Your footprint to Happiness

Fantastic trip with Bhutan Journeys! I recently got back from a fantastic 2-week trip with friends to Bhutan. My friend had found Bhutan Journeys online and they did not disappoint. Sonam was so helpful and thorough, always available to answer our endless questions and give advice. We had the most amazing time and our full and carefully planned schedule ran very smoothly, whilst retaining flexibility to do extra walking most days. We packed a lot in as there is so much to see in this beautiful and gentle country. Gempo was our excellent guide. He is incredibly knowledgeable and looked after us brilliantly, from dawn til dusk. Absolutely nothing was too much trouble and we learnt so much whilst having many laughs along the way. Our lovely driver Jigme was also great - very careful and very patient! All in all the whole trip was superbly organised by Sonam and I can't recommend him, Bhutan Journeys, and Bhutan itself highly enough. It's like nowhere else on earth!

Bhutan Journeys Bhutan Journeys We have just returned from an amazing trip to Bhutan. A truly beautiful country with the kindest friendliest people in the world. I cannot recommend Bhutan Journeys and Sonam Chophyel enough. He was so efficient, informed and helpful, answering all my questions very promptly and happy to discuss and personalise itineraries to suit our interests. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he was happy to discuss lots of different options. He genuinely just seemed to want to ensure we had the best trip possible and went out of his way to make it happen. He met up with is for dinner on one of the first evenings and was always available to answer any queries during our trip. Our guide Gempo was fantastic too. He was so welcoming and incredibly knowledgeable patiently telling us all about Bhuddhism in Bhutan and the country’s history, politics, heritage and economy. Above all he wanted to ensure that we were happy, comfortable and having an amazing time doing the things we would enjoy and was always happy to be flexible about plans. He looked after us while we were treking, took us to meet his family and was great company. We could not have had a better guide. And not forgetting Jigme our driver who happily and safely drove us on some long road trips, was always willing to divert or stop and was without fail cheerful and fun. I cannot think of anything that could have improved our trip and would like to say a huge thank you to Bhutan Journeys for some wonderful memories. Bhutan and its people are definitely unique and very special.

Beautiful Bhutan We had wanted to visit Bhutan for many years and by organising our trip with Sonam, it did not disappoint. From our initial interest and email correspondence Bhutan Journeys were so accommodating to our requirements of wanting to make a trip that covered all of our interests. We were informed of the best time to visit Bhutan, ensuring we could attend the Thimphu Tshechu Festival whilst enjoying all of Bhutan's highlights and ending with a three day Haa Valley trek. Our travels lasted two weeks and it was the ideal time to properly explore the country. Sonam perfectly organised our trip ensuring we had a home stay, visited handicrafts, went to archery competitions, tasted local delicacies and immersed ourselves in Bhutanese culture - listening to all our requirements to ensure it was individualised to our needs. We couldn't recommend Bhutan Journeys enough and it was very hard to say goodbye to such a wonderful country and amazing host, Sonam.

Bhutan Journeys - fantastic, professional, knowledgeable local company Wow! I can’t speak highly enough of Sonam and the team at Bhutan Journeys. The entire experience from initial enquiry, throughout our travels and getting back home was wonderful. Sonam is so knowledgeable and responsive and very easy to work and communicate with. The experience in the ground was fantastic- amazing guide and driver, very comfortable accommodation and wonderful experiences. We also did some overnight and extended trekking. The trek team was excellent and looked after us so well. Bhutan is a magical place. Travelling with Bhutan Journeys will give you an authentic and wonderful journey.

Good trip experience I planned a solo trip to Bhutan and wanted tour guide and transportation services. Per the new policies, I made hotel bookings and flight arrangements by myself. I also processed the visa online directly via the Government website. All of it pretty easy and simple. I actually found better value for my money by booking directly. Some of the packages offered by tour operators forced me into a set of hotels and set meals that were less desirable. I was referred a couple of tour operators by some friends. In addition, I wrote five other agencies (big and small) to obtain quotes for my trip services. All of the operators provided quotes promptly - some of them with better detail than others. Buyer beware: prices vary based on where they think you are. I’m confident that South Asian travelers are quoted different prices than others. Bhutan Journeys were prompt in responding and provided a detailed breakdown of price as requested. I appreciate their flexibility in working with travelers on the new policy. They were neither the cheapest nor the most expensive. I decided to go with them to support small businesses. At least that was my read, and it turned out to be correct. A week before the trip, Sonam let me know that the designated guide was not available (shifted to another party) and he will be my guide. That was an odd surprise, but it was alright by me. There was also a late price change that I was fine with. Sonam received me at the airport and took me to the hotel I had booked. We discussed my plans for the trip, and he had a few good suggestions. We spent three days in Paro, two days in Punakha, and one day in Thimphu. Sonam was a good guide along the way, sharing insights about the places we visited along with history and mythology. Our driver, Pasang, was excellent and drove safely at all times. Sonam and Pasang were always flexible and adapted to my requests. We had a general plan for the current day and the next day. A couple of times I changed the plans because I was tired or felt differently. They were amenable and helpful in those situations. Now about Bhutan: The country is slowly recovering its tourism volume. It is still obviously challenging for tour operators and guides in the current scheme of things. I understand that hotels may not provide guide and driver accommodation when travelers make direct bookings. This could lead to potentially awkward situations between the traveler and the guides. Sometimes travelers want to be left alone and enjoy a bit of solitude. It can be hard to do that when you are constantly with your guide and driver. Be very clear about your preferences and expectations. Discuss everything up front and make sure there are no misunderstandings. The people of Bhutan are friendly and hospitable. You’ll still find the typical “tourist-gouging” in some places. But overall, a good place to visit if you are into Tibetan Buddhism.

