Bhutan

Bhutan, with a population of under 800,000, is one of the world’s last remaining biodiversity hotspots with 72% forest cover over the country and 60% of the country under protection. As a result of this vast forest cover and the limited number of polluting industries, Bhutan is among the few countries in the world with a negative net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. It is also home to some of the world’s rarest animals that find sanctuary in its dense forest and high altitudes and has recorded an astonishing 670 bird species. Owing to its long history of sovereign independence (it has never been conquered or colonised) and relatively recent opening to outside influences and tight controls on access for tourism, it is a truly unspoilt country not only in terms of natural environment, but also with regards to cultural and religious heritage.

Our trip is scheduled to depart towards the end of March, which marks the beginning of spring and the return of life to the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Rhododendrons (46 species of them!) carpet the mountainsides in this clement gap after winter and before the summer monsoons arrive, and as trees bloom and the valleys are green with fresh vegetation the people too celebrate this new life with festivals of colour and music. 

Over the course of 12 days we travel and walk amongst the exceptionally beautiful ‘mid-region’ of the inner Himalayas of central and western Bhutan. Along the way we visit ornate dzongs (fortified monasteries), nunneries, temples and other extraordinary monuments. We walk along the tops of ridges and parallel to rivers, over small mountain passes, through terraced paddies, amongst bucolic agricultural lands, across long suspension bridges and wide valleys, in the depths of primordial coniferous forests and magnificent woods of rhododendron, wild cherry and magnolia etc. Throughout it all we are immersed in natural and manmade landscapes of remarkable beauty and witness firsthand the rituals of daily life in Bhutan, all of which helps us to discover and learn about this country’s incredibly unique history and Buddhist culture.

For a detailed itinerary and/or further information, please contact us at [email protected]

The fitness level for all trips is classified according to the average distance and elevation gain of the walks offered, with fitness levels ranging from 1-5, see here for more details