Drukyul Walking Tour – Bhutan

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Deena

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Marie and Louis

We visited Bhutan once again with Wind Horse. The trip was excellent and personalized as we travelled further into the Haa valley where we would have gladly stayed longer. We had a very dedicated and intuitive guide, Tashi, who teamed up with driver Pema. Both were well-versed in Buddhist interpretation of temples and sites (a significant plus!). Small is definitely beautiful - Bhutan, roads, hotels, gardens, shops. Truly a delight.

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Jennifer

Thank you, Wind Horse, for a great tour through Bhutan. Our guide, Thinley, and our driver, Sonam, were fantastic. We really could not have asked for better - they constantly surpassed our expectations in terms of their organization, knowledge, thoughtfulness, and their kindness and willingness to share their culture. Just one example: when we were going to the festival in Bumthang, they (unknown to us) went to the site at 6 am and claimed us space in a prime viewing area. We loved all of the properties where we stayed, and all of the tours you arranged for us - they fit our interests perfectly. If there is one thing I would have changed about the trip, it is the quality of the vehicle we had - it really was not as you promised ("good quality vehicle"), especially considering that we saw several other Wind Horse tour vehicles, all of which were much newer and in better condition than ours. Instead, our vehicle was distinctly underpowered and did not have working heat, air conditioning, defroster, or windshield wipers. We did appreciate that when we complained, you were willing to change out the vehicle for our long drive from Bumthang back to Paro, but wish you had not conditioned that offer on our changing drivers, too. We wish you would have just provided a better vehicle from the start, because we were not willing to change DRIVER at that point just to get a better vehicle...we loved Sonam! I don't know how many of your other clients had been able to book the flight from Bumthang to Paro (and I still don't know whether we simply booked too late -10 months out- to get that flight or if someone at Wind Horse dropped the ball somewhere along the line), but given that you knew we had to make that long drive, a vehicle with working heat, AC, seat belts, windshield wipers, and sufficient power was essential, and instead we had a beat up older vehicle that nearly every other vehicle on the road passed. Really, it was way below the quality we expected, and that we saw provided to most other tourists.

In summary, we loved our guide, our driver, and our itinerary. We just suggest that for future travelers, you make a greater effort to ensure that all of them have vehicles with the most basic conveniences, and that you not only make all possible efforts to avoid them having to make the almost 11 hour drive from Bumthang to Paro, but that if that proves necessary, you ensure they can travel there comfortably and safely.

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Matthew Caretti

Dear Anand,

Greetings from India! As you may be aware, I continued my travels here in India after departing Bhutan. And I can state without a doubt that I truly miss Bhutan. An amazing culture, kind people and beautiful landscapes!

In terms of specific feedback regarding the trip, I will begin with some constructive criticism. It would be good, I think, to work with the guides (perhaps both the senior guides and those new to Windhorse, who might have a fresh perspective) to review the itinerary of the Drukyul Walking Tour. It seems that nearly every day we had to change what was noted on the official itinerary. Dropping some places, adding others. Of course, this makes for some flexibility depending on the group's wants and needs. But I think a more streamlined version would be helpful that noted either-or options, which the guides could then discuss with the group at the end of each day. Additionally, since the official tour name includes "walking," I wish we had done more of this, particularly hiking. So many groups simply move around by bus. I think the best parts of our trip were when we got away from these crowds and visiting more remote temples and monasteries. The monks seemed to enjoy our visit, and we felt most welcomed. And "off the beaten track" certainly would hold a strong marketing appeal in the West. So perhaps an itinerary that balances the "must see" places with those known only to the locals, a glimpse behind the "tourist" curtain!

Having noted all of the above, the trip truly was splendid. Both Pema and Jigme were kind, knowledgeable and professional. The experience of Bhutan will long remain with me. And throughout the planning and booking process, I truly appreciated the kind and timely communications with the Windhorse staff. I plan to return in 2018 for the Tour of the Dragon mountain bike race and hope to work with your fine company again at that time.

I truly hope that all of the above is helpful to you. But should you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again.

Wishing you continued success with your business and abundant happiness in each moment!

With warmest regards,

Matthew Caretti

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Trang Chau

Dear Ugen and Jambay,

I am finally back home from my trip. I would like to send you this email to thank you for the great trip and the service WindHorse has provided. Bhutan is the 2nd most beautiful place that I have seen in the world.

Except one incident with the hotel in Trongsa, I have a lot of positive comments to say about WindHorse and the itinerary. I am sure you have put a lot of thoughts about the proposed walking itinerary which is the best to my opinion. The flight to Bumthang made a lot of sense. Starting from Bumthang back to Paro is better than starting from Paro to drive to Bumthang and fly back. Bumthang is too beautiful and needs all the energy to see it at the beginning. I am not too excited about big cities like Thimpu so leaving it at the end worked very well for me. Seeing the wilderness before seeing big crowds of tourists is always best. I am planning to see more of Easern Bhutan in my next trip, maybe in the spring of 2018, combining with Tibet. I am not worried whether the road project in Bhutan will be done or not by then. I would like to do a private tour with light hiking in Bhutan. If I could get friends to join, that would be great, otherwise it will be just me. I will work with you again in 2017 for the itinerary. Your staff, Kinley and Jimmy, are the best. Kinley knows the trails very well and Jimmy is the best driver, to my opinion. I will post my reviews in the next couple weeks. Once again Thank you.

Trang

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Kathleen S

TID - 8663 - Bhutan Walking Tour

We booked a walking tour with Wind Horse Tours. We were met at the airport by our guide, Leki, and driver, Chimi. It was a private tour, so we spent 2 weeks with just the two of them. They were both incredible ambassadors of Wind Horse and Bhutan. They made us feel like family instead of tourists.

Our walking tour of Bhutan was breathtaking. The land is beautiful and the Bhutanese are the warmest and friendliest people we have ever met. We absolutely loved our experiences in Bhutan, and a great deal of the credit goes to Leki and Chimi. I would not hesitate to recommend Wind Horse Tours and these two gentlemen to any future visitors. Thank you so much Leki and Chimi!!!

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Renay & Peter B

TID 8556 - Private Drukyul Walking Tour- Dec 02 - 14, 2014 (Guide - Yonten) We want to Thank Windhorse tours management and organising staff for their wonderful service and taking the time to promptly answer any and all of our questions.  You were so easy and great to deal with.

We want to especially thank Yonten (Guide) and Yamraj (Driver) for a wonderful memorable holiday that we will never forget.  We had been wanting and planning to visit Bhutan for over 5 years and to finally get there and enjoy it much as we had hoped was unbelievable. 

We have been recommending Bhutan and Windhorse tours to everyone we talk to about our holiday and we hope to return for another trip to Bhutan in the next 5-7 years.

We loved walking through the small townships and visiting the local stores.  Maybe only buying a packet of chips or a lolly of some kind but just to experience what is in a local store in another country.  Just wandering the stores, streets and around the motels was good to slow down and relax.

We would recommend including some local entertainment in the tour.  For us we were lucky enough to come across a local archery match (which we had highlighted as something we would like to see while we were in Bhutan) in Paro that we watched for 2 hours one morning, this was great. According to Yenten the archery was organised by a group of friends who wanted to play a match.  To see both the archery and the antics the locals got up to in a game of archery was fantastic.  Both my husband and I used to do archery and competed at our Country titles 2 years running; so we would have also loved to join in the competition if that was possible and had a go at “traditional barebow” Bhutanese style.

Food The food in Bhutan – Excellent – We can’t rave highly enough about the wonderful food.  It was healthy, tasty, filling and the best vegetable and rice dishes we have ever eaten. And there was so much of it.  Coming from a warm country we are not used to such big meals and had to ask to have a smaller number of dishes as we felt bad leaving food behind.  With all the walking we did, and ate like kings; we didn’t put on any weight (we actually lost some).  Sebastian had plenty to eat.  He pretty much had one of everything on the table, apart from the chilli cheese, but he did try a small bit of that a couple of times too.

