Simply Bhutan Museum
Simply Bhutan Museum
4.3
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- AR68 contributionsSimply Bhutan is a must visit place. It is a one stop place to understand the Bhutanese culture and history in an interactive manner. You will be served with Ara, a home made wine, and depending on the season it would be made with either rice, corn or wheat. You can see and participate in the house construction section. The guide (ST in our case) explains the various masks uses in the traditional mask dances and the mythological significance of each masks. You will see the kitchen equipments and sun dried vegetables used in Bhutan cuisine. The museum serves butter tea, sweet rice and roasted rice while seeing Bhutanese dance (of course we can participate in the dance). Then, one can participate in a round of the national game archery and celebrate bulls eye in a celebratory dance. Our group had very good memory at Simply Bhutan.Visited December 2024Traveled soloWritten February 9, 2025
- Tony K5 contributionsWe went one night to Simply Bhutan for a night of Bhutanese culture and we were not disappointed. The dancing was excellent and the atmosphere was equally as good. Well done to all. If you are lucky enough to be visiting Bhutan, make some time to visit this place,Visited October 2024Traveled with friendsWritten October 14, 2024
- krawnerChicago, Illinois1,990 contributionsA living museum to experience / see replicas of traditional house building, archery, cooking, dancing, etc. Includes free house liquor, butter tea, and sweet rice. A guide walks you through and explains things. Lots of audience participation and photo opportunities. 1000 Nu per person . Fun for families/ kids.Visited October 2024Traveled with friendsWritten October 30, 2024
- CombitNew Delhi, India466 contributionsShould be enlarged with better set up to provide value for money. The space is too cramped which tries to give you a birds eye view of Bhutanese culture. All this for NG 1000 per head . At this price point , customer expectation wud be much more than that presented.Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 17, 2024
- Ashish DebKolkata (Calcutta), India962 contributionsJoin us on our second day in Bhutan as we dive into the rich culture and vibrant traditions at Simply Bhutan in Thimphu. This interactive museum offers a unique glimpse into Bhutanese life, complete with fun activities and cultural performances. Watch as we explore traditional houses, try our hand at archery, and immerse ourselves in the fascinating heritage of Bhutan. Perfect for travelers seeking an authentic Bhutanese experience!Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 14, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.3
147 reviews
Excellent
76
Very good
53
Average
11
Poor
3
Terrible
4
rads2k
Chennai (Madras), India212 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Am rating this place 2* simply because of the rip off entrance fee. Its not worth the money
I would simply skip this place and is totally avoidable. You don't miss much by skipping this place. Exorbitantly priced at 1000 nu for just some cultural dance and a small cuppa tea. Maybe good for kids but not at this price.
I would simply skip this place and is totally avoidable. You don't miss much by skipping this place. Exorbitantly priced at 1000 nu for just some cultural dance and a small cuppa tea. Maybe good for kids but not at this price.
Written September 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rosanna D
Rome, Italy133 contributions
Mar 2024 • Solo
I did not like this "museum" at all... It was ridiculously touristy and corny. Most of the information and facts they shared I had already learned from my guide. Also, seeing the Bhutanese workers perform like circus monkeys for the tourists made me cringe, it was uncomfortable for me. I'd rather learn these things while being out and about in the country amidst the people, instead of in a Disneyland-like tourist trap. Not worth the time or the money
Written April 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Venkataraman M
Pune, India128 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
If you want to get a quick understanding of the Bhutan culture, it's past lifestyle and arts then this is a good place to go to.
There is an entrance fee that one has to pay and you will be assigned a local guide.
The place has a few shops where artifacts and handicrafts can be purchased.
There is an entrance fee that one has to pay and you will be assigned a local guide.
The place has a few shops where artifacts and handicrafts can be purchased.
Written January 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Suresh Kumar
Bengaluru, India3,094 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Pay money to enter, but there is a lot of fun and creativity inside.
Immersive museum, with a nice layout, and period furniture, and art objects.
There is a lot of entertainment and some games.
A photographer’s delight.
Centrally located, bustling at all times, with a nice hostess.
Emblem of Bhutanese culture and history. Don’t leave Thimphu without stopping here !
Immersive museum, with a nice layout, and period furniture, and art objects.
There is a lot of entertainment and some games.
A photographer’s delight.
Centrally located, bustling at all times, with a nice hostess.
