![Reply](https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/images/buttons/reply.gif) |
![Old](https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/images/statusicon/post_old.gif)
25 Jul 2011
|
Registered Users
HUBB regular
|
|
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Germany and US
Posts: 26
|
|
Two week tour in Bhutan - starting October 1st
I am heading out for a 2 week tour in Bhutan, Assam, and West Bengal . I am flying from Kathmandu to Paro and driving west to east through Bhutan, crossing into West Bengal and driving east to west through the Indian plains.
Unfortunately the only way to tour in Bhutan is with a guide on a fully supported tour. I would prefer to do this on my own but it is not possible in Bhutan.
So I have booked a tour with a Bhutanese company that arranges tours on KTM 640 Adventure bikes (not Enfileds). I will arrive in Bhutan on October 1st and travel for 14 days. Since the trip is fully supported it is not cheap but it is an amazing opportunity. I live in Nepal and I know that you cannot possibly have this type of an experience in Nepal. Bhutan is similar in geography but it is sparsely populated with only 700,000 people. It has well maintained roads through the mountains (including passes over 12,000ft) with no crowds, no trash, and no pollution. Nepal has a population of over 30 million people and the only east-west motorable road is in the plains where more than 55% of the populations resides. This road is crowded, polluted and busy with truck traffic and no visibility of the mountains. The only way to see big mountains in Nepal is by trekking on foot, not on a motorcycle.
I am a private person looking for others to join me on this trip. I can tell you lots more about the trip if you send me an email. I don't want to be accused of promoting a tour agency so contact me for details if this interests you. At that point I can tell you the name of the company I am booked with along with details about the itinerary.
Last edited by fierstf; 27 Jul 2011 at 02:51.
|
![Old](https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/images/statusicon/post_old.gif)
26 Jul 2011
|
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
|
|
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 103
|
|
Bhutan
Sounds interesting, can you give any indication of cost or is it dependent on the number of people in the party?
|
![Old](https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/images/statusicon/post_old.gif)
26 Jul 2011
|
Registered Users
HUBB regular
|
|
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Germany and US
Posts: 26
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by robtho
Sounds interesting, can you give any indication of cost or is it dependent on the number of people in the party?
|
Itinerary: Paro-Haa-Thimphu-Punakha-Phobjikha-Bumthang-Mongar-Lhuentse-Trashigang-Yangtsi-Samdrup Jongkhar-Manas Wildlife sanctuary(India Assam), West Bengal Chalsa over 14 days.
The cost is USD 4240/person - tour is fully supported with guide, mechanic and support vehicle that will transport luggage.
Single room supplement USD 490/person.
USD 2550/person pillion or using the support vehicle.
Price includes
• Motorcycle KTM 640CC Adventure rental with maintenance.
• A grade Hotels and resorts in all places approved by Tourism council of Bhutan.
• A mechanic will follow.
• A back up vehicle.
• Accommodation on twin sharing basis in tourist standard hotels. [Single room supplement as mentioned]
• All meals - breakfast - lunch - dinner.
• All sightseeing with fluent English speaking knowledgeable Guide.
• Entry fees to sights.
• Cold drinks, mineral water on transfers
• All transfers.
• Bhutan visa and permits.
Extras
• Laundry, phone & all other bills of personal nature.
• Bar bills
• Fuel for bikes allotted budget about USD 150 for entire tour.
• Tipping.
• Insurance including helicopter evacuation.
• Flights to Paro.
• Bike insurance. You bend it you mend it!
If you send me your email address, I can send you a PDF that fully describes the route, the things you will see en-route, etc. I can also send you a google map that shows the route and roads we will travel.
|
![Old](https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/images/statusicon/post_old.gif)
2 Mar 2012
|
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Germany
Posts: 147
|
|
fierstf,
I'm currently researching options in Bhutan and this is one of the companies I came across. I'm curious if your trip went through and if so, could you elaborate on your experience?
Cheers,
boarder
|
![Old](https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/images/statusicon/post_old.gif)
2 Mar 2012
|
Registered Users
HUBB regular
|
|
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Germany and US
Posts: 26
|
|
Although I had a great time overall touring Bhutan, I would not recommend this company. I probably had a unique experience, but I do not trust this tour operator.
He did not have trips planned in October so he agreed to book the tour according my dates and then he advertised the trip to get others to join me. He gave me a price assuming that there would be a group of people. In the end, no one else joined and he spent the whole trip trying to cut corners and save himself money that he really impacted my trip.