Hotels The Hotels – I cannot fault any of our hotels.  They were clean, warm and had excellent service.  The architecture on some of these buildings was magnificent.  The rooms were huge.  If there was any issue the staff were more than happy to help and had it fixed before you returned to your room that day.  And again the staff and meals were excellent.

Flexibilty in itinerary Access to the monasteries - Yenten was fabulous in arranging access to the monasteries in advance so we didn’t have to wait and waste time.  There will always be times some things are not open and that is understandable.  It was good to be able to walk between sites when possible this was a big plus and a great way to see the country.

Guide Yenten – guide – Yenten was a wonderful guide.  His knowledge of the monasteries and Bhutanese Buddhism was fantastic.  As Buddhists we follow a different tradition but we could relate to what he was saying and it was interesting to have discussions about the differences in the two traditions.

Yenten was always so very polite and never tired of any of us asking questions or asking for assistance or help with information or language. Yenten and Peter had several discussions about life in Bhutan and these discussions are cherished. Both Renay and I are extremely grateful that Yenten was our guide. The relationship he developed with our little boy was wonderful, special and so important to us that we hope Sebastian never forgets Yenten; and hopefully Yenten is able to take away similar feelings about our family.

Driver Yamraj – driver – Yamraj as a fantastic and skilled driver.  We have never been so close to the edge of a mountain side or another truck but we were never scared and trusted in his driving and ability to negotiate every turn.  He also has and great sense of humour laughing at Sebastian’s jokes.  He is a very quietly spoken gentle person who had so much time for Sebastian who was keen to involve him in everything we did. We were told Yamraj was getting married later this year. Good luck to Yamraj and his future wife.

We would, without hesitation, recommend Yenten and Yamraj to family travellers.

Suggestions

Cooking lessons/experience - I would have loved to have learnt how to cook some of the fabulous dishes we ate.  Including and especially, the chilli cheese.  I know we may not be able to get the same cheese in Australia but I might have been able to find a local produce that would substitute when we got back. I should have spoken up and asked if this was possible while we were there but the staff at the hotels and restaurants seemed so keen to please that I thought I may offend by asking to visit their kitchen ☺

Meditation retreats – the possibility of including a 1day meditation day in the middle or a 2-5 day retreat the end of the trip (as an add-on).

A white/snow mountain experience – might be an attractive option for those who are on the Dec or Jan trips.  In hindsight we would have loved to stay for a couple more days and experience some more snow and just take walks around town or short nature walks and relax in the bigger towns of Paro, Thimphu or Jakar.

Fly to Bumthang – We asked about the airport in Bumthang and using it instead of driving one-way to Bumthang.  The idea being to fly the long drive to Bumthang and then drive the smaller hops back to Thimphu/Paro so you still get to see the countryside.  The price for this compared to a lost day of travel might be a good deal for some people.  We spent a lot of money just travelling from Australia to Bhutan, we would have spent a little more to make better use of the time once in Bhutan

The Hikes.  The order of the hikes needs allow for travellers to slowly acclimatize to the altitude of the country as many other countries geography doesn’t give travellers any way to truly prepare for this.  We would suggest a number of small climbs, like the Cheri Monastery, over the first 3-4 of days (at least one each day).  Then by the middle of the tour they will have the confidence and fitness to tackle the over the pass climbs (like the Kikiphu and Sashila) and the steep uphill climbs like the Lungchuzekha Temple.  We were disappointed we could not do the pass hikes, but maybe could have if we had successfully achieved a number of days of smaller climbs to acclimatize to the altitude.

For every guest

• Check with guest on arrival if they have Bhutanese Ngultrum and if not change before leaving the airport. 
• Check also with guests that they have the correct electrical converter and if not arrange a place where they can buy one of these on the first day. 
• A list of local events, like sporting events or local matches or music or entertainment in towns.

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Deirdre H

TID 8628 (March 31- April 14,2015) The guide - Dechen Duba Hello Anand,

It is now more than a month since we finished our trip with Wind Horse.  It was truly the best trip we've had in a very long time and one we've been hoping to take since the mid-80s.  I know the places we visited are places that many tourists see; however, Duba, our guide, introduced the places in an understandable and relevant way.  Chimmie, our driver, kept us safe on the roads and managed the blocks so as to minimize the time we had to spend waiting for road openings.  Our accommodations were all fine and ranged from OK to amazing.  We loved the Lechuna Heritage Hotel in the Haa valley, the Khang Residency in Thimpu and the Hotel Dewachen in Gangtey.

We enjoyed having a break from driving, monastaries and towns with our almost-daily hikes.  There was a good balance within our cultural, physical and urban shopping activities.

One suggestion is that hotels have better fire detection equipment.  I know this is not an area where you are likely to have much influence, but maybe you can raise the issue whenever it is appropriate.  Many hotels use a lot of wood in the construction and with wood-heat a feature in many hotels, sprinklers and fire extinguishers should be installed.

As far as the tour itself, we had full, interesting days.  We only wish we had more time to explore the eastern part of Bhutan and do a trek.

Thank you for planning this trip for us.  I would recommend your company to anyone who is interested in visiting Bhutan.

Sincerely,

Deirdre H

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Jeans & Bryan Enis

TID 8721 (March 4-17) 2015 Guide Duba Hello Anand - Firstly,  we want to tell you how amazing our guide was!  Duba really made our trip.  He was professional, punctual, knowledgeable, kind, and exceptionally friendly.  For example, our guide would always rush to open our door, carry our handbags, and would ask us how we were feeling.

Other positive factors were: -The Chumey nature valley resort was exceptional -The trek was very beautiful and a highlight of our trip -The fertility temple was very interesting -Our driver was safe and curteous Some negatives: -The food was redundant so in Thimphu Duba was able to give us more western food recommendations like Cloud 9 and Ambient Cafe Thank you again!   Drukyul Walking Tour and Bumthang Owl trek

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Margaret & Carter T

Dear Anand, I apologize for my slowness in answering your letter. Since our return from Asia some 10 days ago, we have been busy doing chores.

We loved our trip! It was everything we had hoped for. The itinerary allowed us to see many parts of your beautiful country and interesting culture. Attending the Tharpaling Thongdrel, while in the itinerary, was an unexpected highlight.

Tashi, our guide, and Sonam, our driver, were excellent. Tashi and my husband liked to joke with each other which made our hikes and walks extra enjoyable.  Someday we hope to return to Bhutan to visit the eastern portion of the country and would again want to use Tashi and Sonam.

Thanks again!

Sincerely, Margaret - TID 8634 (26 Feb - 11 March)

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Richard and Janet

TID 8680 (Walking Tour ) Feb - 15 to Feb 28 (Guide Yeshi Penjor)

Hello -  We enjoyed our trip to Bhutan so much that it is difficult to find the proper way to talk about it with friends and family.   The people everywhere were so gracious most especially our guide Yeshi and driver Tashi who both were always early for each day's excursion and were easy going, confident, and interesting in sharing their knowledge of life in Bhutan with us.  The country was breathtaking, all the history and lessons on Buddism were so helpful in helping us to appreciate the places we visited.   We were really pleased that you talked us into a walking tour because we both felt the walks and hikes we took were the best part of the experience. We would have loved to stay another day with the Black Neck cranes in that valley to just enjoy the quiet there.

The hotels were fine though we were not happy with the hotel which was under construction -  very cold and seemed not completed. (I think it was the Jakar Mountain Inn in Bumthang).  At the same time the staff who served us in the dining room were  probably the most welcoming of all the staff we met.

