VISIT BHUTAN : THE LAND OF THE THUNDER DRAGON

VISIT BHUTAN : THE LAND OF THE THUNDER DRAGON

Bhutan, officially called the Kingdom of Bhutan is one of our neighbours which offers ample reason for Indian citizens to visit this beautiful country. This landlocked country is a great tourist attraction and at the same time, perfect for budget travellers. India and Bhutan have had friendly relations for a long time. Bhutan is easily accessible and economical as 1 Bhutanese Ngultrum (it’s currency) equals nearly 1 Indian Rupee. Check this post and start making your plans to visit Bhutan.

No visa for Indian tourists to visit Bhutan

Bhutan has restrictions over tourism, so people from the west need to spend a lot of money to travel to Bhutan but the same doesn’t apply to Indians. Bhutan is quite welcoming towards Indian tourists! In fact, Bhutan and Nepal are the only neighbouring countries of India, where Indian citizens are not required a visa.

Documents required to enter Bhutan

• Voters Identity card
• Indian Passport (not mandatory)
• 2 passport sized photograph
• Duly filled application form (you’ll get at the immigration office)

To enter Bhutan by road or flight, you require either a valid Indian passport with a six months validity or a Voters Identity Card (VIC). Aadhar is not an acceptable document to enter in Bhutan. After submitting the above-mentioned documents at the immigration office you’ll get an entry permit. It usually takes 1 hour to get the entry permit of Bhutan at the Phuntsholing border.

Documents required to enter Bhutan with own vehicle

• Entry permit issued by the Bhutanese Immigration department
• Driving licence
• Vehicle’s Registration certificate of vehicle
• PUC (Pollution under control) certificate
• A simple application to get the vehicle’s permit, addressing Sr. Regional Transport officer, Phuentsholing, Bhutan (There is no prescribed format)

If you wish to drive your vehicle (car or motorcycle) registered in India, you are required to obtain a Route Permit from the Road Safety and Transport Authority office in Bhutan after obtaining the entry permit from the Department of Immigration.

How to reach Bhutan from India

Bhutan by train:

The nearest railway station from Phuntsholing border is Hasimara (West Bengal). Catch a train from New Jalpaiguri (Siliguri, West Bengal) and then take a shared auto to Jaigaon/Phuntsholing border. You don’t need a reserved seat on the train since it’s not very crowded and the journey is not very long. It takes around 3 hours. The route from New Jalpaiguri to Hasimara is quite scenic. Trains pass through a jungle which is home to elephants. Indian Railways operate all the trains at slow speed for the safety of elephants.

• Hasimara railway station to Phuntsholing border – 19 kilometres

Bhutan by Road:

Phuntsholing is the gateway to Bhutan. The entry point is known as Jaigaon/Phuentsholing border. Jaigaon is on the Indian side of the border and Phuentsholing is on the Bhutanese. You can get a direct bus for Phuntsholling from Siliguri. There is also a direct bus service from Kolkata’s Esplanade bus terminal to Bhutan.

• Siliguri to Phuntsholing border – 156 kilometres

Bhutan by air:

You can travel to Bhutan by flight but it not recommended as it is expensive. Two flights connect India to Bhutan, Bhutan Airlines and Druk air. These flights operate from Indian cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, etc. These flights take you to Paro Airport, which is the only international airport in the country. Flight from Kolkata to Paro takes 1 hour 10 minuteswhereas Guwahati to Paro takes 55 minutes. 

Airports in Bhutan

1. Paro Airport is the only international airport in the country.
2.  Yongphulla Airport in Trashigang is a small domestic airport that underwent upgrades through 2010. Yongphulla Airport was scheduled for completion in January 2010 but as of January 2015, the airport remains closed due to ongoing runway repair.