Emblem of Bhutanese culture and history. Don’t leave Thimphu without stopping here !
Written October 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ankur kandoi
Siliguri, India1,747 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Visited this museum during Bhutan tour. loved it. They have showcased all the important and beautiful details of Bhutanese lifestyle and their simplicity. Must try the lunch there as they serve local food which is great. All the people working there are full of life.
Written March 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sheetal S
Gurugram (Gurgaon), India208 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
our was a group of 20 people and my tour operator spoke something in Bhutanese to them and after paying them we did not get tickets and just 1 guide. We requested them to break our group and give more guides but were denied hence in a packed space we heard whatever possible.
Do try the Bhutanese outfits here for which a separate ticket needs to be bought. Dance presented by staff was nice. Archery and rice wine offering to god, butter tea is included. Souvenirs were very expensive.
Do try the Bhutanese outfits here for which a separate ticket needs to be bought. Dance presented by staff was nice. Archery and rice wine offering to god, butter tea is included. Souvenirs were very expensive.
Written June 7, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heng How N
Singapore, Singapore7,596 contributions
May 2019 • Friends
It is small living museum about simple Bhutanese living about the kitchen wares, how they make the butter tea, the belief of Divine Madman, the mask dancing and Bhutan dancing. Of course the archery - their national sport.
Written May 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hiking Singh
Mohali, India81 contributions
Aug 2019
Simply Bhutan is a museum resembling a Bhutanese village, featuring traditional cuisine, demonstrations & performances that aims to conserve the Bhutanese culture and tradition while generating employment opportunities for young job seekers. The infrastructure portrays ancient Bhutanese architecture which is being lost to modernization. The project is one of its kind in the country. The uniqueness of the structure is in its composition of the materials used. The structure is built reusing old timber, window and door frames and other items from traditional and old demolished houses. The best part is the portrayal of the age-old lifestyles of the Bhutanese people.
You are received in the reception room with local wine. The local guides explain to you about a lot of things around the room. I met Pema, our guide in simply Bhutan who explained us all about the museum and its features.
After the reception, you enter the Bhutanese kitchen which still follows traditional methods. At Simply Bhutan all the traditional ways of cooking meals and making beverages are used. There are utensils used by the ancestors to prepare all the authentic Bhutanese dishes.
Buddhism first arrived in Bhutan in the 8th century. It then began to spread over the next few centuries. In the 15th century, a Tibetan monk named Drukpa Kunley arrived and helped to spread the religion even further. He has remained one of Bhutan’s most revered Buddhist masters to date. Although he simplified religious texts for the laypeople of his adopted country, Drukpa Kunley’s claim to fame goes beyond this task. He is actually known for a more notable skill, using imagery of the phallus to subdue demons and bless the people of Bhutan. The Phallus Garden is the most unique thing you’ll see in Simply Bhutan.
The traditional food storage techniques are displayed. The art of dry storage is mostly followed in modern life as well. This method of storing dry food for winter is very efficient as winter in Bhutan can be quite harsh. We can store varieties of food such as chillies, pumpkin, maize, cheese, bringle, apple etc are stored.
At Simply Bhutan typical Bhutanese dishes prepared by the local chefs. The dishes that are served are red rice with your choice of Bhutanese side dishes. Also, you are served with freshly churned butter tea suja and Bhutanese dance performances.
Pema Tshering: An Inspiration
How many of us can see the talents of people with disability What comes to our mind when we see that not only can’t he talk but he can’t walk as well. Many of us would totally give up on his disability. Many of us would have just put him in the corners of our houses and left him there. We would feed and cloth him but never look beyond. Her Majesty the Queen Mother came across Pema several years ago on Her Royal tour to Eastern Bhutan. He waited in the sun all day to offer Her Majesty a present. Her Majesty brought him to the capital and blessed him with an opportunity. Today, after attending the training at the Institute for ZorigChusum, He makes very beautiful carving on wood. And he does it with his LEGS. Youth Development Fund, Bhutan has given him a place to work and sell his products in Simply Bhutan.
Since time immemorial Bhutanese have been passionate about their national sport of Dha (archery). Nearly all villages in the kingdom boast an archery range and each dzong has a space set aside nearby. There is a small Archery set up for visitors to gets hands-on this sport. We tried our skills at archery and even the Bahubali Style.
At the exit point, Tashi Delek greets you. There is a sacred pond in which you have to throw coins and wish something for you. Tashi Delek offers you blessings and good luck.
