MYBHUTAN, LLC
LONGBOAT KEY, FLORIDA

About MyBhutan MyBhutan is a social enterprise that nurtures emerging markets while simultaneously supporting traditional industries -- with the aim of reducing social inequality and preserving Bhutan’s ancient culture and pristine landscape. MyBhutan.com is the first and only platform that lists hundreds of attractions, guides, restaurants, and accommodations in Bhutan — in one central location, with all the information you need to make your choices, and all available to you at the lowest rate allowed by the government. MyBhutan itself does not operate tours or guide tourists; we assist with trip planning and connect you to the services from across the industry that will be perfect for you. The right guide can make the difference between a satisfactory trip and a great one. The Tourism Council of Bhutan has certified over two thousand guides, and their experience varies tremendously. As do their personalities, naturally. How do you know who you'll mesh with? Which of them is knowledgeable and passionate about the same things you are? MyBhutan's algorithm narrows it down to a handful of matches, and from there you just watch their video profiles to pick the one you resonate with most. Where you lay your head at night when traveling also matters. It's common for tour operators to choose lodging for their customers based on the operators' existing connections. MyBhutan thinks you should do the choosing, based on criteria important to you. Read our hotel and home stay profiles, add them to your MyBhutan Wish List, and your tour operator will make sure you stay in only the hotels or home stays you have selected. Your trip to Bhutan should be customized and as unique as you are. There's no reason to settle for less when MyBhutan is here to make it happen — and for less than you would pay elsewhere. It's a no-brainer. How to Plan Your Trip with MyBhutan MyBhutan has original content on hundreds of attractions, activities, festivals, hotels, restaurants, and tour guides. Surf them to get an idea of what you might like to see and do in Bhutan. When you find things that intrigue you, just click “Wish List” to add them to the dream trip you're putting together. Don't worry about adding too much to your Wish List; we can help you narrow it down later. If you have any questions along the way or would like our assistance in trip planning, shoot us an email at Once you’ve compiled your Wish List, let us know your contact information and when you would like to come to Bhutan. We’ll send you an itinerary within one business day that includes as many elements from your Wish List as possible. MyBhutan adheres to world-class security standards for payment processing — which means your credit card information is safe with us. After you submit your payment, we'll send you a receipt immediately. (Note: The Royal Government of Bhutan requires that all visitors to the country prepay their trip before a tourist visa will be granted.) Tarayana Foundation and MyBhutan By booking your trip with MyBhutan, you are directly contributing to bettering the lives of marginalized Bhutanese: MyBhutan gives proceeds from your trip to the That's where you come in. By planning a journey to the Kingdom of Bhutan on MyBhutan’s platform, you can benefit those in need while simultaneously accessing the most intimate and authentic experience of Bhutan for the best price with the greatest ease. This philanthropic vision is the beating heart of MyBhutan. Together, let’s work to benefit the beautiful, kind, strong citizens of the Land of the Thunder Dragon. The first two programs targeted children and the elderly: supplying clothing, shoes, stationery and the like to over 1000 students, and helping older citizens without a family support structure. With time, Tarayana’s initiatives merged with His Majesty’s programs and expanded into the Comprehensive Community Development Model — an integrated approach to addressing the whole spectrum of basic needs in vulnerable communities, such as housing, education, sanitation, and income generation. After 12 years of testing, the foundation found that this integrated, holistic model was the best way to aid vulnerable communities and help them bring themselves out of poverty in sustainable ways. Under this model, Tarayana so far has built about a thousand community buildings, used for income generation and safe housing. It promotes green technologies, such as fuel efficient stoves, Eco San dry toilets in water-deprived communities, and solar driers to help preserve food. In the communities where Tarayana creates income generation programs, it also offers financial literacy trainings so that the groups can save collectively — each person gives a portion of their earnings to a group fund used for purchasing new equipment, expanding production facilities, and covering business expenses. Generally, Tarayana’s interventions run for 2–3 years in order to establish businesses, and then continue as ongoing hands-off assistance. The foundation deploys workers on the ground throughout the country to compassionately oversee and monitor its programs. In Sarbang, a town in the south of Bhutan, a community resettled in an area with infertile land and had trouble sustaining itself. Here, Tarayana Foundation set up a brick processing facility — the necessary materials are available locally, and the villagers were able to create a sustainable income through selling the bricks to the construction industry. The facility compresses the bricks rather than firing them, as is common elsewhere, making it an environmentally responsible initiative as well. Now, the facility has been handed over entirely to the community — Tarayana merely helps to market the product. In Thimphu, the capital city, the Tarayana Rural Crafts shop sells traditional handicraft products directly from rural communities, and gives the entirety of its profits back to them. It helps with marketing, designing new products, improving quality, and facilitating sales. The products sold here are made the traditional way, with natural components. For example, the shop offers nettle fiber fabrics, made painstakingly by hand and colored with plant dyes; carved items; and yak-hair toys for children. The shop is having difficulty sustaining itself, because it must compete with the many handicraft stores in town selling cheap imported goods and giving commissions to guides for bringing tourists there (as the shop takes no profit, it can’t offer commissions).