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Central
Bhutan
Craig Headman with the
Minister of Agriculture,
Dr. Pema Jyamtsho.
The trip was
great!! I was quite happy with your local partner
company. They gave me the best quality hotels, good
meals, an excellent vehicle and driver, and a guide who
seemingly knows everyone in Bhutan. My itinerary
coincided with some important local events and, with the
guide's contacts and persistence, I was admitted to some
VIP places. I met the King, Prime Minister, and other
ministers, and was impressed with their friendliness and
hospitality.
Thanks!!
Craig |
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Eastern Bhutan,
Thimphu Tsechu, Tangbi Mani and Bhumthang Cultural Trek
We already
knew Footloose from our trip to Ladakh two years ago and
can only confirm that Tomas is the best of all the
travel agents we have ever contacted – his knowledge of
the countries his company offers is enormous, his quick
answers will satisfy even the most impatient of client,
and his effort to understand each clients needs and
wishes makes Footloose unique. Thank you Tomas !!
Our vacation in magical Bhutan was one if not the most
memorable one we have experienced in 25 years of
traveling all over the world. It was all we had hoped
for, and the arrangements all ran very smoothly, thanks
also to our excellent “team”. Our lively senior guide
Pema did everything to meet our wishes and was perfect
in dealing with the hotels and restaurants. He was very
knowledgeable about his country including its history,
religion, culture, geography and he was good company
too. Our driver, Tsering, who speaks English quite well,
was always friendly and very helpful and the car kept in
excellent conditions. He drove very carefully and seemed
to know each bump of the road by heart. During the long
drive on very narrow roads to the very east of the
country we never for one moment felt in danger. We could
just sit back and enjoy the stunning nature and
beautiful landscape.
We also very much appreciated the presence of your
Bhutanese partner Tashi while camping in Gangtey – he
and his staff made our tent-evening/night in marvelous
Phobjikha valley an unforgettable one. We even had a
bottle of Beaujolais with our dinner and lots of fun
together with Footloose-booked tourists Christine and
Ron. Lovely people with whom we became friends during
this holiday.
The choice of hotels was perfect and we were positively
surprised by the good and extremely kind service and the
effort the local owners and employees made to make us
feel happy in their establishments. We also were very
lucky with the weather and can recommend October for
traveling in Bhutan, but in a certain way we regret not
to have chosen April, when the rhododendrons are
blooming. As for the food, there is not much fantasy in
tourist food in Bhutan, but one cannot expect culinary
highlights in a country were the population eats big
heaps of rice and chili in cheese-sauce and some
vegetable most of the time. People who need luxurious
hotels and high-class cuisine, simply should not visit
Bhutan.
Concerning the religious festivals, we think that one
should/can avoid the major ones in Paro and Thimpu,
because crowded with tourists , but should definitely
include a minor one – what an unforgettable experience.
We enjoyed every moment of our holiday and think that
Bhutan is THE trip of a life time – an amazing journey
we will never forget.
Thanks again Tomas and Tashi for the perfect
organization, who made all this possible.
Warm regards – Christine and Paolo (Strada in Chianti,
Italy)
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Eastern Bhutan
Dear Tomas,
I thought you might like an evaluation from our trip so
I wrote up the following paragraphs. We thank you for
helping us organize this trip of a lifetime!! We just
loved our guide, driver and Tashi - wonderful people!
October 5th
We flew Druk Air to Paro, Bhutan. Our whole trip to
Bhutan including this flight and the one from Guwahati
back to Delhi was arranged by Tomas at Footloose
travels. He was extremely easy to work with and very
knowledgeable. He encouraged us to spend the time to
drive all the way east which turned out to be a very
good experience.
From hectic and polluted Kathmandu, Paro was an amazing
contrast with clean air, clean everything. There were
many highlights to our trip and we will be doing a dvd
so I won't go into too much detail here – just some
highlights.
