》IMPORTANT NOTE

Now, this is an adventure like none other that OFFBEAT has offered before – to a country that isn’t as easy to travel to or through as other countries (which is also part of its appeal) – so we want to be clear about this incredible adventure to make sure it’s the right fit for you before you consider signing up.

– For starters, this will be the first-ever OFFBEAT adventure that is primarily hiking/trekking. This 11-day, 10-night workshop will see our group spend roughly 2.5 days first drive-touring +hiking to one of Bhutan’s most spectacular sites (the famed “Tiger’s Nest” monastery – Paro Taktsang – a spectacular Himalayan Buddhist temple on the cliffside of the upper Paro valley). We will spend 8 days completely off-the-grid from the regular world (note:  this means self-sufficient camping and almost entirely out of “cell” range/connection to the outside world although we will have communications for emergency purposes only), trekking through some of the most incredible scenery the Himalaya have to offer, doing a portion of what’s known as the Jumolhari Trek.

– The event starting point will be Bangkok, Thailand from where participants will fly to Paro, Bhutan (date TBA).  Participants will need to be in Bangkok and ready to fly in the morning, so it is advisable to arrive in Thailand a little earlier to guard against delays and allow some recovery from jet lag.

– This workshop is primarily trekking/hiking and requires participants to be able to travel primarily under their own power, at elevation, covering distances of up anywhere from 8 to 20 km daily (note: at a slow pace).  Some portions of the hike can be classified as “moderate to difficult”. You do not need to be a technical mountaineer by any means to sign up for this but you DO need to be adventurous and realize that this trip is not about creature comforts (although our guides will make sure it’s still relatively comfortable).

– As mentioned, this will be a workshop that has altitude! Now, altitude impacts everyone in a different way. You can be the fittest person on earth and altitude can impact you in ways you don’t expect. You’re not in a “high Everest” danger zone but you’re up there during portions of this trek for sure…we and our team of guides will do everything to return you safely to a lower level should you’re negatively impacted and feel you can’t go on. 

– This is a trek unlike Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal, which has pretty established tourist facilities (but also thousands and thousands and thousands of trekkers…it’s become the “Iceland of trekking” and can be a bit overwhelming). The beauty of this adventure is we will have most of the areas of the country that we explore to ourselves…but with that comes far less tourist facilities. Our group will be self-sufficient and will camp each night on the trek portion (hotels/lodges for the initial days and touring). We will be with a team of experienced Bhutan local guides who will set up our camp each night (we will stay in a series of two-person tents. NOTE: our guides will set us up nice raised beds and will deliver tea right to your door each morning).

– we will have horses! Yes, horses will carry the camping stuff, all our food, etc. And your bigger bags. You’ll be just expected to carry your own day bag, including camera equipment and water and snacks.