Bhutan Travel Specialist, Druk Air Representative (Royal Bhutan Airlines)
Kuzuzangpo Sangay, Hope this finds you well, here's the feedback and some pictures of our trip in Bhutan. I must appreciate you asking permission to share the photographs, you have our permission to use them for promoting DrukAsia and Bhutan Tourism. 1) Guide and Driver Ms Dawa and Thinley were waiting at the Arrivals area at Paro Airport as advised, it is a pity that our flight got delayed by more than an hour at Kolkata due to reduced visibility conditions at Paro. If there was any distinctive factor that made our trip to Bhutan a memorable one, it was Dawa and Thinley. Dzongs, Monasteries and picturesque locations shall continue to exist but it was these two individuals that made our trip very comfortable and enjoyable. Having a female guide was a great boon as there was always someone for my wife to talk to during the treks and walks to the various monasteries and dzongs. Dawa was well informed and was knowledgeable about the subject she was talking about, she gave just the right amount of information during the tour that enlightened us but didn't overburden or bore us with excessive information. She deserves credit of the highest order. Driving through narrow and high Himalayan roads is a significant aspect of the tour and it depends on the driver how comfortable they make you feel during the long drives. I can say without doubt that Thinley did an outstanding job of tackling the narrow and bumpy roads that lead us deeper into Bhutan. I hope and pray that his father has gotten the appropriate medical care in Kolkata and has recovered fully. 2) Hotels Terma Linca has a location that other hotels in the region should be envious of! The room was clean, the service at the hotel was great and the staff was polite and genuinely willing to serve. Food was great, the bar service was prompt and the view from the room with the sound of the river gushing by was relaxing and serene. Zhiwa Ling was celebrating its 9th anniversary when we checked in, they had a cultural program and cocktail celebration in the evening. We were fortunate enough to spend an evening talking to the CEO of the Hotel and how the family came across to building the property. Nothing to add here, both Terma Linca and Zhiwa Ling live up to their superstar billing and rating. Hotel Vara might be unfairly rated here due to the upgrades we had in the other locations but in all fairness the rooms and the staff were great. What doesn't work in the hotel's favor is that the food was not unto the mark and Dawa had to take us to the much better "Hotel Lobesa" down the road. I suspect that we ended up in Hotel Vara as Lobesa was fully booked (something to learn for me to book much earlier). Hotel Vara has a critical design flaw that not many of the guests will have noticed. The exhaust vents from the bathrooms are in the passage to the lobby, this might have been the cause of the funny smell in the passageways, the rooms were spared of it in all fairness. Although we did not stay at Hotel Lobesa, I must make mention of this as we had lunch at the owner's other restaurant in the paddy fields on the way to Chime Lakhang. The humble and always helpful owner was present at both times and his pleasant personality made a world of difference during our lunch and the dinner, something that Hotel Vara lacked. 3) Itinerary Cannot complain here, well planned and executed, thankfully the longest hike was for the last day. We skipped a few places and we took our time at some and the fact that it was a private tour and we could take our time with things was a major plus. 4) Druk Asia Lastly, I must say this once more, your patience and support with me was admirable. You and your team being the first point of contact to start our Bhutan trip means there is a big responsibility on you guys to make sure prospective travelers don't start their journey unpleasantly. You did great with promptly looking up for back up dates when our original plan didn't work out. Once again a big Kadin Chhey to Dawa and Thinley, You and DrukAsia and the lovely land of Bhutan and its genuinely happy people. It is an inspiration to the world and I look forward to hiking up the Jomolhari in the near future and I am sure you will help me out with that. Have a good day ahead.
From India
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