Farmhouse in Bhutan: the ultimate Bhutanese experience in 2021

Afternoon tea arranged outside Aum Leki's farmhouse with traditional zaw (fried and salted rice grains)

Do you ever wish to rewind your childhood days ?

–No high-rise buildings, no air conditioned room- simply a cosy house with a nice farm upfront and a surrounding courtyard.

This is exactly what farmhouses in Bhutan have to offer!

Bhutan farmhouses are a unique accommodation option if you want a special, authentic taste of Bhutanese tradition. Agriculture still remains a major source of livelihood among the Bhutanese people. Therefore, a farm-stay will provide you an excellent glimpse into the day-to-day life of a typical Bhutanese family.

As a travel agent that seeks to provide the best hospitality to our guest, we make sure that you get the most unique and exceptional experience of a Bhutanese lifestyle.

With us, you’ll be able to discover ancient Bhutanese farming traditions as the family goes about its daily tasks. Likewise, you’ll also enjoy delicious home-cooked meals and the exceptional hospitality of a Bhutanese host.

All officially accredited and listed farmhouses are located in the countryside of Bhutan, amidst lush farmland distant from the noise and crowd of the city centers.

Aum Leki Wangmo’s Farmhouse

Amongst hundreds of farmhouses in Bhutan, Aum Leki’s farmhouse in Punakha is one of our best handpicked farm-stays you will ever come across.

This is fairly because you will be able to relish the scenic beauty of Punakha valley along with getting a taste of delicious meals cooked by the host herself. Additionally, Leki Wangmo farm-stay also provides hot stone bath facilities , which is nice during the winter months.

Aum Leki, who is the owner of the farm-stay is a very welcoming host who bestows the best hospitality to her guests. The house itself is probably new but very cosy.

The front rooms present a breath taking view of the Punakha valley and you can even experience the beautiful sun rise view as dawn awakens life, with Himalayan ranges and open valley right under your nose.

The exhilarating view of the morning sun rise - captured from Aum leki's farmhouse
The exhilarating view of the morning sun rise – captured from Aum Leki’s farmhouse

2. An oasis of pleasure

Moreover,  a pleasant weather can allow you to have food outside with fresh wind gently tousling your hair. Likewise, even having a warm cup of coffee with a wonderful glimpse of the gratifying sunrise and sunset, can fill your heart with utmost contentment.

A small and a nice area outside Aum Leki's farmhouse to have meals or a simple tea.
A small yet a nice area outside Aum Leki’s farmhouse to have meals or a just a simple tea
Lunch arrangement by Aum leki at her farm stay for her guests.
Lunch arrangement by Aum leki at her farm stay for her guests.

3. Hospitality beyond borders

Also, you can get a good insight of the daily lifestyle of locals. One can witness the local villagers engaged in the rice fields giving it a rural sense, which is the best part about it.

Four rooms in the farmhouse are exclusively arranged for guests that include:

  • bathrooms attached to the availability of hot water
  • in-room heaters
  • Western-style toilets

Moreover, rooms are spacious enough so that you don’t face any inconvenience during your stay. Aum Leki and her family live in the rest of the house. Thus, making her guests a part of her family by eating meals together in the living room in a circle. What’s more facilitating is that Aum Leki has a hot stone bath facility whereby you can soak in the traditional bathtub sprinkled with natural artemisia herbs and heated with fire-roasted river stones.

It soothes the body as well as rejuvenates your soul!
In addition, she can also arrange campfires on requests where her family members together with neighbors dance and sing, entertaining the guests. Hence, you will be able to connect with locals and share unique experiences in a different world.

Farmhouse of Aum leki has a warm and cosy room for guests.
Cosy room for guests at Aum Leki’s farmhouse

4. Celebrate farm flavors

At aum Leki’s farmhouse, one gets to taste the authentic Bhutanese cuisine prepared by aum Leki herself with vegetables harvested fresh and organic from the garden, next to the farmhouse.

The menu is sourced from what’s available in season. In:

  •  Spring, you would possibly find fiddlehead ferns and green spinach besprent into curries;
  •  Summer, asparagus;
  •  Fall, succulent matsutake mushrooms—
  • and in winter, potato and turnip curries topped over red rice

Besides local vegetables, you can also taste specialities of different regions in Bhutan like Khulay ( buckwheat pancake) of Bumthang.

Delicious meal prepared by Aum leki
Bumthnag Khulay ( buckwheat pancake) with Kewa Datshi (potato-cheese curry)  prepared by Aum Leki

5. Rediscover serenity

Furthermore, from Aum Leki’s farmhouse you can hike up to  Talo monastery and to Norbugang village

–a popular village known to be the birth place of the four wives of the fourth king of Bhutan. Also not far is Nalanda Buddhist College where you will encounter monks who are always eager to speak English.

It is an ideal place to stay if you want to connect with the indigenous livelihood of the country. So, be part of a family this time instead of spending thousands of dollars at a 5-star hotel where you are just a guest.

