Bhutan - good news if you are planning to visit!

A Bhutanese temple was constructed on the Mall at the Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. Pictured here is a joker.
Photo credit: Leslie Kefauver

I have not been to Bhutan, but it is high on my list of places to visit. My mother, Leslie Kefauver, learned a lot about Bhutan when it was a featured country at the Folklife Festival, on the Mall in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 2008. The photos on this blog entry are taken by her.

I find it discouraging that there is a required daily minimum a visitor must spend in that country. The good news from Jen Robertson at Village Tours and Treks about Bhutan's mandatory daily spending is the rates remain the same as in 2008 (instead of going up!)

Here is what you have to spend:
2009 Peak Season Rates Per Person
US $200 per day - Group of three or more people
US $230 per day - Two people
US $240 per day - One person

Temple art from Bhutanese Buddhist temple at the Folklife Festival.
Photo credit: Leslie Kefauver

2009 Off Season Rates Per Person - only July and August
US $165 per day - Group of three or more people
US $195 per day - Two people
US $205 per day - One person

The government doesn't charge a royalty fee for children under 6 years old; expenses for food and bedding will be charged. Children 6-12 accompanied by their parents or guardians receive a 50% discount on daily rates.

Bhutanese dancers perform at the Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. in summer 2008.
Photo Credit: Leslie Kefauver