time to recover until 12.30pm then lunch and then straight on with a tour of some city sights. Not much time was spent hanging around on this tour!

Right: Sonam wearing his 'gho'. Commonly worn by all males.

Left: My fellow five tourists before lunch on the first day. 

This was to be a very 'busy' tour. We were kept on the move between breakfast and supper every day and visited a myriad of places including much driving along perilous (to me) mountainous terrain and a lot of strenuous 'hiking' up and down the high altitude hillsides (ranging from about 7,000ft at the valley bottoms to over 11,000ft at the tops . There was much to be seen and I tried to keep a diary. There is so much detail to report that I fear it will take me a month to complete the 'blog' on this trip and probably much confusion due to the complexity of our excellent guide's descriptions at each venue. Have patience! Much to follow.

Re. Smoking in Bhutan. It is forbidden everywhere indoors and in public outside. There are some designated, often primitive, 'smoking areas' outside most hotels and restaurants. Cigarettes of dubious origin are sold cheaply in grocery shops.

PS. The bad news. Myself and the fellow tourist who had her vape confiscated at Delhi have succumbed to buying a packet of cigarettes each! Thanks Delhi! I will have my first cigarette for 15 years.