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Bhutan Hornbill Adventure
Tour Overview
Join us on a thrilling 14-day bird-watching expedition that spans across nine distinct districts in Bhutan. These regions are teeming with some of the world’s rarest avian species, thriving in diverse and unexplored forests ranging from 150m to 3890m in elevation.
Every day, you’ll journey to a new destination, offering breathtaking views, unique weather conditions, varied vegetation, wildlife, and, most importantly, a rare bird sighting.
Expect to spot two hornbill species – the Great and Rufous-necked Hornbill – and a host of other sought-after rarities such as the Ward’s Trogon, Himalayan Monal, Blood Pheasant, Satyr Tragopan, Ibisbill, and Yellow-rumped Honeyguide. These birds are among the most elusive and endemic to the Eastern Himalayas. You’ll witness a total of 250-270 bird species and 10-15 mammal species in just 14 days. In addition, you’ll get the chance to visit stunning ancient temples and fortresses along the way.
Tour Outline
Day 1 | Arrive Paro, meet by our representative. Transfer to the hotel. Afternoon visits the historic Par o Rimpung Dzong (fortress) and the late afternoon birding along the Paro Chu (River): (Overnight: Paro) |
Day 2: Paro – Chelila – Thimphu | Very early in the morning, drive to the cool and stunning alpine meadow of Chelila pass (3890m). Drive back to Paro for lunch. After lunch drive to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. The drive will take about an hour and a half. In the evening, birding along the sewage pond in Thimphu. (Overnight: Thimphu) |
Day 3: Thimphu – Punakha | Early morning drive to Punakha over the Dochula Pass (3150). Birding in the Lamperi Botanical Gardens. Drive to Punakha with lunch en route and a visit to the Dzong in the late afternoon. (Overnight: Punakha) |
Day 4: Punakha – Tsirang | After early breakfast drive toward the south of Punakha, the drive will take you through some of the best least explored forests of the country. Evening birding along Tsirang and Darachu area. (Overnight: Tsirang) |
Day 5: Tsirang – Gelephu | After early breakfast, we’ll spend lots of birding in the forest along Tsirang and Darachu, Later we’ll be heading to a lower elevation We’ll target the varieties of low elevation specialties: (Overnight: Gelephu) |
Day 6: Gelephu | Today in the morning we’ll explore the sewage pond and surrounding field around Gelephu. After lunch, we’ll drive further north of Gelephu town and explore the lowland forest around here. This forest is remarkably rich and diverse. (Overnight: Gelephu) |
Day 7: Gelephu – Tamala – Tingitbe | Early in the morning, we start climbing from the foothills experience lots of changes in the elevation. Starting from the 150m to the 2500m. Later in the evening crossing Tamala we’ll enter into Zhemgang region. (Overnight: Tingtibe) |
Day 8: Zhemgang – Tingtibe – Gomphu Road | We’ll explore the entire stretch of Dakphel – Tingtibe road in the morning. Later in the afternoon, we’ll explore the Gomphu road, the road that leads to the Manas National Park. (Overnight: Tingtibe) |
Day 9: Zhemgang – Trongsa – Bumthang | After our final morning birding in this wonderful habitat we wind up our way to Bumthang, Basically it is transit day and a fairly long drive, we’ll reach to the Bumthang valley. (Overnight: Bumthang) |
Day 10: Bumthang – Sengor | we drive from Bumthang to Sengor going over Phrumshingla(3800m). Later in the evening, we will be birding around Sengor. (Overnight: Sengor) |
Day 11: Sengor – Namling – Yongkala | In the morning before we hit our road to Yongkala, we’ll bird around Sengor and Phrumshingla area. Then we will wind up our way to Yongkala en route birding along the forest of Namling and Yongkala |
Day 12: Yongkala – Namling – Limithang Road | We’ll spend two entire day birding Namling, upper and lower Limithang road, one of the finest birding areas in the Himalayas: (Overnight: Yongkala) |
Day 13: Yoongkala – Trongsa | we will be re-tracing our way back. So basically we will be looking and listening to the flocks. Overnight: Trongsa |
Day 14: Trongsa – Paro: | Drive should take us about 6hrs. Re-tracing journey back; we will stop whenever we run into the flocks. Overnight: Paro |
Day 15: Departure | After breakfast transfer to airport for departure. |
What to Expect?
- This birding tour will be on selected sites that do not pose any threats such as steep slopes. During these trips, you should expect yourself to walk at least 6-7 kilometers on average per day
- Like elsewhere, the best time for watching birds is in the morning. You can expect an early start in the morning most of the time. However, a couple of very early mornings are required to look for high elevation dwelling Pheasant that comes out to the roadside early in the morning.
