My husband and I have just returned from another bucket list trip – a round trip in Taiwan! You never know how long this is going to be possible – for a very specific reason. But this is not about politics. Rather, it is about seeing the sights. And this was in our case exploring the country in style. This meant for Taiwan that we went for the best luxury hotels and fine (Michelin) dining, yet always with a look at the price tag. It is our premise not to pay excessive prices, wherever we go. When it comes to the question whether Taiwan is worth traveling to, I can say yes without reservation. Not for nothing it was called Ilha Formosa (beautiful island) by its first discoverers, the Portuguese. Yet there are some considerations make when planning a (luxury) Taiwan trip.

The end result of all this pondering is supposed to be the perfect itinerary (one-week/two-week itinerary) for your personal needs. We come to mine at the end of this post. Yet it is just a quick look at it, details about the different stops follow soon on my blog. First, I go into some general facts about Taiwan that may be of interest for travelers. In further posts to follow, you will find out about my personal Taiwan lodging and dining highlights.

About Taiwan

The bits of information on Taiwan I am going to write about are far from being exhaustive. If you should be interested in more and detailed travel advice about this travel destination, I found Nick Kembel’s websites especially helpful. This Canadian – married to a Taiwanese woman and having two kids with her – lived 15 years in Taiwan (meanwhile he has moved with his family to his home town). Nick Kembel is really very thorough in his reporting about his adopted country. I can assure you that hardly a question about Taiwan in the context of travel will be unanswered. His two sites are called Spiritual Travels and Taiwan Obsessed. Whenever I had a question while preparing our Taiwan trip, I Googled “Nick Kembel” together with the issue I was wondering about. And no, I do not know why he has two websites and not one.

1. Geography of Taiwan

Location/Population

Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island nation in East Asia. There are conflicting views about whether it is a Southeast or Northeast country. It lies in the Pacific Ocean off the southeastern coast of China, from which it is separated by the Taiwan Strait. Other neighbors are Japan in the north and the Philippines in the south. Taiwan is 35,980 km²/13,892 mile² in size, which makes it a bit smaller than Switzerland (41.290 km²/15,942 mile²). It has around 23.9 million inhabitants, which is a lot more than Switzerland has (8.8 million). Therefore, it is one of the more densely populated nations. And most of the Taiwanese live in the island’s west, where one big city follows another.

Climate/Travel time

Taiwan has a subtropical climate and is very mountainous. It boasts almost 300 mountain peaks over 3,000 m (9.800 ft). There is the Central Mountain Range that runs down the middle of the island like a spine. The best times to come here are either in fall (October and November) or in spring (April). This both due to the weather situation as well as the crowds.

Tectonic situation/Earthquakes

The island is geologically active, sitting on the Ring of Fire. Because of the complex tectonic situation, there are lots of hot springs in Taiwan, but also earthquakes. The most recent one with a high death toll was in 1999 (island-wide, 2,415 deaths, 7.7 M_w). And the most recent major earthquake was the one on the 3rd of April 2024 (Hualien, 18 deaths, 7.4 M_w ). And this was precisely, when my husband and I visited Taiwan! It was at 8 a.m. and lasted for more than a minute. At the time, we happened to be on the 25th story of a hotel high-rise in Kaohsiung, where we felt it moderately strong (the building swayed back and forth). Yet one week before, we were at the very spot where most of the deaths happened (Taroko Gorge). And we had stayed at exact the hotel where hundreds of guests were trapped for several days!

2. Political situation in Taiwan

History in brief

Taiwan is considered as the freest and most democratic country in Asia. While The People’s Republic of China (PRC, short China) claims that Taiwan is Chinese territory, The Republic of China (ROC, a.k.a. Taiwan) thinks otherwise. It sees itself as independent. After the ROC lost in the Civil War (1945-49) to the Chinese Communist Party, its leaders and millions of people fled to Taiwan. From there they planned to take back China, what evidently never happened. Notwithstanding that, Taiwan is still officially called the Republic of China.

Before the ROC arrived in Taiwan, the Japanese occupied it (from 1895 to 1945). After Japan surrendered in World War II, Taiwan was restored to the Republic of China. Japan influenced Taiwan significantly. It built a railway around the country, developed the hot springs and constructed lots of buildings. Also the Japanese cuisine left their traces. The UN stopped recognizing the ROC as the legitimate rulers of Taiwan in 1971, the US followed in 1979. Currently, Taiwan is only officially recognized by 11 countries, most of them smaller ones.

Language/Communication

Taiwan has four official languages, Taiwanese, Mandarin, Hakka (Han Chinese) and the Formosan aboriginal languages (collectively). Although English is not an official language, there is a discussion about Taiwan becoming a “Chinese-English bilingual country” by 2030. Yet, many Taiwanese doubt that this will become true. Most Taiwanese in the major cities know at least some English. The further you go from the metropolitan areas, the less it is spoken. Yet, Taiwanese are open and friendly, and there is always the option to use Google Translate in order to communicate with them.

3. How to get around in Taiwan

Taipei: MRT/Uber

Getting around in Taipei is a breeze thanks to the MRT system. For doing so, you buy and load an EasyCard in any station or convenience store. You can also catch an Uber driver for short distances, as there are many available in Taipei and other big cities. Yet, you also find them in other touristy places in the countryside. We used this service for example in the Sun Moon Lake area when dining out.

Train/Buses

Taiwan’s train system is generally considered modern and convenient enough, although not comparable to the one in Japan. There are far more options to go up and down the island than across. This is because of the Central Mountain Range that divides the island into a western and eastern part. If you plan to travel all over the country, you have to use a mix of train, high-speed rail and bus.

As already mentioned, the Japanese built a railway around the country, which is still running today. It is administered by the TRA (Taiwan Railway Administration). From Taipei to Kaohsiung and all the cities between, you have the additional choice of the High Speed Rail (HSR). It is much faster (and more expensive) than the TRA. However, besides Taipei, their stations are inconveniently located outside of the city center. And it only exists on the island’s west side. For destinations in the Central Mountain Range, i.e. Alishan or Sun Moon Lake, you need to take buses to reach them.

Rental car

As my husband and I traveled all over Taiwan, we had opted for renting a car and driving ourselves. While driving in Taipei is no walk in the park, it is doable in other places. Generally in big cities, you have to be careful because of the many scooters (they have sometimes their own lanes and their own way to turning left at major intersections). If you are driving in the mountains, there are many winding and narrow roads. However, they are well secured with mirrors that show oncoming traffic.

After these more basic facts about Taiwan, now to possible itineraries in Taiwan.