We want to recommend the trip to the Haa valley - which was the highlight of our travels.  We felt it came the closest to a real Bhutan experience - we loved the farm house we stayed in.

Yeshi was really helpful in adjusting the schedule when it was necessary or helping us figure out what to choose if we had options.    We would definitely recommend to anyone interested in traveling to Bhutan that they use Windhorse tours.

I am including a couple of photos (we took hundreds!) and please let us know if there is anything more we can share about what truly was a trip of a lifetime for both Richard and I.

Thanks for helping to make it so memorable!

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Barbara K

Drukyul Walking Tour(April 04-17,2014) TID 740 It was terrific.Karma was an awesome guide and very knowledgeable

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Brad D.B

Drukyul Walking Tour(April 04-17,2014) TID 740 I am still traveling so this will be brief. Karma was a fantastic guide his knowledge was encyclopedic! He should be paid more as he is an asset to your company. Also Baliman was excellent as well. Could not have been happier with driver and guide. A few suggestions the Dochula restaurant was not the best and we ate there four times! Same menu served two and half of the times. The communication with Minneapolis could have been much quicker, clearer and more responsive. The other women on the trip almost cancelled due to this. I received a tourist questionnaire at Paro airport asking if I got a discount for staying more than five nights! I did not why?

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TID 692 Drukyul Walking Tours (12.11.13 – 25.11.13) When people ask me what my favorite part of Bhutan was, I have to say that it was seeing Bhutan through our guide Sonam's eyes. Being in the presence of a devout Buddhist and hearing stories of his life and the people of Bhutan was remarkable. His enthusiasm made me feel like we were his first personal guests in Bhutan! While most people seem to really like their guides, I am convinced that Sonam is the best la! I felt I truly entered another world, so different from my life in the USA and my earlier travels in Scandinavia. Every day of our tour was an adventure and we were blessed with blue skies and sunny weather the entire 2 weeks. Potential travelers should not take lightly the altitude and the nature of the roads. I really hadn't anticipated that they would be so challenging; be prepared with altitude sickness medication and patches for car sickness. Our driver, Barleman was the best. It was a little scary at first on the left side of these narrow roads but we soon found we could put our full faith in his driving skills, sit back and enjoy the view. There were 4 travelers in our tour and this seemed perfect. We definitely saw tons of temples and I felt like I was visually drunk on their beauty. I loved the walk through the valley farms where we saw the harvesting of rice taking place. As other travelers have noted, the accommodations were adequate, but even with space heaters, I wore warm clothes at night at times. The food; yes, much is written about the food. We had very good food at the YT Hotel and at the restaurant near the Wind Horse office in Thimphu. Otherwise, the food was monotonous and I have to say after two weeks, it was hard to face another "buffet". For a couple of foodies, we learned to" eat to live" instead of "living to eat", which is a valuable experience in and of itself, and part of immersing yourself in a culture void of the fancy restaurants and emphasis on food elsewhere in the world. There were two things I would have enjoyed which we did not do; visit a school and have an opportunity to spend time with some local families. Since we were never at a loss for things to do, I didn't specifically request this, but in retrospect I think we could have sacrificed a few temples for this. This tour was more than I could have envisioned and will live long and vividly in my memory. Thank you Wind Horse!

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Louise Green

TID - 692 - Drukyul Walking Tour (12 Nov - 25 Nov, 2013) I couldn't have asked for a better Bhutan experience! We were a group of 4 very compatible women. Sonam,our guide and Barlemon, our driver absolutely made the trip zing. The country just came alive because of Sonam's excellence. Walking from village to village along the many footpaths was certainly the highlight of the trip. We were able to experience the local residents rather than see the country from the window of the van. The hotels were exactly what I expected - basic and clean. Same with the food. I agree with my tripmate, Susie P that having Nalgene refillable water bottles for sale with Windhorse logo would have been a nice touch. Another nice touch would have been one 'gourmet" meal to break up the monotony of the buffets. Overall, the trip was simply the best. Thank you Windhorse.

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Susie P

TID-692 Drukyul Walking Tour (12Nov – 25 Nov,2013) Hi Anand,The trip went wonderfully, I couldn’t have asked for a better tour! I want to thank Wind Horse for setting us up with a fantastic guide Sonam and driver Barlemon. Positives: I liked how the tour incorporated walks and hikes, yet gave us enough time to relax at the hotel in the evening. Time management was efficient, our days were packed with enough activities. Excellent tour guide, driver, and tour mates.Small group, 4 people seemed like the perfect size. I saw some other groups with 10 plus people and I thought that was too many.I enjoyed Hotel YT and it’s staff. The staff and the owner YT were very friendly. I also liked Dochula Resort because it had the warmest rooms! The heater in the room, bathroom, and electric blankets were a nice touch. Negatives: Not many, just little things. Hotels did not have constant stream of hot water. It may have been just me as my other tour mates did not have as many problems with the hot water as I have. Mountain Lodge is a beautiful hotel, but where I experienced the most problems with hot showers, I couldn’t only take a hot shower for a few minutes before the water ran ice cold. After an hour or so the hot water would start again but still only a few minutes. Food was plenty and very good, but became redundant, all hotels and restaurants pretty much served the same food.Altitude was a factor for some people. Maybe the final document should emphasize this more, or have the tour leader have some extra diamox or altitude medication as an emergency as the pharmacies there will not administer it without a prescription. But this was only around Dochula.Once we went back to Paro everything was ok.A suggestion that was brought up by another person on the tour: Water bottles. I brought my own diamox and was drinking a lot of water, I ended up buying large water bottles in the hotels and general stores because the small water bottles provided daily were not enough for me. Although the free tea at the hotels were sufficient, I needed more fresh water. The small water bottles I thought added to waste. Maybe Windhorse can provide large water bottles (like a nalgene or camelback) with the Windhorse logo for sale , and can just refill that from filtered water or large bottles. Overall, it was a trip of a lifetime and I will always cherish my time in Bhutan.

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Charlotte Kahn

TID 715 Private Drukyul walking Tour with Horse Riding in Bumthang ( 28.10.13 - 11.11.13 ) The highlight of our trip to Bhutan was a two-day overnight horse riding trek in Bumthang, which was the brainchild of one of the Wind Horse guides, Sonam Loday, who also provided us with his expert knowledge of all things Bhutanese, including Himalayan Buddhism. We went from Wind Horse’s horse farm in the Tang Valley up into the hills past small villages on an ancient trail over a mountain pass into the Jakar Valley, which was used by everyone until the recent establishment of roads to all villages. Historically, horses in Bhutan were used only by royalty, and Wind Horse is the first travel agency in the country to offer this special service to tourists. This project is also keeping these ancient trials in use while allowing tourists to participate in a world otherwise inaccessible. Our steeds were carefully selected, sure-footed and good-natured Bhutanese ponies. They worked very hard on the steep and often narrow trails. We sometimes dismounted and walked, which gave the ponies a rest and stretched our legs. We spent a night in a campsite near the Guru Rinpoche Temple, and felt that indeed, we were treated like royalty. Our tent was cozy, the food – cooked in a separate tent by our excellent horseman Pema and careful driver Sonam Tanzin, both former cooks – was delicious, and the scenery spectacular. (Our separate toilet tent was also expertly appointed.) In short, our needs were always anticipated and the experience far exceeded our expectations. This photo of Wind Horse Ranch & Riding Club is courtesy of TripAdvisor Bhutan is a unique country – both monarchy and democracy – with the lived goal ”Towards Self-Reliance with Equity and justice: A Harmonious and Happy Society.” The Bhutanese people embody that goal as well as the nation’s explicit Buddhist traditions and philosophy. In two weeks travel across the country, we heard not one baby cry, not one child whine, not one harsh word spoken and saw not one beggar. In Bhutan’s so-far-successful transition from one of the least-developed nations to one that provides universal education, health care, electricity and road access to all, it is also an exemplar in its stewardship of its environment for wildlife habitat, biodiversity and resource protection. It is well worth taking a trip to Bhutan the goes beyond the usual tourist sights. However, achieving a deeper understanding of this unique country with, at the same time, a high level of comfort, requires expert and committed guidance. We highly recommend Wind Horse Tours to anyone considering a trip to Bhutan, and especially recommend the horse trek. Charlotte Kahn and John Abramsons This photo of Wind Horse Ranch & Riding Club is courtesy of TripAdvisor

