TESTIMONIALS WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY “A few kind words from good friends are worth more than gold,” according to an old Bhutanese saying. We could spend the time trying to toot our horn, or we could let our guests—among the many who continue to refer us to their friends and family—speak for us. Frankly, we prefer the latter. So we can focus on what we do best; putting together the top-notch experiences that create sentiments like these: “In an attempt to share an overall impression of my journey, I began by saying, ‘It was life-altering’. So many changes took place within me during this adventure, on every level. My place in the world, my heart-space, all have been expanded beyond my dreams. For this monumental learning experience, I am forever grateful.” - Laurel W. “Through the eyes of a select few informed leaders we saw the dilemmas of a culture: A hitherto sheltered nation discovering the arguments for and against remaining a cloistered society in this 21st Century. I loved the adventure, and I loved the discovery. Unlike anything else I have ever experienced! ” - Lola W. “ I loved the fact that there were planned activities but with flexibility built in. On one occasion we got to sit with a monk as he recited his morning prayers and my guide stayed there with me—there was never any pressure to progress—yet he was always ready to move on when I was. I loved every moment of my time with your company and I hope to return again to Bhutan. I am strongly recommending that anyone traveling to Asia should consider discovering Bhutan with your team. Thank you for the great memories!” - Tony H. “ There are no words to describe what a fabulous journey your team put together for me! Thank you for arranging not only the most wonderful journey of my life, but one which has had a profound impact on me.” - Julica F. “ There are so many things that we recall each day that remind us how special this trip was for us. It was about seeing, feeling and understanding the spirit of the place, and perhaps it was partly about finding answers to some very personal questions. You shared your country with respect, humor, grace, patience, and with great care. We carry extraordinary memories of an extraordinary trip!” - Lois C. “ What will always be a wonderful trip was made all the more special by the personal touches of the excellent guides and staff. They shared their families, their thoughts and their reflections on life. In short it was like traveling with a really close and fun group of friends.” - Karen H. “ It is impossible to list all the great events, mental images and stimuli to all my senses, most especially my renewed sense of adventure! About all I can say is that this journey with you certainly was the most amazing voyage I’ve ever made…” - Jacques L. “ Thanks again for arranging such a wonderful trip!” - Paul G. “ Our two weeks traveling with you in Bhutan will always be treasured. We had such a special trip because of all the personal connections you made for us. Thank you very much for the trip of a lifetime!” - Mick F.

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THIS MONTH'S In Focus Our field dispatches about special events and highlights of travel in Bhutan LATEST POSTS The Magnificent Madness of Bhutan's Wild Rhododendron Blooms Read Article Waiting for the annual return of Bhutan's 'Birds of Heaven' Read Article The pomp and festivity of Bhutan's warriors pageant Read Article More Suggested Reading TRAVEL SNAPSHOTS GUEST VIGNETTES INSIGHTS LEARN MORE LONG READS GOING DEEPER TRIP ARCHIVES PAST JOURNEYS

Project Name Three 2023 Client Name Three I'm a paragraph. I'm connected to your collection through a dataset. To update me, go to the Data Manager. The Data Manager is where you store data to use in your site pages, or collect data from site visitors when they submit a form. This collection in the Data Manager is already set up with some fields and content. To customize it with your own content, you can import a CSV file or simply edit the placeholder text. You can also add more fields which you can connect to other page elements so the content displays on your published site. Remember to sync the collection so your content is live! You can add as many new collections as you need to store or collect data. With Presets, we’ve handled the page set up for you, but you can create the exact same functionality in your other site pages. To connect page elements to data, the first step is to add a dataset to the page and choose the collection you want to use. From the dataset Settings panel, you can filter or sort the available items, decide how your users can interact with the page (read/write), and more. Next, select the element you want to connect to the data, and choose the field you want to connect it to. So simple! If you want to add even more capabilities, enable Developer Tools to use JavaScript and APIs to add custom interactions and functionality to your site. To see what’s possible and get answers to your questions, check out the Wix Code Forum. Previous Next

