Tashi

My wife Sarah and I travelled with Elwyn and Jill Jones who have already written a testimonial. We echo what they say; it was an excellent experience during which all arrangements went like clockwork. All of the people who looked after us, particularly on the trek, were friendly, helpful and attentive. The villagers we met were most welcoming, and our guide Tashi helped us meet as many as possible. The festival at Mongar was a privilege to be at; there were very few westerners there.
Eastern Bhutan is a traveller’s delight, (though the roads can be a bit bumpy, unpredictable and precipitate), additionally so for photographers and wildlife lovers.
Highly recommend Windhorse.

Hello Rinzin

Dear Ugen, Jambay, and all Windhorse staff,

Thank you so much for everything you did to make our tour the trip of a lifetime!  The only thing that I would have changed would have been to arrive a week later, as we did not know that the first week of October is National Holiday in China’s-the crowds were insane and we were unable to exchange money as all banks were closed. All of the accommodations were lovely, food was good, and the guides and drivers were simply amazing. We were so glad we chose to fly into Chengdu, instead of Beijing, to see the pandas-it was definitely worth it. Our guide in Chengdu, Tenzin, was polite, punctual, kind, and knowledgeable.

Being in Tibet surrounded by beauty, history, and powerful spirituality was life changing. Tashi(guide) and Dorje(driver) made Tibet come alive for us. Jokhang Temple, Barkhor square, Potala Palace, and the Yamdrok Tso Lake took my breath away.

We were met in Kathmandu by Bizaya(guide) and Shyam(driver) for a whirlwind day and 1/2 tour. After the peace in Tibet, the crowds, traffic, and sights of Kathmandu woke us up! We arrived during the the Dashain festival. Our first night Mahendra(with Sixth Sense tours) accompanied us to the Delights of Nepali Cuisine where we had the most fabulous tradition meal while enjoying music and dances from the 4 regions of Nepal. Highlights of day two were the Boudhanath Stupa and Pashupatinath Temple(we were privileged to witness several cremations on the bank of the Bagmati river).

The next morning we flew over the Himalayas for the second time-no words can describe their grandeur and arrived in  Bhutan. Stepping off the plane I felt a sense of ease and peace. We me met by the most amazing, fabulous, guide and driver: SONAM and DAWA!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me just say they both deserve big raises for going above and beyond on a daily basis. Quit simple our trip to Bhutan would not have been the same without them. Each day in Bhutan was better than the day before. The scenery, history, people, sites-just everything, was beyond my wildest dreams. After climbing to Tiger’s Nest, I ended my last day with a hot stone bath and the best massage of my life. Thank you again Windhorse for making our dreams come true!

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These guys are the experts to turn to if you what to go to Bhutan. They choose the best guides, drivers and hotels for the price point, which is very reasonable given the quality delivered across the board. Expect local hotels with good character. By example, we had individual chalets built for the coronation of the king of Bhutan in the 70s. We did the Three Himalayan Kingdom tour.

It was physically demanding to some extent as there is a lot packed into your trip….and lots of steps on the temples at high altitudes to take. 🙂 The guide will work with you to adjust to your desires. If you want seamless travel without all the hassles of logistics orchestrated by people who know the land go with Windhorse……you won’t do better.

We planned a trip with Wind Horse for Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan, traveling for approximately 2.5 weeks, with a local guide and driver in each of the three destinations. We opted for the Three Kingdoms Tour. Wind Horse has many different pre-packaged tours to choose from, from challenging, lengthy treks, to horseback riding adventures, to culture tours with mostly easy walks. They can also customize the trip for you depending on your preferences.

We planned this trip from the comfort of our homes in the U.S. Communications/email was fast and easy during the entire planning process. They helped us book flights to/from Bhutan and helped us obtain Bhutan visas and Tibet permits. (The Nepal visa you can get at the Kathmandu airport on your own.) They also provided us in advance with a detailed and comprehensive itinerary, along with descriptions of each region and attraction.

I will focus this review on the Bhutan portion of the trip (we love Bhutan!):

In Bhutan, we had the pleasure of having Sonam Loday as our guide and Dawa as our driver. Both are very experienced in what they do. Big thank you to Dawa as he got us everywhere safely, despite the often very narrow and bumpy roads. Also big thanks to Sonam for providing rich and detailed descriptions at every attraction so we could learn the history, custom, and culture of Bhutan. Sonam was a great pleasure to be around, personable, very funny, outgoing, and a tremendous help when we hiked Tiger’s Nest (he had to help me descend and carry our bag).

We upgraded to the 4-star hotels in all regions which was well-worth it, if that’s your cup of tea. Sonam also made sure that we got the best rooms possible.

Wind Horse is also great because even though we opted for the cultural tour of Bhutan, Wind Horse planned a few easy/moderate hikes for us so we got to see lots of nature and unbeatable sceneries (in addition to lots of temples, stupas, and monasteries).

They also provide tours in central Bhutan and eastern Bhutan, if you’d like to see the villages and more rural ways of living. This requires more trekking.

The other big plus is that they take credit cards (with an extra charge), PayPal, or you can also mail checks to their office in Minneapolis when you need to pay your fees. We thought this was safer than wiring money to some strangers overseas.

We could not have asked for a greater vacation/tour in Bhutan and I’d highly recommend Wind Horse should you decide to visit Bhutan, Tibet, or Nepal (or India).