Taiwan 1- to 2-week itineraries

General itinerary considerations when planning a Taiwan trip

As it is a 15-hour flight from Western Europe to Taiwan, it makes sense to spend 14 days here. This if you have a single destination trip in mind. And no worries, Taiwan has so much to do that you can easily spend two weeks here. Alternatively, you can combine a one-week stay on this island with a stopover, depending on your flight arrangements. In our case, we flew via Bangkok/Thailand on the flight to Taiwan and via Hong Kong on our return, although we did not do any layovers. Another option would be adding a short flight from Taiwan to your itinerary. Obvious choices would be Japan, especially Okinawa, or the Philippines. This might be a good idea in particular if you are keen on beach vacations. Taiwan is not really famous for being a destination geared to sun, sand and sea.

Having said that, I would like to emphasize again that there is plenty to see in Taiwan. So, there is absolutely no need to limit your time on this island to only one week! Taiwan is an extremely pleasant travel destination. While it is not exactly inexpensive, it is affordable enough. Public transport is good, and people are amicable. There is a stable political situation (apart from the danger coming from the powerful neighbor across the Taiwan Strait). And you find here a generally high level of safety. Plus, you will not run into Western tourists all the time. Last but not least, it offers the perfect mix of vibrant urban life and lots of natural beauty. The latter you even encounter very close to Taipei.

A 2-week itinerary in general

Two weeks is considered a reasonable amount of time to do a full circle around Taiwan. And this is – I mentioned it before – possible by train. When having this round trip in mind, you have two options: doing it nature-focused or city/culture-focused. As to the former, you spend more time on the island’s east and south. Concerning the latter, you stay longer on Taiwan’s west side. In case you decide on a nature focus you also should head to the mountains, which are in the center stretching from north to south. As there are only some regional trail lines in this area, you also must use buses to get there.

This reveals that opting for the train as your means of transport is ideal for a city/culture focus. It is less so if you want to concentrate on nature. Here it makes sense to consider traveling by rental car. If you do not trust yourself to do this, then there is the possibility to hire a private driver and maybe also a private tour guide (check out Nick Kembel’s advice on this).

If you want to do a luxury trip – meaning staying in luxury hotels and dining in gourmet (Michelin) restaurants – , this complicates the affair even more. While there is usually no problem finding correspondent establishments on Taiwan’s west side, this is not so on the east side. One exception here is the Taroko Gorge. But if you travel from here toward the south in the direction of Taitung, you will encounter difficulties finding suitable lodging and dining. As far as the island’s center is concerned, places to stay and dine in style apart from the Sun Moon Lake area are rare.

Our 17-day itinerary in style

After all these general considerations when making a travel plan for a Taiwan trip, now to our actual itinerary. While we were on route during 17 days, you can shorten the trip to two weeks without any problems. We wanted our journey to be predominantly nature-focused yet with the one or other urban stay. As we like to travel in style, our aim was staying in luxury hotels (my 3 hotel highlights) and dining in gourmet (Michelin) restaurants. And this is not always possible in Taiwan, as outlined. In terms of means of transport, we had opted for a rental car. This because it seemed more convenient to reach all the places we wanted to go.

So, we began in Taipei before heading to the Taroko Gorge in the northeast close to Hualien. We also made a day trip along the east coast going a bit further south from this seaside town. Then we went to the country’s center, to Sun Moon Lake. From here, we explored the wider Alishan region in another day trip too. After that, we drove in the south, the Kenting National Park, before heading back north. This time we traveled along the west coast. Our only stop here was in Kaohsiung, from where we also visited the old city of Tainan. Our last stop was Taipei again, where we had chosen its northernmost district of Beitou as our base. We used it to discover Taiwan’s north as well.

Find here my Google Map of our 17-day road trip journey in Taiwan:

A proposition for a 1-week Taiwan itinerary

There is also the option to make this trip shorter, from two weeks to one. And you can do this by traveling only the northern part of Taiwan. In such a way, you can experience the country’s three major highlights. These are Taipei, Taroko Gorge and Sun Moon Lake. My next post will be about this abbreviated Taiwan itinerary. In addition, you will learn more about the three individual stops. This includes what to see and do, a top hotel on site and some of the best (Michelin) fine dining available.

In another post to follow, I will go into the two-week itinerary. There will be information about the other three stops that are not part of the abbreviated Taiwan travel plan. These especially concern Taiwan’s south, but also a second Taipei stay. This is not the end about my Taiwan reporting yet. Two more blogposts will offer more details about my personal highlights with respect to accommodation and eating out.

Date of stay: April 2024

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Buthan, the mystic kingdom in the Himalayas, is something very special. You will not find another like it! After sharing a travel guide with you in my last post, here is the perfect Bhutan 9-day itinerary how to explore the otherworldly Land of the Thunder Dragon. The journey goes to Buthan’s heartland, the four valleys of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and Phobjikha. This is the west of the country that most of the travelers see. And this for good reason. It is home to the only international airport, the capital and has a great density of sights.

Before going into details about the places my husband and I visited, here is an overview on all my blogposts about Bhutan.

My mini series about Bhutan travel

As mentioned at the beginning, I already did a travel guide with all the essentials to know when planning to come to Bhutan. As to what will follow, there it is.

In my next post, I will outline how to travel the suggested itinerary via an arrangement by a luxury hotel. There are three international high-end hotel groups that operate in Druk Yul – that is how the locals call their home land. And I want to compare these three. Then I will provide information about traveling Bhutan with our choice of hotel. To end this mini series about the Land of the Thunder Dragon, I will inform about possible pre- and post-Bhutan stays. This because it is usually not possible to fly in directly from more distant countries.

Now to our perfect Bhutan 9-day itinerary.

My Google Map of a Bhutan 9-day itinerary

You find the Bhutan travel plan my husband and I followed in the form of a Google Map. It includes all the (luxury) hotels we stayed, a recommended restaurant we ate (there is only one as we had a full board package) and the things we did. One tip: to experience Bhutan at its most authentic, it is a good idea to throw in a few lesser visited sites and walks/hikes! As to the nature of attractions – the terminology – check out my travel guide.

In case you wonder about other things to do in west Bhutan than mentioned in my Bhutan 9-day itinerary, there are many more. Yet my husband and I had decided that we wanted to explore the four valleys by walking as much as possible. This is supposed to be the royal road to fully immerse into Druk Yul. Because that is what the locals do all the time, at least in the rural regions outside of Paro and Thimphu. I mentioned it in the description of the individual sights in case we walked/hiked to them.