THIS MONTH'S Long Reads Deep dive with a textile journalist to learn about Bhutan's rich weaving traditions, explore why art in Bhutan is rarely about the artist, and read about what makes Bhutanese people happy (hint: it's about family) READ ARTICLES Bhutan Himalaya Aug 12, 2016 5 min Sacred Expression: Bhutan's Buddhist Arts Writer, Artist & Ceramicist Rachel Davey on the Buddhist arts or Bhutan. On a table near the studio door, figures of dream multiply.... 98 views 0 comments 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 Bhutan Himalaya Jun 3, 2009 5 min Traveling to learn about Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness policy Karma Dorji, Bhutan Himalaya Expeditions Sharing a slice of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness with two New York Times journalists... 400 views 0 comments 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 More Suggested Reading TRAVEL SNAPSHOTS GUEST VIGNETTES INSIGHTS LEARN MORE FEATURE ARTICLES FOR YOUR INFORMATION TRIP ARCHIVES PAST JOURNEYS

Opening the doors to Bhutan since 1999 Who we are We are a team of well-connected guides and trip leaders, with operations in Bhutan and the U.S. We offer in-depth, intimate, and authentic journeys across the transformational landscape of Bhutan with travel extensions in the region. Since 1999, we have arranged in-depth expeditions to Bhutan for New York Times journalists, fine-art photographers, writers, Buddhist teachers, avid trekkers and a wide range of discerning travelers. Learn more about the Bhutan Himalaya Difference. A diverse range of travelers At Bhutan Himalaya Expeditions, we have worked with an incredibly diverse range of travelers including textile enthusiasts, avid outdoor enthusiasts, New York Times journalists, multi-generational families, birders, mountaineers, artists, medical, dental, eye-clinic missions, writers, photographers, artists and more. Over the years their individual traveling styles, interests and needs have made us skilled in responding to the widest range of situations which means that we are just as great at handling complex logistics as at staying flexible enough to seize the spontaneous opportunities that make travel such sparkling, meaningful and, even, life-changing human experiences. (See our Guests Gallery below) ​ Bhutan at your pace Traveling in a group, if not handled properly, can feel impersonal and rushed. When you sign up with us we always see that you have reasonable personalized access to our guides and staff to ensure you never feel as if you are holding up the group. Our journeys have enriched the lives of our many guests, a great number of whom have described their journeys as transformational , and who continue to refer us to new travelers. We are proud of the fact that most of our new guests come to us from word-of-mouth introductions from our past travelers. This , in turn, enables us to continue nurturing our expanding web of cross-cultural friendship and discovery. ​ Expanding Options Our volunteer journeys provide opportunities to give back and do some good in the communities where we travel. Our past “voluntouring” trips have included short-term projects for families with high school teens, retired professionals and travelers with backgrounds in health & medicine. Our culinary journeys, village-to-village ride and camp horseback tours and our winter treks to Southern Bhutan’s recently re-opened Royal Manas National Park are thoughtfully expanding the range of travel options available in the kingdom. ​ ​Sharing Bhutan is our Passion We believe that we provide travelers with a deeply meaningful window to a way of life that is inherently balanced, sane and compassionate. We proudly continue to share our rich Bhutanese heritage with respect, sensitivity, and in the firm belief that Bhutan has a remarkable perspective to share with the rest of the world. GUESTS GALLERY