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Barbara T

TID 684 Drukyul Walking Tour (14.10.13- 27.10.13) Hello, I just want to let you know that your tour was superb. I am so very satisfied with your tour to my favorite country Bhutan. Prenjor, our guide was terrific, so very caring and fun and careful with us. The driver was superb. The only criticism is that the tip information in 2 different places is very unclear and I think Prenjor did not receive all the money he should have. I will be happy to speak to you about this. I wish you such good luck and health and continued growth in tourism in Bhutan. Thanks

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David & Sandra R

Dear Ugen, These are very late comments on a wonderful trip we had to Bhutan with Windhorse Tours. My wife Sandi had dreamed of seeing the Himalaya's since she was a little girl. We were very happy with the advanced information that was provided. We were well prepared for the trip. Our Guide and Driver (Karma Letho and Dorji Nedup were great. Karma had a group of varied age and ability and he was able to keep everything moving smoothly. He was very knowledgeable and energetically shared it with the group. Karma was always there with information or a helping hand if needed. Dorji was an amazing driver. The coach was always perfectly clean. He added greatly to the trip always ready to help with anything. Information, baggage ect. We found Bhutan an amazing country. We found the people exceptionally friendly and were impressed with how the government is changing. The people seem to have a deep respect and love for the King. We met the Queen Mother on a hike down from a temple. She was going up to pray for the wedding. We were able to have a few words with her. She is a lovely lady. The one problem was our accommodations in Gantay. It was very primitive and not up to the standards of the rest of the trip. It was a wonderful trip and we were very happy with all of your people. We would like to come to Bhutan again with Windhorse. Sincerely, Sandi & Dave. (Drukyul Walking Tour TID374 Oct 3-16, 2012 with Wangdue and Tamshing festivals)

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John M

I believe it is important that all members of a tour get the same treatment. It is only fair. Several times, on my recent Drukyul Walking Tour, I found myself in rooms that were by far a lower standard or location than other members of my group. It does not seem equitable when I paid extra for a single supplement. If a hotel cannot accommodate all members with equivalent accommodation, another accommodation should be found. People should either get money back for lower standard rooms without views or the poorer rooms should be systematically distributed so no one is having to pay extra for much, much less. It just is not fair. That said, when I did share my discontent, WindHorse staff were very quick to accommodate and put me in a lovely, different hotel to make up for the quality of the room I was given in Paro and the end of our tour. I was very grateful to them for that. I would not hesitate to recommend Wind Horse. Our guide, Namgay and our driver, Yamraj, were both wonderful to travel with. They are excellent at what they do, accommodating and consistently pleasant. Drukyul Walking Tour Sept 24- Oct 7, 2012 with extension of Nepal (Kathmandu, Nagarkot & Namo Buddha). Dear John, Thank you for your email with review about the trip. I apologize for any inconveniences faced during your travels. It is fact that some hotels in Bhutan have smaller and often inferior single rooms. Even among the single rooms there may be disparity and not done purposely, especially during the peak tourists season, when rooms are in shortage.Our future single traveller will be aware of it. In the same group journey, it is not practical to use two separate hotels and although we book many rooms in advance, the hotels confirm to us only late in the time and by then, they are not able to allocate enough rooms and we land up having to choose the one that gives us sufficient rooms. Such issues occur during the festival period, when everyone wants to come to Bhutan and it is not just with Wind Horse, but with every travel company. We regret any inconveniences and hope to make up, if you visit with us again. Ugen- Management

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Yuliya D

Tour ID: 512: Bhutan Walking Tour from 25 Sept -08 Oct, 2012 My trip was perfect. I could not ask for better guide pema and better driver dawa. Pema was full of knowledge and my driver dawa made me feel safe and I was looked after like a queen. The accomodations were more than what I expected. Thank you for a wonderful experience. I would not hesitate to recommend Wind Horse Tour company or bhutan for a magic and care-free vacation, full of beauty and adventure.  

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Dee Lutz

Drukyul Walking Tour Talo & Paro Tsechu 2012 (March 26 - April 8, 2012) Dear wonderful people of Windhorse, Thanks so much for providing us a fantastic opportunity to visit the beautiful and fascinating country of Bhutan. Our guide, Jyampsho, was an absolute joy. One of our reasons for wanting to visit Bhutan was to learn more about Vajrayana Buddhism and we could not have been luckier than to travel with Jampsho who is so knowledgeable about Buddhism, and so generous is sharing his knowledge. We did the Drukyal Walking tour, and thoroughly enjoyed all of the hikes, the sites along the way, and the dzongs, festivals, and all other destinations. Jampsho made me feel very safe, even on steep trails, where my fear of heights was evident. He was organized, thoughtful, and very smart about revising the schedule when there was good reason to do so. Our drivers (Tshering and Kinga) were both excellent and managed the curvy roads with great skill. We appreciated the organized way Windhorse went about setting up this trip and will recommend you to friends who are looking for a great adventure. Thanks so much!

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Daniel L.

Walking Tour for Wilson, Pezzack & Party 03 – 16 Oct,2011 Hi Guys, Thank you for an excellent adventure and very well-guided tour in Bhutan. It was a fantastic experience and one I'm extremely privilidged to have had the chance to visit your country. I would be happy to leave some positive feedback for you on the sites you suggested. I'd also like to ask you a favour - I have misplaced the email address for our guide, Pema. Coud I ask you to put us in touch by sending me his email? Much obliged and much thanks to you. Happy new year!