The farmhouse of Aum Leki in Punakha offers this, the perfect opportunity!

So, roll up your sleeves and be prepared to pitch in Aum Leki’s farmhouse and discover a thrilling experience of the ages. 

Are you excited to immerse yourself in this amazing journey? Talk to us.

Visas for Bhutan: Your Step-by-step Guide On Getting It

a step by step guide to getting a visa fro Bhutan

Image credit: Aymaan Ahmed

As mystery as the country, it is confusing how to apply for a travel visa to Bhutan as there isn’t a Bhutanese embassy in most countries. It may seem troublesome at first glance, but let us guide you through this journey step-by-step and you’ll realise that it is much easier than you think!

1. Fix a travel date

Being a popular holiday destination, it is always a good idea to plan early, especially during holiday seasons. The peak seasons are in Spring and Autumn when the air is crisp and clear, and the climate is dry and cool. We recommend setting aside at least one to two months for the visa application!

how to get bhutan visa

Image credit: Robert GLOD

2. Find a Bhutanese travel agent

After fixing the travel dates, you will have to find a registered Bhutanese travel agent to apply travel visas on your behalf. As Bhutan has not established formal diplomatic relations with most of the countries, Bhutanese government required all tourists that wish to visit Bhutan to apply the travel visas through a registered Bhutanese travel agent or their international partners. You can find the list of registered Bhutanese travel operators on Bhutan Tourism website.

After deciding on which travel operator to go with, the process is pretty simple – where you will just require to submit a colour copy of your passport and pay a fee of USD 40 to the travel agent for visa application.

Image credit: Göran Höglund (Kartläsarn)

3. Book a tour with the travel operator

Bhutanese government does not allow tourist traveling in Bhutan independently without joining a tour or having a tour guide. Hence, all travelers to Bhutan are required to book themselves a tour with their respective travel operators. Travellers can discuss with their travel operators where to go and visit in Bhutan, and they will arrange the schedule for you.

If you are travelling solo to Bhutan, fret not, the travel operator will also arrange a driver and tour guide for you during your stay!

Note: If you are holding a passport from India, Bangladesh or Maldives, you do not require a travel visa nor sign up for  a tour to visit Bhutan.

Image credit: Göran Höglund (Kartläsarn)

4. Pay the fee

After deciding on which tour package to take, visitors have to pay the fee according to the number of nights staying in Bhutan, according to the Bhutanese government policy. Part of this fee paid is used in supporting free education, healthcare and poverty alleviation in Bhutan.

how to get bhutan visa

Image credit: Robert GOLD

Every foreigner visiting the country has to pay a minimum fee of USD 200 per person per day (USD 250 per person per day during the peak season, which is between March to May and September to November). The fee includes accommodation, three meals a day (soft drinks and alcohol not included), transportation, driver, tour guide, attractions entrance fees, and tax. The quality of service is pretty up to standard, so sit back and relax as everything is arranged by your tour operator.

Do note that tourists travelling in a group of two or less will be subjected to a surcharge, in addition to the minimum daily package rates. Single travellers will have to pay USD 40 per night, and groups of two will be charged USD 30 per person per night. This surcharge is not imposed on representatives of foreign travel agents on business study or promotional visit duly approved and cleared by the Tourism Council of Bhutan.

Upon receiving your payment, your travel operator will then start to apply for your travel visa. It usually takes one to four weeks, depending on the seasons.

Be mindful that some travel companies may offer a lower price, which is illegal – the travel visa might not be done properly and you may end up to be refused from entering Bhutan!

how to get bhutan visa

Image credit: Juan Carlos Madrigal

5. Get your visa when arriving at Bhutan

After the travel visa application is approved, your travel operator will provide you with a scanned copy, which must be printed out, as you will be asked to show the printed copy when clearing customs at the Paro Airport in Bhutan. The officer will then issue you the official travel visa accordingly.

Image credit: Göran Höglund (Kartläsarn)

6. If you’re canceling your trip…

If something crops up and you are no longer traveling to Bhutan, you have to notify your travel company at least 30 days before the travel date to request for a full refund. If you cancel the trip 21 days before the travel date, 10% of the fee will be deducted. For notice shorter than 7 days, 50% of the fee will be deducted. If you only cancel your trip after arriving in Bhutan, you will not get any refund.

Image credit: Mai An Hoa

Now you’re all set – ready for your next trip to Bhutan?  [tg_button href=”https://www.alwaysbhutan.com/enquire-now/” color=”red” bg_color=”” text_color=””]BOOK YOUR TRIP NOW[/tg_button]


Written by
Sophie Yong

Always eating something, or on her way finding good food, Sophie has the ultimate dream of becoming a full-time traveller and freelance writer to share her travel and food-hunting story. Interested in learning new languages, she has learned French, Japanese and Vietnamese, and hopes to speak like the natives in future. Things she enjoys? French pastries, Impressionism artworks, non-fiction books, Korean drama, and a good cup of coffee (or wine!).