World Country Guide

Social Profile

Food & Drink
Restaurants are relatively scarce and most tourists eat in their hotels. Meals are often buffet-style and mostly vegetarian. Cheese is a very popular ingredient in dishes and the most popular cheeses are dartsi (cow’s milk cheese), sometimes served in a dish with red chillies (ema dartsi), and yak cheese. Rice is ubiquitous, sometimes flavoured with saffron. The most popular drink is souza (Bhutanese tea).

Shopping
Markets are held regularly, generally on Saturday and Sunday, and are a rich source of local clothing and jewellery, as well as foodstuffs. The handicraft emporium on the main street in the capital is open daily except Sunday and offers a magnificent assortment of handwoven and handcrafted goods. The Motithang Hotel in Thimphu has a souvenir shop. Silversmiths and goldsmiths in the Thimphu Valley are able to make handcrafted articles to order. Shopping hours: Mon-Sun 0900-2000 (closed Tue).

Special Events
Buddhist festivals, full of masks, dancing and ritual, generally centre on Dzongs (fortified monasteries) in cobbled courtyards, the most famous of which is at Paro. More than 40 religious or folk dances are performed by the monks recounting tales of Buddhist history and myth. Formal dress is required for all festivals. For a complete list of special events, contact the Tourism Corporation of Bhutan (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of special events occurring in Bhutan in 2005:
Feb 13-17 Festival of Punakha Dromchoe. Mar 18-20 Festival of Gom Kora Tshechu, Trashiyangtse/Festival of Chhukha Tshechu, Chhukha. Apr 9-13 Festival of Paro Tshechu. Jul 4-6 Festival of Nimalung Tshechu, Bumthang. Sep 30-Oct 2 Festival of Wangdue Tshechu. Nov 27-28 Festival of Mongar Tshechu. Dec 28-30 Festival of Trongsa Tshechu/Festival of Lhuentse Tshechu.

Social Conventions
The lifestyle, manners and customs of the Bhutanese are in many respects unique to the area. The strongest influence on social conventions is the country’s state religion, and everywhere one can see the reminders of Buddhism and the original religion of Tibet, Bonism. There are no rigid clan systems, and equal rights exist between men and women. The majority of the Bhutanese live an agrarian lifestyle. The political leaders of the country have also been religious leaders historically. For years the country has deliberately isolated itself from visitors, and has only recently opened up to the outside world, a policy which is now to some extent being reversed. Tipping: Not widely practised.