“Bhutan Journeys” created an unforgettable moment in my life A month has passed since I went to on a trip to Bhutan. The fact that I have been to Bhutan still feels like a dream to me. The country of Bhutan was an unknown world, and I had many questions. So, there were a lot of requests and questions. Nevertheless, Sonam who CEO of travel agency of Bhutan Journeys always answered my questions with a trustworthy and relaxed attitude. I had a lot of trust in Sonam even before I arrived in Bhutan. Upon arrival in Bhutan, the guide Gempo and the driver Yeshey were kind, gentle and humorous. I felt comfortable and trusted while traveling in Bhutan with them for 6 nights and 7 days. While preparing for the trip, the guide Gempo guided me flexibly and safely with years of experience in the itinerary and course I had in mind. Thanks also to Yeshey, who always kept the speed limit and made our journey tireless with safe and smooth driving. I always pursued free travel but I felt like family or friends to Gempo and Yeshey, who had a different experience and schedule in Bhutan. Maybe I felt more friendly because of the similar looks of Koreans and Bhutanese. I was feel sad at the end of my Bhutan journey, but I think we will meet again soon. The leisure and gentleness of the people of Bhutan, and the pride in their own culture are particularly impressive. Through this itinerary, I hope to continue to interact with Bhutan in the future. thank you very much for making a beautiful journey and memories in Bhutan to all you Mr. Sonam, Gempo, Yeshey. From Yunju with MyungSook (S. Korea)

Amazing Bhutan Visting Bhutan is an experience that you will never forget. A peaceful, beautiful country with a unique culture and wonderful people. This is not least thanks to Sonam who from first contact proved to be reliable and supportive travel agent who was very keen to make this a great trip. Whenever we had a question or there was an issue ahead of the trip, Sonam was quick to respond so that we could plan accordingly. We were also all very happy with the way the trip was put together as a great mixture of culture, smaller hikes and a two-day trek. Here, our guide Gembo and the driver Jigme took great care of us throughout the week. We would wholeheartedly recommend Bhutan Journeys to anyone wanting to visit this fantastic country. I hope we will be able to come again.

An excellent and well organized company Sonam of Butan Journeys did an exemplary job in setting up our permits and tickets, and keeping in contact with us during the long lead-up to our tour. We couldn't have been happier with our guide, Gembo, and driver, Jigme, who both went out of their way to make sure we were taken care of at every step. We never felt rushed, asked a lot of questions, and saw all that we could in the all-too-short seven days we were in Bhutan. I would not hesitate to call Bhutan Journeys again if we ever have the fortune to return and see more of the country.

AWESOME Amazing work by Mr Sonam Great experience and amazing itirenary just the way you want Thank you for the service Will visit you gain

An excellent and well organized tour with Bhutan Journeys My 12 day trip with Bhutan journeys in December was a great experience. They are a small local company run by somoene who started as a guide himself, so they know all of the ins and outs of traveling the country and are able to be really flexible. Sonam pulled my trip together on very short notice, and they changed my schedule mid way to include an extra hike when I got antsy in the car - during which Tashi was so patient when I climbed the hill slow as molasses because I hadn't fully altitide adjusted yet! Tashi and Kencho were my guide and driver. They were really nice and easy to chat with, and just as importantly they paid attention and made sure the little things were in place - right down to making sure I always had chilis at meals when they knew I liked the food spicy, even if they weren't normally served 🙂 I learned so much about the culture and history of Bhutan, and about buddhism - they were a never ending wealth of information and we visited so many interesting places. You can be sure that you'll spend your time with Bhutan Journeys well looked after in a friendly and fun environment while you soak in some amazing sites and culture in Bhutan. I'd highly recommend them!