Embassy of Bhutan in India, New Delhi

• Address: Royal Bhutanese Embassy, Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021.
• Contact Numbers:  011-26889230, 26889809, 26889807
• Website: http://www.mfa.gov.bt/rbedelhi/

Royal Bhutanese Consulate, Kolkata

• Address: Bhutan House 6/1Mall Road, Dum Dum Kolkata-700080. Landmark: Near ILS Hospital
• Contact Numbers: 033- 25600756, 25600490, 25593676
• Website: http://www.consulkolkata.org/bhutan.html 

Useful Websites

• Bhutan, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutan
• Druk Air: https://www.drukair.com.bt
• Bhutan Airlines: http://www.bhutanairlines.bt

Other valuable tips

• For travel between cities, buses are the cheapest. They run on fixed times every day but there are only 1-2 buses to a particular destination in a day.
• Food is not expensive. You can eat at nice restaurants without spending too much money.
• Do not take any tourism packages. They will unnecessarily charge you a lot of money.
• No need to plan in advance. The people are friendly and will help you in need.
• You are not required to spend a minimum amount of 250 US dollars per person per day like the western tourists. Indians are exempted from this rule.
• You do not need to submit any pre-planned itinerary anywhere. Feel free to travel at your will. But note that you will be issued travel permit only for the town of Thimphu and Paro from the border town of Pheuntsholing. To travel further, you need to obtain a permit from Thimphu immigration office.
• The cheapest and the best way to travel within Bhutan is the Coaster Bus which is a 40 seater bus, operated by various private bus owners.

Best time to visit Bhutan

March, April, May, September, October & November are the best months to visit Bhutan. Spring season from March to May is the best time for nature lovers when the rich and vibrant colours of flora can be seen.  The moderate temperature during Autumn is a good reason to visit Bhutan between September & November.

ENTER NEPAL BY OWN CAR/BIKE http://videshtrip.blogspot.com/2019/01/documents-required-to-enter-nepal-by.html

Currency

1 Nu (Ngultrum) = 1 Rupee (approx)

(Ngultrum is pronounced as Naltram) Indian Rupee is happily accepted everywhere.

Time

+0600 GMT or +0030 IST

(In Layman’s language = if its 1:00 pm in India, it will be 1:30 pm in Bhutan)

Fuel

Petrol is cheaper than India

Hotels

Popular Tourist places – Starting from Nu 500 to Star hotels

Less popular places – Starting from Nu 250 to Nu 700 or maybe more

Altitude

Phuntsholing – 200 metres

Paro – 2240 metres

Some useful Bhutanese words

• Guzuzangpo – Namaste (in Hindi), Hello
• Kadinche – Thanks
• La – Sir, Ji (in Hindi)
• Lhakhang = Temple

EGYPT VISA FOR INDIANS : HOW TO GET?

Tourist visa for Egypt can be obtained from the Embassy of Egypt in New Delhi and the Consular office in Mumbai. Unlike many other countries, Egypt has not outsourced its visa work to a private agency like VFS or IFS. There is no provision for E-visa or Visa on arrival for Indians as of now (unless travelling in a large group). A single entry Tourist visa for Egypt cost Rupees 1,900. You can get the visa in 2 to 3 working days. Documents required to obtain a tourist visa for Egypt are mentioned below.

A tourist visa for Egypt is allowed for 90 days. However, a tourist can stay only upto 30 days from the arrival date in Egypt. No interview is conducted for issuing an Egyptian tourist visa, but applicants having no travel history (no visa stamps from other countries) may be called by the Visa office. Time of submitting the application form is between 9:30 am to 11:00 am. They also accept applications from agents or relative having a valid authorization letter. So it is not necessary to be personally present in the embassy or visa office to submit the visa application form.

