Dear Samdrup,
Many thanks for your email but especially for your assistance. I can only say extraordinary things about my trip with Bhutan Free Spirit. NOTHING disappointing. Please extend my gratitude to Tsering and Karma. They were great. Thanks also for the lovely presents. I am @ the airport on way to Lhassa but will pass it along when I get home. You also have a friend in Miami. Thanks and best regards
Samuel Strauch
President
Affinity Realty Group Inc.
1680 Michigan Ave. Suite 1024
Miami Beach, Fl 33139
T. 305.673.1160
F. 305.673.1162
M. 305.778.2872
Bhutan Free Spirit is a boutique travel company located in Thimphu that specializes in individualized and small group adventures in Bhutan. My wife and I contacted Samdrup Wangchuk, the managing director, to arrange for a three-week visit to Bhutan in late 2012. We were most interested in visiting the Buddhist temples of Bhutan, in learning about the cultural, political, and spiritual background of the people of Bhutan, and in hiking in the countryside.
Bhutan Free Spirit is absolutely dedicated to completely meeting the needs of its guests, and their commitment to providing the best possible experience to those fortunate enough to employ them simply can not be surpassed. Our tour guide, Sonam, worked hard to provide us with an unforgettable experience in Bhutan, and we felt that we were traveling with a friend as well as an experienced, knowledgeable guide.
Bhutan Free Spirit will arrange for you to see all of the important tourist sights in Bhutan, as well as going way off the beaten path if you wish to, to see many places that visitors seldom see. As you can see, I cannot recommend Bhutan Free Spirit highly enough!
Hi, Samdrup,
Here’s my long-promised testimonial for BFS; I’m sorry I was delayed in writing it. I would be happy to communicate with anyone thinking of using your services if that would be of help to them in deciding which company to hire for their time in Bhutan. Tali and I are very grateful to you for arranging a fantastic experience for us in Bhutan, and we look forward to returning one day!
Best wishes,
Jules and Tali
Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA
juleslandsman@me.com
We cannot recommend Bhutan Free Spirit highly enough. As soon as we contacted him, Samdrup, owner of Bhutan Free Spirit, shared clear information and a proposed itinerary with us, while staying flexible to our requests. At the airport, we were greeted by our guide Karma and driver Nima in the most welcoming way. This feeling of respect and relaxation stayed during the whole week we spent in Bhutan. Our guide Karma gave a clear agenda at the beginning of each day, and was flexible in adapting to weather conditions (we were there in the rainy season) and making sure to balance between physical and spiritual activities throughout the day. Several times he added extra activities as we were progressing faster than the original itinerary – which we really appreciated. We were able to not only discover the country, but also understand more about the Bhutanese mindset and culture. Our driver Nemo had a very smooth driving and was always here to help as well. Samdrup and his wife invited us for a private dinner which was a very nice touch – we also recommend to go to their newly opened café in Thimphu!
Overall it was a highly enjoyable and relaxing time. Visiting Bhutan without them would definitely have been only a partial experience. We look forward to being back!
Anastasia & Alex
From Australia
metz.alex@hotmail.fr
Hi Sam
From the beginning, Bhutan Free Spirit has impressed us with its prompt response to every query that we had, including acceding to our request to use our preferred hotel that falls within a similar price range. It also customized an itinerary according to our preferences and interests, instead of planning an one-size-fits-all itinerary.
The guide and driver assigned to us were both very responsible in their own field of specialization. Sonam the guide was knowledgeable, humorous, always concerned about our safety and exercised good initiative to show us as much as what the different towns could offer. In Paro, he asked if we were interested to drop by a local bar to have a feel of Bhutan nightlife. It was an eye-opener for both of us. Additionally, Sonam the driver is very cautious on the road, calm, very helpful, and humble. We felt very safe especially on narrow, bumpy and winding roads with him behind the wheels. They were both very patient and eager to help us in every little way, like offering to help carry our belongings while we shop, and looking for toilets in the most remote spot at Chelela. Additionally, when we were threatened by a vicious dog as we descended Tiger’s Nest, they were quick to fend off the dog and ensured our safety.
The hotels selected for us were comfortable, especially Bhutan Suites in Thimphu. The suite was spacious and very warm, with many power points to charge our camera batteries, mobile phones and laptop.
The food provided had a good variety of Bhutanese, Chinese, Western, Indian and Vegetarian cuisine. The dinner at the local farmhouse was unforgettable, providing us a glimpse of life in the countryside. And the picnic lunch experience after the hike to Cheri Monastery was wonderful, although the food was somewhat bland in taste.
The three hikes were well-planned, starting with the most manageable trek to Khamsum Temple in ‘tropical’ Punakha, followed by the one to Cheri Monastery at a higher altitude and colder conditions, ending with the most challenging one to the Tiger’s Nest. As such, our bodies had acclimatized well by the time to conquer the climb to the Tiger’s Nest.
All in all, we had an amazing time in Bhutan and learned a lot about this unique kingdom in the past ten days. We would definitely highly recommend Bhutan Free Spirit to any friends who are planning to visit Bhutan.
