Food
Bhutanese delicacies are rich with spicy chilies and cheese. The Bhutan Travel Planner’s selected list of hotels and lodges offer delicious Chinese, Continental, Bhutanese and Indian Cuisine. Even on trek Bhutan Travel Planner’s trained cooks prepare dishes suitable to western taste ranging from Continental to Chinese and Bhutanese to Indian.
Climate
The central valleys of Punakha, Wangdiphodrang, Mongar, Trashigang and Lhuntsii enjoy a semi tropical climate with very cool winters, while Thimphu, Trongsa and Bumthang have a much harsher climate, with heavy monsoon rains in the summer and heavy snow-fall in the winter, which often blocks the passes leading into the central valleys. Winter in Bhutan is from mid-November until mid-March, and at this time of the year the climate is dry, with daytime temperatures sometimes falling below zero Celsius. The monsoon usually arrives in mid-June, with the rain falling mainly in the afternoons and evenings. At the end of September, after the last of the big rains, autumn suddenly arrives, and is a magnificent season for trekking until November. The southern part of Bhutan is tropical, and in general the east of Bhutan is warmer than the west of the country.
Clothing
Due to wide range of temperature and climatic conditions it is advisable to bring appropriate clothing. For protection against cold-layered clothing is better than a few thick ones, so choose your cloths accordingly. Cloths should preferably be made from natural materials, which allow the body to breathe better. You will be offending people if you walk around in skimpy or tight fitting clothes. Although there are normally opportunities to wear shorts, we would advise women to wear skirts or loose trousers, men should not wear singlet. During visit of monasteries, Dzong and other religious institutions you should not wear shorts & hats.
What to pack?
The following is fairly exhaustive list of what you should pack for the trip:
- Clothes as per season
- Sunglasses / spare glasses or contact lenses
- Sun screen, preparation for relief of sunburn
- Pair of casual shoes
- Washing kit
- Shaving kit
- Towel
- Hat
- Umbrella
- Camera, film and accessories
- Books, maps
- Insect repellent
- Hand cream
- Small sewing kit & safety pins
- Torch or flash light with spare batteries
- Mirror
- Nail clippers
- Scissors
- Lip salve or soluble aspirin
- Antiseptic cream
- Anti-histamine cream
- Anti-diarrhoea pills