Our guide was Kinley Dorji and our driver's name was
Soonam. Kinley was 26 years old and an excellent guide
and very helpful person. Soonam didn't speak English but
was an excellent driver and seemed very pleasant. They
were both helpful beyond any expectations. We grew to
really love Kinley and would recommend him with no
hesitations. He was knowledgeable, kind, very helpful,
calm etc. We felt really lucky as we heard about other
guides who were not nearly as good and drivers and
guides arguing a lot. Kinley and Soonam seemed to get
along very well. We have already had a couple of emails
from Kinley and hope to keep in touch. Were we to travel
to Bhutan again we would want Kinley for our guide!
Tiger's Nest was spectacular. We took ponies part way
which turned out to be a very good idea because it was
really quite a long hike. The food half way back down
was the best we had in Bhutan (more about the food
later)
Even though our accommodations in Thimpu were at an A
rated hotel (Hotel Jumolhari), our experience with
service there was the worst. Plus the bathroom had a
terrible odor even after they cleaned it. And one night
at dinner they ran out of food. Thimpu was also crowded
and hectic and we didn't much like it there except for
the festival. A highlight in Thimpu, however, was being
invited to Kinley's family's home and having them dress
us in the traditional dress! They are wonderful people
and it was great to see how middle class people live
All in all, our time in Bhutan was really wonderful. The
accommodations were usually very nice though at times
quite basic (Ura was perhaps the most basic but it was
still nice and we really enjoyed being there and seeing
that small village). Two nights were spent camping and
we found it quite cold and the padding for bedding
extremely hard. That was in the Probjika valley which
was really gorgeous and our experience there was still
very enjoyable. Tashi took care of us there and he was
very nice and very accommodating. Even when it rained,
he was out there in the rain trenching around our tent
to divert the water. They provided a cute little shower
tent with equipment that we would use to spray weeds
that pumps up. They heated some water for us and had a
shower head on it and it worked very well.
We especially enjoyed the Punaka Dzong – an amazingly
gorgeous dzong. The Kyichu Resort was great and we had a
room right by the river – a wonderful spot.
Bumthang was perhaps our favorite spot. We really
enjoyed the Wangdicholing guest House with a large room,
king bed, sitting area, pot belly stove to keep us warm,
and a gorgeous view over the river.
Mongar was not particularly interesting except for the
fact that you could really start to see the changes
going from west to east – changes in architecture
especially since there were more sort of ordinary
looking apartment buildings and lots of apartment
buildings instead of individual houses.
We enjoyed the visit to Gom Kora and picnic by the river
that day. However, the hike up was a bit treacherous
with stones, mud, logs over streams etc. In general the
hiking paths in Bhutan presented challenges – especially
for Ron but Kinley helped him continually to navigate
any difficult areas. He was extremely attentive to those
needs.
The weaving school in Khaling was especially
interesting.
Samdrup Jongkar and the drive into that area was
interesting and you could really feel India so close.
The hotel there was fine and the drive to Guwahati went
well. The contrast between west and east in Bhutan and
between Bhutan and India was very interesting.
The countryside in Bhutan is spectacular and that is
what we enjoyed the most. The people we met were very
intriguing with their happy, simple life-styles. Some
things that surprised us were people smoking (though it
is banned), the use of plastic bags (though also
banned), lots of youth wearing jeans, the availability
of goods from India, the amount of dependence the
country has on India. The biggest disappointment and
source of some discomfort was the monotony of the food.
Every meal was a buffet and most of the time the same
thing for lunch and dinner and day after day. That
proved to be difficult for 17 days. Breakfast when there
were eggs helped but as we went east there were no eggs.
It would have been nice to order off a menu from time to
time.
Chris Saudek and Ron McKelvey
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We are just back from the Himalayan tour you
organized for us. On behalf of all of us, I write to
thank you for having organized the tour so
thoroughly and thoughtfully. Your staff in
Delhi, Darjeeling, and Bhutan were most helpful and
the guides you provided us were not only
courteous and accommodating but also knowledgeable on
local conditions and culture. The cars and drivers
were also very safe and cautious- a condition
absolutely indispensable for the roads there. As a
result we had a fully satisfactory and productive,
as well as memorable, tour of the regions we
visited. Thanks for the job well done!
