Posts in Bhutan

Bhutan LabRat Run in Review

Bhutan LabRat Run in Review

20 November 23

It was a long but thoroughly worthwhile journey to success, as finally, PaintedRoads' most exclusive tour has run, and what a tremendous exploration it was for me and the ten LabRats who joined our inaugural Bhutan trip.

What with tracking down the perfect partner with whom to operate a tour in this remote Himalayan kingdom, planning the tour, the pandemic, and a post-Covid reopening that could be described as a trifle shakey; there were times it seemed our new adventure through the Himalaya's was not to be. However, when eventually the planets aligned and the tour began, we could not have been more delighted.

Bhutan's unique approach to preserving the land, the environment and the culture means the tourism industry focuses on minimum impact and high quality, ensuring a holiday in Bhutan is as comfortable as it is exclusive and unique.

As always, cycling offers a perfect pace at which to experience the environment and meet the people. Meeting the Bhutanese is as unique as many other aspects of the exclusive land; as the education system is entirely English medium we can chat with almost everyone we meet, and gain a deeper insight into the culture than is usual in Asia.

The cycling is not for the novice, as the riding takes us across passes of up to 4000 metres, with climbs and descents up to sixty kilometres in duration. However, whilst undoubtedly a challenge, it is a satisfying challenge and, those long climbs are shallow and one can settle into the rhythm of a long uphill, and coast down gently with a feeling of a tremendous return for your climbing investment. There is, therefore, plenty of time to take in your surroundings and enjoy the pristine environment and fresh clean air; after all, sixty kilometres is a lot of downhill.

Whilst more than satisfied with the tour, we have made a few improvements for next year's ride. We shortened a couple of days with the inclusion of a new overnight stop, and we added a rest day in a beautiful valley at a point where everyone agreed a rest was needed. The valley is home to Tibetan black-necked cranes that roost here during winter, and in typical Bhutanese style, the electric cables that cross the valley are all buried so as not to disturb the flight and nesting of the winter visitors. Other fauna residing in and around the valley include eagles, muntjac and sambar deer, wild boar, Himalayan bears, foxes, and leopards.

These improvements to the tour have not affected the price of the trip, which will remain the same for next year. 

Bhutan is an exclusive destination, tourism is limited, and in order to keep our groups cordial and convivial we limited numbers to just 12 participants along with your PaintedRoads tour leader (guess who) and our super local guide and his magnificent crew. The date  and full details for next year's Himalayan exploration is now on the PaintedRoads website and can be viewed by clicking here.