Langur Eco Travels — Local services in Thimphu District

We spend a wonderful 21days in Bhutan at the end of Feb/start of March this year with Langur-Eco Travels (also known as Bhutan Birding Tours – don’t be put off by the two names they are one and the same). We organised by email directly with Chubzang Tangbi. He was very accommodating in altering one of his “suggested” schedules so that we could incorporate cultural sights and events as well as the birding and animal watching. The only struggle we had before getting there was getting the British banks to enable you to pay Bhutan directly! But Chubzang came up with a solution which worked. Getting there was smooth –and even better than that we saw sunrise over Everest on the way in, but as the flights into Paro are dependent on visibility I would advise that you spend a night in Delhi prior to your Paro Flight (and on the way back spend a night Delhi before moving on). Once in Bhutan it was magical, the Bhutanese are lovely the pace of life is slow and this makes for a gentle and wonderful holiday. Having said that we walked about 7 miles a day and saw over 300 bird species and 17 different kinds of animals, including the Red Panda! We went just the two of us and had Sonam (guide) and Tobgay (driver). They were the dream team. Sonam was brilliant at recognising bird song, enabling us to stop and get out the car to listen and look for the birds. Typically, we then continued on foot for a while before getting back in the car. Tobgay was an excellent driver and his sharp eyes enabled us to see many birds and animals. It was great to see and watch the birds and animals in their natural habitat. We saw much more than we had expected given the high level of forestation – indeed the trees themselves are magnificent. Throughout we never felt rushed and felt we could watch the birds and animals for as long as we wished. Indeed, when we saw the first Red Panda we must have watched him for at least an hour – it was magical. We enjoyed the cultural visits to the Dzongs and monasteries. They helped in our understanding of the culture and Buddhism. Sonam was great at helping us understand the many images of the temples and about Buddhism. These helped our understanding for when we climbed to the Tigers Nest – something not to be missed. We were treated in one of the temples to Buddhist monks chanting and playing on their instruments, sitting and listening to this was a very fitting end to the holiday. Despite comments that we had seen on the internet, the food throughout Bhutan was tasty and not too hot. We always ended up with about 6 dishes, even for breakfast on the top of a hill by the Monastery overlooking the Himalayas. A culinary experience that I was not expecting. Throughout the holiday the accommodation was clean and comfortable. As you might imagine by the end of the holiday the whole culture had seeped into our bones and we felt incredibly calm and chilled. We would highly recommend a holiday in Bhutan and we would definitely use Langur-Eco Travel for...

My friend and I went on private 16 day bird photography tour with Langer Eco Travels.

From the very first email the correspondence with Chubzang (the owner of the company) was quick and friendly, with every question being answered thoroughly.

Upon arrival we were greeted by Sonam our guide, and our driver, Getty. We immediately felt welcomed and cared for. Every detail was addressed and looked after.

We can't say enough about Sonam's ability as a guide and as a wonderful person in general. We shared lots of laughs and thoroughly enjoyed our time spent with him. His ability to hear, identify and find birds was like something I had never experienced before. Due to an unfortunate personal situation Sonam had to leave us.

Chubzang then joined us, picking up from where we left off without a hitch. We enjoyed another great week with equal enthusiasm, talent and hospitality.

Our driver was fantastic. We never felt a moment of uneasiness; driving on some of the craziest roads we've ever experienced. The vehicles we traveled in were super comfortable and safe.

The accommodations were better than we had expected and met our needs in everyway. We were given the option to go to a jungle camp. This was one of the best decisions we made on the trip.

The food was plentiful, fresh and generally served family style. We especially enjoyed our picnic breakfasts, coffee breaks and roadside lunches. Our little table would be set up overloking amazing vistas and beautiful scenery.

Bhutan is a breathtaking country with an amazing culture. We had the opportunity to visit outstanding monasteries and dzongs. Sonam and Chubzang were also cultural guides in addition to their phenomenal birding talents. We learned a lot about Buddhism, the country's history, conservation efforts and the current challenges that exist and those that lay head. It became evident that progress cannot be stopped even in the kingdom of Bhutan.

If you are thinking of going we recommend doing so sooner than later. Still relatively missed by tourists one can appreciate the authenticity, purity and wonder of this...

Bhutan was beautiful. From the time we arrived at the airport to see the colorful architecture and the picture of the king and his family, we knew we were in a unique place. Much of the country still retains its natural forest. Hillsides in the higher elevations were covered with flowering rhododendrons when we were there. Since we were on a birding trip, those plants and trees gave great cover for a huge variety of birds. Our guides from Langur Ecotravel were great at seeking out the many locales where the birds could be viewed. Even the least experienced birders among us (my husband and I) saw more than 300 species of birds. Since there were so few towns to stop for meals, Langur Ecotravels provided us with our own meal crew! Our day started early, but by the time we needed breakfast, the crew had found a beautiful site to set up our meal in the open. As we moved on to more birding, the meal crew cleaned up, packed up, and moved on to find a spot for lunch. We were spoiled by having it all taken care of for us. Our guide, Sonam, was a fountain of information on the country and the birds. Sonam's assistant, Sonam 2, and the driver shared their knowledge and spotting skills as well. Sonam had the patience to point out the birds if we struggled to spot them and the knowledge to find and wait out the skulkers--those birds that just didn't want to be seen. We also had the great luck to see a red panda in the wild--which we knew was an unlikely event. What a treat! Bhutan was a destination that few of our friends were aware of, but we are sharing our appreciation of the country and its birds and Langur Travels with our friends so they will consider a visit...