Paro Airport
Lasting Impressions....
Memorable comments left by travellers:
"Paro Airport, the only one in Bhutan, must have one of the largest floorspace to flights ratios in the world!" (R S Johnson)
"you are given a full body pat down search before you go to the departure area. This is conducted behind a curtain and is about as intrusive as you can get without a full "cavity" search. (Mark Davy)
FEATURED REVIEWS
by R S Johnson
"Paro Airport, the only one in Bhutan, must have one of the largest floorspace to flights ratios in the world! It is as modern as it needs to be, and certainly hasn't skimped on airside infrastructure, but still maintains a level of friendliness lacking in so many other places. Whilst the processes, both on arrival and departure may seem somewhat antiquated, they are reasonably efficient, and a lot more personal than at other, much larger airport. Be aware, however, that although security checks are not as intrusive as others have suggested (you are certainly not "physically violated"), they are comprehensive, and may result in you having to explain the intricacies of western culture in pigeon English (the one checking my bag had never seen a white cane or currency converter before!). All of the staff that we encountered were extremely courteous and friendly - a reflection, perhaps, of the country as a whole .A final note, before I turn my attention to sleeping: The approach to Paro is possibly one of the best thrill-rides in the world - and is worth the airfare alone! Flying from Kathmandu, with a final approach from the South, we wound our way down the Paro valley and overshot the airport by several miles before turn 180 degrees and descending fast towards the runway, before plunging (yes, I really mean that) over a ridge, mere seconds before landing. Have your camera at the ready, as this is truly amazing!Now for sleeping. Well - I'm afraid that unless you pick a day when there is more than one flight, with some time in between, you will be out of luck. Due to a slight mix-up we arrived at the airport at 06:40 for the 07:30 flight, only to discover that we were booked on the 10:30. This meant a wait of two hours in the isolated, though comfortable check-in area. We were able to park our bags in front of the scales before relaxing on the padded seats, with a fine view of the apron. Other passengers arriving for our flight were not allowed to enter this area until check-opened. If you are first in line, and make it through immigration and security without problems you may have an hour to kill before boarding - and the seats are quite comfortable enough to sleep - however, the lounge becomes very crowded thirty minutes before boarding, and few passengers have enough time to sleep anyway.So, in summary: this is a friendly, comfortable airport where few passengers have time to sleep!"
by Mark
"The Paro airport facilities all seem to be relatively new although the arrivals procedure couldn't be more low tech i.e. be prepared for a long wait. It would be possible to catch some shut eye in the departure lounge except for the fact that virtually every Druk Air (Bhutan's national air carrier) flight is booked to absolute capacity therefore ensuring that it is almost always a standing room only situation. There is a guy selling snacks in the departure area and an ill maintained lavatory but not much else. The most memorable thing about this airport is the security system they employ. First you are given a full body pat down search before you go to the departure area. This is conducted behind a curtain and is about as intrusive as you can get without a full "cavity" search. When you leave the boarding gate to walk out onto the tarmac, this procedure is repeated with equal zeal. Just when you think you are home free you are taken aside at the bottom of the stairs to the plane and have the procedure repeated by army personnel sans the curtain. By the time I entered the plane I was starting to understand the concept of feeling physically violated. The only passengers who seemed to be exempt from this process seemed to be the buddhist monks and even a few of them were subject to the same type of probing."
Airport Guide
Here is some information that we've picked out of from your reviews. Be sure to read the review pages for the most up-to-date experiences:
- padded seats
- lots of pat downs from security
Discount Travel Links
- Hostels and Budget Accommodation - I've booked my own accommodation on this site. If you are too old for hostels and too cheap for hotels, like me, you'll find some good properties. They offer dorms, private rooms, B&Bs, Apartments.
