Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [202]
Bhutanese include the nine months in the womb in the calculation of their age. Everyone considers themselves a year older on Losar, New Year’s day, and thus people can be nearly two years younger than they say they are.
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You may prefer a policy that pays doctors or hospitals directly rather than your having to pay on the spot and claim later. If you have to claim later make sure you keep all documentation. Some policies ask you to call back (they suggest reversing the charges, an impossibility from Bhutan) to a centre in your home country where an immediate assessment of your problem is made.
It’s a good idea to photocopy your policy in case the original is lost. If you are planning to travel for a long time, the insurance may seem very expensive – but if you can’t afford it, you certainly won’t be able to afford to deal with a medical emergency overseas.
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INTERNET ACCESS
Full international internet service was inaugurated on 2 June 1999, the 25th anniversary of the king’s coronation. You can access Druknet (www.druknet.bt), Bhutan’s internet provider, from any telephone in Bhutan by dialling 100 or 101. At the time of research Bhutan had not yet joined any of the global internet roaming agreements, so a local Druknet account was needed to log in. There are internet cafés in many large towns. For more info on internet resources, Click here.
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LEGAL MATTERS
Although you will probably notice cannabis growing in any bit of spare dirt, even in the towns, there is not a tradition of use and possession is illegal. Bhutan recently implemented restrictions on smoking and the sale of tobacco products. Don’t sell any cigarettes brought into the country. The age of consent is 18 years.
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MAPS
There is a dearth of maps on Bhutan and a good map can be hard to source outside the country. Kathmandu bookshops are the best bet for finding a map. International Travel Maps (www.itmb.com) produce a 1:380,000 Bhutan and Nepa Maps produce two maps: 1:380,000 Bhutan and Bhutan Trekking Routes. The laminated Berndtson & Berndtson 1:500,000 Bhutan Road Map is hard to find inside Bhutan but available in Kathmandu and (with some difficulty) elsewhere.
In Bhutan, bookshops sell Thimphu and Paro city maps as well as country maps published by the Survey of Bhutan. The Survey publishes a large 1:250,000 country map that is a composite of Landsat Images overlaid with roads and major towns and district boundaries, as well as several specialised maps showing historical places and points of interest. The Trekking chapter Click here lists details of topographical maps and their availability.
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MONEY
The unit of currency is the ngultrum (Nu), which is equivalent to one Indian rupee. The ngultrum is further divided into 100 chetrum. There are coins to the value of 25 and 50 chetrum and Nu 1 and notes of Nu 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. The Nu 1 coin depicts the eight auspicious symbols (Click here), while each note depicts a different dzong. Indian rupees may be used freely anywhere in Bhutan (don’t be surprised if you get change in rupees), but ngultrums are not welcome in India.
It is OK with the Bhutanese if you bring a reasonable amount of Indian currency into Bhutan, though Indian regulations prohibit currency export. Consult the inside front cover for exchange rates and Click here for information on costs.
ATMs
At the time of research, the few Bhutan National Bank ATMs could only be used by local customers. The bank does have plans, however, for extending the network and providing credit-card facilities.
Black Market
There is no black market in Bhutan. The Indian rupee is a convertible currency, and the rate is set by market conditions, not by the Indian government. Subject to some restrictions, Indians and Bhutanese can buy dollars officially to purchase goods from abroad. Therefore, there is not much difference between the market rate and the official rate for