🧳 MyBhutan: https://www.instagram.com/mybhutan 🇧🇹 Visit Bhutan: https://mybhutan.com/curated/a-taste-of-bhutan 👕 DAVID’S BEEN HERE SHIRTS & MERCH: https://teespring.com/stores/davids-been-here In early March of 2020, I set out on an adventure I’d been dreaming of my entire life: a 10-day trip through Bhutan, my 77th country. I was so grateful that MyBhutan gave me the opportunity to experience their beautiful country. Come along with me as I make my way from Miami to the most dangerous airport in the world in Paro, Bhutan!
My journey began at my second home, Miami International Airport in my hometown of Miami. The only way to get to Bhutan is to catch a connecting flight on either Bhutan Airways or Drukair from Asian cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Dubai, Kathmandu, Singapore, and a few others.
Bhutan’s only international airport, Paro Airport, is located 18,000 feet above sea level and can only be reached by a select number of pilots, and only during the daylight hours.
After a 13-hour flight, I landed at Qatar’s Hamad International Airport for my layover. This airport is like my third home, as I’d traveled there five times in the past two years. It’s the best way to get to Asia. I headed to the business class lounge, which offers food, a sleeping area, and a shower. I freshen up with a shower there every time I pass through!
From Qatar, I had a 4.5-hour flight to Kolkata, India. There, I’d have a 6.5-hour connection before another 1.5 hour flight to Bhutan. I couldn’t wait to have some southern Indian food in Kolkata! But before I boarded my flight, I put on my mask to protect against the coronavirus, which was starting to make its way around the globe.
Once I arrived in Kolkata, I saw that everyone was wearing masks. They had special signs in the airport advising anyone who had recently traveled to China, particularly Wuhan City, to report to the airport health unit if they had coronavirus-like symptoms. They also had another procedure where you have to go through a machine that detects heat, and I had to fill out more papers to give to Immigration in order to connect and check into my new flight.
It was 3 a.m., so I headed to Tea Junction in the airport to get some frothy and milky ginger chai. It was boiling hot but so good! It only cost me 140 rupees/$1.83 USD for a large. After finishing, I went to find some southern Indian food. I was hoping my favorite place was open!
There are three places where you can eat: Wow! Momo, idli.com, and Biryani Bhai. Idli.com didn’t have any dosas because it was so early, so I got some idli with sambar, mint chutney, and coconut chutney instead.
The idli is a little bland by itself, but it’s amazing when you dip it in different chutneys and sambar and let them soak into the idli. I loved mixing the idli with the two chutneys. They were good enough to eat like a soup! I also got a strong filtered Karnataka coffee. In total, it cost me 300 rupees/$3.93 USD.
I headed to Gate 8. I was the only one there. There would already be passengers on my flight because it was coming from Bangkok. After 27 hours of traveling, I was finally on my final flight. I got on and had an entire row to myself. I was excited because I’d get to see Mount Everest from my window about 40 minutes into the flight. I had never seen it before!
They served some apple juice, a veg sandwich, ginger snaps, and sweet bread onboard. The sandwich contained a corn salad and the sweet bread contained raisins. I could see Mount Everest covered in snow in the distance, and after a 45-minute flight, we began our descent through the clouds and mountain valleys.
What an epic journey! It took 30 hours to get there, but it was so worth it!
My name is David Hoffmann. For the last 12 years, I have been traveling around the world in search of unique culture, food, and history! Since starting David’s Been Here in 2008, I have traveled to over 1,100 destinations in 77 countries, which I welcome you to check out on my YouTube channel, travel blog, and social media sites.
I focus a great deal on food and historical sites, as you probably have seen! I love to experience the different flavors that each destination has to offer, from casual street food to gourmet restaurant dining. I’m also passionate about learning about the local history and culture.
P.S. Thank you for watching my videos and subscribing!
Look at this, it's mountains, endless mountains here, and here we go, we're landing in Bhutan.
Good evening everyone, I hope you're all doing well. This is David Hoffman from David's Vineyard
coming at you from Miami International Airport. You guys already know it's my second home
and today I'm traveling to my 77th country, Bhutan.
If you guys don't know where Bhutan is, it's located in the Himalayas and it borders China and India.
So the Indian states of Sikkim and Assam and Tibet in China.
I'm going to be spending 10 days exploring the culture and natural wonders of Bhutan
including visiting monasteries, experiencing cultural festivals, and going on lots of hikes.
