Essence of Bhutan

Customer Reviews

• GL

  Gabriel

  · December 29th, 2024
  This has been one of the two best journeys in my life, the other being Mongolia. Some of the hikes were memorable, like the one where we could see a valley from the top and walk down into it. The spiritual aspect was also interesting since it's hard to doing an English guide who can explain it in other countries. Bhutanese food is too spicy for my liking but Sonam and Nedup took good care of my after I fainted from eating ema datshi. They also made sure I could come back safely when I chose to explore the town at night. This has been the best guided trip ever and it was in large part due to the fun and energy of Sonam and Nedup!
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  Trip date: December 2024
• 

  Lisa

  · December 1st, 2024
  Excellent, well organised, knowledgeable, service-minded
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  Trip date: November 2024
• 

  Jacqueline

  · November 19th, 2024
  The whole organisation, including customer service, itinerary, guide, accommodation, from start to finish was superb on the ten day tour.
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  Trip date: November 2024
• CA

  Carmen

  · May 2nd, 2024
  The tour was very well organised, our guide Sangay und driver Dawa both female were very good, very helpful and experienced. We were all female, 2 travellers, guide and driver and it was fun being in such a group.
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  Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel commented on this review

  Dear Carmen, I am glad our team at Bhutan Acorn Tours was able to make your stay comfortable and memorable; your feedback means a lot to us! Thank you for booking with us and writing a review. I wish you all the best. - Karma and Bhutan Acorn Tours
  Trip date: April 2024
• IM

  Irene

  · March 26th, 2024
  Our trip in Bhutan was awesome. We had a fantastic mix between hiking and cultural activities. Karma was warm, responsive, helpful and organized from the start. I felt we were in very good hands. He was flexible with the itinerary and he provided a fun, enthusiastic, guide, Tashi, and, an excellent, safe, driver, Thilay.
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  Trip date: March 2024
• J

  JJ

  · July 8th, 2023
  Karma P., the owner of Bhutan Acorn &Travel was highly responsive to all our inquiries and after comparing different companies, their company was the best choice for our 10 day tour of Bhutan. Our guide, Thingley S, and our driver, Sonam D, were attentive, knowledgable,and always demonstrated kindness to us. We were 4 older women, very intent on hiking and experiencing the local cultures. Thingley and Sonam made sure of that. I would highly recommend them for your Bhutan trip !
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  Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel commented on this review

  Dear Joanne, It's wonderful to hear about your recent visit to Bhutan through us, with Thinley and Sonam as your travel guides in Bhutan. They were thrilled to learn that they were able to meet your expectations ensuring that you had a memorable and... Show more
  Trip date: April 2023
• 

  Elizabeth

  · June 2nd, 2023
  I traveled with my adult son through Bhutan for 8 days, with all arrangements made by Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel in consultation with us to meet our personal requests. We are grateful to Karma for creating a wonderful experience through Bhutan for us, both before and during our trip. Karma answered all of my (many) email questions before the trip always promptly and clearly. He also honored my request, which I didn't really expect him to be able to do, to give us bright, quiet rooms with a view in every lodging. Every one of our rooms had spectacular views, which really enhanced our experience. He tailored our itinerary to meet every one of our requests, right down to wanting to attend the Paro festival twice, and adding certain local restaurants we wanted to try, all included in the price we had already paid. When our guide wasn't a good match for us, Karma provided a new guide the same day we made the request -- and this guide, Pema, was incredible, telling us all about the culture, festivals, history, and meaning of everything we saw, and taking us to as many extra places as we wanted to go along the way. Our driver, Namgay, was also incredible -- he was an excellent, skilled driver and became like family by the end of the trip. Overall, Karma made sure that everything was exactly as we wanted -- addressing our personal requests in a way that we are sure a larger company would not have done. Thank you Karma, Pema, and Namgay! We highly recommend Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel, and will definitely use them again if we return to that part of the world.
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  Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel commented on this review

  Dear Elizabeth & Eric, We are deeply touched by your heartfelt and glowing review of your Bhutan adventure with us at Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel. Your kind words bring smiles to our faces and reinforce our commitment to providing personalized and... Show more
  Trip date: April 2023
• 

  Frances

  · May 31st, 2023
  I am one of four women who shared a vision of going to Bhutan. My friends and I would be considered “active seniors”. We wrote to a few companies and Bhutan Acorn was the first to respond. Bhutan Acorn continued to be responsive to every question and request we made. We were impressed by Karma P’s (the owner’s) efficiency, attention to detail as well as his patience. We traveled in April 2023 to many sites and hiked many trails, ending in the Taktsang hike (Tiger’s Nest). Our guide, Thinley S, and our driver, Sonam D, deserve special recognition. As cultural ambassadors, they represented the best of Bhutan - knowledgeable, thoughtful, kind and good-humored. Throughout the hikes and treks, our guide made sure that we were safe, that we got food that was compatible with our taste and that we were comfortable in our hotels. Our driver safely got us to our various destinations despite some tricky road conditions and made thoughtful gestures like getting cough drops when one of us developed a cough. I should mention that, by my own fault, I sustained a wrist injury that required some medical visits. Thinley, Sonam and Karma did a lot of problem-solving so that my friends could continue enjoying their day while I saw the doctors. In this spontaneous situation (that is, out of the planned itinerary), I was touched by their personal and professional attention and care. In terms of advice, I would say be sure to bring trekking poles, stay hydrated on the trails, be respectful to the land, the temples and those who guide and serve you. And don’t miss taking a stone bath! All in all, I believe you will be very pleased if you travel with Bhutan Acorn. I highly recommend them.
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  Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel commented on this review

  Dear Frances, Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kind and glowing review of your recent journey with Bhutan Acorn. Your words mean the world to us, and we're thrilled that you and your friends had such a memorable adventure in Bhutan.... Show more
  Trip date: April 2023
• EC

  Elizabeth Lynn

  · May 24th, 2023
  Essence of Bhutan was a great tour. Karma at Acorn Tours took great care of us in arranging the trip, securing visas and having the best guide, Lobzang,and driver, Kencho show us there beautiful country. I would strongly recommend this tour. The home stay was a great experience, the country was wonderful, the people are friendly. We learned so much about Bhutan. Our guides were so informative and fun to be with and (although we are in our mid seventies) with the help of our guide we made it all the way to Tigers Nest
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  Bhutan Acorn Tours & Travel commented on this review

  Dear Elizabeth, Kadrinchey for taking out the time to give us a great review. As a small and responsible tour operator, customer service is a priority for us. I am glad that guide Lobzang and driver Kencho took care of you well. Thank you for giving us... Show more
  Trip date: May 2023