The Bhutan Himalaya Difference As a longtime travel outfitter specializing in journeys to the Kingdom of Bhutan, we offer intimate, delightful, and transformational journeys across our beautiful corner of the Himalayas. Here are a few reasons why we think you should travel with us: We Don’t Outsource Your Trip With us you have the assurance of knowing that when you book your travel to Bhutan, you are making your reservations directly with the people responsible for running your trip once you arrive in the country. At Bhutan Himalaya Expeditions, we are actively engaged in all levels of designing, offering, booking, and guiding your trip in Bhutan. That is as local as it gets. We have one of the Highest Guide-to-Guest Ratios in the Country Imagine traveling in small groups with well-versed, articulate, and fun Bhutanese friends. That, in short, is how our trips are run. Our high guide-to-guest ratio makes it possible for everyone to feel personally cared for. It also enables our staff to share their wealth of insights and cultural connections in relaxed and meaningful ways with each trip member. We Don’t do the Crowded Tour Bus Thing ​ Traveling with other people can be fraught with annoyances if everyone is traveling in close quarters much of the time. We generally use smaller vans and four wheel drives that enable us to get in and out of the more popular sights before the crowded tour buses arrive. The result is a smoother, more flexible travel experience for everyone. We are Embedded in the Culture All our trip leaders and guides were born and raised in Bhutan and come from different parts of the country featured on our trips; the reason why they are often welcomed back to the places we visit with the affection reserved for well-loved community insiders. We Offer Different Perspectives Our local connections in Bhutan are rooted in the multi-generational bonds of kinship that each trip leader brings to our team. Our friends and family include senior monastic elders, diplomats, government leaders, intellectuals, farmers, artisans and people all walks of life. With us you have the opportunity to understand first hand what makes Bhutan so special in an increasingly complex and challenging world. We Bring You Genuine Local Insights Our expert Bhutanese team of guides and leaders work hard to make every journey a rare and intimate travel experience. We have the in-depth connections, commitment and local involvement it takes to open the doors to truly authentic and insightful experiences in Bhutan. Whether arranging a private dinner with local dignitaries or being invited to local homes and temples, we open the doors to Bhutan as only respected insiders can.

| SLIDESHOW | BLACK-NECKED CRANES | Slideshow: Waiting for Black-necked Cranes Images from our recent journey to catch the annual arrival of Bhutan's elegant Black-necked Cranes. Scroll down to read caption details. For similar upcoming departures for 2018 & '19, please see On the Wings of a Prayer. Swipe left on image for Next Slide; right for Previous Slide; scroll down for caption READ CAPTION 1. Window of Opportunity The Bhutanese countryside wakes slowly outside our scalloped windows in Paro valley where most of our journeys begin. Paro has the country's only international airport and is one of the Bhutan's three main "cities." But even here, the country's agrarian heart is clearly visible. This view of the fertile rice paddies of Paro coincides with the golden post-harvest season. Crisp clear mornings, dazzling days and the sparkling Bhutanese country side are the norm as we journey east toward the gateway valley of Phobjikha to catch the arrival of Bhutan's rare and endangered Black-necked Cranes. We have always managed to time this journey well (for upcomg trip dates & itinerary see Celebrating Bhutan's Black-necked Cranes) but fluctuations in annual migratory patterns due to weather, climate, human interference and a host of other reasons beyond our control mean there is always a possibility we may miss this window of opportunity. Slideshow: Waiting for Black-necked Cranes Images from our recent journey to catch the annual arrival of Bhutan's elegant Black-necked Cranes. Scroll down to read caption details. For similar upcoming departures for 2018 & '19, please see On the Wings of a Prayer. READ CAPTION 2. Enter the Buddha On our way east to see the Black-necked Cranes, the museums, markets and cultural importance of Bhutan's capital, Thimphu, makes it an obligatory stop. Also obligatory is the trip up the mountain to see the burnished Buddha Dordenma statue, which rises above the capital like Christ the Redeemer above Brazil's Rio de Janeiro, a visible landmark from nearly every distance in the valley. Rio's landmark is 125-feet tall while Thimphu's Buddha is 169-feet. The giant Buddha includes a kora at its base, a ritual circular path around the image that Buddhist faithfuls walk as part of their devotions at various points in the day. Of particular note is the fact that visitors can enter the giant Buddha through its gilded doors near the base. Inside, it becomes a full-scale temple where one can meditate and make religious offerings. Sitting in front of the Dordenma (a name that means "Seated on the Diamond Throne") we offer prayers that we have timed our arrival in central Bhutan for a successful viewing of the cranes. Slideshow: Waiting for Black-necked Cranes Images from our recent journey to catch the annual