Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [4]
Students Full-time students 29 years and younger, with valid identity cards from their academic institutions, are allowed a 25% discount, resulting in a rate of US$150 per night (plus small-group surcharges, if applicable). You should deal directly with a Bhutanese tour operator rather than through a travel agency or tour company at home if you plan to utilise this facility.
Travel Agents Tour companies intending to put Bhutan into their programs may apply for a discounted familiarisation tour. It’s unlikely that you can manage this arrangement unless you are already a serious player in the travel industry. DOT has an excellent network of connections worldwide and will check your bona fides beforehand. It also requires both a pretrip and a post-trip briefing.
Volunteers & Project Employees If you are working in Bhutan, you are not subject to the normal rules for tourists, and the agency employing you will arrange your visa. Soon after you arrive in Bhutan you will be enrolled in a cultural-orientation course for new volunteers. Volunteers are allowed two visitors a year; the visitors must be close relatives and are not subject to the tourist tariff.
Payment Procedure
If you have arranged your trip directly with a tour operator in Bhutan and are not using an overseas agent, you must make payment directly to DOT in Bhutan. This is not a trivial process.
The most straightforward and efficient procedure is to make a US-dollar transfer to the account of the Bhutan National Bank at Citibank in New York. Transfers into this account are monitored by DOT and credited to the agent in Bhutan. Transfers should be made to Citibank (111 Wall St, 19th fl, New York City, NY 10043), account of Bhutan National Bank (ABA No 0210-0008-9, account No 36023474, Swift Code Citius 33, Chips Routing No 008). The name of the tour operator should be stated as the ‘beneficiary’. If this procedure is not practical for you, contact the tour operator you have chosen to handle your trip for alternative, but more complicated, bank transfer methods.
Once you make the payment, fax a copy of the deposit details to the tour operator in Bhutan so that it can present this documentation to DOT to start the visa process.
In cases of last-minute bookings or other exceptional circumstances it is possible to pay in travellers cheques (but not cash) upon arrival in Bhutan, but this entails a visit to the DOT office to sign documents.
Note that you are paying an agency of the Bhutanese government, not the tour operator directly; therefore you have more protection against default on the part of the tour company.
Cancellation Charges
Tour programs booked and subsequently cancelled are subject to cancellation charges. Travel insurance is an extremely worthwhile investment given that you must make full payment up front. The fee depends on how many days before the start of the tour program you cancel.
More than 30 days No charge
Within 21 days 10%
Within 14 days 15%
Within seven days 30%
Fewer than seven days 50%
Without notice 50%
After arrival in Bhutan 100%
Cost of Delays
There is no daily tariff for days of delay in your arrival or departure due to weather conditions, Druk Air problems or road blocks. In cases of delayed departure, tour operators will simply charge the actual expenses for accommodation, food, transport and any other services required.
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TRAVEL LITERATURE
Not surprisingly,