Address and Contacts

Embassy of Egypt in Delhi

1-50 M, Niti Marg, Chanakyapuri,

New Delhi, Delhi 110021

Phone number Egypt Embassy – 011 26114096 – 011 26114097

Consulate General of Egypt in Mumbai

101 Benhur Apartments,

32, Narayan Dabholkar Road,

Navshanti Nagar, Malabar Hill,

Mumbai, Maharashtra 400006

Phone number Egypt consulate in Mumbai – 022 2367 6422

Working hours for Visa applicants (Delhi)

Visa Application submission time – 09:30 to 11:00 am (Monday to Friday)

Visa collection time – 03:00 to 03:30 pm (Monday to Friday)

Documents required for Egypt Tourist Visa

1. 2 Passport size photograph
2. Visa application form  
3. Covering letter / Request letter to the Consulor
4. Confirmed Air tickets
5. Confirmed hotel bookings
6. Travel Itinerary
7. Bank statement – Six months (Minimum balance 50,000 INR), attested (stamped and signatured) by your bank
8. Last 3 years Income Tax Return (not mandatory)
9. Photocopies – First and last page of your passport
10. Original passport

WHEN I GOT REFUND FOR DELAYED BULLET TRAIN | 12 DAYS IN JAPAN

Travelogue by – Navankur Chaudhary 

We all have seen Japanese anime and cartoons from our childhood and had a dream to visit Japan once in life to feel and see that country which made our childhood great. I also had the same dreams. My dream came true in September 2018 when I applied for Japan Visa and got it approved. I finally got to visit in October 2018 and spend 12 days in Japan.

Flight fare from India to Japan

Japan Flights from Delhi and Mumbai usually range from Rs 40,000-50,000 (Return fare). So I had to find a cheaper option. I searched for the flights with layovers. While doing so I also considered the layovers should be in those countries whose visa could be obtained easily being an Indian.

 Leg 1  | Delhi to Singapore

Initially, I was thinking of travelling via Hong Kong . This was Air Asia flight costing 11,000 INR connecting through Kuala Lumpur . But this time I wanted to travel with some airline other than Air Asia. So I took flight with Singapore Airlines. The ticket cost me 14000 INR with a 16 hours halt in Singapore. This was going to be my second experience in Singapore.  Check my travelogue to know how I travelled on a budget for 8 days in Singapore and Malaysia.

Leg 2  | Singapore to Hong Kong

The second leg of my Journey was from Singapore to Hong Kong which was also with Singapore Airline in morning. Another wonderful journey with Singapore Airlines.

Immigration in Hong Kong

On landing, I went through smooth Immigration in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Visa is also free but you have to do one Pre-Arrival Registration before arriving in Hong Kong and it is valid for 6 Months for Multiple Journeys. I had only one day stay in Hong Kong so I decided to take rest.

Leg 3  | HongKong to Tokyo with ‘HongKong Express’

Next Day I went to Hong Kong Airport to catch my flight to Tokyo. I booked Hong Kong Express which is a budget carrier like Air Asia. Flight ticket from Hong Kong to Tokyo was 3300 INR.

After landing in Tokyo

I landed on Narita Airport of Tokyo. This time I didn’t use my ATM card but I had US dollars. I purchased 72 hours metro card of Tokyo metro from airport and combo Airport Shuttle Express which cost me 2400 Japanese Yen (100 Yen = 65 INR). Mobile Sim card in Japan is expensive so I didn’t buy it.

Tokyo Airport to city centre

I took the Airport Shuttle to reach the City Centre and from there I took the Tokyo Metro to reach my apartment. But after reaching the apartment I didn’t find the apartment’s owner. I was stranded there for around 3 hrs. Only after that I got the keys. This apartment cost me 7000 YEN for 3 Nights for 2 People.

My experience in Japan’s Bullet Train

Now was the time to take the world’s famous ‘Bullet train’. Its official name is Shinkansen. That day due to an unfortunate mishappening all train from Tokyo to South Japan got delayed by 2 hours. But after reaching Hamamatsu, to my surprise, Japan Railways refunded 3380 Yen from my total ticket cost 8090 Yen. It was a great way to compensate the passengers for the delay.

Hamamatsu – Local sight seeing

In Hamamatsu, I stayed with one of my friends. We travelled with his local Japanese friend who actually had travelled in India.  He was very keen to know more about India. I have recorded the conversation in this video in which he shares his thought about Indians.