arrival of Bhutan's elegant Black-necked Cranes. Scroll down to read caption details. For similar upcoming departures for 2018 & '19, please see On the Wings of a Prayer. READ CAPTION 3. A Fortress of Faith One of our many stops in the capital is the beautiful 17th century building which houses the offices of His Majesty the King of Bhutan and other important branches of government as well as Buddhist shrines, temples, and a fully functioning national monastery which has been open for centuries. Bhutan's constitution states that government must be grounded in the happiness of its people. In Bhutan, both government and happiness are thought to be inseparable from the tenets of Himalayan Buddhism, which expresses harmony between the spiritual and the practical through art, architecture and good governance. Seen in this light the building that protects the spiritual needs of the people while housing national entities that pursue progressive policies for a secure future—such as the Commission for Gross National Happiness, charged with balancing modernity with life-satisfaction for Bhutanese citizens—seems richly deserving of the title Tashichhodzong which, translated, means Fortress of Faith . Slideshow: Waiting for Black-necked Cranes Images from our recent journey to catch the annual arrival of Bhutan's elegant Black-necked Cranes. Scroll down to read caption details. For similar upcoming departures for 2018 & '19, please see On the Wings of a Prayer. READ CAPTION 4. A Double Rainbow The road to Phobjikha, sometimes called "Valley of the Cranes" because of its significance as one of the main wintering grounds for the Black-necked Cranes in Bhutan, passes through the lush Black Mountain Range. During our drive, a sudden unseasonal shower rinses the countryside and blesses us with a double-rainbow which we take to be a lucky sign! Slideshow: Waiting for Black-necked Cranes Images from our recent journey to catch the annual arrival of Bhutan's elegant Black-necked Cranes. Scroll down to read caption details. For similar upcoming departures for 2018 & '19, please see On the Wings of a Prayer. READ CAPTION 5. Praying for Cranes While on the road, I have been calling our contacts at the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (which oversees Crane Conservation) as well as the on-site manager of the Crane Observatory in Phobjikha. The news is discouraging. There hasn't been a single crane sighting and no movement in the skies have been noted even though crane observers in the valley have been scanning the skies to distraction. So we get busy as soon as we arrive in the valley. While waiting for the cranes to arrive, we host an impromptu private Buddhist blessing for our guests, with special prayers thrown in for the cranes. Slideshow: Waiting for Black-necked Cranes Images from our recent journey to catch the annual arrival of Bhutan's elegant Black-necked Cranes. Scroll down to read caption details. For similar upcoming departures for 2018 & '19, please see On the Wings of a Prayer. READ CAPTION 6. A Celestial Hike Day 3 in the valley and still no cranes. After a morning phone chat with my father who spent part of his youth here, I take his advice and launch a day hike to a hidden corner of Phobjikha where the views are spectacular. ​ For some time in the late 1940s, my grandfather served as the Shaa Droom (more formally, Drungpa ), a title given to the regional governor appointed by the king to administer Phobjikha and its subsidiary valleys. According to family lore, my father was carried on horseback numerous times in and out of the valley as child and, later, as a youth, hiked its many high passes and ridges with my grandfather on official tours and seasonal migrations. Descending from the 12,139-foot pass between Phobjikha and Drang Haa valley to the east—along a trail that my grandfather walked many times back in the day when roads were non-existent in Bhutan—the skies open up to a heavenly light. The valley’s celebrated "Birds of Heaven" still have not arrived but I think this view is pretty celestial on its own! Slideshow: Waiting for Black-necked Cranes Images from our recent journey to catch the annual arrival of Bhutan's elegant Black-necked Cranes. Scroll down to read caption details. For similar upcoming departures for 2018 & '19, please see On the Wings of a Prayer. READ CAPTION 7. A Second Rainbow The day ends with another spectacular rainbow which greets us on our return from the high pass between Phobjikha and Drang Haa valleys. The village of Kumbu where the house at the end of the rainbow is located, is a small and hidden community on the high slopes of the valley. The people here still practice an ancient religion that blends shamanistic Bon and the more mainstream Vajrayana Buddhism. A cousin who is from the area but