BUILDING: WILDERNESS TREKS

Flora and Fauna

More than 60 percent of the endemic plant species of the eastern Himalayas can be found within Bhutan. Of the 5500 known species of vascular plants, 50 or more are endemic to Bhutan itself. Although a comprehensive description of Bhutanese flora is yet to be formulated, it is accepted that several species are highly valuable for their conservation properties. These include some for Alkaloids and gene pools for crop research, and those that are potential horticultural crops.
770 bird species in Bhutan have been recorded in Bhutan and much still remain unknown. Snow leopard, blue sheep, red panda, tiger, takin, marmot and musk deer are some of the species found in the high altitude. Temperate zone fauna include Tiger, leopard, goral, gray langur, Himalayan black beer, red panda, sambar, wild pig, and barking deer. The tropical forests in the south have tiger, clouded leopard, elephants, one horned Rhinoceros, water buffalo, golden langur, gaur, swamp deer, hog deer horn bills etc.

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People and Language: The country's population of 600, 000 is composed of three main ethnic groups. The Sharchopas, who are considered to be the earliest inhabitants of Bhutan, live mostly in Eastern Bhutan and they are of Indo-Mongoloid origin. The Ngalops populate mostly Western Bhutan migrated from the Tibetan plains and are the importers of Buddhism to Bhutan. The Lhotsampas who are of Nepalese origin settled in the southern foothills of the country in the early twentieth century. This ethnic diversity of the people has resulted in numerous dialects and languages that are spoken throughout the country. Dzongkha is the National language. English is the medium of instruction in schools and is widely spoken. With approximately 95 percent of its people practicing traditional farming, Bhutan is an agrarian society where people live close to the land that sustains them. Their eco-friendly practices are in part responsible for Bhutan's designation as a biodiversity "hot-spot."

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Religion / Festival:
Festivals in Bhutan have reputations for being raucous, joyous affairs. The most popular for tourists are those held in Thimphu, Paro and Bumthang and are also the most easily accessible. They mark the busiest time of the year for the tourism industry. Religious festivals (Tsechu) are important events and celebrated throughout the kingdom of Bhutan. The tsechus are the most colorful event and all Bhutanese gathers and celebrate at every Dzongs (fortress), temples, and monasteries. All the districts, dzongs and a large number of villages in the east, hold annual tsechus, which attract people from far and wide.
The main purpose of these festivals is to ward off evil through music, dancing and rituals and to bring good fortune to the next year. Following are some of the most fascinating festivals you might be interested in participating in. If you are interested in any of these festivities and wish to attend them, we strongly suggest that you book your trip well in advance, as seats availability on Druk Air during these periods are limited.

Tentative Bhutan festivals schedule 2008:

Note: All efforts have been made to confirm the festival dates accurately. The dates of the festivals, however, change from year to year because they are based on Lunar calendar, which itself changes every year.

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