The same day we went to some of the tourist places in Hamamatsu like Airforce Museum and Limestone Cave. At night we had dinner in one of the Japanese Restaurants. I learnt how to hold the chopsticks the right way. Food in Japanese restaurants for dinner costs around 700-800 Yen

I learnt Japanese!

We are fascinated by the Japanese, Korean and Chinese language characters as they are totally different from all other languages. So I learnt a few of these words from my Indian friend who has been living in Japan for 2 years. There are around 20,000 Japanese alphabets which are called as Kanji in the Japanese Language.

Hamamatsu to Kyoto in a local train

After resting for 2 days at my friend’s place it was time to head for the next destination – Kyoto. Kyoto is the old Capital of Japan. I had already experienced the Bullet train so I decided to take a cheaper option which was the local train. There were around 4 stops between Hamamatsu and Kyoto. This journey gave me the actual experience of an average Japanese’ daily lifestyle. It took around 4hours to reach Kyoto from Hamamatsu.

I stayed in a Capsule hostel

Next adventure which was on the way was experiencing a Capsule hostel. However, Capsule Hostel are nowadays available everywhere in World but they started in Japan. So it was worth to stay for 1 night in this hostel. They are generally more expensive than the normal hostels. I paid 2360 Yen.

Hiroshima Nuclear dome site

Next morning I went to see the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome. Yes, it is the same place where the world’s first Atomic Bomb was dropped. Now watching the city does not even feel like an Atomic bomb was detonated here. But thinking about that day just gave me goosebumps. I was approached by a volunteer guide whose father died due to radiation of the Bomb. She was so humble and polite throughout the tour that I won’t forget anything she told about Hiroshima city and the Atomic bomb.

Hiroshima to Hongkong flight

In Evening I had a flight back to Hong Kong. I took Airport Shuttle Bus to the Airport and reached just 30 minutes before departure. But the great staff of HK Express allowed me to board the plane. So I did not have to go back to Tokyo which saved my time and money. Flight from Hiroshima to Hong Kong by HK Express cost me 3300 INR.

Free Night stay at HongKong Airport

I reached Hong Kong in Night at around 10 pm. So decided to sleep at the airport only & not paying for the Hotel. Next morning I took the bus N21 to reach Tsim Tsa Tsui Street and booked a hotel room in Chungking Mansion which is ‘Mini India’ of Hong Kong. Even the Hotels are owned by Indians and Pakistanis. In the evening I went to see the Skyline of Hong Kong. I never saw such a large skyline before. Next day in the afternoon I had to leave for Macau as I had booked my return flight to India from Macau.

Hongkong to Macau in a ferry

Next day around 11 am,  I left my hotel towards the Macau Ferry Terminal. Walked for 1.5KM in search of fridge magnets.  I generally collect from every country but I was unable to find it there. HongKong to Macau Ferry cost between $150 HKD to $170 HKD. I took the ticket for 160$ HKD and immigration for HongKong is done in that building itself. The ferry took around 1 and a half hour to reach Macau. Macau Immigration is done after you deboard from the Ferry. Macau visa is free for Indians on arrival. I had whole evening and night to explore as Macau is popular for its nightlife.

After enjoying Macau for a short period of time I took Uber from somewhere in Macau to Macau Airport which cost 50 MOP. MOP is Macanese Pataca which is Macau currency which is equal to Hong Kong Dollars. I slept from 12-6 at airport and morning did check in and took my flight back to Jaipur from Macau via Bangkok. It cost me 9500 INR. The layover was for 3 hrs.

How much money did I spend on this trip?

I spent around 75,000 INR on this 18-days long trip. This cost includes flights, visa, hotels, food, Sightseeing and other charges.