Warm regards
Pam & Mei
From Singapore
pam.yin2@gmail.com
Our Free Spirit Travel guide, Sangay Dorji exceeded our expectations with thoughtful and flexible planning of our daily itinerary. He took care to think about how we spent every minute of our day, whether in activities or relaxing and excelled at making us feel like family, sharing both his cultural and natural knowledge of wildlife with passion and enthusiasm. Everyone from driver Bulu to our phenomenal trekking crew (Dorji, Rekey, and our chef and horseman) enabled us to experience the true warmth and beauty of Bhutan with their kindness. Many thanks for such a memorable experience, and we cannot wait to be back again.
Gautam & Sesha Gadey
United States of America
meagan@globalbasecamps.com
Kuenzang and Sonam are very plight and take well care of us. They are willing to listen and help music to what we would like to do or not. They were very mindful in taking care of my mother during the hike. They did a great job and have made our trip a wonderful and successful one. Most of the people, if not all in Bhutan are very nice and sincere. The country is very much untouched and beautiful. We have learned a lot about the culture and beliefs here. Some are very similar to Thai beliefs and to other Asian cultures, which was very interesting. Some are dramatically different, which is also enlightening us and put into wonder. We have enjoyed this adventure discovering many things about Bhutan’s culture. We feel that the company and the team have been taking good care of us and of our needs, which made our trip a one to remember. We would surely recommend the tour to our friends and family.
I have taken many photos which I will be emailing you maybe you can put it to good use. Please let us know when you are in Bangkok or San Francisco. We will surely go for lunch.
On behalf of my mom (Wanna T) and I, We would like to wish you a happy new year and thank you for a wonderful Amazing Bhutan Trip.
TT.Nuda@gmail.com
Thailand
www.nudaphoto.com
Dear Bhutan Free Spirit, We just finished an amazing 4 nights 5 days stay in beautiful Bhutan. We were very lucky to have Sangay Dorji as our guide, who showed us the many things that make this country so unique. Sangay was an outstanding and knowledgeable guide. He could tell how much he loves his country and his people. Hey paid attention to every single detail and did everything possible to make our trip memorable and special, going far beyond our expectations. We will remember this trip to life. We highly recommend Bhutan Free Spirit tours and treks to anyone who wishes to have a meaningful experience in Bhutan.
Giselle & Luis Gabriel
United States of America
andres@globalbasecamps.com
We were very pleased with Karma’s excellent guiding services. He was extremely friendly and knowledgeable on all aspects of Bhutan culture. He answered all of our questions very thoroughly and willingly. Karma also greatly increased our understanding of the Bhutanese culture.
Jigme’s driving and support during our trip were also of high quality. Jigme was very careful in his driving. We felt very safe on the high mountain roads as well as in the cities we visited. He was also very willing to answer any questions we had.
All in all, we were very satisfied with the cooperation, flexibility and support of both Karma and Jigme. Our appreciation of your wonderful country is based largely on Karma and Jigme’s excellent tour guiding team.
Thank you for providing their services to us.
Rob Danin & Laurie Danin United States of America
amber@globalbasecamps.com
We have had the most amazing experience here in Bhutan. The main reason our experience has been so incredible is because of Karma and Tashi. You could not have chosen a better guide/driver than them. They were always on time, extremely courteous and most importantly extremely flexible. I am traveling with two 12 year old boys. Anything can happen when you are traveling with two 12 year old boys. Karma and Tashi were extremely patient, accommodating and fun. The boys really enjoyed the two of them. They will be talking as much about karma and tashi as the trip when we get home.
You have a real asset in Karma and Tashi. I will most certainly share my experience and recommend your agency “Bhutan Free Spirit”.
Michael Carricarte
United States of America
michael@carricarte.com
A million thanks to Bhutan Free Spirit tours that guided me in my trip to Bhutan they are the best in this field I’m the living proof.
Dela Cruz. From Sydney, Australia
19th May 2019 – 23rd May 2019
lejj909@yahoo.com.au
Singapore Group x 18 PAX (15th Dec – 25th Dec 2019) If you need someone to help you plan your bucket list trip to Bhutan. Look no further than “Bhutan Free Spirit Tours and Treks”. We have just returned home from an amazing and eye-opening tour of the Happiest Place in the World. From the planning phase to the actual tour, owner Samdrup Wangchuk was always available and prompt in answering our queries and helping us get ready for this adventure.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by Samdrup, Karma (the most patient and skillful driver in my honest opinion), Tashi (who took care of all our belongings and was ever ready to lend a helping hand) and finally, Phuntsho (the funniest and the best guide I have ever met). Our group of 18 was a mixed bag of friends and relatives ranging from the age of 9 to 67 with varied interests and attention spans. Somehow, our ever-patient guide managed to capture the interests of the young, old and in-betweens, captivating us with his historical knowledge and storytelling skills. Each sight suddenly became a magical new place and every stop was an opportunity to hear a new tale. The 10 days (11 if you count the day we left) we were there, left us mesmerized by Bhutan’s beauty, touched by the country’s hospitality and intrigued by the principles governing the place. We arrived like typical tourists thinking that it would be difficult to acclimatize, worried the treks would be too challenging and the weather too harsh. We left with a part of ourselves longing to return to the beauty and wonder of the place. None of it would have been possible had it not been for Bhutan Free Spirit Tours and Treks and the amazing staff who looked after us like family throughout the trip. We can never thank you enough for the experience!
Look through the FB page, a lot of the pictures we captured can be seen there.
#JinellaChuaShiang-Lin,
From Singapore