FAR FUNG PLACES LLC

Trip Advisor® 5 star rated

OVER THE PAST three decades we’ve been marketing our own brand of travel programs to Bhutan for one reason. Without intending any disrespect to Bhutan’s travel agencies, we offer opportunities to learn more about Bhutanese culture and art than the standard tariff program is set up to provide.

Our most popular programs in Bhutan:

• Western & Central Bhutan 13-night programs
(Bhutan Unfurling)

• Western and Central Bhutan 8 and 12-night programs
(Rhapsody in Bloom: from Paro to Punakha to Gantey and/or Bumthang)

• Western to Eastern Bhutan 15-day programs
(A Heritage and Artistic Journey to Eastern Bhutan)

What we offer:

Over thirty years of traveling to Bhutan. We pioneered Eastern Bhutan by researching this unique and isolated part of the country in 1997.

• Bhutanese guest lecturers, who offer talks on their specialized fields so that the traveler has a deeper understanding of the cultural, artistic, and religious complexities that are vastly different from ours.

• Bhutanese tour directors of distinction, who have been trained in our style of service. We respect their leadership as well as their in-depth knowledge, and we compensate them more for their valuable services.

• Personal encounters with locals in their homes (always compensating the family for their time and for preparing any meals).

• Deluxe four and five-star hotels in Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, and Bumthang. These include but are not limited to Zhiwa Ling in Paro, Le Meridien or Druk Hotel or similar in Thimphu, Kunzangzhing or similar in Punakha, Jakar Lodge in Bumthang, and Ogyen Choling Manor in Tang Valley. The only towns where we use standard three-star accommodations are Trongsa, where there are no deluxe hotels, or Gantey, where there are only a limited number of upmarket hotels.

• Wines with many meals in Bhutan.

• An optional home stay with our field manager in Paro (pending 2024).

• A private dance and musical performance with traditional instruments with a renowned musicologist if he is in residence.

• Gratuities for the hotels, restaurants, and porters, excluding the driver and the guide.

• Far Fung Places handles everything: deposits and final payments (optional credit card services), pre-trip information to prepare you for the journey: what to take and what to leave at home, shopping suggestions, and guidelines for etiquette in a Buddhist country so that in your demeanor and dress, you honor the traditions of the country.

• Financial protection: All deposits and payments go into a trust account at Wells Fargo Bank, San Francisco, California, so your money is protected.

Example Land Price: $6299 per person sharing, single supplement: $1109. 13 nights (14 days) Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Trongsa, Tang Valley, Bumthang, Gantey. 

Shorter individual and group programs are available (3 to 12 nights). Average per person/per day $500. Please inquire.

*All our trip prices include: Bhutan visa $40 USD per person and *government tourist tax––*Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) Traveling with Karchung, acclaimed Bhutanese guide and cultural expert on Bhutan, and the inclusions below.
 
4, Hotels: 5 star Nakshel or similar in Paro, Le Meridien or similar in Thimphu, four star hotel in Punakha, four-star Ogyen Choling in Tang valley, and four-star hotel Jakar lodge in Bumthang. Elsewhere three-star hotels are confirmed in Trongsa and Gangtey.
 
Druk Airlines Bangkok to Paro to Bangkok. $1000 per person in economy. 

Custom designed programs:

Private programs traveling with Karchung, our Field Manager in Bhutan, can be arranged through Far Fung Places. Prices are on request.