Bhutan active slow travel holiday

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

This 18 day slow travel trip has no internal flights. We recommend guests fly from Delhi – Paro and return to connect the two destinations, but we have focused on a longer, slower trip in Bhutan, with time spent in local vehicles, on foot and on bikes to reduce carbon and to enable guests to spend more time appreciating the local scenery and countryside.

Many operators will include an internal flight to Bumthang, but we wanted to avoid this to keep carbon emission low.

There are several entry points to Bhutan (via Delhi, Bangkok, Singapore or Kathmandu) but we always suggest Delhi from the UK, as this offers one shorter direct flight. This is also the shortest route from Delhi – Paro, again, keeping emissions to a minimum.

We focus on low-impact activities such as walking tours and hikes, to minimise carbon emissions, reduce the number of vehicles and ease visitor pressure on sensitive sites. In fact, 50% of the days on the trip involve 4+ hours of hiking, and not using a car at all. All other days include at least a shorter hike, cycling or rafting.

In Bhutan, all the 3* properties we use try and source as much of their food locally, and several of the hotels have a garden for growing vegetables seasonally. The emphasis is put on vegetarian meals to avoid shipping in meat. In particular the Eco-farm stay in Punakha (Dhumra Farm) is a family farm standing on ancestral soil where farm-to-table organic food is a key focus.


ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

In Bhutan, all guests pay a daily tourist fee of $100 per person per day, which goes directly to the government to help sustain local environmental initiatives. This fee supports the country’s high-value low impact tourist model contributing to local education and environment preservation.

Guests will visit the Black Neck Crane Centre, where the entrance fee for this goes directly to helping the preservation of these amazing birds. There are no overhead electricity cables in Gangtey Valley, so as not to restrict the flight path of these incredible birds.

During the Druk Path Trek, our trekking guides are experts and well trained in where to set up camp, leaving minimal trace, taking all waste with them, cooking easy to make local food, and respecting the land around the camp sites.

Throughout this 18 day trip, our expert local guides share insights on the fragile ecosystems visited and offer practical tips for responsible travel such as eating locally, choosing vegetarian meals, picking up any littler seen on treks, and accepting things like brief power cuts as part of the way of life in a country looking to keep its environmental footprint low. Many of the basic 3* hotels are ‘homely’ and no frills, we in advance we explain to guests that we would rather suggest these than staying in the modern chain hotels, so we know the money is being kept locally, and this helps sustain local employment.

All this helps guests understand the local challenges and how to minimise their footprint.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

All of the hotels/lodges in this 18 day Bhutan trip are independent and locally/family owned, (aside from the airport hotel in Delhi) A great example of this is Dhumra Farm Resort in Punakha Bhutan, which is a family owed farm and pioneering example of local sustainable farming. Thee locally run guesthouses and small hotels ensure we channel tourism revenue into the local economy, often with a focus on employing local staff and suppliers.

We ensure guests visit the craft markets in Paro Thimpu and Punakha, and encourage guests to buy quality meaningful gifts make by local artisans, and payable by cash directly to them.

The trip packages includes full board, which means lunches in local restaurants as a rule – so local restaurant owners are benefiting from the holiday as well as hotels. All the food on the multi-day Druk Path trek is purchased and grown locally.

Guides and drivers on this 18 day tour is from the local area, trained by our local ground partners, who are themselves from the local areas.


EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

100% of the people we work with on this trip (from the office staff, to drivers to guides) are from the country, and are all paid the minimum wage for each destination.

Many of the markets and bazaars visited during the trip will offer crafts made by poorer members of the community, so we encourage guests to make local purchases where the money goes directly to the local person.