From place to place in west Bhutan, a perfect 9-day itinerary

To begin, a short overview on our 9-night trip. We started and ended with two days in Paro each. The first stay consisted of general sightseeing, the second one was dedicated to the hike to the Tiger’s Nest. Next was the Punakha Valley, where we spent three days in subtropical surroundings. Before our return to Paro, we had two more days in the Phobjikha Valley. Here we delved even deeper into the country’s rural landscapes.

1. Paro Valley 2,200m/7,200ft (day 1&2, day 8&9), 1st & 4th stop Bhutan 9-day itinerary

This is where every visitor arriving by air starts his or her Bhutan journey. The charming town of Paro with a population of about 50,000 lies on the bank of the Paro river. From the impressive Paro Dzong

it is not far to its main street, only built in 1985. It is lined with colorful wooden buildings that all look more or less the same.

1.1. General sightseeing

1.1.1 Paro Dzong

One of the major sights here is the before mentioned Paro Dzong. It sits atop a hill, in a commanding position, overlooking the entire valley. It was constructed in the 17th century and is also called Rinpung Dzong, fortress of the jewel hill.

When my husband and I arrived in Paro at the beginning of April 2023, the Paro Tsechu Festival took place. This is considered as one of the country’s most important ones where masked dancers perform their art. We had not planned our trip around the festival, so we were just lucky of having the chance to attend. And it really was worth it! It was a colorful affair – from the dancers

to the audience

– and allowed us a unique cultural insight.

1.1.2. Walk/Hike to Zuri Dzong Monastery Paro/National Museum Paro

I dearly remember our first walk/hike starting at our hotel (COMO Paro) up the hill towards Zuri Dzong Monastery Paro.

You need about half three quarters of an hour to reach it, walking through beautiful cypress and pine trees. It is one of the oldest dzongs, dating back to 1352. From here you have a stunning panoramic view of the Paro Valley

(we did not enter the premises).

The walk/hike can be continued in the direction of the National Museum, housed in an ancient watchtower, which requires another half hour. It offers a good introduction to the Buthanese heritage and traditions.

1.1.3. Other sights in Paro

If you have more time available, consider driving to Drukgyel Dzong Paro

northwest of Paro. You find another dzong a this spot, where the highway ends. It was erected to control the northern route to Tibet. For a long time, this dzong had been in ruins. Yet recently, it was completely rebuilt. In the time to come, it shall be opened to the public.

On your way back to Paro, make a stop at Kyichu Lhakhang Temple Paro.

It is one of the country’s oldest temples, built in the 7th century. There is a belief that the two orange trees in the courtyard bear fruit throughout the year.

1.2. Tiger’s Nest Monastery Paro Taktsang Hike

This is one of Bhutan’s most incredible sights, the monastery perched on the side of a sheer cliff 900 m/2,953 ft above the floor of the Paro Valley. Without a doubt, a first time trip to Bhutan would not be complete without seeing it!

The complex was built in 1692, around the cave where Guru Rinpoche first meditated. He is said to have brought the Buddhism from Tibet to Bhutan arriving here on the back of a tiger. Thus, giving this place the name “Tiger’s Nest”.

Getting here involves some effort, meaning an intermediate to difficult hike (700 m/2,297 ft up). Allow about five hours for this activity (including a one-hour temple tour). Start early in the morning to avoid crowds. Plan to leave the monastery around midday. At this time the lighting is ideal for photography. Anyone of average fitness can do this hike, just do not rush it!

2. Thimphu Valley 2,248m/7,375ft (transit only)

I do not consider Bhutan’s capital of Thimphu Town as a must-see on your Bhutan trip. If you expect an idyllic town, you will be disappointed. The traditional houses are fast being replaced by multi-story high-rise buildings. And the town incessantly grows in all directions. As many other Asian countries, Bhutan suffers from rural exodus. Problematic in the case of Thimphu is it that there are by far not enough job opportunities for all the people coming from the countryside.

Be it as it may, there are still some sights you should not miss in Thimphu. We passed it twice on our way from Paro to Punakha and back (it is a bit more than a one-hour drive from Paro).

2.1. Buddha Dordenma Statue Thimphu

The huge 51 m/169 ft statute of Buddha Dordenma is located in a commanding position above Thimphu Town. It is made of bronze and gilded in gold, just as the over 100,000 smaller Buddha statues that come with the huge Buddha. The statue was made in China, cut in pieces and reassembled onsite. Its construction began in 2006 and ended in 2015. A businessman from Singapore sponsored the statue, which costed 100 million US$.

2.2. Traffic cop on Thimphu’s busiest intersection

Bhutan is probably the only country worldwide whose capital does not have a single traffic light. Instead, you find a traffic cop at Thimphu’s busiest intersection. He wears white gloves and directs the traffic in an artful way.

From what I learned, there used to be a traffic light at this spot. Yet it was a source of confusion for the road users. Consequently, it was abolished.

2.3. Simply Bhutan Living Museum

Simply Bhutan is an interactive living museum that gives a quick introduction to different aspects of traditional Buthanese life. You learn how Ara, the rice wine, is made, and you can also try it. They inform about the way they construct their houses. There is also the chance to give their national sport, archery, a shot. And you can watch women doing the typical festival dances while you sip traditional butter tea.

Although the whole thing is rather touristy, it is fun, and you need less than an hour to do the whole tour.

2.4. Dochula Pass

If you do not go to Punakha from Paro, it is still worth doing the trip to the nearby Dochula Pass (about a 45-minute drive from Thimphu). This, in particular, if it is a sunny and clear day. Then you have good chances to view the snow-covered Himalaya peaks from here (which are 7,000 m / 23,000 ft about sea level).

My husband and I crossed this mountain pass (3,100 m/10,300 ft) twice, but we had no luck with the weather, so no snow mountains for us. Yet, we had a look at the 108 memorial chortens (shrines) or stupas (tombs), built in 2004.

3. Punakha Valley 1,242m/4,075ft (day 3-5), 2nd stop Bhutan 9-day itinerary

You get to Punakha in a four- to five-hour drive from Paro. And you encounter a totally different world here. As it is at a lower elevation, it is warmer and has a subtropical climate. It is the main producer of rice, also the red one, which is nuttier in taste. And you find here also banana and orange trees.

Punakha is located at the banks of two beautiful rivers, Po Chhu (Male) and Mo Chhu (Female).

There is also the opportunity to do white-water rafting. The town used to be the country’s capital, until 1955. In terms of things to do in Punakha, there is a wide choice to choose from.

3.1. Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten Punakha

Climbing the hill to this chorten or stupa – a religious monument – is a popular thing to do. You need about half an hour to do so, starting at a footbridge in Yepaisa Village. The chorten, built in 2004, was built to ward off negative forces and to spread peace and harmony to everyone. From its roof, you have a fabulous panorama vista of Punakha’s terraced fields.