For instance, the motorcycles were supposed to be a the hotel when I arrived in Paro. The owner told the guide to pick me up in a car and take me around for the first 4 days in a truck. He said we could start riding motorcycle on day 5 when we departed Thimpu. He assumed that I would be OK with spending the first 4 days of a 14 days trip NOT riding a motorcycle.
He also gave me the itinerary promised above. At the end of the trip when I was about to depart Samdrup Jongkhar to enter India to visit the Manas Wildlife sanctuary, the guide told me that there has been a long term insurgency going on in the region. He said that locals had been beheaded by insurgent groups so it was not safe to visit the Sanctuary. So I still don't understand why it was promised to me in my itinerary months before I ever entered the country. Since I no longer had a reason to stop over in India, I drove the 400 kms through the Indian plains and I had no choice but to end my trip a day early. That is not what you want to learn when you have come half way around the world on a once in a life time trip. To say that I was severely disappointed is an understatement.
So I could go on and on, but my recommendation is to find another tour operator. I did enjoy Bhutan and I would encourage people to visit. It is a great country to see by motorcycle. If you want more info, please feel free to message me.
|
![Old](https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/images/statusicon/post_old.gif)
4 Mar 2012
|
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Germany
Posts: 147
|
|
fierstf,
Thanks very much for your honest feedback. I'm planning ahead for 2013. Do you have any thoughts on doing a circuit in spring rather than fall? Obviously you have done it in October. Was that OK weather and visibility wise?
Cheers,
boarder
|
![Old](https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/images/statusicon/post_old.gif)
21 Mar 2012
|
Registered Users
HUBB regular
|
|
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Germany and US
Posts: 26
|
|
Spring or fall you should be fine. Just avoid the summer monsoons and you should have a great time.
|
![Old](https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/images/statusicon/post_old.gif)
21 Mar 2012
|
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 4,343
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by fierstf
Although I had a great time overall touring Bhutan, I would not recommend this company. I probably had a unique experience, but I do not trust this tour operator.
He did not have trips planned in October so he agreed to book the tour according my dates and then he advertised the trip to get others to join me. He gave me a price assuming that there would be a group of people. In the end, no one else joined and he spent the whole trip trying to cut corners and save himself money that he really impacted my trip.
For instance, the motorcycles were supposed to be a the hotel when I arrived in Paro. The owner told the guide to pick me up in a car and take me around for the first 4 days in a truck. He said we could start riding motorcycle on day 5 when we departed Thimpu. He assumed that I would be OK with spending the first 4 days of a 14 days trip NOT riding a motorcycle.
He also gave me the itinerary promised above. At the end of the trip when I was about to depart Samdrup Jongkhar to enter India to visit the Manas Wildlife sanctuary, the guide told me that there has been a long term insurgency going on in the region. He said that locals had been beheaded by insurgent groups so it was not safe to visit the Sanctuary. So I still don't understand why it was promised to me in my itinerary months before I ever entered the country. Since I no longer had a reason to stop over in India, I drove the 400 kms through the Indian plains and I had no choice but to end my trip a day early. That is not what you want to learn when you have come half way around the world on a once in a life time trip. To say that I was severely disappointed is an understatement.
So I could go on and on, but my recommendation is to find another tour operator. I did enjoy Bhutan and I would encourage people to visit. It is a great country to see by motorcycle. If you want more info, please feel free to message me.
|
Hi,
I heartily recommend that you make a cut and paste report about your tour experiences into the "tour" forum - it is a located a bit lower down in the HUBB.
Actually, it is here: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/tours/
Apart from that, how do you find Nepal nowadays? I have been reading about it in preparation for a back-packing trip.
Sorry, so ![Offtopic](https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/images/smilies/offtopic.gif) (from Bhutan) but I guess Nepal feedback could be posted into a specific thread about Nepal!!
Thanks
__________________
Dave
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
![Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.](/stuff/ripcord/ripcord-logo-250.jpg)
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.
Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.
Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
What others say about HU...
"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia
"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK
"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia
"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA
"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada
"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa
"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia
"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany
Lots more comments here!
![Five books by Graham Field!](/stuff/grahamfield/graham-field-2021-280.jpg)
Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook
"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.
Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!
New to Horizons Unlimited?
New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!
Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.
Read more about Grant & Susan's story
Membership - help keep us going!
Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.
|
|
|