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Tomas,
My trip to Bhutan was wonderful. All travel things went
smoothly, and my experiences in both Bangkok and Bhutan
really were memorable.
The trek was everything I had hoped for and more.
Some surprises, but all good ones. Eva, my
trekking partner, and I had much in common and got along
beautifully. All the personnel in
Bhutan were top notch. The camp crew
took very good care of us. The tents were nice and
tight, which was good as it rained virtually every
night.
The "cultural" tour part of the trip was certainly less
intense, and it took me a while to adjust being in a
car, guided all the time. But, whatever my frustration
at being somewhat sedentary and "guided" all the time, I
saw and learned a tremendous amount. I missed the
second festival in the Bumthang valley as the Monastery
changed the date, but in spite of the guide's offer to
find a hotel for another night, I'd been there long
enough and was ready to see a new location. It all
worked out. And, no Black Cranes, but I knew all along
that was a possibility. Still got some nice hiking
in. And, I worked it out with my guide to let me go for
extensive walks daily. He just felt a tremendous
responsibility for my care, I think. I had some
wonderful spontaneous encounters with local children. I
found the entire country fascinating and am still
processing things I think I learned. The landscape
makes me struggle for the vocabulary to describe it it
is so vast and remarkable. The joy and happiness the
people exude in spite of not having much income was also
something special to experience, and was quite thought
provoking. I heard singing, whistling and all forms of
musical expression everywhere. It really was a most
memorable and wonderful experience.
I hope that continued and increased tourism and contact
with the West doesn't dramatically change their
culture. It is in some ways odd to be shuffled around
with all the other tourists, eating the tourist food,
staying in the tourist hotels, but yet I can see where
perhaps it helps them protect their culture and private
lives. (And, I am a BIG fan of Chilies and Cheese!)
Going on my own, and getting some time to wander around
independently helped me to feel like I was getting at
least a glimpse of the "real" Bhutan, not just the
tourist version of Bhutan. The locals were very
generous in opening their homes to see how they live.
Thank you for your part in putting it all together. I could
not be happier with my trip and the Bhutan experience. You and Footloose did a commendable job setting up my
trip and itinerary. And, now that I've been home,
checked in with friends and family, had my diet Coke and
some Cheez-its, I'm ready to go back!!
Thank you again for making this amazing trip possible.
Ginny Grossman |
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"Great work,
Footloose! In the course of the tour preparation and prior to our
departure we must have exchanged some hundred messages
and we always had a prompt response - you just don't
find that dealing with other companies. Wonderful trip!
Thanks agan!"
Michael Denie
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"Bhutan
is truly different than any other Himalayan country.
Bhutan functions at its own pace and that's what makes for
an exciting trip – opened my mind to things in life I
never imagined! Thanks Tomas for the
opportunity to see my life differently! To all - do
visit Bhutan!"
Clair
Berry
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Hi Tomas,
I want to first say that the trip planning you did
for us was superb! Feel free to use us as a
reference. Everything went as planned except for the
flight from Delhi to Bagdogra. It was late in
arriving which caused us to make half of the drive
to Phuntsholing in the dark. Driving in India
is a stressful experience, especially after dark.
The driver was in a hurry to get back, which made it
worse. The driver was an Indian side supplied
driver, not your Bhutan driver we used after
crossing. The driver in Bhutan was with us
during "the ride through Hell" and he even said that
the trip was scary!
Other than getting ill and having to come back early
everything went well. I am still slowly recovering
from the respiratory infection. I hated to pull the
plug on the trip when I did but there was no way to
think of trekking. I couldn't even make it through
the day without a nap or two.
I want to say your associates in Bhutan did a good
job of getting me back from the far east end of
Bhutan during high season even though it took us a
week to do it. I understand the issues that came to
play. I have no complaint with them at all.