3.2. Punakha Dzong

This dzong, erected in the 17th century, is arguably Bhutan’s most beautiful one. At the same time, it is the country’s second oldest and second largest one. And it is the winter home of Je Khenpo, the Chief Abbot, staying here with 1,000 monks. Punakha Dzong is also known under the name of the “palace of great happiness”

3.4. Chorten Nyingpo Lhakhang Punakha

Horten Nyingpo is a monastery in Kabisa, built in 17th century. You can reach it by car along a small, curvy road yet it is much more rewarding to hike up to this remote and lesser visited place. In such a way, you are most times in the forest, pass a village at some point and have great views of Punakha’s rice fields.

Once arrived – you need about 1 1/4 hour by foot from Hotel COMO Punakha – , do not “only” visit the monastery but also walk around a bit. View the property from further away, have a look at the picturesque surroundings and at the impressive archery ground in the adjacent village.

3.5. Other sights in Punakha

A popular monastery is Chimi Lhakhang Punakha, also known as fertility temple. This is easy to recognize from the motifs you find here. The temple was built in honor of the so-called “divine madman” who had an unorthodox way of teaching Buddhism and was fond of women, wine and dance.

The Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery Punakha is a newly built nunnery constructed in traditional style (2010). It is located on a hill among pine trees, boasting breathtaking views of the Punakha Valley. It is a quiet and peaceful place, and everything is tidy too. 120 nuns live here at this Buddhist College.

The Punakha Suspension Bridge is one of Bhutan’s longest ones, measuring 180 m/590 ft. It is adorned with fluttering prayer flags. It spans over the “Male” river and seems quite stable. Having said that, the bridge may sway a bit when it is windy, and this is quite often.

4. Phobjikha Valley 3,000m/10,000ft (day 6&7), 3rd stop Bhutan 9-day itinerary

This contemplative valley is a great addition to make once you are in Punakha and having two more nights to spend before returning to Paro. You reach the Phobjikha Valley after a three- to four-hour drive from Punakha Valley crossing the Lawa La Pass (3,200 m/10,500 ft).

There is lots of agriculture (especially potato cultivation) in this bowl-shaped glacial valley on the western slopes of the Black Mountains. The area is also called Gangte or Gangtey Valley in reference to the Gangtey Goempa Monastery sitting on a ridge above the valley. As to sights here, there is much to to do here as to walking/hiking yet there are also some religious sites.

4.1. Black-Necked Crane Information Center Phobjikha Valley

The Phobjikha Valley is one of the most important wildlife preserves in the country due to the endangered black-necked cranes that winter here. To have a look at this bird – there are two injured ones in a cage – , go to the Black-Necked Crane Information Center. Here you find also informative displays about the black-necked cranes plus an educational 15-minute video. From October to mid-February, you can watch the birds from here feeding on the valley marshlands.

4.2. Walking/Hiking trails in Phobjikha Valley

There is a number of walking/hiking trails to undertake in this area known for its rhododendrons that bloom in spring.

The most popular one is the Gangtey Nature Trail, starting at the Gangtey Monastery. The path winds down through rather flat terrain and ends at the bottom of the valley. You pass pastures, farmhouses and pine forests before coming to a vast open space. Yet, there are many more options to explore the valley by foot, from short walks to immersive three-days treks.

4.3. Gangtey Monastery Phobjikha Valley

The Gangtey Monastery, also known as Gangte Goenpa, is located in a privileged situation at the top of a hill. From here, you can overlook the green expanse of the whole Phobjikha Valley. The monastery, founded in the 17th century, was restored from 2001 to 2008 due to a beetle-larvae infestation. Adjacent to the monastery you find a village where the monks’ families live.

Looking back and forward on my blog

My mini series to Bhutan started with a travel guide for this magic land of fluttering prayer flags, peaceful monasteries and red robed monks. The current post went into the perfect Bhutan 9-day itinerary through four valleys in the country’s west – Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and Phobjikha – the region that most first time travelers visit in this Himalayan nation.

Next on my blog will be a comparison of the three luxury hotels that offer Bhutan itineraries. After this, I give details on our journey through the Land of the Thunder Dragon, arranged by one of these, COMO.

My Bhutan mini series will find an end with outlining opportunities for a pre- and post-stay. This is a necessity because it is usually not possible to reach Druk Yul – yet another name for Bhutan – without a layover, at least when coming from far-away countries.

Date of visit: April 2023

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At last, my husband and I could do our Buthan journey! We had been waiting three years for this moment – due to the pandemic. Yet what took a long time was finally good. This once-in-a-lifetime journey was worth the hassle – booked (and paid) four years ago! If you wonder about Buthan, it really is something special. Think of a nation that measures its success not from an economic perspective but by the happiness of its people. Bhutan is a mystic land of temples and monasteries, deeply rooted in Buddhism. And it is one of the last true unspoiled countries on earth, packed with stunning natural beauty. Find in my travel guide everything you have to know when thinking of coming to Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon or Druk Yul in the country’s official language of Dzongkha.

Where lies Bhutan?

Bhutan is a small landlocked country in South Asia. It is nestled between India to the south and China to the north. The kingdom is situated in the eastern Himalayas and has a diverse landscape. This ranges from subtropical plains in the south to the Himalayan peaks in the north (the highest is Gangkhar Puensum: 7,570 m/24,840 ft).

The country is about the size of my home country, Switzerland. Yet it only has 700,000 inhabitants (Switzerland has almost 9 million). The capital of Bhutan is Thimphu. It has a population of around 100,000 and is located at an elevation of 2,248 m/7,375 ft. The ancient capital city was Punakha and was replaced by Thimphu in 1955.

What is to know about Bhutan’s tourism?

Bhutan’s history of tourism is relatively recent. It only opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1974. Prior to this, it had been a largely isolated and mysterious kingdom. Bhutan’s government has always been mindful of the potential impact of tourism on its fragile environment and culture. Therefore, it has taken a cautious approach to developing touristic activities.

Before the coronavirus pandemic

In the early years of tourism, Bhutan limited the number of tourists allowed in the country. Visitors were required to travel with a licensed tour operator and to pay a daily tariff. Before the country closed its borders in March 2020 because of the pandemic, travelers had to spend a minimum of 200 to 250 US$ – depending on the season – for a daily package rate. It included costs for three-star lodging, food, transportation and guide as well as a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of 65 US$.

