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🇧🇹 Bhutan · Asia

Safety Bhutan

1/5

Tres sur

Bhutan is one of the safest countries in Asia: very low crime, guide-supervised tourism. The main dangers are altitude, mountain roads and limited access to care in rural areas.

Specific risks

Theft & petty crime

1

Tres sur

Scams

1

Tres sur

Natural disasters

3

Vigilance conseillee

Health risks

2

Globalement sur

Political stability

1

Tres sur

Areas to avoid

  • No genuinely dangerous area for travellers.
  • Caution on high-altitude treks and snow-covered passes out of season.
  • Zones frontalieres reculees avec la Chine (Tibet), peu accessibles et sensibles.

Emergency numbers

Police

113

Ambulance

112

Fire department

110

Health & precautions

Vaccinations

  • None required for entry (except yellow fever if coming from an at-risk area)
  • Recommended: hepatitis A, typhoid, tetanus up to date
  • Antimalarial worth considering only for the low-altitude south (Phuentsholing)

Drinking water

Don't drink tap water. Capped bottled water or filtered/purified only, no ice.

Mosquitoes

No malaria at altitude (Thimphu, Paro, most circuits). Low risk only in the southern plains along the Indian border.

General notes

Real altitude sickness above 2500-3000 m: ascend gradually, hydrate. Basic medical infrastructure outside Thimphu (referral hospital Jigme Dorji Wangchuck); evacuation to Bangkok or India may be necessary. Travel insurance with repatriation and altitude coverage essential.

Women travelers

Tres sur pour les voyageuses, y compris seules, d'autant que le circuit se fait avec guide. Respecte la tenue pudique dans les temples et dzongs (epaules et jambes couvertes).

LGBTQ+ travelers

Bhutan decriminalized homosexuality in 2021, a notable step. Society remains discreet and traditional: few public displays of affection, but no open hostility toward travelers.

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