TEAM PROFILE
Sonam Younten
A native Bhutanese, Sonam completed his tertiary education in Singapore and decided to stay on to gain working experience in Singapore. Sonam joined Druk Asia right after graduation upon finishing an intern ship with Tourism Council of Bhutan. As a native Bhutanese whom has travelled widely in Bhutan, Sonam has a solid knowledge of the country.
Sonam has a Bachelor of Science (Hospitality) from James Cook University of Australia. He has been living in Singapore for the past 5 years.
Sangay Dorji
Sangay Dorji is also a Bhutanese native. Together with Sonam, they are probably the only few Bhutanese working in Singapore. Sangay joined Druk Asia Singapore office full time in April 2013 having started out as an intern during his college days
Originally hailed from eastern Bhutan, with ancestry in Trongsa, extended family in Gelaphu and Punakha, and an eventful childhood growing up in Paro, Sangay knows the terrain of the dragon land intimately.
In June 2012, he graduated from James Cook University, Australia, with a Bachelor of Science (Information Technology). He has been in Singapore since 2009.
Namgay Dorji
The third Bhutanese to be working full time from our Singapore office.
Namgay hails from the eastern Bhutan province of Trashigang. Through out his childhood, he has traversed all over Bhutan, migrating to new township every 3-4 years as his forestry official father's duty gets rotated allowing him to forge a deep understanding of large tracts of Bhutan.
Namgay has a has a Bachelor of Science (Hospitality) from Annamalai University. He brings with him deep experience in the hospitality industry having worked at luxurious hotels in Goa and being one of the most commended flight attendant of Drukair, Royal Bhutan Airlines.
Ugyen Dema
Ugyen joined Druk Asia Bhutan's operation office in 2016 out of a curiosity on how tourism contributes to the growth of Bhutan's economy.
In May 2018, she was offered to work in the Singapore office and she took it up readily as a challenge and uprooted herself to adapt and grow in a whole new urban environment. Ugyen became the 4th native Bhutanese to work in Druk Asia's global office since Druk Asia's founding in 2010. With her presence in Singapore, travellers continue to be informed about the real travel experience in Bhutan.
Formerly a web developer, Ugyen graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Applications from the Royal University of Bhutan. Originally from Chukha, she spends much of her leisure time in Bhutan with volunteer works in helping to tackle youth issues, which is especially close to her heart.
Gigi Liang
Gigi joined Druk Asia in 2018 to head up Druk Asia's Malaysia office. Having been in the tourism industry her entire career, she has amassed 15 years of travel industry experience.
Her first encounter with Bhutan was in 2012 when she helped Druk Asia and Drukair Singapore to promote the Singapore-Paro flight to the Malaysia travel professionals. Since then, she has fallen deeply in love with the Kingdom of Bhutan and has travelled to Bhutan over 15 times. Gigi continues to champion Bhutan tourism to Malaysians and works with various media to promote Bhutan as a destination.
Inez Bratahalim
A love for travel, photography and to explore brought Inez to join Druk Asia to spearhead her Indonesia office starting 2018. Since then Inez had travelled twice to Bhutan in the span of a year.
An Indonesian native, Inez resided in Singapore for 13 years before deciding to spend more time in her hometown, thus taking up the role to represent Druk Asia in a nascent market.
Previously a multi-tasking operational lead of a renowned chain in the Food & Beverage industry in Singapore, she holds a Bachelor of Information Technology from The University of Newcastle Australia.
Needup Wangdee
Needup is our most senior trekking guide and also our operation manager. He started guiding in 1991 and has completed Snow Man Trek thirteen times. He completed a 10 months hospitality training in Hong Kong and spent 3 months trekking alpine mountain in Germany. He graduated from Sarbang High School.
Tshering Dhendup
Tshering Dhendup has been in the travel and hospitality industry for more than 19 years. He has been guiding since 1994 and was trained by Austria Tourism Board. He started as a guide and was featured in a number of TV travel show such as NCRV (Netherlands), Denmark TV and Korean TV. As a guide, he has been invited to Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Japan and Sweden by his guests. He is also a remarkable archer, being able to hit the bull-eye 7 out of 8 times at 130 metres.
Cipto Handoyo
Trained as a financial analyst, Cipto joined Druk Asia upon graduation having worked with companies like Tata Group, JP Morgan Chase and Aberdeen Asset Management. His love for the Kingdom of Bhutan spurred him to promote Bhutan in a most holistic way.
Born in Indonesia, and educated in Singapore, he speaks Bahasa Indonesia, Malay, Chinese and English. Cipto has a Bachelor of Science in Economics & Bachelor of Business Management major in Finance from Singapore Management University. He is an Indonesian national with Singapore Residency and has been living in Singapore for the last 12 years. He has been to Bhutan 10 times.
Joni Herison
Joni Herison started travelling to the Himalayas in his undergraduate days in 1997. A civil engineer by training and an internet technologist by career, he was charmed by the beauty, culture and people of Bhutan during his maiden trip in 2008 and decided to return to this beautiful land again and again by venturing into tourism.
He has a deep love for the kingdom and has played a pivotal role in connecting Bhutan with travellers from all over the world. Joni is a cherished friend of the kingdom who has built excellent rapport with the Bhutanese community. Joni is the co-author of "Bhutan Travelog - Bhutan Travel Guide", published by Druk Asia during the pandemic.
Joni has a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil & Structural) from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He currently runs all partnership liaisons for Druk Asia and has travelled to Bhutan over 30 times since that life changing trip in May 2008.