Although our kids are always excited to travel. And we have learnt several tricks and tips to make travel with kids easier. But with each new country we visit, the question lingers in the back of mind if it’s gonna suit the kids. When we planned our 7 days trip to Bhutan, I had various questions going on in mind. Like – is Bhutan suitable for kids? Or is it possible to travel Bhutan with small kids? Since Bhutan is a small landlocked country nestled in the eastern Himalayas. And it is a very popular tourist destination. But when it comes to facilities, including medical, there are limited options.
I have compiled a complete guide to help you end to end if you are planning a trip to Bhutan. However, in this post, let me give you some tips which will make traveling to Bhutan with kids easy for you. It is base on my recent experience in Bhutan. We traveled to Bhutan with our kids. And post Bhutan trip, we planned to visit Sikkim. But, for the first time in the history of our travel, we had to cut short the journey. And return back home after visiting just Bhutan. Because my younger kid caught a stomach bug which was not settling down.
It’s not like we have not been to the Himalayas before. We traveled to Shimla and Manali when Aashi was just 1.5 years old and then to Palampur when she was 3 years old. And we even did a 4 days trip to Meghalaya when she was 4 years old. All these journeys went smooth. So, we thought we were more than prepared for traveling to Bhutan with kids. But looks like we weren’t. Anyways, here goes my tips for traveling to Bhutan with kids based on my experience.
#1 Pack all kids general medication in sufficient quantity
We do carry our kids medicines with us on all our travel. And the list generally includes :
- Paracetamol and Meftal P for controlling temperature rise
- Nasal saline drops
- Emset for tummy bug and vomitting
- some handiplasts
- A general ointment for any cuts etc.
- Bug repellants
- A digital infrared thermometer
However, when our kid got a stomach bug in Bhutan right in the middle of our one day of sightseeing in Thimphu, we realised that we had emset but not in sufficient quantity. And we couldn’t get the same medicine in Bhutan. So, we had to use the medicine at hand very judiciously. Luckily, we had just sufficient to last for our trip. Until we crossed borders back to India. But it makes me tense to think what if we had run out of the medicine and she was still not completely recovered. What would we do then! So, do pack all your kids general medication in sufficient quantity to last for the duration of your trip when traveling to Bhutan with kids. Although, you might get general medication there, it is likely you might not get the same brand.
Also, medicine shops very early in Bhutan. By 8:30pm or 9:00pm in the evening, almost all shops close down. And even the culture of doctor on call is not very prevalent in Bhutan. So, you will have to take a sick kid to the hospital and they will treat the kid there. Something that is like a worst nightmare when traveling with kids, isn’t it? So, rather its better if we are prepared with the medicines.
#2 Keep your kid’s paediatrician’s contact number and latest prescription handy
We always carry our kid’s paediatrician’s contact number and latest prescription handy with us. Fortunately, he is accessible on whats-app and also video calls. So, we were able to consult him when our kid fell ill in Bhutan. However, all the medicines and probiotics that he prescribed were not available in Bhutan, which is a different story. Later, I realised that it would have been better if we had visited him before leaving for the trip. So, he could have suggested the right dosage and general medication for cough, cold, fever, stomach bug etc. for the kid. And we could have carried everything with us. Now that I think of it, we had done the same for our elder kid when we traveled to Europe with her when she was 3 years old.
#3 Use only packaged water for your kids needs
Water in developing countries is not treated the same way as in developed countries. On all my travel within India as well as to any developing country outside, we always use packaged drinking water only for our kids. When in Bhutan also, we used packaged drinking water all the time. And so will I suggest when traveling to Bhutan with kids.
#4 Continue home cooked meal for your kid if their stomach is really sensitive or they are not used to outside food
If your kid is small like my 4 years old and have a sensitive stomach or a weak immune system like mine (Thanks to the prolonged periods of lockdown which happened when she was growing up), then I highly recommend cooking for them on your trips as much as possible.I use this small rice cooker for my kid. wherein I can cook several bland food for her including rice, dal, upma, khichdi, halwa etc. This rice cooker was once again my saviour when she got the stomach bug on our trip to Bhutan. As I was able to cook bland rice for her when she couldn’t continue on outside food. Yes, I did carry little grocery for her from home to last for upto a week. Although I was in a mood to cook only if required this time. Alas, the requirement did surface! And I am so glad I decided to carry the rice cooker with me.
On a side note, restaurants in Bhutan have very limited food options. And the mealtime windows are really small. And the number of staff is also very limited. So, even if you are able to place a special food request for your kid, chances are it will take more than a hour before they can serve you the same. So, having your own option to cook will be really handy in certain situations when traveling to Bhutan with kids.
#5 Make a more relaxed travel plan when traveling to Bhutan with kids
Although most of the major places to visit in Bhutan are. within 150km of each other. Which is hardly anything distance wise. But the winding roads and the hairpin bends up and down the mountains don’t make things easy. It easily takes around 3 hours to cover a distance of around 100km in the Himalayas. And you are further slowed down when traveling with kids. Although most of the tour operators will initially provide you with a crisp and packed travel itinerary for Bhutan. But, do your due diligence and add a few extra days to your trip when traveling to Bhutan with kids.
