Trekking holiday in Bhutan
| country: | Bhutan |
| trip type: | Moderate trekking holidays |
| departures: | 2010: 10 Apr, 17 Apr, 2 Oct, 9 Oct |
| price: | From £1750 (11 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
We combine an exceptional trek with time to explore the cultural heritage of Bhutan. In the company of our local guides we follow trails that lead high above the Paro and Thimphu valleys to gain unrivalled views of the Himalayan peaks that define the borderlands of Bhutan and Tibet. There is also ample opportunity to delight in the pristine forests of conifer, oak and rhododendrons (in full bloom in May) as well as encountering yak herders as they establish their summer encampments.
In Paro and Thimphu we wander the markets and appreciate the location of the monasteries and forts that reflect the deep cultural heritage of this remarkable Buddhist kingdom.
In Paro and Thimphu we wander the markets and appreciate the location of the monasteries and forts that reflect the deep cultural heritage of this remarkable Buddhist kingdom.
what's included in our trekking holiday in Bhutan
10 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 10 dinners, airport transfers on day 1 and day 11, expert bilingual guide, group medical kit, good quality accommodation in Paro/Thimphu, gear pack including kit bag, sleeping bag, down or fibre filled jacket and insulated sleeping mat, all group camping equipment, private transportation, all park entrance fees and trekking permits, porters or animals to carry 20 kgs personal equipment, sightseeing and site entry fees as listed day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Paro |
| Day 2: | Visit Paro Dzong & Taktsang Monastery |
| Day 3-8: | Ascend conifer and rhododendron forest to alpine pastures to gain views of Chomolhari before crossing a series of passes to Phajading Monastery above the Thimphu Valley |
| Day 9-10: | Complete trek to Thimphu, visit the memorial Chorten and wander the bazaars and transfer to Paro |
| Day 11: | Trip concludes in Paro |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2006 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society. Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
The natural landscapes we explore are some of the richest, often most challenging, yet at the same time some of the most fragile environments on earth. With education, experienced leadership and appropriate equipment and techniques, it is possible to travel responsibly through these regions. For us, it is critically important that such wilderness travel experiences do not diminish the natural values of the environment. Our environmental sustainable principles: True sustainability is a guiding aspect in all aspects of our business planning and operations. Specifically our tour operations should be managed in a way where the natural and cultural values of the host region are undiminished in the long-term. Where possible, we engage in partnerships with local environmental groups and/or land managers to actively campaign for conservation or promote environmental protection and/or rehabilitation. Our Responsible Travel Guidebook: Our philosophy since 1975 has been to leave only footprints and take only photographs. To reiterate this, every customer who travels with us receives a copy of our award-winning Responsible Travel guidebook. This detailed book outlines our environmentally sustainable principles, and outlines how each customer can minimize their impact while travelling. Global Warming and Carbon Balancing: The root cause of Global Warming is society's dependence on emission creating fossil fuel. Planting trees is not going to reverse this trend or cancel our carbon emissions very quickly or effectively. We believe the way to reduce these dependencies is to create clean energy production. Therefore, we support renewable energy projects like wind and solar power, and we are aligned with Climate Friendly, the gold standard setter in effective, meaningful action addressing climate change. So, while we believe that tree planting can play a small role in greenhouse gas abatement, we have gone the extra mile in promoting a longer term solution. Is this cheap? No. Is it responsible? Absolutely! Community: This trip includes the best short trek in Bhutan which importantly allows ample time to appreciate the rich cultural history of this secluded Himalayan Kingdom. In the company of our local guides and with the use of local transport and accommodation you can be assured that as much of your money as possible feeds back into the local communities that you visit. Our strict policy of small groups ensures that this trip is both environmentally and culturally sensitive. As with all travel to Bhutan, this trip is carefully controlled by the Bhutan Tourist Authority which exists to protect the country’s unique culture and thus minimise the negative effects of mass tourism. It also ensures that local people benefit from the revenue such tourism brings to the country. Our responsible travel principles: Our company aims to maximise the positive benefits of tourism for host communities. This includes training and employment of local staff, using local suppliers and assisting in the development of sustainable local businesses. We actively minimise the negative effects that tourism can have by ensuring that tourism does not divert resources away from local communities or drive up prices on local resources. We provide opportunities for real cultural exchange, where locals and visitors alike can share and learn from each other in an environment of mutual respect. We contribute to the welfare of the host community. This is epitomised in our Community Project Travel program where we organise for our travellers to spend time in disadvantaged villages upgrading basic facilities such as health, education and water access. We strive to educate our travellers about the destination and its local cultures as well as providing guidelines on appropriate behaviour to minimise impact. No local payments policy: Local cash payments are becoming increasingly popular with many operators in the adventure travel industry. This policy seems to benefit the tour operators more than the local economies or the travellers, as it avoids local taxes and transfers the costs and risks of cash handling onto the travellers. In accordance with our Responsible Travel practices, we have chosen a policy of not asking for such payments. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |