SAMPLE TOURS :: Bird watching   This excursion into the world of the birds of Bhutan concentrates on the Paro, Thimphu and Punakha valleys of Western Bhutan and on the Tongsa region of Central Bhutan, which provide a superb opportunity to explore both the physical and the cultural environment in which birds thrive in a Buddhist country. The road from Paro to Thimphu passes through two deep valleys where, even from the bus window, many species of birds can be observed.   In Thimphu, which is the country's capital, we explore the country's most significant urban center and meet with specialists and policy makers concerned with the study and preservation of Bhutan's wildlife. From Thimphu the tour moves on to Punakha over the Dochu La Pass, fabulous for its vistas, its mythology and its forests, where we will talk in search of the rich bird life that inhabits it. Then to Punakha, a relatively low, almost sub-tropical valley. This is the winter capital of the Central Monk Body, the nation's religious establishment, and the location of the extraordinary Punakha Dzong. This valley, which rises to temperate climes, is home to a great variety of birds, some of whom inhabit the forests that cling to the valley's mountain sides and some of which inhabit the lower, warmer areas. Here, appropriately, we will have a lecture on birds in Buddhism and on Buddhist attitudes toward wildlife and the environment. On to Tongsa, where we will look for the famous Ward's Trogan, observe the birdlife whose habitat is the open, rolling fields of the area. More open and more sparsely populated than the western part of the country, this is the cultural heartland of Bhutan. In addition to Tongsa's birdlife, we will see Bhutan's largest Dzong at Tongsa. From Tongsa the tour returns to Paro through Thimphu. Bhutan is a Buddhist culture, and the great majority of the population do not believe that fishing and hunting are morally acceptable activities. Consequently, the fauna of Bhutan is remarkably rich in birds and mammals. 'The Rufus Necked Hornbill Tour', designed for avid bird watchers, extends across the country and moves through a rich variety of environments and regions. It starts in the Paro and Thimphu valleys and extends through Punakha just to the east and on through Tongsa and Bumthang in Central Bhutan to Mongor and Tashigang in Eastern Bhutan Black neck crane     Hornbill     After visiting Thimphu, the tour proceeds over Dochu La pass. A walk in the forests in the region of the mystically famous pass makes possible the sighting of large numbers of birds who live in the pristine evergreen oak and rhododendron forest that covers the mountainside. From Dochu La we descend into Punakha valley, with its magical Dzong (a combination of monastery and government administrative building) at the confluence of the Mo and Pho rivers. Punakha is a tiny settlement, and the river valleys and mountains are filled with a wide variety of birds in large numbers. The sub-tropical valley rises to temperate zones, and this permits us to see a great variety of species in a small area. From Punakha the tour heads further east, stopping a numerous bird watching sites, through Gantey to Tongsa. The area is seasonal home to numerous species birds, ranging from shrikes, warblers, sunbirds, eagles and, if we are lucky, we will see Ward's Trogans. The region's combination of forests and open fields permits extensive opportunities for bird sighting. We then move to the eastern side of Bhutan, where the Rufus Necked Hornbill can be found and we will search for the very rare Tragopan. The 'Rufus Necked Hornbill Tour'. Moving across Bhutan from west to east also gives the traveler the superb opportunity to see some of the great monuments on Bhutanese architecture and to visit the varying cultural regions of the western, central and eastern parts of the country, differentiated from each other by their arts and crafts, their designs, and even their religious practices. Lectures along the way on both Bhutanese ornithology and it cultural context provide an integrated experience for the active traveler.
copyright © gangri tour and trekking co. all right reserved. contact webmaster for further information.