I was initially given a 6D/5N tour itinerary for Bhutan which I found very hectic for traveling to Bhutan with kids. And then I got myself a revised itinerary of 7D/6N which still proved to be hectic. I should have added at least 2 more days to the trip itinerary when traveling to Bhutan with kids. So that they get ample rest between trips. Below is a Bhutan trip itinerary which I will highly recommend when traveling to Bhutan with kids :
- Day 1: Arrival in Jaigaon / Phuentsholing
- Day 2: Phuentsholing to Thimphu transfer
- Day 3: Relax in Thimphu, walk around to nearby attractions, shop etc. Keep the day light as the previous two days were very hectic with lots of road travel
- Day 4: Thimphu sightseeing
- Day 5: Take a transfer from Thimphu to Punakha. Relax in Punakha.
- Day 6: Punakha Sightseeing including the Punakha Dzong and the Punakha Suspension Bridge
- Day 7: Punakha to Paro transfer, check-in into your hotel and relax
- Day 8: Paro local sightseeing
- Day 9: Trek to Tiger’s Nest Monastery
- Day 10: Travel back from Paro
#6 Keep kids stomach light but not empty on your trip to Bhutan
Journey through the winding Himalayan roads at high altitude can be straining to adults. And definitely for kids. Particularly kids who have motion sickness problem. Keep medication for motion sickness with you. And administer to your kid in the morning, before the travel starts. If you know they are prone to motion sickness. Also, giving them light food in breakfast and lunch helps. At the same time, don’t lave their stomach completely empty as that worsens the motion sickness,
#7 Take frequent breaks when on the road while traveling to Bhutan with kids
In spite of following the above steps, kids might still feel dizzy on the mountain roads. A little break and a dollop of fresh air does the trick here. So, when traveling between places in Bhutan like Paro to Thimphu or Punakha to Paro or Phuentsholing to Thimphu, keep taking breaks every hour or so. Make the kids get out of the vehicle and walk a bit in the fresh air just for 2 minutes. It helps a lot.
#8 Dress the kids in layers
When we visited Bhutan in the first week of April, it was still cold there. Not very cold in the day, but really cold in the morning and evening. Also, cold wind blew now and then. On top of that, when we traveled between places, it used to get colder as we gained height and warmer as we lost height. When traveling in a weather like this, best is to dress the kid in layers. So that you can add an extra layer of jacket when it gets colder and remove it when it gets warmer.
#9 Keep your travel plan flexible when traveling to Bhutan with kids
I cannot emphasise enough on this point when traveling with kids to anywhere. We always keep our travel plans flexible and our bookings cancellable when traveling with kids. But this time we truly realised the value of the same. Since the Sikkim part of our trip was cancellable and fully refundable, it made it so much easy for us to alter our travel plans. You can book flexi flight tickets wherein you can change the travel dates or cancel the tickets anytime at a minimal deduction. And when it comes to accommodation, then we book from our booking partner websites – booking.com or agoda. And both of them have deals with last moment cancellations that really helps.
Having said that, I hope you don’t have to alter your travel plans or your Bhutan trip with kids. But we should always be prepared for all the situations, isn’t it?
#10 Choose your sight seeing options keeping kids in mind
Some places in Bhutan like Tiger’s Nest require moderate trekking. While others like the Chortens and Dzongs are located closer to the main town. While some others like the Buddha Point may have many stairs to climb up and down. Now whether a kid will be able to cover these sites totally depends on the individual capacity of each kid. Some may be easily able to do these sightseeings and some others may find it difficult. Since you know your kid’s capacity the best, plan accordingly for sightseeing in Bhutan. We were ourselves doubtful about doing Tiger’s Nest with kids. And as we asked people about it, some said it was very easy for their kids while others said it wasn’t. So, it really depends on each kid.
Having said all of the above, Bhutan is a beautiful destination to visit with family. The crisp air here is mostly free of pollution, the food is simple and the climate good. You will find very limited junk food in Bhutan which is a really good thing for kids 🙂 Let me close this post here, answering some common questions about traveling to Bhutan with kids.
Is Bhutan safe for kids
Yes, absolutely. Bhutan is completely safe for kids. They are very welcome in the land of Happiness. And everyone is very helping and generous. People greeted our kids with smile and a handshake or a hi-five where ever we went. They got special attention in restaurants and sight seeing places. And yes, overall Bhutan is very safe to travel. As long as you take the general travel precautions in Bhutan which you would take traveling anywhere.
Can I go trekking in Bhutan with kids
Yes, there are numerous trekking trails in Bhutan. Some of them are easy to moderate and you can trek up and come back within a day. Such trekking you can easily take with kids in Bhutan. Plan the trekking depending on the season in which you plan to visit Bhutan.
What is the best time to visit Bhutan with kids
Although Bhutan is almost an year round destination, barring the monsoon months. But, when traveling with kids, I will suggest visiting in April or May. As the weather is really pleasant in these months. The harsh winter is gone by now. It is pleasantly cold, neither very warm nor very cold. So, it’s a perfect time to travel around in Bhutan with kids.
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