After the coronavirus pandemic

After reopening in September 2023, Bhutan’s government eliminated the minimum daily package rate in favor of raising the SDF from 65 US$ to 200 US$ per day. So, travel costs are no longer covered by the fee. Children between 6-12 years pay 50% of the fee, children 5 years and below are free. The revenue from this fee is used to contribute to the country’s economic, social and cultural development. Visitors from India are exempt from it. For the following two years, they only pay 15 US$ per day.

All visitors require a visa before traveling to Bhutan, except those from India, Bangladesh and the Maldives. It costs 40 US$ per person, and you can apply for it online. Alternatively, if you have your trip organized by a tour operator or a hotel group, they can do this for you. One more note to guides. While they are no longer mandatory for activities within Thimphu and Paro Valley, you still need them once you go beyond this area.

What can you expect in terms of things to see & do in Bhutan?

As outlined above, Bhutan has carefully managed the number of tourists who travel to this country. Therefore, it was able to preserve its unique culture, traditions and nature. As to the latter, this country offers a mesmerizing rural scenery, from green terraced fields to pristine plains, valleys and forests, to dramatic inclines and 7,000 m/23,000 ft peaks. As far as Bhutan’s cultural and traditional independence is concerned, it was also promoted by the fact that it has never been colonized. The country’s culture and traditions are closely intertwined with its religion. Of course this is about Buddhism, which still influences many aspects of life in Bhutan. When it comes to where this religion is practiced, find more in the following sections.

Dzongs and their function

You find dzongs throughout the country’s twenty districts. These former fortresses were built to defend against Tibetan invasions, starting in the 12th century. One dzong per district serves both as the center of administration as well as the center of religion and culture. And this with a strict separation between these two purposes. The dzongs with this split function, respectively their courtyards, usually serve as places for festival celebrations too.

Monasteries and Lhakhangs

10,000 of the country’s 700,000 inhabitants are Buddhist monks. You already can start this “career” at the age of five. And yes, there are also female monks (nuns), yet they are less numerous. Monks live in monasteries, known as Gompas or Goenpas. Temples or Lhakhangs can be part of monasteries, or they can be situated outside of them. Both monks and nuns keep their heads shaved and wear distinguishing maroon robes. As a traveler to Bhutan, you can visit many of the monasteries and temples. While you can usually take photos in these properties, this is not allowed inside the temples. Yet you may enter them and watch how the monks pray, chant and even how they have a meal.

Other Bhutan features

Not only the religious and municipal buildings are impressive for foreigners. Also “normal houses” are quite a sight. Did you know that there is a rule how to build them?

A further particularity is also the dress code for Buthanese people. When locals go to the authorities or visit religious sites, men have to wear the gho, women the kira.

In case you think about visiting Bhutan, it is a good thing if you like to explore your surroundings by foot. Because this is the royal road to discover this beautiful country. Embark on a guided trek across forest trails or follow winding paths on steep mountainsides.

Another activity concerns the country’s national sport, archery. Many hotels have their own ground where you can try it out.

If you like river rafting, a good place to head is Punakha. Here you can do this kind of thing on the twin rivers, “Male” and “Female”. Or maybe you want to go on a ride on Himalayan horses?

When is the best time to visit Bhutan?

While you can travel Buthan year-round, there are two preferred seasons to do so. I speak here of the country’s west, where most travelers go. The possibly best season to visit this country is fall, from late September to November. This time brings the changing of leaves, along with dry weather and crispy clear days.

The spring months of March to May are best for flora.

Then the weather is pleasant but not too hot. It is a good time to travel to Bhutan, although there is more chance of overcast days than in fall. It is often windy in the afternoon. Rain is possible but mostly during night. This was the season where my husband and I went to Bhutan. We mostly had sunny days, with short overcast phases. Though we never had a good view of the high mountain peaks, which are perpetually covered in snow. And the soil was extremely dry.

The rainy season (monsoon) is between June and August. Then the temperature is the warmest but there is of course a higher chance of rain. And there can be lower visibility too. The land turns lush and green, what must be quite a sight.

December to February bring sunny days and clear mountain views. Although the temperature drops after dusk, days are still quite warm and pleasant. There is chance of light snow fall in west and central Bhutan, yet larger quantities only occur at higher elevations.

How do you get to Bhutan? What is an ideal pre & post travel plan?

Visitors can travel to Bhutan by air from Bangkok/Thailand (partly with stop in Dhaka/Bangladesh, you can remain on board), Singapore, India (Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bagdogra) and Kathmandu/Nepal. For now, there are only two airlines that fly into Bhutan, Drukair and Bhutan Airlines. And they do this to Paro, the country’s only international airport. Private jets can only fly into Bhutan after getting the relevant approvals from the authorities.

The landing approach at Paro International Airport in Paro is considered to be one of the most challenging in the world. This is due to its location in a steep-sided valley, surrounded by mountains. Only about 20 specially trained pilots are authorized to land here.

When we flew into Paro at the beginning of April, there were no direct flights from Bangkok (only with stop in Dhaka/Bangladesh). There was only one flight per day, starting at 5 am and landing at 08.30 am. It was carried out by Drukair. For best views of the Himalayan mountain ranges, opt for a seat on the left side for flying in and one on the right side for flying out.

If you wonder about where to stay (in style) in stopover locations on your Bhutan trip, I have suggestions for you as to Bangkok and Hua Hin in Thailand (posts to follow), to Delhi and Agra/Taj Mahal in India as well as to Singapore.

How to get around in Bhutan?

For getting around in west Bhutan – were most travelers go – , it is best to hire a vehicle and driver from a car rental company or a tourism service provider. You cannot drive yourself in Bhutan. If you want to head to Bumthang (central Bhutan), there are domestic flights available.

An option is it also – as my husband and I did – to follow an itinerary set by a hotel. In this case, they arrange a car with driver and guide for you. If you should be into luxury travel, there are three international high-end hotel groups operating in this field. In a post to come, I will go into how to travel Bhutan in style with one of them. It is about COMO. This is the company which has the least expensive journeys – although they are wallet breakers too. There are two more luxury brand that even have more costly offers, more to follow.

Apropos guide, as hinted earlier, you need one once your journey extends beyond Thimphu and Paro. And I would suggest doing so as these both towns are not necessarily what defines Bhutan (see more in my section about a possible itinerary). Besides, guides will be able to give you the insights when visiting temples or fortresses.

What itinerary to choose as a first timer to Bhutan?

I will go into details where to go and what to do in Bhutan when outlining the itinerary my husband and I took in a post to come. Here I just inform about the most common travel plan for a minimum stay and possible expansion options.