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Murray & Debbie S

Drukyul Walking tour with Tamshing Festival from Oct 03 - Oct 16,2011 Hi Jambay, We were in India for 10 days after we left Bhutan so we are just barely getting back to normal. Our sleep patterns are now only about 2 hrs out of whack. I got up at 5am this morning and keep trying to sleep till 7. The good thing is I get a lot done before most people are even out of bed. I was composing a review of Windhorse when Debbie received your email so the vibes must have been in the air on both sides of the world. Overall we had a great time in Bhutan. Windhorse, and generally the people of Bhutan, left us with a very positive impression of the country. The tour itself was done very well and it seemed to us, more than any other organized tour we have ever been involved with (Debbie and I are somewhat independent and tend to find our own way), suited our needs. Tashi, our guide and Karma, our driver, were a wonderful team and were there for our every need. Karma was particularly cautious and there was not one single incident where any of us passengers felt at risk, even when I could look out the window of the van and see straight down 400M. Karma was particularly quiet but if we engaged him in conversation he was always pleasant and knowledgeable. Tashi was, as far as we were concerned, a perfect guide. He was knowledgeable, flexible, and polite, he took care of us when needed and let us off on our own when we needed a break. He had a couple of attributes that stand out. His commitment to making sure Debbie’s dietary needs were taken care of at every stop we made. This saved her a lot of worry about the ingredients used in the preparation of the food and the fact that it may have a negative effect on her well being. He has a vast number of connections and he was able to utilize the influence of those connections to an end that would ultimately enhance our experience in Bhutan. Tashi’s past as monk and his outward personality enable him to know and befriend people at every stop along the tour route, because of this we were admitted to some things that are not on the regular tourist trail or that were not accessible to other groups. Simply by asking a monk, with whom which he could identify because he was once in the monk’s shoes himself, to show us his shared room we were invited to visit a young monk’s apartment. The monk was quite proud of his abode and we were thrilled to actually step inside his room and see first hand how he lived. It reminded me very much of a Canadian university residence. There were other instances, like when we were admitted to a museum that was closed for the day but Tashi had studied with the monk in charge so we had a private showing. As far as I am concerned this museum was one of the highlights of the trip and I feel very privileged to have been admitted. In general, we found the accommodation in line with our expectations and completely acceptable. For the most part the hotel staff at each location went out of their way to be gracious hosts and their actions were beyond what I am accustomed to in the places we frequent. The first hotel we stayed at set a very high standard. Hotel Druk in Phuentsholing was a very classy place. The reception staff was efficient, if a little bit formal, but nice enough. The room was well maintained and immaculate. The beds were extremely comfortable. The restaurant staff went a long way to help find Debbie food she could eat. This is a very good choice for your guests. The Tenzinling Hotel, in Paro, is also very good. It is a bit remote from town but we were so bagged each night that going out in the evening was out of the question. Although simply furnished the room was very spacious which made for a pleasant stay. It was very clean. The staff was doting and took very good care of us. It was very quiet in the evening which made for good sleep. The buffet was good and different enough each night to make the meals interesting. The Dochula Resort is slightly tattered but still a nice place to stay. The setting is outstanding and waking up to a view of the mountains is not to be missed. The bed was a bit hard but we slept well. The food was only OK, this is an area where the hotel could improve. The rooms were clean. Again the staff was super. The guest house Hotel Gakiling in the Phobjikha Valley was the most ‘rustic’ place we stayed. Mr. Ugan had given us the heads up so we were prepared. If the accommodation left something to be desired there were a couple of plusses to the place. First, the staff was very nice and not so formal as other resorts, I found this pleasant, I personally do not believe it is necessary to be stuffy and do a good job at guest service. They served the best food we had eaten to that point in the tour, and the communal atmosphere of the dining/meeting room was great for meeting other travellers and swapping experiences and stories. I did notice the construction going on and presume the accommodation was being upgraded. The valley was most serene and for the sake of a little roughing it, this location should not be left off the itinerary. The Mountain Lodge in Jakar, was overall, our favourite place. The biggest issue was the availability of hot water. If you did not have a shower at exactly the right time, and that time varied each day, having a hot shower was not possible. They were at least not cold so we didn’t have too much to complain about. The wood stove heaters could be a problem in the middle of winter but it was October and we did not have any issues with a cold room. The hotel was very quiet; we were able to sleep through the night easily. The internet at the hotel was the most consistent we experienced on the trip. The food was excellent and the staff dealt with Debbie’s food allergies very well. The rooms were cleaned each day and although it was not necessary we were provided with clean towels. We found the staff at this hotel to be particularly attentive, they knew us on the first morning we were around and learned our idiosyncrasies quickly. I really liked the 4 young people that worked the dining area at this hotel. Use this hotel on every one of your trips that extend into Bumthang!!! The best feature of the Tashi Ninjay Guest House, in Trongsa, is the view, which was worth the price of admission. There is one thing that I did not like much and that was I could not find a fire exit. If a fire blocked the one exit, the windows were far too high to jump from and the exit at the end of the hall had no stair to the ground. The rooms were quite ordinary, but provided all the essentials. The food was in our opinion substandard and needs work. In the Punakha hotel, the Y.T., we were boarded in a palatial suite. Again the view was outstanding. We had enough room to hold a party. Although the beds were twin beds, each was big enough to serve as a double. The rooms were very clean. The owner took special interest in the restaurant and floated from table to table greeting the guests personally. The food was noticeably good. The owner and restaurant staff were very good to make Debbie a special breakfast for the morning we hiked near the Dochula Pass. The Phuentsho Pelri Hotel in Thimphu, is a high end hotel, that we found a bit pretentious. The shortcomings; first, they charge way too much for the use of the internet, to use the business centre, the charge was 6 Nu per minute, the internet café 50M from the front entrance charges 1 Nu per minute; and our bed was very hard, it was by far the hardest bed we experienced during our stay in Bhutan, that said our travel companions said they had a very comfortable bed. On the good side, it is centrally located and everything we needed during our 3 days in Thimpu was very handy. The rooms are well appointed; the furniture was appropriate and nice. Even though the hotel was located in the shopping area and there was a ‘club’ adjacent, it was very quiet after 10pm and we slept well. The heat worked and we used it for an hour each evening to take the chill out of the air before we went to sleep. There was more than ample hot water for our showers and we quite enjoyed the luxury while it was available. The restaurant was excellent. The food was good and the head waiter was extremely conscientious. He was diligent in finding food for Debbie and when our travel mate, Ralph, was feeling ill and did not show up for dinner the waiter put together a meal of bland food and took it up to Ralph’s room so he could at least try to eat something. That action was far beyond anything we expected. Although in general I would not consider the food exciting, it was overall very good. It would have been interesting to indulge in a local dish once in a while. We did get to try Ema Datshi a couple of times and although I could not eat great quantities I did enjoy the opportunity and the challenge. The buffet food was pretty standard and was as far as I could make someone’s idea of what tourists should like. I did find comfort in the standard eggs and toast for breakfast. When I was in China I could not face what was put out for breakfast and it was hard to go through the first part of the day without eating adequately. There were a couple of restaurants we ate in where the food was not up to standard. Both were in Thimpu, the food was at best, ordinary. I do not think any of the four of us enjoyed either place. The walks we went on were a needed break from riding in the car for so many hours. Both Debbie and I are in good shape and did not find the hikes (even the walk to the Tiger’s Nest) all that difficult. We had heard so much about how difficult it is and were mentally prepared to suffer but actually found the hike to be quite a nice walk. We started earlier than most and the cooler air was a big advantage, although I do believe the lighting on the building would have been much better for pictures in the evening. As Buddhism is the keystone of the Bhutan society we did expect to visit a lot of religious sites but after two weeks of dzongs they can start to run together. By the end of the 2 week we could not remember which feature we had taken in at which location. There were several diversions from the dzong/monestary itinerary, like the weaving places, the art school and hand made paper factory. It would be good to include as much alternative entertainment as possible. We went to Bhutan in October in order to take in the festivals. After visiting two different festival sites each for the better part of a day I would suggest that 2 half day visits is quite enough to get the idea of what they are about. Unfortunately, as outsiders we are not able to discern the subtleties of the performance and a lot of the reason for the dance is lost on us. After the 3 rd or 4th dance of the day I had had enough. Don’t get me wrong I would not have missed the opportunity to attend those functions, it is just I do not have the same commitment as a local person might have. One of the highlights of the tour for me was the museum at Trongsa. The installations are great and the adaptation of the building that houses the collection is the most interesting building we visited. I hope the comments I have made will be considered constructive. Any deficiencies I have mentioned had only a VERY MINOR affect on the entire trip. I do believe that the people make the place, and that being the case, Bhutan is a place well worth the visit. All the people we met during our short stay were pleased that we could and would visit a country that they are very proud of. I will be telling all my travelling friend’s to visit Bhutan and I will be passing on the contact information of Windhorse Travel. You folks have been stellar from the first time we contacted you until the email we received the other day. If you want to get an idea of impressions we had of Bhutan as they accumulated you could read our blog that we did daily as we travelled. You can find it at http://havecarryonwilltravel.com. Hope you can enjoy our musings. Tashi Delek

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Carrie M

Greetings Ugen, I haven't written for a while, lost everyone's addresses when the computer crashed last September. I am still in touch with Marianne, the vet in Thimphu via skype. I just watched the National Geographic series on the tiger corridors through Bhutan and got to see how magical your country is again from afar. I am hoping to come back next year. Thank you for enriching my life! Carrie M