At Simply Bhutan you get to wear the traditional Bhutanese dress which is completely unique as compared to the modern world. The men wear gho and the women wear kira. There is a dressing room where you can experience the Bhutanese culture of dresses.
You are received in the reception room with local wine. The local guides explain to you about a lot of things around the room. I met Pema, our guide in simply Bhutan who explained us all about the museum and its features.
After the reception, you enter the Bhutanese kitchen which still follows traditional methods. At Simply Bhutan all the traditional ways of cooking meals and making beverages are used. There are utensils used by the ancestors to prepare all the authentic Bhutanese dishes.
Buddhism first arrived in Bhutan in the 8th century. It then began to spread over the next few centuries. In the 15th century, a Tibetan monk named Drukpa Kunley arrived and helped to spread the religion even further. He has remained one of Bhutan’s most revered Buddhist masters to date. Although he simplified religious texts for the laypeople of his adopted country, Drukpa Kunley’s claim to fame goes beyond this task. He is actually known for a more notable skill, using imagery of the phallus to subdue demons and bless the people of Bhutan. The Phallus Garden is the most unique thing you’ll see in Simply Bhutan.
The traditional food storage techniques are displayed. The art of dry storage is mostly followed in modern life as well. This method of storing dry food for winter is very efficient as winter in Bhutan can be quite harsh. We can store varieties of food such as chillies, pumpkin, maize, cheese, bringle, apple etc are stored.
At Simply Bhutan typical Bhutanese dishes prepared by the local chefs. The dishes that are served are red rice with your choice of Bhutanese side dishes. Also, you are served with freshly churned butter tea suja and Bhutanese dance performances.
Pema Tshering: An Inspiration
How many of us can see the talents of people with disability What comes to our mind when we see that not only can’t he talk but he can’t walk as well. Many of us would totally give up on his disability. Many of us would have just put him in the corners of our houses and left him there. We would feed and cloth him but never look beyond. Her Majesty the Queen Mother came across Pema several years ago on Her Royal tour to Eastern Bhutan. He waited in the sun all day to offer Her Majesty a present. Her Majesty brought him to the capital and blessed him with an opportunity. Today, after attending the training at the Institute for ZorigChusum, He makes very beautiful carving on wood. And he does it with his LEGS. Youth Development Fund, Bhutan has given him a place to work and sell his products in Simply Bhutan.
Since time immemorial Bhutanese have been passionate about their national sport of Dha (archery). Nearly all villages in the kingdom boast an archery range and each dzong has a space set aside nearby. There is a small Archery set up for visitors to gets hands-on this sport. We tried our skills at archery and even the Bahubali Style.
At the exit point, Tashi Delek greets you. There is a sacred pond in which you have to throw coins and wish something for you. Tashi Delek offers you blessings and good luck.
At Simply Bhutan you get to wear the traditional Bhutanese dress which is completely unique as compared to the modern world. The men wear gho and the women wear kira. There is a dressing room where you can experience the Bhutanese culture of dresses.
Written October 21, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tshering W
Thimphu, Bhutan29 contributions
Oct 2019
The place is really done up well if you would like to see how the Bhutanese lived in the villages, all the displays are done very well. the location too is just above the swimming pool, one can walk or take a cab from the town.
Written March 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ramakrishnan R
Mumbai, India849 contributions
Nov 2019 • Family
Simply Bhutan as the name says is all about Bhutanese tradition, culture, how they have evolved, how religion and royalty has shaped the country and its people. You are greeted with a local wine. Then you are shown how they build their houses. You are taken inside an old Bhutanese home and shown how they cooked, made noodles, butter tea and do on. You are tested to a sumptuous Bhutanese lunch which is accompanied by a dance performance. You too it all by shooting arrows and throwing coins for luck.
Written November 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How long does someone usually spend at Simply Bhutan? Is an advanced reservation needed?
Written January 17, 2020
Hi -
There is no need for an advance reservation for Simply Bhutan. There is an entry fee though and you will be assigned a guide with your group. If you are a line traveller then you will have to join a group.
While the time spent inside depends a lot on individual levels of interest, I would estimate that around 60-75 minutes should be sufficient time.
Written January 18, 2020
Sorry entrance for Simply Bhutan is Rs. 300.
I thought it was the folk museum that was being referred to, for which it is Rs 100
Written October 3, 2019
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