While you could make your stay as short as four or five nights, I suggest opting for a minimum of seven nights (we did nine nights). This allows you to explore the not-to-be missed sites and some lesser visited places in two valleys (Paro/Thimphu and Punakha). Do also consider that you are located in Bhutan at quite high elevations (for instance Paro is at 2,200 m/7,200 ft). So, you need some time for acclimatization.

7-night itinerary Bhutan (west Bhutan)

If you have seven nights at your disposal, you can explore three valleys in west Bhutan. I would use day one and two for exploring the Paro Valley (without Tiger’s Nest).

On your way to Punakha (three- to four-hour drive), you can stop in Thimphu (another valley), the capital, for taking in the major sights. As this town is not especially picturesque, I do not consider staying here overnight as a must.

Once arrived in the subtropical Punakha Valley, I recommend three days for checking out this beautiful area, one of the most magnificent ones in Bhutan.

Return to Paro for your days six and seven. On your way back, visit some more spots in the Thimphu Valley before tackling your hike to the Tiger’s Nest (about five hours) on your last day.

9-night (west Bhutan) respectively 12-night itinerary Bhutan (plus central Bhutan)

In case you have two days more, I suggest adding the Phobjikha Valley, also known as Gangtey Valley, a strikingly appealing glacial valley (three- to four-hour drive).

If you have additional three days to spend in Bhutan, another valley might be an option, and this is the Bumthang Valley in central Bhutan. This requires another five-hour drive (from Phobjikha Valley). I have not been here, but it must be a noteworthy place, also called the “Switzerland of the East”. To avoid the long drive back to Paro, consider a flight of about 35 minutes.

Are there any other interesting facts about Bhutan?

Economic situation in Bhutan

Since Bhutan became a democratic constitutional monarchy in 2008, it has relied on a development strategy based on Gross National Happiness, as briefly mentioned above. The country is nowadays considered as lower-middle income country. It has been able to substantially reduce poverty over the last two decades. This was due to the development of hydropower and a strong performance in services, including tourism. Other sectors remain less competitive, so job creation outside of the public sector and agriculture (70% of the population are farmers)

is limited. And tourism has been slow to recover after the pandemic, partly due to the already indicated tripled Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) for international tourists. The small kingdom has strong economic relations with India, also most tourists to Bhutan come from here, more than 70% before the pandemic (source: The World Bank and others).

Buthanese cuisine

The base of the Buthanese cuisine is rice, especially red rice, which has a certain nutty flavor. Buckwheat, wheat and corn are also used, to make noodles

and some kind of polenta. These starch ingredients as well as potatoes are combined with meat just as beef, pork, lamb and yak. Locals use lots of chili to season their dishes, along with cheese.

These are also the star ingredients for their national dish, Ema Datshi.

Another dish that you get everywhere in Bhutan are Momos.

These dumplings are filled with vegetable or meat and are mostly served steamed. And of course you get chili paste with it. Furthermore, Indian food is also widely available.

As to beverages, there is Suja, a tea made of butter. The most common alcoholic drink is Ara. It is produced by fermenting or distilling wheat, rice, millet, barley or buckwheat.

Bhutan Animals

More than 70% of Bhutan’s territory is covered by forest. This area is home to quite a diversity of wildlife. There is the takin, the national animal of Bhutan. It has a nose like a moose, horns like a wildebeest and a body like a bison. So, it is quite an odd-looking creature.

But there is more of wildlife. Bhutan is home to tigers, one-horned rhinos, golden langurs, leopards, snow leopards, Asiatic elephants and red pandas. There are also lots of birds, among them the black necked cranes

and the white bellied herons.

What is next on my blog about Bhutan?

After this travel guide to Bhutan, I will provide a perfect 9-day itinerary for the Land of the Thunder Dragon. A post about how to explore Bhutan with an arrangement by hotels will follow. As we love luxury getaways, it is about upscale lodging. As hinted earlier, there are three luxury hotel groups operating on such a basis in Druk Yul. And I will compare them with each other. After this look at “the luxury threesome”, I will go into our choice’s details, and this is COMO. Finally, there will be a blogpost about where to stay before and after a Bhutan trip. As we flew in from Bangkok, we had a pre-Bhutan stay in Bangkok and a post-Bhutan one in Hua Hin/Thailand.

Date of visit: April 2023

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My last two posts about a Japan trip together with my husband – which took place before the coronavirus outbreak – were about a three-week itinerary and hotels to stay in style. The next one will go into where to dine as a gourmet in the Land of the Rising Sun. But before coming to this, you have to know how to find and reserve fine dining restaurants here. Of course, traveling to Japan is no option right now, but I think you have to keep your wanderlust dreams alive!

After a few words about the particularities of eating out in Japan, I come to ways of locating high-end restaurants and getting into them.

Characteristics of Japan’s culinary scene

One thing to start, I have never ever spent so much time evaluating the “right” restaurants for our needs as in Japan. Evidently, there is no shortage of good dining-spots here. But how do you find them – and even more difficult – how do you get a reservation once you have come upon them?

For gourmets – as my husband and I are – Japan should be a paradise as there is an abundance of Michelin starred restaurants. But Japanese do not make it easy for Westerners in search of culinary excellence. There are more and more eateries that turn away first-time customers without a recommendation from a regular. This is quite an obstacle for Westerners. Why do restaurant owners in Japan act like this? First of all, their dining-spots are often very small (ten to twelve seats). Second, they usually cater for core customers. Third, they might be hesitant to speak other languages than Japanese. And fourth, Japanese restaurant owners sometimes fear that uninformed tourists might affront regular guests.

One thing is for sure, if you want to eat in upscale Japanese dining outlets, you have to make yourself familiar with certain habits and customs in terms of dining in this country. I will not go into these. In case you are interested, there are tons of materials on the internet in this regard. And it definitely helps if you learn a few words of Japanese …

Finding gourmet restaurants in Japan

As mentioned, recommended fine dining restaurants are plentiful in Japan. A good starting point of course is checking-out the Michelin Guide. Here is the link for Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. In case you go to Takayama too, please find the link here.

A less favorable way of finding good dining-spots is using TripAdvisor as primary source. The reason for this is the fact this site is mainly filled with reviews from travelers and not from locals. And this is simply not reliable enough. However, it might be useful for cross-checking once you have found a dining spot of your choice.

Alternatively to TripAdvisor, I would rely more on Tabelog, Japan’s massive restaurant review website. While I did not do researches on the restaurant platform itself, I Googled the name of a restaurant in combination with “Tabelog”. This resulted in a page with some information and – most importantly – a score, for instance 4.08 (out of 5), which is an utterly good one (for instance Restaurant Zurriola in Tokyo scored liked this …).

All the spots that perform from 3.5 and above might be considered as very good ones.