I'll also be exploring the incredible food scene at many of Bhutan's best restaurants.
The only way to get to Bhutan is by catching a connecting flight in cities like Delhi, Bangkok,
Kolkata, Kathmandu, Dubai, Singapore, Guwahati, Dhaka, and a few others.
The only two airlines in the world that fly to Bhutan are Bhutan Airlines and Druk Air.
Paro Airport is Bhutan's only international airport.
It's located 18,000 feet high up in the mountains which makes it one of the most dangerous airports
in the world to try to land at. So because of the challenging terrain,
flights to and from Paro Airport are only allowed under strict visible rules.
Only a select number of pilots are certified to land there.
You can only fly there during daylight hours. So you ready? Let's go to Bhutan.
So after a super, super long 13-hour flight from Miami to Doha, we arrived here at Hamad International Airport.
This is like my third home, guys. I've traveled here five times so far in the past like 24 months.
I've traveled here like 10 times in my lifetime.
Gone through China through here, Armenia, India four times.
I mean, it's just the best way for me to get to Asia, especially like Southern Asia or Africa, Middle East.
To me, it's way, way easier than going around the world. The other way, going to the Pacific.
When I land in Hamad International Airport, I go straight to the Business Class Lounge.
There's two Business Class Lounges here in Hamad International Airport.
I go to the second one because I can get in because I'm platinum with American Airlines, which is like sapphire with One World.
If not, you would have to upgrade to Business Class to get in here.
And if you pay for your Business Class ticket, then you can get into the better one.
The better one is just like huge, a lot more food, a lot more space.
This one is very small. I mean, it's just like one big room.
They have a dining area, which is where I'm at right now.
They have a sleeping room and they have a shower.
And every time I come here, I go and I use the shower.
I get really refreshed up, right?
So you have to bring clothes. I bring extra underwear, socks, and an extra shirt just so I can change and be fresh to go.
And yeah, so we're about to board in about 25 minutes.
My flight to Kolkata, the five-hour flight straight to Kolkata.
Wow, it's a long flight.
And then once I get there, I have a six-hour connection before I have a one-and-a-half-hour flight to Bhutan.
So really, really long.
But once I get to Kolkata, I'm going to have Southern Indian food for breakfast.
Can't wait, dosas and chai.
Let's go board the flight.
Oh, and before I forget, got to put my mask on.
Got to fight the coronavirus.
All right, guys, so I arrived here in Kolkata.
It was like a four-and-a-half-hour flight.
Watched the movie, slept, woke up.
It's 2 in the morning and I'm here in Kolkata.
And yeah, because of the coronavirus, everybody here is wearing masks.
Every single person.
And they actually have like another procedure here.
You have to go through another machine.
They just look at you to make sure like there's like no heat sensors.
I don't even know.
I just saw the machine.
It was crazy.
And then they also have like two other papers that they fill out to give to immigration.
Because I have to actually connect.
I have to like get my bags and everything to get out here.
And then go straight upstairs and check into my new flight.
So I'll have to check in in about 90 minutes.
My flight is at 7 in the morning and it's 3 in the morning right now.
So I have to wait a little bit before I can actually go inside.
So I came to one of my favorite places ever, T Junction.
You know, I've visited Kolkata three times.
Traveled through here three times.
Came from Chennai to Kolkata.
And then met about once.
And then I came here and then went to Assam, Meghalaya once.
So my third time.
And I always stop at this place.
Right when you exit, right here, T Junction.
Get some ginger chai.
Frothy, milky.
Oh, my friends.
Very good.
Very good but it's hot.
It's like boiling.
It's one of my favorite things in India.
This one's like 140 rupees.
So whatever that is right now.
Like 2 bucks for a big one.
It's $2.
So once I'm done with my chai, I'm gonna go to Bhutan Air.
Check in.
Put my bags through.
And go inside.
And then eat some dosas.
I'm really hoping my favorite spot is open.
Because they have some of the best dosas ever.
Dosas, dosas, dosas.
Oh, coconut chai.
Can't wait.
It's all Indian food.
All day.
Hey, thank you.
Okay, let's go check in to Bhutan Air.
Bhutan Air.
Like I said before, there's only 2 airlines that fly to Bhutan.
Bhutan Air and Dhruv Air.
And here we go.
Breakfast is served.