currently in Australia reminds me on my social media feed that everyone here is either named Kumbu after the village, or Sigay, for Angay ("Grandmother") Sigay Gyem, an old Bon spirit who is the designated "protector" of the valley. Slideshow: Waiting for Black-necked Cranes Images from our recent journey to catch the annual arrival of Bhutan's elegant Black-necked Cranes. Scroll down to read caption details. For similar upcoming departures for 2018 & '19, please see On the Wings of a Prayer. READ CAPTION 8. Hope Fades Day breaks over the sleepy valley outside my window without so much as a feather stirring the air below me. I know we have played our best hand by being here well into the first week of November—in previous years, early cranes arrived mid-October while the late arrivals came before the 1st of November—there is no sign of the much-anticipated Black-necked Cranes. I can't help feeling disappointed. ​ Making a final call to the crane observatory, I'm told what I have already confirmed with my early morning scan of the skies. And yet I have a persistent, if rapidly fading, hope. So, after a quick discussion with the rest of my team we decide to delay our departure into the afternoon. ​A picnic lunch in the valley first, and we'll leave if the cranes haven't arrived. Slideshow: Waiting for Black-necked Cranes Images from our recent journey to catch the annual arrival of Bhutan's elegant Black-necked Cranes. Scroll down to read caption details. For similar upcoming departures for 2018 & '19, please see On the Wings of a Prayer. READ CAPTION 9. Arrival! Sometime late morning, we are out for a final walk on the valley floor with the guests. ​Two things happen at once. I notice five or six tiny specks in the sky that make my heart leap. My phone begins to buzz without stopping. The cranes are here! Then the first familiar cries announcing their arrival as they glide past a stand of prayer flags in front of us, sweeping gracefully, wingspans wide. The guides are pointing at the sky, helping the delighted guests pinpoint the arriving cranes. Everyone is laughing giddily and taking pictures of incoming cranes. Then, with an audible whoosh of wings, they fly over us in what feels like a personalized blessing! I can only manage to get some blurry shots with my camera as they go by but I feel completely happy. By the end of lunchtime we count a total of 14 birds, adults and juveniles together, the first group of Black-necked Cranes to arrive in 2017, at the end of their epic annual migration over the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. Slideshow: Waiting for Black-necked Cranes Images from our recent journey to catch the annual arrival of Bhutan's elegant Black-necked Cranes. Scroll down to read caption details. For similar upcoming departures for 2018 & '19, please see On the Wings of a Prayer. READ CAPTION 10. A Kind of Benediction Later that evening I read my journal entry from the morning: ​ Good morning from the Gangtey valley, where the annual return of the rare and endangered Black Necked Cranes is awaited with bated breath. Nearby, the 17th Century Gangtey Monastery provides a calm reminder that time is a relative notion. I dedicate the stillness of this morning to the sacred cranes who must make the arduous and heroic journey from the Tibetan Plateau and beyond, over the cold and jagged Himalayas, to grace the valley again with their familiar and reassuring presence through the harsh winter in this high region of the Bhutan Himalaya. Before going to bed that night, I add: ​ And then, to our great good fortune, mere hours before we leave this blessed valley, after two auspicious rainbow sightings, Bhutan’s 'Birds Of Heaven' have arrived in the Gangtey-Phobjikha valley as they have for hundreds of years, bringing joy to locals and visitors alike. I feel the blessings of their presence in my heart as a kind of benediction!" *** Footnote: A total of 504 Black-necked cranes were recorded in Phobjikha valley by end 2017; According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the world-wide population of mature BNCs worldwide is estimated at 6,600-6,800 (updated 2017) with continuing decline in the overall global population. Bhutan Himalaya supports crane conservation in the valley through visitor's fees and other contributions. ​ By Karma Dorji An account, in words and images, of a November 2017 journey to Bhutan's Phobjikha valley, where the rare and elegant Black-necked Cranes are the season's much anticipated guests. Inspired? See dates and prices for our upcoming Black-necked Cranes journey On the Wings of a Prayer ; for more on Black-necked Cranes in Bhutan read our feature article about the cranes. Like this? Get similar features & travel information delivered to your inbox with the Bhutan Himalaya Newsletter