Once you have your wish list, another problem occurs, and this is the reservation issue.

Challenges of reserving restaurants in Japan

If you have selected your favorites – maybe having also checked out whether they receive foreigners – you may want to make reservations. Doing so is very much recommended in view of their popularity and/or the fact that many have only a dozen seats or so.

Reservations directly at the restaurants are in many cases not really an option (an exception here was Restaurant Plat Home in Kanazawa where we booked per email …).

This because the places in question are often neither willing nor set up for booking requests from people outside of Japan. Yet there are several possibilities to bypass this barrier.

1. Hotel Concierge

One option to get a reservation at Japanese dining outlets is it to ask the concierge of your hotel – preferably a renowned luxury hotel – to do it for you. We did not try this out, so I cannot comment on this this. I read once that this is not the royal road in Japan anymore as it is no longer working at restaurants that prefer locals to travelers.

2. Guruvani

Another option might be using Guruvani, Japan’s gourmet navigator according to its own statements, for your restaurant reservations. I came across this service several times when looking for dining opportunities myself but did not give it a try.

3. OpenTable

And yet another way to secure restaurant tables is with the help of OpenTable, an online restaurant reservation service. It especially operates in its home market of the United States but also in Japan. My husband and I use this offer quite often when traveling, which is free for end users. In Japan we booked one or two dining outlets through it.

4. Pocket Concierge

Our way of choice for restaurant reservation in Japan was another online service, Pocket Concierge. You can reserve high-end and some other restaurants through it, including lots of Michelin-starred dining-spots (Restaurant La Cime in Osaka, two Michelin starred, was one of them …).

It is even possible to be put on a waiting list for establishments taking only reservations from regular customers. My husband and I did not give the latter a shot as we wanted to feel welcomed when paying high prices for dining experiences. Yet we made heavily use of the former service as Pocket Concierge has access to quite a few renowned dining outlets.

For this purpose, you have to open an account with them and book the restaurant in question. In this process you have to select a set menu. This is often omakase, sometimes there are are also special menus that do not appear on the restaurant’s homepage. The costs for the desired menu will immediately be charged to your credit card. This service is usually not free, normally you have to pay a fee, which differs (cross check menu prices against the restaurant’s home page, if possible). In most cases, we encountered fees of 7 SFR/US$ per person or so. The reservation process went smoothly in all the dining-spots we used it. And we always got great seats in the respective places.

Over time, we used Pocket Concierge not only as a reservation vehicle but also as search engine for upscale dining-spots. And we made some great findings (for instance the Michelin starred Tempura Shimomura Restaurant in Tokyo).

More about our restaurant choices you find in the blogpost to come.

Here one last tip when making your reservation via Pocket Concierge. When doing so, you often have to decide on either counter or table seats. My advice is to opt for sitting at the counter every time you get the chance. It was always a highlight being able to witness the action behind it.

Lookout

This is it in terms of preliminary skirmishing about how to find and reserve restaurants in Japan. And of course I do not want to keep back where my husband and I dined on our trip. I can assure you there were some truly memorable culinary highlights! Find all about it in my next blogpost plus some introductory remarks about different types of eateries in Japan.

Once again, I will include my Google Map with all the details of our Japanese journey (activities, hotels and restaurants). In case you want to know more about the former two topics, here are my posts about what to do and where to stay when traveling this fascinating country.

Date of visit: November 2019

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How people used to travel

In former days, when you wanted to spend a few days in a city you bought a travel guide, you went to a travel agency and you asked friends for tips. Nowadays, it is much easier to get a hold of information of your chosen destination but be aware of the fact that this is a rather time-consuming matter!

Last year, I planned a short trip to London and one to Paris; the last few weeks I have been busy arranging a  four day trip to New York City and a three-day trip to Washington DC. The former city I know rather good, the latter one is virgin territory for me.

Always looking for the best

First I have to point out that we i.e. my family (my husband, our teenage son and me) are demanding travelers. We go for the best on condition that it is affordable, we are ready to spend quite a lot of money but there has to be an equivalent, we do not go for prohibitive offers! We do like modern, trendy hotels and restaurants but we do not have anything against classically styled establishments when the course is stayed. As far as restaurants are concerned we are very much into European food but when we have the chance to try more exotic cuisines we take it! Hence we do like great ethnic food but we are no purists, we also like the so-called fusion cuisine!

Finding best hotels

After this short introduction more practical aspects shall be looked into. First to New York City … We are quite familiar with this city as we have already visited it several times, the last time five years ago. Then we stayed at the Four Seasons. We did appreciate this hotel very much but – of course – it is very expensive, but back then we got an attractive internet rate. Among other restaurants we dined at Eleven Madison Park (New American food) and at Tabla (Indian food).  Now, the Four Seasons gets less good reviews, the two restaurants are still judged as very good. Why do I know this?

Best hotels: check on TripAdvisor

Concerning hotels I check them at TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com). You fill in „hotels New York City“ and then you get a ranking of all the hotels reviewed. It is important to have a look at the „half pyramid“ i.e. the number of reviews and how many of the reviewers vote for “excellent”, “very good”, “average”, “poor” and “terrible”, also a glance to the recommendation (percentage of reviewers that would recommend the hotel to their friends) is essential. Depending on the price you are willing to pay for a hotel you can refine your search. I think that at least ten reviews are necessary to get a picture of the establishment and you have to read all of them, and that completely, otherwise you will not be able to get a feeling for the reviewer and the hotel reviewed. I usually read the twenty most recent reviews of a hotel that I am interested in and have an additional look at the bad reviews. This helps to learn about the possible drawbacks of a hotel.

Best hotels. check on other online guides

Furthermore a countercheck with ViaMichelin – they publish the famous Michelin Guide – is advisable (www.viamichelin.com). Unfortunately the homepage is not that easy to work with. You cannot fail when filling in the name of a hotel and its location. Then you get a description of the hotel and its rating ranking from six (the best) to no stars. When trying to find a hotel in New York City let us say in Soho then the search is much more complicated. Finally I managed to receive a selection of hotels in this area when adding the zip code (in this case “10012”). But you cannot be sure that you shall be told all the hotels reviewed. I gave it a try with the Crosby Street Hotel – my top priority hotel from my search with TripAdvisor – and I had no problem to get a hit by name but when looking for hotels in the Soho area it was not listed (Maybe because it is a newly opened hotel?).

Apart form checking TripAdvisor and ViaMichelin it is always useful to have a look on the Frommer’s recommendations. This is probably the most popular American travel guide but it is not only suitable for the USA but covers most destinations worldwide. Through Frommer’s our family found our most favored ski in and ski out hotel in Austria e.g. (by the way Zuerserhof in Zuers). On its homepage (www.frommers.com) a list of recommended hotels (and restaurants) is published.

