Beginning in the east, our fabulous Bhutan birding tours traverse the breadth of this remarkable country, passing through lush broad-leaved forests dripping with orchids, blazes of rhododendrons and magnolias, seemingly endless coniferous forests, and arguably the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world. The Bhutanese birds are no less extravagant with a brilliant array of colors and seldom-seen rarities including species that are unlikely to be encountered outside of this pristine Kingdom. Targets include Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan, White-bellied Heron, Ibisbill, Ward’s Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Beautiful Nuthatch, Sikkim Wedge-billed Babbler and Fire-tailed Myzornis. Our Bhutan birding tour includes comfortable camping, often at spectacular sites, where our needs are catered for by a team of helpful camp assistants. The pace is easy and most of our Bhutan birding is done whilst walking the most productive sections of the breath-taking road that winds its way across the Kingdom. Join us on this adventure through a paradise of culture, birds and scenic vistas as we explore the heavenly riches of Bhutan!
Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan, Blood Pheasant, White-bellied Heron, Ibisbill, Ward’s Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Beautiful Nuthatch, Sikkim Wedge-billed and Long-billed Wren-Babbler, Slender-billed and Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, Black-headed Shrike-Babbler, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Himalayan Cutia, Spotted Laughingthrush and a host of parrotbills
Golden Langur, Capped Langur, Himalayan Goral, Nepal Grey Langur, Yellow-throated Marten, Hodgson's Giant Flying Squirrel, Black Giant Squirrel and Large-eared Pika
low to high elevation forests (including bamboo, coniferous & mixed broad-leafed), pastures, wetlands, rocky slopes, rivers
warm and tropical to temperate and cold, some rain expected
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader, 9 - 12 with 2 Rockjumper leaders
moderate pace, undemanding walks, some long drives
simple lodges and comfortable camping
simple lodges and comfortable camping
320 - 350
buddhist culture, dzongs (temple-fortresses), incredible mountain scenery and magnificent forests, a land little touched by time
excellent
The trip was wonderful. Keith and Glen were wonderful guides. The local "crew" was also excellent, both on a daily basis as well as when we used them for camping. The bus was comfortable. Laundry was available on most 2-night stays. Hotels were good. Food was good, but I think the hotel in Paro was the weakest on the food front. It would have been nice to have 1 meal, just one meal, that was not Bhutanese/Indian. I enjoyed the mixing of the Bhutanese cultural aspects with the birding. I may have small complaints (pillows weren't comfortable), but otherwise I really have nothing negative to say. Good job guys.
The trip was wonderful. Keith and Glen were wonderful guides. The local "crew" was also excellent, both on a daily basis as well as when we used them for camping. The bus was comfortable. Laundry was available on most 2-night stays. Hotels were good. Food was good, but I think the hotel in Paro was the weakest on the food front. It would have been nice to have 1 meal, just one meal, that was not Bhutanese/Indian. I enjoyed the mixing of the Bhutanese cultural aspects with the birding. I may have small complaints (pillows weren't comfortable), but otherwise I really have nothing negative to say. Good job guys.
"Thank you, Rockjumper, for the great birding adventure in Bhutan. And, thank you for providing such an extremely competent guide in Daniel. He was amazing! It was rather incredible, his knowledge of the birds, hearing, seeing and identifying them with lightning speed. We felt lucky to have him as our leader. And, add to that his really delightful and positive spirit over all 14 days. He was awesome! The ""on-the-ground"" Bhutanese guides were fantastic as well. They were so helpful, and joyful to spend our days with. While we waited for birds, they enlightened us culturally, every day. We left Bhutan knowing so much more about where we had visited. Wonderful. We will remember them with much fondness. The driver was also terrific; some of the roads were rather frightening, and he was cautious and skilled and did an excellent job for all of us. A really fabulous adventure for us! Please give our best to Daniel; we hope to travel with him again one of these days."
Yeah this one was as close to perfect as it comes. Talking with Keith, I understand this is a newish itinerary based on road constructions and all so I can't compare to previous years where RJ used to visit the Eastern part of the country but the current itinerary is impeccable, ensuring various habitats and a very good bird list overall. Local guides and logistics were flawless. Camping was simply amazing. Food was great. And traveling with both Glen and Keith is simply amazing. Both have exhaustive knowledge of the birds in Bhutan but also are a gold mine of information on rare sightings, splits, subspecies and other wildlife sightings. Time management was among the best I had in birding trips; balance between rest time, pacing of walks and everything else was perfect. Two small suggestions, which I have already shared with Keith during the trip : the pre-trip documentation, specifically the itinerary descriptions with potential species need to be reviewed. This is minor as basically no one opens up that document while we are traveling but it is still inaccurate in many ways. Also, on long(ish) days where there is a significant gap between breakfast and lunch (eg 5AM to 2PM), more snacks would be needed, something simple like bananas and/or apples depending on availability, just to keep the hungrier people like me a little bit more fed! But overall this trip was a success from A to Z. I already had high expectations for Bhutan but everything was above and beyond.
We finally made it to Bhutan after a wait of 3 years due to Covid! Great trip. the culture, the Bhutanese people and of course, the birds. Those pheasants are incredible! We also got some great butterflies! Andre was a fantastic guide. We enjoyed his relaxed, fun personality and his handling of the group. He has AMAZING birding skills, able to spot stuff moving and able to predict where it might pop out of the shrubbery for a view. His bird call recognition and mimicking was excellent. We did find the group was a bit to large for our liking, so we might explore using RJs private custom tour service.
16 Mar 2025 - 04 Apr 2025 (20 days)
USD10,795 - 2 Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Gregory de Klerk
04 Apr 2025 - 23 Apr 2025 (20 days)
USD10,795 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Nigel Redman
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Bhutan - RBC Main 2023 - March 2023
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom I 2023 - March 2023
Bhutan - Highlights of Winter 2023 - January 2023
Bhutan - Highlights of Winter 2020 - January 2020
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom Exclusive 2019 - April 2019
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom 2019 - March 2019
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom II 2018 - April 2018
Bhutan - Browne 2018 - April 2018
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom I 2018 - March 2018
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom I 2017 - March 2017
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom - Szabo 2017 - February 2017
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom II 2016 - April 2016
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom I 2016 - March 2016
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom II 2015 - April 2015
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