Begin A Love Affair With Spices At Centenary Market

Description

The centenary farmers market is a two-story market that sells the freshest local produce from across the country.

If you are living in an Airbnb, cooking your own food or even just looking for an authentic local experience; this market is a must-visit.

Produce in the market is brought fresh. The most perishable products come from  Paro, Punakha, Wangdue, Haa, and villages around Thimphu. The place is a cacophony of sounds, sights and smells; an explosion of colours. The ground floor has fruits and vegetables sourced from various cooperatives and farmers in Bhutan as well as imported from India, while the first floor is reserved for local produce. Dried chillies that are a permanent fixture of Bhutanese cuisine, dried fish, all kinds of fruits and vegetables, incense, lentils, beans; bamboo-shoot and chilly honey pickle, edible flowers, dried cheese and pork, yeast and honey, six types of Bhutanese rice - the wide range of Bhutanese cuisine unfurls here in its full glory. The types of rice available include boyo zaw (puffed rice), colourful mekhu (crispy rice crackers), kabchi, tengma and kharang. Vendors start coming in with fresh produce from Thursdays.

This is the best time to visit the market and explore the stalls, as most of the produce is displayed during this time. Apart from all the buying and selling, these markets present a great opportunity to interact with the locals. One of the benefits of these interactions is that you are introduced to the ingredients essential to a traditional Bhutanese diet. This provides a much more authentic experience than any Culinary tour or that guide ever could.

The market is open all days of the week, from7:00 AM to 7:00 PM except Mondays. 

Can find a trip to the market in your travel package? Then contact us at Special Holidays. We specialise in handcrafting trips to suit your every need. Just get in touch with us on our website and we will build your perfect Bhutan trip for you.

Rate On Call

Highlights :
• All taxes, fuel surcharges and service fees included
• Hotel pickup and drop-off included from the city hotels
• Informative, friendly and professional guide
• Great overview and orientation of the visit
• Guide services for a more personalized experience

Activity :
• Sightseeing

Transport :
Airconditioned transport with driver

• 01 to 03 persons - Sedan cars - Indian make cars like Toyota Etios or Maruti Swift Desire 
• 03 to 05 persons - SUV cars - Toyota Innova or similar
• 06 to 10 persons - Tempo Traveller with 10 seats
• 11 to 18 persons - Mini coaches with 18 seater
• 19 to 42 persons - Coaches with 27 or 42 seater
All the vehicles are air-conditioned

Pickup and Departure :
 Pick up from mentioned city Centre, Railway Station or your city hotel.
 Drop at mentioned city Centre, Railway Station or your city hotel.

• Tour Duration: Half-day 4-5 Hours
• Guide: English speaking guide included
• Assistance: Yes
• Entrance fees included: Yes
• Vehicle: Air-conditioned
• Driver with a phone: Yes
• Tour Starts Time: 0900 hrs.

Additional : 
• Confirmation will be sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability.
• Child below 5 years is free.
• No strict dress code is enforced at tour sites except for places of worship, shorts or sleeveless tops are not recommended.
• We recommend comfortable walking shoes and sunglasses/sunscreen during the visit.
• Entrance fees to the monuments are not included and are to be paid directly. Any camera or video camera fees, if any, are to be paid directly

Timings :

09:00 am - 05:00 pm 

Things To Carry :
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Comfortable footwear

Advisory :
Special Holidays will not be liable for any dispute arising out of the rental between customer and vendor, guide or any service provider

Confirmation Policy :
The customer receives a confirmation voucher via email within 24 hours of successful booking Rate is based on a minimum 2 person sharing. We reserve the right to cancel in case the minimum no. of customers required for the visit on any date is not met.

Cancellation Policy :
• If cancellations are made 30 days before the start date of the visit, 25% of the total tour cost will be charged as cancellation fees.
• If cancellations are made 15-30 days before the start date of the visit, 50% of the total tour cost will be charged as cancellation fees.
• If cancellations are made within 0-15 days before the start date of the visit, 100% of the total tour cost will be charged as cancellation fees.

Refund Policy :
•The applicable refund amount will be processed within 15 business days

You are required to furnish the correct Email address. As a customer, you agree to accept email as a means of communication and delivery of Travel vouchers and confirmation of your booking. In doing so, you agree not to hold www.specialholidays.com liable for any non-receipt of travel voucher or email confirmation.
As an additional measure to avoid any misuse of the credit card and to protect our customers, we may request photocopies of your credit card (back and front) and a Credit Card Authorization Payment Form to exclude the possibility of any misuse. As a customer, you agree to cooperate and provide the necessary documents in case required.