I will be sure to get in touch with you to discuss
my next travel plans. I don't know where or when it
will be other than say next year.
Thanks for everything.
Clarke Otten
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Tomas,
If any of your prospective
clients ever want proof of your arranging our wedding
ceremony at Tiger's Nest Monastery, have them contact
me. Any agent that can pull off an itinerary of Atlanta
to Paris to Delhi, then to Kathmandu, tour in Nepal,
then to Delhi, tour in India, then to that little border
airport in NE India, Bagdogra, then drive into Bhutan,
have a wedding ceremony in a remote monastery, then tour
the country, extensively, and then fly Paro,
Kathmandu, Delhi, Paris, and home to Atlanta, knows
something about being a professional tour agent.
Clarke Otten |
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To say that Tomas is a reliable
travel planner would be an understatement. He is not
only diligent, a perfectionist type, a true professional
in what he does, but what separates him from most travel
agents is his experience having actually extensively
traveled all the destinations. He also possesses practically
academic knowledge on cultures and places. As far as I
am concerned there is no reason to look for another
agent or another agency,
Footloose has always delivered for me and I have
booked more than one trip with them. I recommend Tomas
and Footloose to anyone.
Regards,
John Niem
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Hi
Tomas,
Trip was great - thank you very much. I keep thinking of
doing up a trip report, but have been quite busy since
getting back. I have attached a number of photos - they
are all untouched so if you have a photoshop maybe
you can make them look better.
Thanks a lot and all the best,
Mike
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Tomas, I had some time in Thailand to
write and I did want to tell you how I felt about my
Bhutan experience. First of all, I thought the hike up
to Tiger's Nest monastery was phenomenal. It was the
highlight of my entire trip. The monastery was
spectacular, and worth the trek. I found the Bhutanese
people extremely humble and proud to show us their
country, plus they had wit and intelligence. I was not
so sad about missing the Traditional Medicine Hospital,
after all we saw that amazing Teschu. I am not a tour
type person so I did not have a lot of expectations.
Tomas, overall the trip was a success. I took some
colorful photos and met some nice people. I am now in
Thailand where it is sweltering hot and flooded, so my
memories of Bhutan are even sweeter. Thank you for all
your help with our tour. You were always quick to
respond and informative.
Best regards,
Andrea |
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"Bhutan, India and
Nepal are
three of many
countries Tomas knows extremely well from his personal
travels and so he can truly plan a private trip per
one's detailed request - I never understood the meaning
of tailor-made tours until now.
Thanks Tomas!
Mike Moon
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"Great
trip! This was our first
private tour and never again will my husband and I join
a group tour. Thanks for everything - we will be back."
Linda
McGrath
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Hi Tomas, My trip was
perfect, I went in all the places I wanted and I was
very happy about both the Sikkim driver and the
Bhutan guide.
Thank you for everything, I was very satisfied
about your services!
Best regards
Albertina
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Hi Tomas:
The trip was very good! There are some
things both of us would comment on. First of all,
the guide and driver were great I would use them
again anytime. The 2nd day in Bhutan we were
taken up to the Tiger's Nest. I would suggest doing
this after a few days in country in order to
acclimate to the altitude more. We went up halfway
by horse then I walked up the rest of the way and
both of us walked down - a very strenuous hike. But
I'm glad we went. We were pretty tired out for the
next 3 days from this.
The heating in many of the
hotels was less than adequate - no heat in the
bathrooms was pretty common. In the Phobjika Valley
the hotel had NO heat or Electricity and the cranes
weren't even there. We should have been told about
the lack of heat and given a choice and if the
cranes weren't there we should have been given the
choice of going elsewhere. The festivals were just great, glad we
went there, knowing what I know now we would have
liked doing more short walks or treks of 3-4 hours
or a day's duration. We did not need to see all the Dzongs in every town; but would have liked more
seeing small villages and more contact with local
people.
All in all it was a great trip.
