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Where it's at
Bhutan is a land covered with deep forests with a scattering
of tiny settlements and high grazing lands. To visit and get
a feel of the real heart of Bhutan, take a trekking or a camping
trip around the main regions of this tiny country.
Trekker's highlights
A Bhutan trek is physically demanding because of its lengths
and the almost unbelievable changes in elevation. You can
easily walk on the trails - no particular mountaineering experience
is required except a passion for isolated and solitary hiking.
All treks will take you rolling up and down the small hills,
passing through various biospheres hosting a variety of trees
and vegetation. As most treks are in protected areas, there
are good opportunities to see wildlife in its natural habitat.
When to go
The best time to trek in Bhutan is between late September
to mid November. Winter snow and rains limit the ideal trekking
season here to just these two months. During autumn, when
weather-wise Bhutan is perfect, a lot of tourists visit and
the hotels stay absolutely booked.
Travel safety
There are many medical problems that a trekker might encounter
during their trek: -
Snow blindness - This is a temporary, painful condition
resulting from sunburn of the clear surface of the eye. It
comes from heavy exposure to ultraviolet radiation, in a case
where someone is walking on the snow without sunglasses. The
treatment is simply to try to relieve the pain by holding
cold cloths outside the eyelids.
Trekker's knee - Trekking in Bhutan invariably involves
multiple long ascents and descents. If your legs have not
been gradually accustomed to walking uphill and downhill,
there is chance that you may develop some degree of knee soreness.
Blisters - Since the trek involves long walks, blisters
on your feet can occur from repeated rubbing of the skin against
a hard surface of your show or your boot. Try to provide additional
protection to the area that is being rubbed and bring a medical
kit containing different kinds of plasters and bandages.
Trekker's tips
Government rules dictate that all treks must be arranged as
camping trips. This also happens to be the only practical
solution because there are no lodges or hotels in the hills.
There is no trekking gear available in Bhutan so you need
to both bring and carry all your own equipment. Make sure
that the duffel bag that you would be carrying while trekking
does not exceed 15 kilograms to make your hike comfortable. |
