The Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators in collaboration with Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) through financial support from Austrian Coordination Office has implemented the project on bicycle tourism in Phobjikha. The project aims to develop and implement a local bicycle rental service in Phobjikha, owned and managed by the local communities involving local bicycle guides as the key players.

Through the project, a bicycle rental services managed by local community is now available in Phobjikha at a reasonable charges of Nu. 1500/day/bicycle, Nu. 900/half day/bicycle and Nu. 600/2 hours/bicycle inclusive of bicycle guide fee for tourism purposes. Total there are 7 trek 4300 series bicycle available for rental with discount of 10% for expatriates and Bhutanese citizen and 50% for Bhutanese students.

A local bicycle guide will welcome and guide you/your guest in and around Phobjikha valley for exploring the country’s largest and most significant wetland and natural winter habitat of the worldwide endangered Black Necked Crane. Your contribution will immensely help in improving rural livelihood and recognising the conservation of the natural habitat.

For further information, please contact Mr. Tek Bdr. from ABTO at 17621385 and for booking, Ms. Tshering Choki from RSPN at 17172141 or community representative directly as follows:

To know more about the Community-based Sustainable Tourism – Phobjikha, please visit their website at www.communitytourism.bt

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2. 15th Crane Festival

This is to inform that the forth coming 15th Annual Black Nacked Crane festival scheduled on November 11^th will be held at Gangtey Gonpa Courtyard in Phobjikha.

The festival will be organized by the Phobjikha Environment Management Committee (PEMC) involving the local people, schools and various institutions. The festival is aimed at educating people about the need for conservation of the environment, cranes and in the process garner the good will support of both the local people and the tourists. The local communities, the monastic institution and the schools collaborate to present a variety of cultural performances including traditional masked and folk dances. The limelight of the festival is the locally choreographed crane dance performed by the local school children with grace and beauty.

 

The festival is celebrated coinciding with the birth anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The festival marks the arrival of the cranes in the valley.   The festival was organized first in 1998 by Royal Society for Protection of Nature to remind the local people about the importance of the conservation of the cranes and its habitats and also to generate some income to finance local conservation initiatives. Now the festival is organized by PEMC.

Starting last year, the PEMC introduced an entry fee of Nu. 500 for every tourist to help sustain the fund for the annual festival.  The fund will also be utilized by the committee to provide better services for the visitors who support the festival and to improve the festival programme.

Click here for the festival programme for your kind reference.