For further information, please visit SFS’ safety information on the website:

http://www.fieldstudies.org/pages/12_health_safety.cfm

I’ve noticed that there are videos on You Tube about flying into and driving while in the country. Is transportation in Bhutan safe?
We are aware of mountain/high altitude flight and roads in this country. Druk Airlines has expert pilots who successfully fly in and out of the Himalayas on a daily basis. Please visit the Druk Airline website for further information. Also, we will be hiring a bus with a local, professional driver to drive us at all times. The driver will be us the entire six weeks and students will not be allowed to travel freely or use local transportation. During free time, we will be traveling as a group.

How are the medical facilities?
Medical care in Bhutan is underdeveloped by high-income country standards in typical and not so typical way. Emergency care is not a specialty here and private practice is largely non- existent. There is one national hospital in Thimphu with a full pharmacy, a comprehensive lab, x-rays, MRI, and medical specialists including surgical specialists, etc. There are three regional hospitals and twenty district hospitals, including one in Jakar, where students will be located for the majority of the time. District hospitals generally have one or two general practitioners.

Who is going to be accompanying my son or daughter on this program?
Robin Sears, Ph.D., Dean of SFS, will be the main faculty member accompanying the students and Nicole Anderson, M.A., Academic Liaison/Admissions Counselor/Bhutan Program Manager, will be there to facilitate group dynamics, logistics, medical concerns, and will also be flying with the group from Bangkok to Paro. To view a short biography on each of our staff, please visit:

http://www.fieldstudies.org/pages/14_faculty_staff.cfm

Is the SFS staff medically trained?
Yes! Both Robin and Nicole are certified Wilderness First Responders, a 72 hour emergency medical training course. For more information, please contact Bill Frederick, Director of Safety and Risk Management Education at SFS: bfrederick@fieldstudies.org

Can I contact my son or daughter?
Email is going to be the best (and cheapest) way to contact your son or daughter, but please note that we will not have access to Internet every day, and that when we do, it is very slow. Internet access and phone service are becoming more widely available throughout the country, but we will not always have access. Students will occasionally have access to an Internet café. There are also plenty of places to buy phone cards/SIM mobile phone packages. If there is an emergency and you need to contact your son or daughter immediately, please follow these directions:

Emergency contact should be with the SFS headquarters office in Salem, Massachusetts. Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm (EST), emergency calls should be made to the SFS main line at 978.741.3544. At all other times emergency calls should be made to

978.741.3567. Individuals should press "2" to leave a message that will activate the emergency beeper 24 hours a day while programs are in session. While the headquarters staff will know the whereabouts of the student group at all times, it may require 24 hours or more to get in touch with staff in some cases.

How are you traveling while in the country?
We will be primarily traveling on a private bus with a local, professional driver. On a short trek we will be using pack horses to help us.

Where will you be staying?
We will be learning and living at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment, an international research and training facility. This will be a dorm-like setting with shared rooms and bathrooms. This facility is located in Jakar, a small town in the Bumthang district and at an elevation of approximately 9,000ft above mean sea level.

Do you have to pay the daily tariff?
The program fee includes a portion of the daily tariff charged to all visitors to Bhutan. Because of our strong partnership with the government of Bhutan the remainder of the fee is waived. Students who wish to remain in Bhutan after the program ends, and other visitors, will be responsible for making arrangements with a travel agent, who will charge the full daily tariff.

Can we visit our son or daughter?
After the program, you can visit your son or daughter, however, please keep in mind that there is a daily tariff! If students want to continue to travel in Bhutan after the program, they will be required to pay this fee as well.

Does my son or daughter need a visa?
When SFS books the Druk Airline tickets in the spring, we will get a visa clearance. The actual visa endorsement is stamped in your son or daughter’s passport when they arrive at the airport in Paro, Bhutan. The visa will be arranged to cover only the length of the program. Should students wish to remain in Bhutan after the program they will need to arrange for a visa extension through an authorized travel agent.

**All students’ passports must be valid for up to six months past their expiration date!!!

Do they have to purchase the group flight through Advantage Travel?
Yes! The group flight from … to Bangkok, and then Bangkok to Paro is mandatory! As Bhutan is a difficult location to get to and that there is only one airline that flies there, we will be making all of the arrangements for students. This information will be send via email as soon as we have made arrangements. Please contact Nicole Anderson for any further questions and as soon as we have more information it is your son or daughter’s responsibility to purchase the tickets with Advantage Travel. Parents, if you’re planning on traveling, please contact Advantage Travel for they can book your tickets to India or Thailand, and we can recommend a company to purchase your Druk Airline tickets.

Is there financial aid available for this program?
Yes, we will be offering financial aid just like any other SFS summer program. Please visit this link for further information:

http://www.fieldstudies.org/pages/225_financial_aid.cfm

Helpful Links

Cultural Info: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/bhutan

FAQ’s/Travel Info: http://www.jachungtravel.com/faqs.html,

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_bhutan.html?fs=video.nationalgeographic.com

CDC Health Info: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/bhutan.aspx

Language Info: http://www.learndzongkha.mypodcast.com/

Money & Currency: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/34/money/Indian-Subcontinent/Bhutan.html

Druk Airlines: http://www.drukair.com.bt/

Helpful Links for Books

http://www.world66.com/asia/southasia/bhutan/books

http://www.bootan.com/bhutan/books/btbooks.htm

http://www.vedamsbooks.com/bhutan.htm

http://www.wisdom-books.com/Category.asp?PG=B&SHID=27&SID=32&CID=114

http://www.longitudebooks.com/search