TRIPS TO BHUTAN

Compassionate Beings provides individuals with an opportunity to make an educated and responsible choice when booking holidays in Bhutan. A socially responsible tourism choice contributes in positive ways to the country they’re visiting. It also provides a unique opportunity to witness the direct effect on the individuals with whom they volunteer. Tourism as a lens has the opportunity to bring individuals closer together, to bridge the gaps that often exist between cultures, and can help weave individuals into local communities during the duration of their stay in Bhutan. Compassionate Beings is an opportunity for volunteers to learn about the history, the people and the Buddhist way of life, particularly Monastic school life. Compassionate Beings is focused on partnering with local Bhutanese organizations to help improve Hygiene, Nutrition and Sanitation while providing socially responsible tourism development in Bhutan.

Compassionate Beings has built our goals and our reputation around the opportunity to provide thoughtful and conscious support to monastic schools and school age children. More than that, it is something that every team member, project volunteer and organizational partner highly values and is the integral foundation of Compassionate Beings. We strive to be consciously aware.

We absolutely love sharing our passion for hygiene, nutrition and sanitation and most importantly, sharing compassion with our volunteers and partners alike. It is breathe taking to see and experience the changes that Bhutan makes in our volunteers. It is a very special and rich relationship and we are working constantly to improve and refine it. It is paramount that your experience is rewarding to you, and to those who you come to support.

BECOME A COMPASSIONATE BEING VOLUNTEER

TUITION

$1,999 to $3,699 USD for 1 to 2 weeks  – spring & summer*

*Tuition includes all in-country expenses including tourist visa, daily tourist tariff, educational materials, lodging, 3 meals per day, all in-country transportation, airport pick-up & drop-off, full-time supporting staff and foreign experts from the CAN/US/Europe, supporting Bhutanese staff, cultural activities, weekend excursions, and pre-departure materials.  Based on double occupancy. ** Special diets or private rooms will incur additional charges.**

HOW TO APPLY ONLINE

Complete the application form (.PDF file) as fully as possible and email it to us. To help ensure that the application process goes as smoothly as possible, please verify that you have filled in the form entirely and included all required documentation ie. Copy of passport etc.  A deposit of $295 USD is required with your application. The deposit will go toward the total cost of your program and is not an additional fee.

The application will include a questionnaire for you to fill in and return, so we can match your expertise, education and interests to your job. We will immediately acknowledge receipt of your application and deposit your application payment.  Please email any questions you have and we will answer them in a timely fashion. Our basic package includes local food, double occupancy accommodation, in-country transportation, weekend excursions and 24-hour support staff while in Bhutan.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

As soon as you are accepted, a project is assigned and dates are confirmed, our Travel Representative will contact you about flights. We recommend that you allow our Travel Representative to book your flights from Bangkok or Delhi into Bhutan. You will be then charged on your credit card for the amount. You are solely responsible to book your flights to connect into Bangkok or Delhi. Compassionate Beings is not responsible for any delayed or missed flights. It is your sole responsibility to ensure you are on your flight into Bhutan.

You will receive a formal acceptance letter confirming your involvement in our program. At this point we will send you your welcome package, which will contain:

• General information about your destination, along with information about local projects

• Our Bhutanese welcome and customs package

• An invoice for the balance of your fees, payable three months before departure or immediately, if there are less than three months to go

• Our formal terms and conditions

• Visa Application to complete

• Request for a copy of your Travel Insurance and Trip Cancellation Policies

AMENDMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

If personal, academic or other circumstances make your travel commitments impossible at the planned dates, placements can normally be deferred for a minimal charge. Please call us immediately to discuss your situation. Amendments and cancellations must be notified in writing to Compassionate Beings. The charge for amendments ranges from $100 to 300 plus the amount charged by third parties – flights and hotel reservations changes.  If the total cost to change exceeds $250, we will provide you with a quote before proceeding. Your stated departure date refers to the date of your Bhutan Flight or any subsequently agreed upon date.

EXCEPTION

Notice of less than 1 month – No refund

Please also note that if you have made your final payment, most cancellation insurance policies will cover specified circumstances, such as an illness or family emergency. Please remember – we are happy to work with you to the greatest extent possible

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

If you choose to take part in Compassionate Being Volunteer programs, we cannot allow for every possibility or consequence.  You must be willing to take responsibility that you are choosing to travel to a remote country, which is both exotic and unpredictable. Bhutan is a developing country and amenities exist but are not to the same standard as North America. There is a hospital in Thimphu however any major medical issues will be referred and flown to Bangkok at the expense of the participants (again, we cannot stress the need for travel insurance enough). Hence why medical insurance is mandatory. Culture, lifestyles and living conditions will be diverse. Please be mentally prepared to cope with the unexpected, to laugh at misfortunes and to respect all local customs and shortages. Weather, travel, water, accommodations can all have its challenges in Bhutan. Common sense and humor will help you to survive through most things in Bhutan.

I will never forget the time when I told my host family that I had a rat visiting me at night in my bedroom and they did not believe me until one night the rat walked behind the television when they were watching it. I was telling them every day for a total of two months.  The only way I survived was by finding humour in the experience.

COMPASSIONATE BEINGS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

It is imperative to Compassionate Beings that every one of our projects has community stakeholders. We will not run any project unless the community, government, school wants us there. We expect the community school to have actual ownership and involvement in the projects Community buy-in is essential. We work hand in hand with community leaders, government departments, and school principals to ensure that the best possible solutions are implemented.

FINDING THE PERFECT FIT

Finding the right person for any job can be extremely tough, but it’s tremendously important to us and to our success.  Compassionate Beings teams are comprised of motivated and innovative individuals who are passionate about sustainable development, community work and conservation. These individuals are highly skilled and hold professional degrees and certifications in their areas of expertise. We seek individuals who are inspired and fueled by volunteering and what can be achieved when forces join together.

If you think you are ready to support and to contribute to our organization then we want to hear from you. Send us your CV or resume together with a cover letter explaining why Compassionate Beings is the right match for you and more importantly, why you’re the right match for Compassionate Beings!

MULTI-MEDIA INVOLVEMENT

We welcome your input and your personal descriptions of your experience volunteering with CB and your cultural experience in Bhutan. You can contribute in these and other ways:

• Blogging about your experiences and activities while in Bhutan for our website and newsletters.

• Writing your experiences as a visitor to Bhutan for use in future publications and marketing materials.

• Fundraising ideas/activities; helping up to find contributing partners.

ACCOMMODATION IN BHUTAN

Accommodation is a mix of hotels and host-families. Some locations will be very basic and others will include all your basic amenities – this is dependent on our project locations. A majority of arrangements will include running water and an indoor toilet. Accommodation is based on shared occupancy.

On occasion Compassionate Being may have a project that will have remote aspects. This would include trekking to the remote location and staying in tents. Ponies, guides and a cook would accompany the trek. Basic camping equipment would be provided and each participant would be required to bring their own sleeping bag and air mattress, and adequate clothing to ensure a good night sleeps and. outdoor showers would be arranged. These arrangements will be fully disclosed before we require your commitment to the program.

HOW TO GET TO BHUTAN?

To fly to Bhutan, there are two Airlines – Druk Air and Bhutan Air. Flights are limited particularly during high tourism seasons and when the festivals take place. Flights fly commonly out of Bangkok and Delhi to Bhutan. Round trip airfare is approximately US$800 from Bangkok.