Best hotels: summary

Once you have your priority list with hotels, it is recommended to check prices and special offers on their homepages, sometimes it may be worth the effort to call or e-mail them to learn about getting breakfast and/or additional beds included. In my case (upcoming stay in NYC) a call to the first hotel on the list (Crosby Street Hotel in Soho) resulted in getting the rate listed on the homepage but with a free breakfast for the three of us and the inclusion of a third bed for our son.

To sum up as far as our family’s NYC project is concerned, we came to the decision to choose the Crosby Street Hotel as we want to be in the Soho area, because it only has good reviews on TripAdvisor and by reason that ViaMichelin’s rating is not against this choice. In addition, it is supposed to be a modern, trendy styled establishment that usually suits us very much. My research regarding the hotel we had stayed at five year ago (Four Seasons) showed that there were a lot of recent negative reviews of this hotel on TripAdvisor. Also Frommer’s rated it with „only“ two stars, that is very unusual as this hotel chain normally only gets the best rates (three stars) by this travel guide.

Finding best restaurants

Once you have found your hotel you may be interested in making reservations for restaurants. Perhaps you think that this matter can be postponed to the time when you are on site. Certainly this may be a possibility. Say you arrive at your hotel and there is a concierge. He or she may be able to inform you of good restaurants nearby and maybe reservations can be made. But be aware of the fact that with real hot spots reservations have to be made weeks or even months ahead. Maybe in case you should be a celebrity or a patron of the hotel the concierge may be able to get you a table in such a hip restaurant but otherwise I do not think your chances are intact. So it is advisable to prearrange when you want to be sure to have reservations for the „right“ restaurants. What is the procedure in this case? In my opinion it is slightly different from the one concerning hotels.

Best restaurants: check on TripAdvisor vs. other sources

Personally I think that TripAdvisor is not of such an importance regarding restaurants as this is the case of hotels. Whether you like a restaurant or not is often the result of certain moods, the impression of a restaurant bases in many cases on a snap-shot. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that you spend less time in restaurant than in a hotel, I am not sure … After several years of checking TripAdvisor I came to the conclusion that this source is not that reliable as far as restaurants are concerned.

I would suggest that for restaurants in NYC you should rely on the already mentioned ViaMichelin. Its homepage is easier to use for restaurants than it is for hotels as all the localities are listed when filling in “New York” and not only the ones near a certain address as this is with hotels. In a big city like NYC ViaMichelin recommends hundreds of restaurants, therefore I suggest that you go for the Michelin starred ones, at least for the one star restaurants, the ones with two or thee stars can be exorbitantly expensive.

Another source to check restaurants in NYC is The New York Times (www.nytimes.com/pages/dining). You go to the section “Find NYC restaurant”, click on “Go”, then sort by “NYT Rating” and then you receive a ranking of restaurants from the top to bottom (four stars means “extraordinary”, three stars “excellent”, two stars “very good”, one star “good”). As thousands of restaurants in NCY are rated by the NYT I would recommend choosing restaurants from the ones with three stars. When cross-checking Michelin starred restaurants with the ones receiving stars from NYT you should succeed in finding establishments guaranteeing an extraordinary culinary experience! Also other restaurant guides may be taken into account as Zagat (in book-form or online – www.zagat.com – the latter unfortunately not for free). For certain European countries the use of the Gault Millau guide makes sense, too (not available for NYC).

Restaurant reservations

Once you have found your favorite restaurants you have to make reservations. You can do this either by phone but that is not everybody’s cup of tea – I, personally, do not like this very much for reservations abroad – or you can check the restaurant’s homepage for a reservation form or an e-mail address. But there is also a third – as I think – really brilliant possibility and that is booking a table through OpenTable (www.opentable.com). This is an organization offering – as they say on their homepage – “make restaurant reservations the easy way”. You fill in “New York” and for Manhattan 881 restaurants are listed. When you already know the restaurant you want to go to you write its name and indicate the date, time and size of party of your desired reservation. Then you either book a table right away (you can directly see the availabilities of the concrete day) or you check the restaurant’s page first. There you will find all the necessary information concerning this locality (short description, menus, dress code, reviews a.s.o.). When you have not decided yet where to go you have a look at the different rankings (best food, most booked, best overall a.s.o.).

Once you have done your bookings you get a reminder when the day of the reservation in question approaches. You may also send invitations to guests when needed and so forth. A real smasher, this homepage! There are 12,000 restaurants affiliated worldwide. In NYC and Washington DC almost every restaurant is listed on OpenTable. This organization exists especially in English-spoken countries as in the United States, in Canada and in the United Kingdom (there are 364 restaurants affiliated e.g. in London), even in Switzerland about 10 restaurants joined this reservation network. Maybe you ask yourself whether this system works reliably and I can confirm this. So far we have booked about 10 restaurants via OpenTable and there was never any problem with the reservations. It would be nice when this really great reservation networks could be established in other than English-spoken countries as well!

Conclusions as to our NYC/Washington DC trips

As far as my family’s upcoming trip to NYC is concerned, the check of the restaurants visited five years ago showed still good ratings. Tabla (Indian Fusion) was judged as “excellent” from NYT and ViaMichelin listed it among recommended restaurants as well. Eleven Madison Park (New American) was even rated as “extraordinary” by NYT and had one Michelin star. As we decided to go to other restaurants we selected the following ones, all in walking distance of our hotel: Public (Australian Fusion, Michelin one star, NYT one star), wd-50 (New American/molecular gastronomy, Michelin one star, NYT three stars), Gotham Bar and Grill (New American, Michelin one star, NYT tree stars) and Veritas (New American, Michelin one star, NYT three stars).

Concerning the second stop of our trip – Washington DC – I spare the details. The main difference to NYC in my case was that I had to get to know the city first and for this purpose I still rely on the good old travel guides in book-form. The family’s decision lead to a hotel in Georgetown, the Four Seasons, and we booked tables in nearby restaurants – based on the 100 very best restaurants of the Washingtonian Magazine and Frommer’s restaurant recommendations: Four Season’s restaurant Bourbon Steak (New American/steaks, No 35), Rasika (Indian, No 8) and Komi (Greek Fusion, No 1).

As you can imagine this whole research consumed many hours of my time! But it is worthwhile as you can be almost entirely sure to spend a wonderful stay at least as far as the hotel and the restaurants are concerned. I made this experience when staying last year in Paris and London for a few days, and also for longer trips as we did in Canada and Morocco. This procedure for planning vacations really offers great rewards!

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