So once I checked in.
Went to security.
Came here to the left.
And there's 3 different places.
There's Womomo.
Idli.com.
Which is like veg.
Pure veg.
And then Briyani Bhai.
Unfortunately, the Idli.com doesn't have any dosas right now.
Because it's so early in the morning.
I think it's right now.
I think it's like 5 in the morning.
So it's too early.
You know, obviously got hand sanitizer.
Because I'm going to grab this with my hands.
So.
Oh, I can't wait.
So we got some sambar.
Some coconut chutney.
Oh, I love it.
Idli.
So Idli, if you guys don't know.
Is steamed rice.
And here we have.
Oh, delicious.
So we got the mint chutney.
Here's the coconut chutney.
Just let it absorb it.
I love it.
Soft.
Idli itself is a little bland.
But when you mix it with different chutneys and sambar.
Phenomenal.
Love the sambar.
Oh, just drench it.
I mean, I'm missing the dosa.
But Idli is good enough.
Just dip it.
Let's go all out with the coconut chutney.
And this one.
The mint one.
It's pretty good.
A little spicy.
Not so bad.
What it's going to do is do both.
I can't get enough of it.
And the reason I went with the Idli over the momos at Womomo.
Is because I'm going to eat so many momos in Bhutan.
I didn't show you guys.
But basically today.
I've only eaten Indian food.
Two meals on the flight.
With Qatar Airways.
You know, the first one.
Indian food the whole way.
And so for the sambar.
Let's go in.
Mmm.
You're going to get soup.
So spicy.
Mmm.
I'll get some of this.
Mix it with this.
Mmm.
I could drink this.
So for 300 rupees.
I got the Idli.
Chutney.
Sambars.
And filtered coffee from Karnataka.
Mmm.
Super strong.
It tastes very similar to the chai I had earlier.
But a little different.
Obviously this is coffee.
This isn't tea.
But you know.
It's good.
So we're going to board soon.
I'm at gate 8.
Which is over there.
As you can see.
No one's here.
And my flight.
It's a little different.
Because the flight has actually come from Bangkok.
So they come.
They pull up.
We get in.
And they keep going.
Because there's already passengers on that flight.
And yeah.
It's only an hour.
Hour and 45 minutes to set.
I thought it was an hour.
But it's an hour 45.
Probably just going to crash.
And wake up when we're getting there.
Because.
So once you get to Bhutan.
You can actually see Everest.
Amazing.
And we're going to land in the most dangerous airport in the world to land in.
So that's exciting.
Alright guys.
Let's go to the gate.
And let's board this flight.
After 27 hours of traveling.
I'm finally on my last flight to Bhutan.
Three flights to get here.
A day and a half of traveling.
Crazy.
And yeah.
So this is Bhutan Airlines.
You know.
As soon as the plane arrived.
It came from Bangkok.
So it pulled up.
It was like 12 of us.
We all got on.
Boarded the flight.
And that's it.
I have an entire row to myself.
And this window.
The left window.
Is the window you need to get.
Because from here you can see Mount Everest.
Once we're like 40 minutes in.
You'll be able to see Mount Everest.
That's super super cool.
I've never seen Everest.
So I'm excited.
And yeah.
Bhutan.
Here we go.
77th country.
Can't wait.
Let's go to Bhutan.
So I thought the flight was like an hour and a half.
But it's actually 50 minutes.
Really really short flight.
And they do serve a quick snack.
And some juice and water.
So we got some apple juice.
This is apple juice from Bhutan.
Hey.
Apple juice.
Tastes just like apple juice.
But.
It's sort of like a veg sandwich.
Lots of mountains.
And we're going to board.
This is really really amazing.
Look at this.
It's mountains.
That's it guys.
We arrived in Bhutan.
Wow.
What an epic epic journey.
And it's 45 degrees Fahrenheit right now.
Freezing.
Bhutan Airlines.
What an epic flight.
What a long day.
30 plus hours to get here.
I'm so excited because I'm going to be exploring Bhutan for the next 10 days with my Bhutan.
This is going to be an epic trip.
I've been dreaming about this trip my entire life.
Guys.
I am so excited.
Well I hope you enjoyed this video.
If you did please give me a thumbs up.
Leave me a comment below and subscribe to my channel for more awesome travel content.
I'll see you in the next travel food adventure in Bhutan.
Yes.
Let's do it.
