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Terra Nova Travel
Professional trip designing for the inquisitive, independent and intrepid
NTBG Bhutan
As a trustee of the NTBG (National Tropical Botanical Garden),
Christina Wilson lead a very unusual trip to Bhutan, the Kingdom
of the Dragon.
Designed with NTBG's interest in gardens, flora and ethnobotany in mind, the tour took place in April 2002 when all the forest rhododendrons and orchids were at the height of their bloom.
In Paro Mrs. Rebecca Pradhan, a noted naturalist in Bhutan, presented a private slide show to the group. Mrs. Pradhan and invited guests, including staff of the Royal Society for Protection of Nature, Director of Dept. of Conservation, Government of Bhutan, and Director of World Wildlife Fund, Bhutan dined with tour members who then could continue to learn in a more informal setting about Bhutan's conservation efforts. One of the beautiful examples of local fauna - the Orchid
For a first hand observation of Bhutan's conservation programs, in the Phobjhika Valley sites, NTBG members visited the Crane Observation and Education Center in the Phobjhika Valley which has been designated as a conservation area, and sits on the edge of Black Mountain National Park. NTBG and our tour operator, KarmaQuest contributed to the Crane Observation and Education Center as this trips community service project. RSPN, and WWF have developed interpretive material aimed to reduce the impacts of tourism on the crane habitat. Our tour operator, KarmaQuest strives to promote ecotourism awareness and the conservation of the Black Necked Crane. Terra Nova Travel partners with smaller companies who have a passion and sincere commitment to preserving planet.
On a cultural note, no trip to Bhutan would be complete without
observing one of this tiny kingdom's local festivals. The Ura
Tshechu Festival is unique as it is more rustic than others. The
dances are purported to bring blessing to the audience to
protect them from misfortune or evil, while delivering messages
and moral teachings of the dharma. The performers were all
ordinary people who enjoyed interacting with the visitors. The
colorful festivities began around 10:00am and ended by 2:00p.m.
Another highlight of the tour was the less traveled Gangtey-Gogona trek. Despite the spring rain, the rewards of the spectacular enormous rhododendron stands, abloom in shades of red, pink, white, and the forests of juniper, magnolia, and bamboo outweighed any physical discomfort. One of the more exciting moments was riding in a box car on the track down to the trail head.
Although this tour was open only to NTBG members, Terra Nova Travel can design your own Bhutanese adventure. The photos, courtesy of Bob Peirce, are representative of this remote mountain monarchy.