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Helmut G

Drukyul walking Tour- 17 Mar-27 Mar. 2011. Dear Jambay,sorry for the late response, I thought that Rosa had sent already a statement for the three of our small group. Indeed, it was a big pleasure to be in Bhutan and meet you in person. I just add three photos representing our meeting in at the Dzong in Thimpu, our excellent guide Penjor in full action explaining the Chinese calendar and the titel of my fotobook about our travel which I prepared myself (96 pages).Our travel was very well organised and we enjoyed it very much. Penjor helped us in a very pleasant manner to understand your culture and religion and to admire the country's development. Certainly, we will come back and very likely with WINDHORSE. (I will write this also in German language on your website). Working with your company would be a very interesting challenge but, honestly, I am too old for such an interesting job. However, I will keep my ears open and maybe there will be somebody else for that. I will keep you informed.All the best for you and your nice colleagues, With warmest greetings, Helmut G

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Ken and Carolyn Whiteside

Drukyul Walking Tour with Jampay Festival : Oct 17 2010 - Oct 30 2010 Ugen, my wife Carolyn and I arrived safely home last night on our Cathay Pacific non-stop flight from Hong Kong, after a wonderful 45-day trip to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangkok and Siem Reap, Cambodia. I wanted to send you a note immediately to let you know that all of our arrangements worked out perfectly, regarding flights, tours, hotels, guides, visas and the myriad other details that helped to make it such a wonderful experience for the both of us. I sincerely appreciate your patience with me as we made all of our arrangements together. That time and effort ensured that the trip was perfect in every respect. I have 90 pages of notes in my diary.We knew going in that it would not be an easy trip and it challenged us both physically and mentally but it was a trip that we will remember for the rest of our lives. I was very pleased with the hotel choices and the arrangements in both Nepal and Bhutan were just what we were looking for. Your agent in Nepal was excellent. We both felt completely safe and well cared for throughout. We enjoyed Kathmandu and the temple visits there. Although the climbing, impacted by the altitude, was strenuous at times for us and Carolyn felt the change in water and food during the first few days, our guides were very sensitive to both our needs and to how we were handling the trip. The routing for the Everest view trek was perfect! We thought that Tengboche at 4,000 metres was amazing as we sat for 2 hours at dawn in the monastery, watching and listening to the prayer service of the monks. This was the beginning of a festival and the service was a special one, complete with "yellow hats" being worn by them at one point during the service. The accommodation there was the most basic of the trip but the impact of the monks at prayer and seeing Everest in the sun as we came out made it very special indeed. The internal flights in Nepal worked well and the weather cooperated. Our stay in the remote village at a Ghurka home was totally unique and the warmth of the welcome that we received from the villagers was exceptional. Being also able to stay at Fishtail lodge and to climb up to the viewpoint to see the sunrise on "Fishtail" was another highlight. Our room looked out on the lake and up to the mountain and we could see it clearly when we came back down for breakfast. We also enjoyed our stay very much at the Rhino Residency Resort. Our guide there was also very good. Everywhere we went, people were eager to be of help, exactly on time and wonderfully supportive. We had a great time. Bhutan worked out very well. The "A" and "B" groups interacted and we enjoyed each other's company. The bus for our group of 7 was very spacious and comfortable and our driver was excellent. We always felt completely safe and his driving skills were amazing. Our guide was very good as well. I particularly enjoyed seeing the restored Tower at Trongsa and bought the outstanding book published late last year to bring home. It is a beautiful souvenir. I also bought a Dorje (diamond sceptre) and bell at the festival at Bumthang as another very meaningful souvenir. We were very sorry to hear of the fire there the night after we left and saw the convoy on the road, with the King's father, (K4), the Queen mother and a cabinet minister going to lend aid. The climb up to Tiger's Nest Monastery was another major highlight of the trip. The weather that day was absolutely perfect with a clear blue sky and an ideal temperature. It was a truly gorgeous day and an incredible experience. The only suggestion that I could make re Bhutan is to ensure that your clients take lots of U.S. dollars with them. With our time in Nepal, I did not have as many as I would have liked and with no ATM's or ability to get cash advances on a credit card I had to watch what I spent.After leaving Nepal and Bhutan, our trips to both Bangkok and Siem Reap continued to be very special. We stayed on the river at a very small hotel in Bangkok (the Arun Residence) at the tip of the Royal Island and it was magical. Our deck looked directly across at Wat Arun and we could sit and enjoy it in the moonlight! We were 2 minutes from Wat Pho! Our accommodations in Siem Reap were also perfect at a small hotel (Pavillon d'Orient) with outstanding service and touring the Angkor ruins was another major highlight of our trip. We stayed at the Bangkok Novatel Airport hotel the last night - that hotel and the airport are outstanding.All in all, a very special trip with enough memories to last a lifetime. We are now adjusting to the time change and will soon begin to sort out our photos of which there are hundreds. Ugen, I wanted you to know how much we enjoyed working with you and Windhorse. Thanks again for all of your help with setting this up, p.s. I found one more souvenir in Bhutan - a copy of a printer's block, that is used to make/print prayer flags. This one has a "Wind Horse" with the bag of jewels on its back. Another unique souvenir that will always remind me of your company, our trip and the prayer flags of Bhutan. k Sincerely, Ken and Carolyn Whiteside.

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Cecilia R & Christian B

Everything was well organised,the hotels were all good (some really good, others just good, as one expects making such a long tour). Just at Badami Court it didn't work out as foreseen, because the hotel was overbooked and Christian was sent to very poor premises. But to excuse themselves they offered compensations, so it was no tragedy. The Hotel Dewachen in Buthan was lovely in it simplicity, but the nice people who manage it still have to learn a lot about receiving guests; when we arrived every place was very cold, both dining room and bedroom (and temperature outside was very cold!). They started heating after our arrival, which resulted in freezing for at least an hour in the dining room and far more in the bedroom, where the stove was small and heathing for no longer than an hour without being fed new logs!! We washed ourselves very little that evening/morning, too cold to undress!! On top of that, it seemed very evident to me that the bed sheets had already been used by other people: inside the bed I found several body hairs,which presence I can't explain in any other way. But finally we took the whole thing as a new experience, laughed about it and made no problems. I'm just telling you because I think you should be aware of these disfunctions. The other hotels in Buthan were all very good, we can only recommend them. The Amankora was extremely nice, but overpriced, it's true. Anyway Christian wanted to see it, a study visit, so we were happy to be there one night. Also in Karnataka the hotels were fine. The Aiswara Fort Hotel was at the limit, but probably in this town they have nothing better to offer. On Havelock Island we had a very nice time, nature is do beautiful and the coral barrier so beautiful. We so a lot just by snorkelling. The Silver Sand was ok, but surely the Barefoot Resort would have been better for us, especially for the food (in our resort it was too indian for our bellys!). We went to Barefoot for dinner once and we can only recommend it. The only little problem we had on Havelock was that we had understood from the program that we would be met by somebody both at Port Blair Airport and at Havelock's harbour. So we waited quite a bit, before organising ourselves on our own. If we had known that from the beginning, it would have made it easier. In reality it's nothing complicated, just take a taxi. The guides and drivers were all very good: Tandin Tshering, a specialist of Buddhism, and Gudu, perfect driver, in Buthan, Sridhar in Karnataka, very nice, competent and helpfull people. We remember them with a lot of pleasure. The one-day guide in Kolkata, Mr. Samik Kumar Ray, was extremely competent, it was really interesting to spend some time with him. We wish to thank you for having arranged so well this tour for us, which will leave a strong print in our memories and hearts. Please,extend our thanks to all the guides and drivers, who made all what they could to make us happy.Friendly regards, Actually I hadn't thought you would want to put our comments on your website, we had meant them for your business only, especially the critics. But if you wish I'll rearrange the text so it will be suitable for the website.I think I forgot to underline how perfect the agent's representatives were both in Kolkata and in Bangalore. When I suddenly had to go back to Italy, the representative of the local agency insisted to accompany me to the airport, find the flight, find a hotel where to spend the waiting time, he was really great. Although I'm used to travel a lot on my own, I realized how things in that occasion would have been much more diificult without his help. And all that was not included in the package !! - Cecilia and Christian Bauer

