The
Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan
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Himalayan
Natural Bird Watching Tour Itineary Day
01 ARRIVAL AT PARO Arrival
at Paro Airport and drive to your hotel through the terraced fields along the
riverbanks. Overnight in hotel. Day
02 PARO - THIMPHU Drive
to Thimphu the capital of Bhutan through terraced fields along the river banks
to Thimphu. Afternoon drive to Dodina for bird watching nearby Tango and Cheri
monastry. Day
03 THIMPHU - PUNAKHA Drive
to Punakha over the Dochu la pass which is at an altitude of 3,050 meters and on
the way you will stop at several points for bird watching. More birds can be
seen at the Dochula pass. You will also see more of the beautiful scenery of
Bhutan. After lunch drive to Mendeygang to watch birds. Day
04 PUNAKHA - HALT Whole
day bird watching in Punakha and Wangdi Valley. Overnight in hotel. Day
05 PUNAKHA - GANGTEY On
the way to Gangtey different altitude species of birds can be seen. Gangtey is a
winter place for the black necked cranes, which migrates from Tibet in November
and leaves back early March every year. After lunch drive through the valley to
observe the birds in the near by forests, which shelters variety of bird
species. Overnight in Guesthouse. Day
06 GANGTEY - TONGSA Today
drive to central Bhutan which takes 5 hours by road from Gangtey to Tongsa. A
vantage point from the opposite side of the valley, still 14 Km from Tongsa,
provides a welcome view of the Dzong and the town. On the way you will see a lot
of birds. Overnight in tourist lodge. Day
07 TONGSA - BUMTHANG Early
morning visit Tongsa Dzong and Ta Dzong (watchtower) before starting the journey
to Bumthang. You will drive over the Yutong La pass at a height of 3,400 meters.
From the viewpoint you can see Jakar Dzong "Castle of the White Bird".
Bumthang has an individuality that charms its visitors and separates it from
other regions. It is also the traditional home to the gret Buddhist teacher Pema
Lingpa to whose descendants the present dynasty traces its ancestry. Afternoon
bird watching and some local sightseeing. Overnight in tourist lodge. Day
08 BUMTHANG - MONGAR The
drive to Mongar, eastern part of Bhutan is across the Thumsing La pass at a
height of 3,800 meters and the subsequent descent from high altitude pine forest
to lush pastures and orchards is one of the most exciting drives in all of the
Himalayas. Gushing waterfalls, steep cliffs with even steeper drops, blazing
flowers, and constantly changing vegtation combine to show different species of
birds. You will stop at many places to observe the birds and take the
photographs. Overnight in tourist lodge. Day
09 MONGAR - HALT A
Days halt in Mongar will give you a great oppertunity to observe the birds at
Limithang. Limithang is one of the famous places in Bhutan for the Bird species.
You will spend the whole day for bird watching. Day
10 MONGAR - TASHIGANG The
road from Mongar passes the Kori La pass and then Yadi loops. Tashigang town is
high up on a mountain, and is busier than any other Bhutanese town. It is used
as the market place for the hill people from Merak and Sakteng who are
remarkable for their exceptional features and for their costumes which is
brightly colored and different from customary Bhutanese clothing. Afternoon
drive to Kanglung for bird watching. Overnight in tourist lodge. Day
11 TASHIGANG - EXCURSION TO TASHIYANGTSE On
the way to Tashiyangtse visit a famous Goma Kora Monastery and continue drive to
Tashiyangtse. This is another place where there are black necked cranes, which
migrate from Tibet in December and leave back early March every year. Late
afternoon drive back to Tashigang. Overnight in lodge. Day
12 TASHIGANG - MONGAR Drive
back to Mongar. One can catch - up what you have missed during your forward
journey. Late afternoon birdwatching near by forest. Overnight in lodge. Day
13 MONGAR - BUMTHANG Drive
to Bumthang takes about 8 - 9 hours with a short break on the way for photograph
and birdwatching. Overnight in lodge. Day
14 BUMTHANG - PUNAKHA Early
breakfast and drive to Punakha with a pack lunch. Drive will be through the
dense forest of rhododendrons and magnolia trees. Stop for lunch at Chendibji
Chorten and continue drive to Punakha. Overnight in hotel. Day
15 PUNAKHA - THIMPHU Morning
visit Punakha Dzong and drive to Thimphu with a stop at Dochula pass for a hot
cup of tea/coffee and continue drive to Thimphu. Afternoon go around the Thimphu
town and do shopping. Overnight in hotel. Day
16 THIMPHU - EXCURSION TO PHAJODING Early
breakfast and drive till Motithang and hike through dense forest of pine and
rhododendron trees for birdwatching. You can climb on the pass to explore the
hideouts of high altitude birds like Monal,Phesants and many more. From the
Monastery one can have a magnificent view of Thimphu valley and surrounding
mountains. Overnight in hotel. Day
17 THIMPHU - PARO On
the way visit Simtokha Dzong (the oldest Dzong in Bhutan) and today it is a
house of the traditional school. Continue drive to Paro. Afternoon vistit
National Museum, and late afternoon bird watching at the forest nearby the
village.Overnight in hotel. Day
18 PARO - EXCURSION TO TAKTSANG Excursion
toTaktsang through the oak, pine and rhododendron trees mainly to watch
different species of birds on the way. 2 - 3 hours hike to Taktsang cafe. Day
19 PARO - DEPARTURE Early breakfast and transfer to Paro Airport for your onward departure flight ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- for more information please contact at lhayul@druknet.bt
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