• 12 days in Japan (focus country of this trip).
  All other countries were bonus due to cheap flights
• 3 days in HongKong
• 1 day in Macau
• 1 day in Singapore

NO VISA FOR MALAYSIA | ‘ENTRI’ FOR INDIANS NOW VALID TILL DEC 2019

The Malaysian Visa waiver programme, eNTRI for Indians has been extended till 31 December 2019. Fee for getting eNTRI (Electronic Travel Registration & Information) is 20 US Dollars, i.e. around 1400 Indian Rupees. Under this exemption feature, a visitor can stay in Malaysia for 15 days.

What is eNTRI

The government of Malaysia has provided this facility to Indian passport holders. According to the facility, Indians do not need a visa to visit Malaysia. Only an online registration has to be done before the journey. The printout of the online registration (eNTRI Note) is considered as the proof of registration. This document has to be presented upon arrival in Malaysia. This is available for only those Indians who reside in India.

How to get eNTRI to visit Malaysia

This is an old post which explains the procedure of getting eNTRI for Indians. The pictorial presentation may help you to understand the process easily.

Official link to get eNTRI for Malaysia

Immigration Department of Malaysia is the only official authority to give eNTRI.  Be careful from the fake websites or agencies. The official website is  – https://www.windowmalaysia.my/evisa/evisa.jsp. This is the only link to get eNTRI.  You can fill up the form online and make the payment for eNTRI on this website.

HOW TO TRAVEL EUROPE IN JUST RUPEES 10,000!

This is a report of   my friend about – How he travelled Europe in just Rupees 10,000, that too for 16 days! Of course this does not include air tickets. I am mentioning about the expenses incurred only on food, stay and travelling in Europe (continue reading to know the ticket cost). So, dear friends, firstly let me tell you that elements like comfort, luxury and pre-planning are inversely related to a budget trip. For cheap travel, you must be ready to sleep anywhere you find the shelter, use public transport, eat whatever you have in your bag and that too while having a lot of fun. While doing all this, he was lucky enough to meet wonderful people and spend quality time with them. (also read : How to stay for free in India)

The first step – Choose a cheaper destination

This was his first trip to Europe. The foremost thing to travel Europe cheap he did was choosing cheapest places to travel. After extensive research, he found Eastern and parts of Central Europe are moderately cheaper for travelling than the Western European countries. Though this is not a rule of thumb. The season is also a big factor. After searching for the best season to travel Europe, he zeroed down to The Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia & Austria. In fact, they are cheapest countries in Europe to visit. The best thing is – all these countries are the member of Schengen area. It means you do not have to spend your time and money to get a separate visa for each country. Just a single Schengen visa serves the purpose. As of October 2016, Schengen visa cost INR 4,500 in India.

The best thing is – all these countries are the member of Schengen area. It means you do not have to spend your time and money to get a separate visa for each country. Just a single Schengen visa serves the purpose. As of October 2016, Schengen visa cost INR 4,500 in India.

How to get a cheap flight ticket to Europe

Air tickets consisted the 70% of my total expenditure on this trip. For continuously 2 months he kept checking cheapest way to get to Europe. he searched the airfare almost every hour combining different cities, flights, and tricks. This gave him a fair idea of the cheapest airfare from India to any European city. he finally purchased a ticket which had this itinerary – New Delhi-Dubai-Prague & Prague-Kiev-Dubai-New Delhi for almost Rs. 34,000.Though this itinerary had layovers as long as 6 hours at Kiev and Dubai, but this also gave me an opportunity to explore these airports and chat with airport staff and other passengers. (Read –  What did I do during the long layovers at Dubai and Kiev airports)

Airlines he used during this trip – Air India Express, Smartwings & Ukraine international airlines (also read – Websites that helped me in getting cheap flight tickets to Europe).

How did he travel in Europe

During the whole trip, he never took a taxi. Only once he travelled on a long distance train. Twice he used the long distance buses. (Taxi from Prague airport to city centre costs 25 Euros which was equivalent to the fare of my long distance train journey+Bus ticket from Vienna to Prague+Bus ticket from Prague to Brno).

