Trip Difficulty Level, Road and Transport.

This is basically motor vehicle based tour suitable for travelers of all ages with regular health condition. The highest altitude that we attain in this trip is at Chele-la pass(3810m/12, 497ft) on the way to Haa valley, where we have a brief stop and rest of the places are in lower elevation and so we don’t have any risk of altitude sickness in this trip. Sightseeing involves some short hiking through the terraced fields or forests. Temples and monasteries are often in higher elevation and require climbing flight of stairs. When we travel from one city to another, its usually 3-6 hours drive, with occasional stop for photography or refreshment. Roads are often cut into hills and follow rivers and some parts may be under paved or damaged. There can be landslides, blocking the roads temporarily when it rains heavily. Please, do not compare the South Asian roads with the ones in developed countries.

We provide good condition vehicles which are mid size sedan car or SUVs or vans, depending on the group size. Drivers may speak little or no English. Chances of getting flat tires and mechanical breakdowns cannot be declined due to weather and road conditions but our drivers are capable of taking the situation under control. We just need your cooperation and flexibility, when something unexpected happens during the tour.

Accommodations.

In Bhutan, unless we have chosen other alternatives, we will be staying in moderate to the best available accommodations which are in general small hotel with 15-30 rooms with private bathroom with running hot and cold water.We do not expect our hotel to have a gift shop for "sundry" items. Remember, outside Thimphu and Paro, “best available" may be very basic. Major Cities like Paro and Thimphu have a couple of international chain resorts with remarkably high price and our trips do not feature them and if anybody wants upgrading to these hotels, we can do so on additional cost. The hotels listed in the itinerary are suggestions only and final list of hotels can be obtained only after reservation is processed. Comparing to Bhutan, we have more choices of hotels and we will be using first class hotels with all modern comforts.

Meals.

The trip features 3 meals a day in Bhutan. We expect to eat most meals at our hotel and some meals also can be arranged in local restaurants. In Bhutan, meals are usually served in buffet that includes rice, vegetables, noodles, breads etc. Beware: traditional Bhutanese food always features chilies and the most popular dish is ema datse made with large, green hot chilies in a cheese sauce. During your trip in Nepal, we have one welcome dinner in Kathmandu and 3 meals a day in Chitwan National Park.Rest of the days, you will have daily breakfast only. You can expect to spend $10-12 per meal in regular tourist standard restaurant.

Guides

Expert leadership is the key to an exciting, unforgettable experience. Our trips feature gifted local guides for whom leading trips is a true vocation. Our guides are university graduates, fluent in English, trained and licensed by Tourism authorities. They are knowledgeable about all aspects of our trip, and take great pleasure in sharing their insights with you. They show us the wonders of the areas we’d otherwise never find on our own and make sure everything goes smoothly and safely without a hitch. More than just guides, they positively elevate our experience by being teachers, companions, and the best of friends.Guides in Bhutan and Nepal will be different person.

International and internal airfares

You will book your international airfare to and return from Bangkok and we will take care of the rest of the flights. You can also start and end your trip in Kathmandu. We can also help you find good fares through our air ticket consolidator on your request. We will take care of internal airfares-flight from Bangkok into Paro or on the return from Kathmandu back to Bangkok. All internal airfares are booked locally. Local airport taxes may or may not included in the fare.

Passport and Visa

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months more at the time of travel and there should be enough blank pages for entry and exit seals. Bhutan visa is pre-processed by us and we will get clearance for you before your flight into Bhutan. Your passport gets actual visa seal upon arrival at Paro airport. You can obtain Nepal visa upon arrival at Kathmandu airport or from nearest Nepali embassy beforehand.We will take care of all other permits necessary for this trip.

Note on Itinerary

Although we will do our very best to adhere to the itinerary schedule as listed; it is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control.

Booking/Deposit.

When you are sure you are going to Bhutan, it will be wise to put your reservation in line as early as possible as Bhutan Air reservation is quite a tricky matter. Druk Air is the only airline flying into and out of Bhutan and operates with 2 A 319 craft with capacity less than 100 passengers and gets filled up quickly. Paro-the only airport of Bhutan is connected with Bangkok, Delhi, Kolkatta and Kathmandu and have limited operations. For flight schedules and more information, please visit Druk Air Website. A deposit of US$ 200 on land plus the cost of internal airfares is requested along with booking application and passport photocopies.

Balance Payment.

The balance and final payment is 60 days prior departure. The payment schedule may vary with customized and private trips on case to case basis. Payments more than US$ 500 must be made by wire transfer or bank check or cashier's check.

Cancellation and refund

Notice of cancellation and refund request must be received in written form. Cancellation fee structure has been listed below.

• 90 days prior departure: US$ 50 (Administrative Fee)
• 60-89 day's prior departure: US$ 250 or 25% of the land cost whichever is higher.
• 45 days to 59 days prior departure: US$ 450 or 50% of the land cost whichever is higher.
• 30 days to 44 days prior departure: US$ 600 or 75% of the land cost whichever is higher.
• Less than 30 days: 100%

Highland Asia Travel, Inc.

We are an active adventure travel company, based in Minneapolis, USA with destination management offices in Kathmandu, Thimphu and Lhasa. We are BBB accredited business and an active member of American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and Nepal Association of Travel andTours Agents (NATTA). We have set the standard for adventure travel and have a strong reputation for excellence that we do everything we can to maintain. Our managers and guides have more than 15 years of experience in organizing and leading adventure trips in the highlands of Asia. For us travel is not just a business, but a way of life.

Travel Protection Plan

While we hope and do our best that your trip goes smoothly as planned but there are always chances of unforeseen events and conditions such as illness, accident, inclement weather, and flight cancellation or missed connection or loss of baggage etc. that may cause interruption or delay or total cancellation of your trip putting your hard earned travel investment in jeopardy. It’s also possible that you may need medical assistance, emergency evacuation or medical transportation when you get ill or involve in an accident when you are traveling in remote areas. Highland Asia’s Tour cost does not cover any of these expenses or losses and so we strongly recommend you that you should protect yourself and your travel investment against those unfavorable conditions.

We recommend Travel Guard for the protection of your travel investment. Click here to get an instant quote and purchase the policy online or ask us for help.