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Beryl Donenfeld and Jack Donenfeld

Dear Family and Friends, Jack and I just returned from Bhutan - the trip of my dreams. It really is impossible to describe the country, the people and the culture. It truly is Shangri La. The physical country is breathtakingly gorgeous, with mountain range after mountain range after mountain range until finally the highest snow covered peaks imaginable. Pictures don't do it justice. Because Bhutan is so close to the equator, the tree line is incredibly high, so there are pine trees covering mountains at 14,000 ft. and beyond. There is no pollution and the air smells fragrant, almost peppery like the spicy szechuan pepper that grows there. The valleys are terraced farms and rice fields with the backdrop of mountains. The sky is impossibly blue and most of our days were cloudless, but the clouds high up over the mountains are the whitest, fluffiest clouds ever. Monasteries and temples are everywhere and many of them are high up in the mountains. Bhutan is a land of peace and serenity. And happiness! The people are truly the happiest people we've ever seen. Everyone smiles. People are friendly - they love to wave and say hello. Kids walk to school in groups talking, laughing, playing and looking happy. Almost everyone (except for the elderly) speaks English. Parents spend time with their kids. The elderly are respected and included. The Bhutanese people are beautiful - smooth, clear skin, shiny black hair and big smiles. They are happy to smile and pose for the camera. Almost everyone wears the national costume, a gho for men, which is like a robe, and a ghet for women, which is a long wrap around skirt with a contrasting jacket. The fabrics are colorful and rich - plaids, stripes and patterns. The country is Buddhist - and it's much more than a religion - it's a way of life that permeates the culture. People are gentle, respectful, hard working, friendly and playful! We visited about a dozen monasteries and temples and each one was more beautiful than the next. The Buddhas and paintings and the actual structures were wildly colorful and decorative. Our guide told us so many fantastic stories. The monks are quiet and respectful, but also funny and very welcoming. Bhutanese don't kill to eat. They use cows and yaks for milk and chicken for eggs. Everything grown - every vegetable you can think of - is organic. The government makes sure that everyone has three meals a day. (The government also provides health care and education for all. In fact, we have never seen so many schools)! Meals typically consist of red or white rice, 3 or 4 fresh vegetables - spinach, broccoli, carrots, radishes, cauliflower, eggplant, mushrooms - you name it! And every meal has either chicken, fish or beef which comes from India. The national dish is chilis (which grow everywhere) and cheese. Very hot and very delicious - their cheese is very, very low fat, not heavy or thick. Bhutan has only 27,000 tourists a year (compared to Bangkok which has 20,000 tourists a day)! and when you visit,you pay a fee per person to the government. For that fee, you get a guide, a driver, hotel, transportation and three meals a day. 37% of the fee goes to education and health care. We were lucky enough to happen upon a local town festival. There are many festivals, some big and famous, and others smaller. But all festivals include colorful costumes, dancing, music, festivites. They are like outdoor, live operas. Everyone attends and watching the people is as much fun as watching the festival. We fell in love with our guide, Kinga, who was so flexible and accommodating. He knew, after a day, the we were not "normal" tourists. On our second day there, he made sure to introduce me to the 2 men who started the Bhutan Climbing Club and off we went to the Thimpu "Nose" with 16 newly bolted routes! We did some extreme hiking - one day he hired a local guide because even he hadn't done this particular hike. We found ourselves at about 12,000 ft, staring the awesome Jumolari peak! We walked and trekked for hours in valleys and up mountains to monasteries and beyond. When we climbed up to Tiger's Nest, the most famous of all monasteries, our driver ( a 19 yr. old, by then very comfortable with us) suggested that we continue up past the famous monastery to the next highest one and down a much less traveled route. Six hours later we were bushwacking our way back to the car, delighted with ourselves for finding our way down. And on our last day, when we couldn't decide whether to drive up to the CheliLa pass for the view or to go biking, Kinga suggested we rent bikes, drive them up so we could bike down, which we did! 5.000 ft. down! And then we continued to ride all over the valley for the rest of the day! At 5:30 when it was already dark, and Kinga looked at me and said, "OK, Beryl, what's next?" I knew he had figured me out! But even with all the activity, many of our hikes and drives were quiet. The scenery was so gorgeous, so pristine, so serene that often silence was best. Just having so much time to think, reflect, meditate was a rare luxury. I cried as we said goodbye on our last morning in Bhutan, but the flight out was one of the highlights of the trip. First of all, the flight in to Bhutan was pretty amazing because looking out the window on the left was Mt. Everest - just about close enough to touch! But on the departure, on the right side of the plane, for about a half hour, we had the most amazing views of "the top of the world" starring right at the highest snow covered mountains I've ever seen! Magnificent, majestic, magical! Awesome! This was truly the trip of our dreams! Here is the link to the Bhutan photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/Jack.Donenfeld/BhutanOct22Nov22009?authkey=Gv1sRgCNjuh82vv9mHIw&feat=directlink - Beryl - Beryl Donenfeld www.Beryfit.com

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S. Selvarajan

Drukyul Walking Tour (March/April 2009) 7 pax Ugen, thank you again for all your help in arranging our trip to Bhutan. It is a beautiful country, and we had a great time. I'm sorry it has taken a while, but here is some feedback from our trip. Our guide, Tshewang, was knowledgeable and approachable. He openly answered all our questions, and gave us a feel for local customs and traditions. Our driver, Guddu, was careful and friendly. He had to negotiate some difficult roads in the mountains, and did an excellent job. The itinerary was good overall; it gave us a view of different parts of Bhutan. The only place it would have been fine to skip was Haa (and add an extra day at the Paro festival). All the hotels were comfortable (the one in Haa was somewhat run down). We liked the food; there was usually a good variety. Our guide introduced us to several local foods including momos and buckwheat noodles, which we enjoyed (but we didn't develop a taste for ema datse (:) I have attached a picture of Dianne and me with Tshewang and Guddu; it would be great if you could share it with them. Best regards, Sushma

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Eric W

Drukyul Walking Tour 28 Mar-09 April 2009 I am back in NYC and adjusting to the jet lag...Just wanted to thank you and your team for an excellent trip to Bhutan. I feel really fortunate to have had the opportunity to see such a wonderfulcountry.I also wanted to let you know that Tshewang was an excellent guide and Gudu was a very careful driver.They always took care of whatever we needed.Hopefully, I will make it back to Bhutan or the nearby countries soon. I will definitely touch base with you regarding Windhorse's offerings. Thanks again, Eric

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Paul and Barbara S

TID 177 and 179: Pretrip of Angkor Wat, Bangkok and Drukyul Walking Tour -13 Days (5-21 Oct, 2008) Ugen, Everything went well and we are very pleased with WindHorse and your Bhutan staff. Gallay and Singay were very knowledgeable and friendly. They were very professional. We are telling our friends what a great trip it was and we are giving them yours and Wind Horse’s name. I will be making a slide presentation at work of all our pictures. The Cambodia/Angkor Wat tour was equally great with your subcontractor. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

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Kay Fong

Dear Ugen and Postak, I loved the trip to Bhutan and the extension to Ladakh that we experienced this past June/July 2006. I believe that the trip wouldn\'t have been as enjoyable had it not been for the excellent guide in Bhutan, Choki Dorji, and the excellent driver, Rapten.(I hope I spelled his name correctly). Driving through the mountains with their curvy, narrow roads having to watch out for cattle, other animals, the roadside workers, our driver was awesome and safe! Even though other tour companies that I had contacted, did not have tours during the summer because of the monsoon season, you reassured me that the rain periods most likely would be at night, if any. You were so correct! I can only travel during the summer months because I am a teacher. How fortunate to have two other teachers from Colorado to make up our small group. The scenery was beautiful, people were very friendly, and we still were able to see two festivals with a minimum of any other tourists. I wasn\'t expecting so many \"hiking\" experiences, but Dorji was very patient,helpful and encouraging. The accomodations were clean and had plenty of room. I can relive my beautiful memories of Bhutan through my photos and definitely hope to travel there again. Thank you for your careful planning and expert guide and driver who made this one of my favorite trips!