Tram in Prague

Rest of the travelling was either done by public transport or by Hitch-hiking :). Yes, you got it right. he took free lifts from the passing vehicles to travel from one place to other, even from one country to another. he said....I should say that this is the brightest part of travelling Europe. Many European countries are now a part of the European Union. The borders are almost non-existing. I could visit Slovakia and Austria from the Czech Republic as if I go from Delhi to Gurgaon. he met few travellers who had travelled through Europe by hitch-hiking.

Hitchhiking in Europe

Hitchhiking is quite common in Europe. he met a lot of wonderful people while travelling this way. Though sometimes language was a problem in Czech and Austria, but as it is said ‘Language is not the barrier, the heart is‘. It always took some time to explain ‘who I am’ and ‘where do I need to go’, but thereafter our conversations used to become very friendly. One of such person was Stephen who was travelling to his hometown in Veselí nad Moravou, but he took a detour to drop him at Strážnice, the place where he wanted to go. he got to travel in a truck and also an ultra-advanced model of Mercedes car with a Czech-Russian gentleman.

Though it is not always easy to hitchhike. he was dropped by a person near a railway station but the train had already left. Then he had to walk for about 4 kilometres to reach near a gas station (Petrol Pump) on the highway. Even there he had to wait for more than an hour struggling in the chilly winds to get a free lift. Due to the language differences, Once an old man misunderstood his destination and dropped him to a completely different location. But he believe that such uncertainties are the beauty of travelling this way.

Public Transport is cheap in Europe

In cities like Prague, Brno and Vienna he always took the public transport. It is one of the best ways to travel on a budget in these cities. Public transports consist of modern buses, trams and underground metro/subway in big cities. The best part of travelling through them is that you do not have to take a ticket for each and every ride. In Prague, he spent 110 Czech Crown (300 INR) to get a 24 hours ticket which is valid on all buses, metro and trams in the city. In Brno, the fare for the same duration is 90 Czech Crown (245 INR). Although travelling in the capital of Austria, Vienna is comparatively costlier. he had to spend 7.60 Euros (560 INR) to get a 24 hours ticket. (Read – Useful travel apps in Europe).

Where did he stay in Europe

Whenever he do budget travelling, he prefer to stay in hostels. They are cheaper than hotels and also offer an opportunity to meet other backpackers from around the world. His first destination was Prague where  hestayed in Hostel Ananas. Booked this hostel before leaving India (from the ‘Book now, pay later‘ box placed below this article). This tool helps to book any accommodation around the world without making payment in advance.

Besides this, he slept on airports, travelled on night buses and purposely took overnight flights. he did CouchSurfing to stay with the locals in the countryside. This helped him to learn about their way of living, culture and habits more closely. he stayed with a person in his beautiful cottage on a hill. he met while travelling in a local bus and became friends in a short time. One of his hosts took him to Slovakia in her car and showed me nearby villages and the countryside. Another family with whom he stayed in Břeclav offered their heart touching hospitality. he stayed with them for two days. In another example, the host handed over the entire house to me and left for some work for two days. he believe, experiences through travelling this way can revitalise our senses and fundamentally transform us for the better. (also read : How to stay for free in India)

What did I eat in Europe

Vegetarian : Rice with Hummus

Being a vegetarian, it was a problem for him to find vegetarian food in the Czech Republic and Austria, especially when people do not understand English. The vegetarian restaurants were quite costly. Then supermarkets like Billa, Albert, Müller, etc. came to his rescue. he purchased things like Bread, Milk, Cheese, Butter, Nutella, Chocolates, Yoghurt, Carrots from there and this is what he had most of the time on his trip. To add variety, he tried different types of bread, cheese and butter. It’s very cheap to buy raw food from supermarkets and then prepare whatever you like in your hostel or at your host’s place. Most of the hostels offer a kitchenette with microwave oven, kettle, hot water, plates and cutleries for free of charge.  Do not forget to clean it after use for the convenience of other guests.