Santabari, a place in India’s Assam state is a favourite spot for Bhutanese travellers to stop for lunch. It is some 40 kilometres away from Gelephu.
In Santabari, seven hotels cater to travellers, including Bhutanese, every day.
For Bhutanese travelling from Samdrup Jongkhar to Phuentshogling, Gelephu, and Samtse districts, using the highway in the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal is the most convenient option.
However, the onset of the pandemic and subsequent closure of land borders with India heavily impacted the business of the hoteliers along the highway in Assam, which mostly depended on Bhutanese travellers.
A hotel owner, Amioi Wary said they had to close hotels during the pandemic and that now the business is slowly picking up.
With the borders now open, hotels along the Indian highways make as much as Nu 15,000 a day just from Bhutanese travellers.
“All the Bhutanese passengers driving private and government vehicles come here to have meals,” said Rahual Basumatary, another hotel owner in Santabari. He added his hotel makes about Nu 9,000 just from Bhutanese customers.
Apart from keeping meals ready, these hoteliers are handy when Bhutanese are either stranded or meet accidents along the Indian highways.
Rahual Basumatary said, “recently, one government vehicle met with an accident with a cycle, and we helped them to the hospital.” The hoteliers also help the Bhutanese with Indian currency and fuel, when needed.
The hotels also accept Bhutanese currency for the convenience of travellers.
Apart from Santabari, Bhutanese travellers also stop at hotels in Bongaigoan, Hasimara, and Rangia.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Sherub Dorji