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Lucinda & Tom Roein

Hello Ugen: We just returned from our trip. Drukyul Walking Tour (Join-in) October 2007

Everything was EXCELLENT!

Kado and Lal took great care of the group. The hotels were delightful- they were extremely comfortable and the staff was wonderful. We were pleasantly surprised with how nice the rooms were! The meals were tasty and plentiful – I love spicy food, so Kado made sure that every day we had Ema Datshi and ezee! The new bus was a great treat too!

The group decided not to go to Haa and we stayed an extra day in Thimphu where Kado took us on a walk in the foothills-which was very enjoyable. Everyone was happy not to have to drive another day and enjoyed the extra time in Thimphu. We would have liked a little extra time in the Gangtey too- but we are not sure what we would have changed. We probably needed a few more days vacation (which we didn’t have!).

As I am sure you heard that we were able to fly in business class on the Paro-Bangkok leg (it was very nice-thank you!) Kado refunded us $200 for the Bangkok-Paro leg.

Tom and I truly loved our trip to Bhutan! We hope to be able to travel again to Bhutan in the future. We would love to do one of the many treks that are available. Thank you for your assistance in creating a wonderful trip for us!

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Eileen B

I am so sorry I did not write before now. Arriving home presented lots of complications, plus being sick with bronchitis which continues. First, our guide, Chencho, and driver, Renchen could not have been better. They were so responsive and sensitive to our needs and wishes. Really, I would highly recommend them again to anyone. I had some trouble understanding Chencho's English pronunciation, but do not think Eleanor or Christine did. The tour as set up was just fine. Eleanor might have better input on this and Christine, both very well traveled. Bhutan was disappointing at first as I expected a pristine environment and area, which certainly is not the case. I was surprised at all the stray dogs and how poorly they were cared for. The police even kicked them, which is far from what you read. Bhutan and their concern for animals. Also, the trash everywhere was disappointing. The education system seems so good, why can't they be taught to throw trash in a container. The other thing was hotels which was corrected. The first hotel was terrible and was changed. After that it was ok as were the restaurants. I left sadly saying good-bye to Chencho and Renchen as they were very special. I would like to go back and hike with Chencho someday. It was a very good time, just wish it had not been so expensive. Also, a little more free time would have been nice. I do not need to see any more temples.

Eleanor had more traveling before she was to get home, but I am sure she will write when back in Australia. All 3 or us had been on the road awhile before Bhutan, so getting home and trying to get back into the old routine is difficult, but given time, they will write. I have not heard from them either, nor have they from me. Thank you and when and if I think of more, will write.

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Jamie V

Drukyul Tour - Spring 2005

The tour was absolutely amazing!!! Thank you, thank you! The accommodations were great, I especially liked Tamshing in Bumthang (people, location, etc…) – but all were fantastic. The food was good too! Dorji was a great guide and put up with all of us quite well. The driver (I don’t know how to spell his name) was amazing as well. They were both quite punctual, highly considerate, and both just fun to be around. They couldn't have been better.

Wind Horse has my highest recommendations! Please let me know if you would like a reference or testimonial of sorts. Also, please pass these comments along to the Bhutan Wind Horse agency.

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Sally M

Druk Yul Walking Tour March 4-17, 2006

Guide: Choki Dorgee, Driver: Kesang Pre-trip:I was provided adequate information about the trip prior to going to Bhutan. In fact, it was quite detailed. The one thing which could be added was clarification of choices. Since this was clearly focused on walking, and I was also very interested in culture as well, I would have liked a few options, such as staying longer at festival, more time in Thimpu to visit the art school, folk museum, fabric centre, governmental cultural offices, etc.

Food:We often did not have time to do everything! The drives seem to take longer and also the walks took us time. The itinerary warned us of cold nights, no showers, boring food. We actually had very comfortable accommodations(although the beds are hard) and the food was better than expected. Perhaps the warning helps prepare people for tough situations, so then we are happy and relieved when it is really better. The fiddleheads are delicious and a delicacy by the way.

Guide: We were met by Dorgee and Kesang with much courtesy, cheerfulness and attentiveness. I think both Dorgee and Kesang are first rate – really superior. I have traveled with guides in Cambodia and Vietnam, and Dorgee really was more sensitive to our needs. Of course, this was a small group – but he went beyond expectations most of the time. Dorgee did his very best to fulfill the itinerary. He was a very sincere, thoughtful and explicit guide. He was also generous and funny.

Accommodations:The hotels were all fine, with possibly the last in Paro. Being the last stop, it was the least of them all. No lounge really, the dining room smelled of some strange chemical, they ran out of some food, like eggs. I think for the last stop, a better choice could be made. All other hotels were excellent. I loved the one in the valley of the cranes.

Problems:My greatest problems: not getting my ticket until the day before I left (next time:special delivery) and 2nd: losing my bag both ways (not anything you did)

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Susan R. with private group of 11 people

Cambodia, Thailand & Bhutan ( Mar &April, 2006) Dear Ugen, I just returned from 3 weeks in Europe--got in at 2 A.M. today and am still bleary-eyed, but read your e-mail and again I want to tell you how much we all enjoyed our trip to Bhutan, Cambodia and Thailand This spring. Everything you arranged went smoothly and we had such good guides and pleasant accomodations.

We loved our experiences in Bhutan and the beauty was breathtaking. It seemed that each day brought a miracle to one or another in our group.

We were able to go to the family compound of our driver and have a drink and learn how they made noodles! We even went to the village home where the son of one of our ladies was married! We interacted with the local people and found them all to be so nice and friendly. We met with monks and saw the annual ceremony at the Crown Prince's Chorten near Punakha and were able to talk with the senior monk there. The sounds of the chants, smell of incense and sight of the monks and Lamas will stay with me forever!

The highlight of our trip was the horseback ride and hike to the Taksang Monastery. What an incredible experience that was! A beautiful day, wonderful sights, kind people---GREAT! And the Paro Festival was such an experience! A real Kodak moment! Especially when one of the clowns took a liking to me! Yikes! Our time in Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom was outstanding also. I do believe we saw every temple and shrine in that part of Cambodia and the boat ride on Tonle Sap Lake was unbelievable!! What an experience!

I highly recommend you and Windhorse Tours. The entire experience was fantastic and I would love to travel with your group again. Fondly, Susan Richmond.

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Christina Chow

Dear Ugen I returned HK yesterday after 14 wonderful days in Bhutan . I r eally appreciate Wind Horse' professional supports in planning my itinerary and the cares rendered so far. As evident by your goodself , my guide Mr. Karma Krinle Oser, as well as the Bhutanese I've encountered during the trip, I totally agree with the remarks made by other travellers that Bhutanese are amongst the friendliest and most hospitable that one is ever likely to come across.

My special thanks to Oser who has tried his very best to personalise the trip for me so that I could extensively expose to the charm and magic of an individual culture - an profound experience that I've never encountered before. Sure I'll come again for the unmistakable natural beauty and hospitable people in your country. Once again, thank you for your and your team's supports. Most regards