- Accommodation on this tour is generally simple but comfortable. The hotels are generally spacious, clean and comfortable, built-in westernized Bhutanese style, and all rooms have private facilities. However, due to the limited availability of good lodges and hotels in some remote part of the country, you will spend a couple of nights in basic hotels or tented camp.
Inclusion
What is Included?
- All internal taxes and charges (SDF)
- Accommodation on twin sharing basis
- All meals, tea, snack, and bottled water
- All travel with a licensed local birding guide
- All surface transfers by a private vehicle
- Camping equipment and haulage for camping and trekking tours
- All entry fees to monuments, Museum and National Parks
- Bhutan Visa Fee
What is not Included?
- Optional tours/excursions, personal & incidental expenses.
- Tips, laundry, phone calls, and bars.
- International and domestic airfare, and insurance.
Guide Details
After graduating from high school, Tshering Dorji traveled in and around Bhutan as far as the countries wideness go. Exploring and studying birds in particular and nature in general. For four and a half years’ Tshering was guided and trained by Mr. Norbu. As a young and enthusiastic birder, Tshering is now familiar with calls, behavior, distribution, and habitats of Bhutan birds. From the past many years Tshering has been guiding both private and group tours independently. he also started leading groups for our oversea counterpart.
Tshering has also represented the Guide Association of Bhutan (GAB) to make the presentation on the birds of Bhutan during the first meeting of the Citizen Birders of Bhutan back in 2017. Among the many presenters during the event, his presentation was very well received by many audiences including the minister of agriculture and forestry.
Review
/5
We went with “Off to Bhutan” (Bhutan Birding) to see the birds, and cultural sights, and trek in Bhutan. They are an A+ company! The owner, Mr. Norbu, worked with us to meticulously plan our 12-day trip. The company is locally owned & uses certified, local birds, cultural guides, & drivers. The driver’s skills are as important as the guide’s – given Bhutan’s sometimes challenging roads. The costs were exactly as stated. The tour was planned to give us the maximum number of days to acclimate to the altitude, before doing our trek. It is a green company – sensitive to footprints on the local habitat. “Off to Bhutan” provides excellent value for the money. Tshering Dorji was a charismatic, caring & knowledgeable bird & cultural guide, as was Karma, our driver. Both had great communication skills – personable and outgoing, and wonderful sense of humor. We laughed, a lot, together. Tshering was very knowledgeable about birds, their habitat, migratory times & calls. He was patient, kind & encouraging during our trekking (we are seniors). He had expert knowledge of cultural sights. Both Tshering and Karma shared entertaining vignettes of their lives as Bhutanese. We saw into many windows in the world of Bhutan. Accommodations were top-drawer. We never had a complaint. “Off to Bhutan” is the “piece de resistance” of tour, travel & birding companies. Its owner and employees are superb! You simply cannot do any better in your travels to and in Bhutan, than by traveling with “Off to Bhutan”!
We have just returned from a 17-day birding trip which we booked through “ Off to Bhutan”. Norbu ( the owner) arranged everything, including our return flights to and from Paro and our Bhutan visa. He also helped us get out of the country when the Corona crisis started shutting down Bhutan and next door India, luckily without having to cut short our trip.
Despite the threat of Corona, we enjoyed a fantastic and fantastically arranged birding trip. It was a round trip from Paro, Thimpu, Punakha, Phobjekha, Bumthang, Yongkala, Manas National Park and back to Paro. We had no target list of birds but our guide Tshering Dorji and his great observational skills made that we saw a great number of birds including, among many others, the much sought after White-bellied Heron, Black-necked Crane, Beautiful Nuthatch, Ward’s Trogon, three Himalayan Pheasants, three of the four Hornbills, Tawny Fish Owl, etc, etc. Mammals among others included the Malaysian Giant Squirrel, numerous Assamese macaques, both the Capped and Golden langur, as well as the Barking and Sambar deer.
Our guide Tshering was a very knowledgeable birder and also very knowledgeable on different aspects of Bhutanese culture. Our driver Karma ( never had a birding driver before…!) was very helpful and also a very careful driver. Both were great company, not an unimportant aspect when you share each other’s space for a while!
Anyone remotely interested in planning a trip to Bhutan should take a look at Off to Bhutan’s inspiring website.
kn******@gm***.comThe Netherland
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15 Days
Price and Availability
From
USD
4,350
/Per Person
Based on twin/double room
Tour Map
Tour Facts
Availability:
Space Available
Group Size:
Maximum 6PAX
Duration:
15 Days
Activity Level:
Moderate Days
Guide Language:
English