mstraveler

My husband and I are interested in going to Bhutan, but he is interested in a trek that I am neither interested in or able to do. I am more interested in the religious and cultural sites with a little bit of nearby trekking. Some overlap where we are both doing the latter is also desired. Any advice about whether this going to be possible? He seems to have gotten the idea that accomplishing this is too complicated and will flummox the Bhutanese travel system!

thursdaysd

It means that if you go independently you will need two guides and drivers - everyone has to have a guide. You might find it works better to take two different tours with similar dates rather than going independently. But if you have the money the travel system will work it out.

Craig

I suggest you e-mail Kencho at Snow White Treks and Tours in Bhutan and tell her what you and your husband would like to do. Tell her how much time you have to accomplish this and see what she says. If you are planning to go during one of the festivals that might be a good time for you to see the festival (most last for 2 or 3 days) and for your husband to trek. The complicated part is that you will each need to be accompanied by a guide. We will be visiting Bhutan next month but will not be trekking. However, several of the religious and cultural sites require 1 or 2 hours of hiking to see them and Tigers' Nest takes pretty much all day.

mstraveler

Thanks. I need to do a some more research but was hoping we could go and spend some time together and then he could go off on a trek and I could just stay around a town or village. Clearly I need to get some advice and thanks for the contact at Snow White Tours. Maybe there is a trek that would work for both of us that could be paired with a festival!

thursdaysd

Another possibility would be for you to leave before your husband and spend time somewhere else in Asia, Bangkok or Kathmandu, perhaps. You have to fly Druk Air and I think their flights go from both those cities.

Elainee

We did have different excursions in Bhutan. My son in law wanted to trek, the rest of us didn't. So on the days he trekked, we had an other guide for him. It had been arranged in advanced. No problem. On the Tigers Nest, I took a horse and a guide went with me part of the way, another guide went with the others. It all worked.
We wandered around villages without a guide some of the time.

mstraveler

Good to know, have also heard that some companies are better for treks and some better for tours (ie access to nicer hotels etc). Any opinions about this? Snow White seems to get high marks - has anyone used them for both?