Bhutan

by Lindsay Brown, Bradley Mayhew, Lonely Planet

"Bhutan is a world that you had only hoped existed. Vertical prayer flags flutter in the breeze and men dressed in a traditional "gho" and Argyle socks stroll past yellow-roofed shrines." - Bradley Mayhew, Lonely Planet writer
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You can trust our travel information because Lonely Planet authors visit the places we write about, each and every edition. We never accept freebies for positive coverage, and you can rely on us to tell it like we see it.
In This Book
36 maps
53 days of colorful festivals
82 Buddhist buildings
1388km of mountainous road trips
Inspirational photos
Clear, easy-to-use maps
In-depth background
Booking Your Trip special chapter
Comprehensive planning tools
At-a-glance practical info

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, Asia

296 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Emy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knew little about Bhutan, made me want to go there!

[Hannah Owens · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this as an e-book, which I do not recommend. It necessitates flipping back and forth a lot, and the e-book interface isn't great for that. Also, it appears that all the phone numbers of hotels in Paro, at least, are wrong. Seriously frustrating when your flight's been cancelled and you're sitting on the steps of the (closed) Paro airport, trying to find somewhere to stay.

[David Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travel Guide Bhutan 8 ** Read and consulted during my trip to Thimphu and Paro, Bhuta (Feb 2024)

[RdWd · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first introduction to Bhutan and the Dzongkha language was in the critically acclaimed 2001 Bhutanese film Travellers and Magicians, and ever since I've had a fascination with the Land of the Thunder Dragon.

When I saw this Lonely Planet guide in my local WHSmith with a 65% sticker slapped on it, I had to buy it. As I've never used any kind of travel guide before, I can't really compare this to any other regional guide. The reason I bought it was in the hope that it would briefly cover much of what I wanted to know regarding the country.

Personally, I think it does that quite well. The writing's a bit dry though, and it took me a good 11 months to slowly work my way through it... But, there's A LOT of basic information regarding Bhutan's cultural customs, religious practices, the language, how to travel within the country, where to go and how to trek (if that's your thing). The glossy photos are numerous and of a high quality, and there's quite a few artist reproductions of Bhutanese & Tibetan Buddhist deities.

A good introduction. Hoping to read some more non-fictional writing about Bhutan soon!

[Abeer Hoque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book - lots of nice detail about the towns and the countryside. A bit dated as it was last updated in 2005, but that only affects the prices a bit. And of course the nature stuff is always current, well, as long as Bhutan retains its strict high-fees-for-foreigners policy, and manages to preserve its beautiful self.

[Michal Thoma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feeling that this didn't change that much from previous edition. Would like to see more substantial update in the next editon.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent guidebook, one I'm sure I will find helpful when I am in Bhutan. Not the best writing, but it gets the job done.

[Thomas Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, solid research and helpful on the road.

[Robert Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent guidebook for Bhutan

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. Huge help in planning the trip and spot on when there for a month!