Regards,
Jerry and Myra Schwartz
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"Bhutan
was absolutely the most interesting and enjoyable
vacation my wife and I have ever taken.
The people are wonderful, the monasteries fascinating,
but the landscape is stunning."
Judy and Grant D.
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"From
planning to the actual tour
all was extremely professional, all we dealt with
competent and reliable,
and
everything on the trip went perfectly. The
guide was
knowledgeable, cordial and went out of his way to make us
content. I recommend Footloose and their Bhutan crew to
anyone. "
Sarah & James Whitman
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"We made it back to Germany safe and sound after
an interesting and rewarding trip. Thanks for all your help in making the
arrangements. For the most part, things went pretty smoothly, though in Bhutan
Yuki did develop a fever for about 24 hours and I came down with intestinal
problems for about 5 days. The highlights of the trip were awesome and we took
many wonderful pictures.
Overall, Bhutan was a very enjoyable,
educational, and interesting experience. The country is stunning and the people
are wonderful! Somehow, though, the "tourist" industry in Bhutan needs to make a
few minor improvements: The food was exactly the same 2X per
day every day. We ran into other tourists with the same
observation/complaint. Perhaps this is truly what the diet is there, but I
suspect that what we were getting is standard "tourist" faire which got pretty
old after about 7 days. And the hotels are generally
substandard... But don't get me wrong, we were not expecting 5-star luxury by any
stretch of the imagination.
Regarding the value for the
money.... I think it is great that much of the cost of the trip goes
into development in Bhutan. So, again, we weren't expecting 5 star
luxury, but just a bit better on a few things. But I understand
their position.... they already get more tourists than they really
want, so why make it better for the ones that do come?
I don't want to give you the wrong impression
with these complaints. Overall the trip was great. But I wanted to share these opinions
honestly.
We will keep you in mind for any
future travel plans."
Thanks again,
Drue
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"Bhutan is pure magic! Thank you,
Footloose!"
Rodger Wood |
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"Great work,
Footloose! In the course of the tour preparation and prior to our
departure we must have exchanged some hundred messages
and we always had a prompt response - you just don't
find that dealing with other companies. Wonderful trip!
Thanks agan!"
Michael Denie
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"Excellent
tour, prepared by extremely competent and knowledgeable
people. We highly recommend Footloose Tours if you plan
to tour in Bhutan and the Indian Subcontinent!"
Truman
Murray
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Hi
Tomas,
First.... Tiger's
Nest. When we got there, it had rained earlier and the
trail was muddy and slippery. I went only about 5
minutes when my pony slipped twice and I decided not to
go all the way. Steve decided to go to the cafeteria,
but before he got there, 3 ponies in front of his fell.
2 ponies fell directly on their sides and one pony
slipped, the rider fell off but still had one foot in
the saddle and then was dragged a distance before the
pony could be stopped. At that time, Steve had to walk
the rest of the way since it was too hard on the
ponies. Andrea and John walked all the way up and
thought it was a little hard but wonderful. Luckily
they had their permit you arranged to get into the
monastery. Other tourists of other operators we met who
walked up did not have it and were really disappointed.
Our hotels were fine, but at River View I had to ask for
an extra mattress because the bed was like a board.
They gave it to me willingly.
We all took turns sitting in the back of the van. When
we were on the mountain roads, the person in the back
got bounced around terribly. But we've managed nicely.
Mr. Dawa, our driver was
exceptionally good!
The food has been fine and plentiful.
On our way to Punakha valley your head of operations in
Bhutan asked to meet us in Timphu and bought us tea. We
enjoyed meeting him and were impressed that he wanted to
take the time to meet us!
Overall, everything has been great. The weather has
been mostly clear, everyone we met was friendly, and
everything we saw fascinating!
Tomas, we travel all the time. Of all the travel
companies, cruise operators, etc. that I’ve worked with,
you have been the best! Your quick response, your
knowledge, and your attention to detail can’t be
matched! I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed
planning this trip with you! I’m hoping to find another
trip you can plan for us next year!
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