Mountain Biking with Kona world Travel

A unique experience to see Bhutan in 10 days with fully trained Mountain biking guide makes unforgettable and once in a lifetime mountain bike holiday in the fascinating Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.
Moreover this trip is combined with one of the most colorful religious festival in Bhutan, Wangdue Tsechu and half day whitewater rafting in Punakha.
The itinerary is a pioneering and exciting mountain bike adventure which will have you riding a huge range of spectacular trails in the Kingdom of Bhutan.
One of the most exciting aspects is the complete absence of mountain bikers in the country. In Bhutan you will have the opportunity to ride genuinely untouched trails including some of the most thrilling and dramatic single-track we have seen anywhere in the world.
This is an extraordinary land where tourists are the exception rather than the rule. Remote villages, ancient temples, fascinating culture and the exceptionally friendly locals are all part of the Bhutanese way of life.

Day 01: Arrive Paro
Flying in to the country’s only airport, in the beautiful Paro valley, the clear mountain air, forested ridges, imposing monasteries and welcoming Bhutanese people in their striking national dress, provides a breath-taking first impression. Your guide who is going to be with you throughout your trip from Bhutan Wilderness Travel will welcome you at the airport. A fifteen minute drive follows the narrow winding road to our hotel which is a traditional Bhutanese building with attractive gardens and an exceptionally peaceful atmosphere. We have some time before dinner to put our bikes together, in preparation for the start of our journey.
Overnight: Uma Resort

Day 02: Hike to Taktsang
After breakfast, we finish off the bikes and gear up for the first day’s riding. Bike for about an hour to the trail head to hike up to the Taktsang Monastery. This is one of the Buddhist world’s most venerated pilgrimage sites and is known as the Tiger’s Nest. It is said that the Guru Rinpoche came to Taktsang on the back of a tigress and, whilst meditating in a cave, converted the Paro valley to Buddhism. A number of temples have now been built on the site, and these occupy precarious positions, clinging to a black cliff high above the Paro valley. The visit involves a two-hour climb on a steep foot path through beautiful pine forest, many of the trees festooned with Spanish moss, and an occasional grove of fluttering prayer flags. The views are well worth the effort. After spending some time at the monastery, we descend back to the road and bike to our hotel along the dirt farm road.
Duration: 5-6 hours
Overnight: Uma Resort

Day 03: Ha Valley across the Chele La
Biking easily down to the Paro valley from our hotel, we pass through farmland and scattered hamlets to reach the start of our climb to the Chele La. Setting off on our first big climb, we gain height gradually and at some of the turns have glimpses to the north of the snowcapped peaks of the Bhutan Himalaya. Chomolhari and Jichudrake are the biggest peaks at the western end of the country. After approximately 36 kilometres, which may take as long as 5 hours, we reach the prayer flagged summit of the pass at the lofty altitude of 3822 metres. This is pretty high so early in the trip and anyone not feeling up to this challenge can opt to hitch a ride on the support vehicle at any time. At the pass, we will have a snack lunch and plenty to drink and brace ourselves for a breath- taking 20 kilometers descent. After an initial cruise between the trees, we head down into the valley by way of a series of 10 extravagant hairpin turns. Thankfully, there is almost no traffic on this road.
Duration: 5 – 6 hours
Overnight: Rigsum Hotel

Day 04: Bike to Thimphu
Our destination today is the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu, which is 110ks from Ha. Thankfully, this is all on a good and fairly level road-with very little traffic. We start out very easily for 40ks we follow the Ha river gently downhill. We head towards the southeast and then northwards to a junction with Bhutan’s main east-west highway at Chuzom (2068m). Incidentally, the road from Paro also meets main highway here. From here, we follow the Thim Chu upstream through a mixture of rice fields and coniferous forest. We find a suitable wayside spot for a lunch stop and then continue, via a narrow gorge section and a widening of the valley at Namseling. Finally, the quaint suburbs of Thimphu begin to appear. Thimphu is the largest settlement in Bhutan and is spread out across a wide valley. Thimphu has a special charm and it is fascinating to sit and watch a gathering of local people in the town square, wearing their traditional dress and going about their business in a typically unhurried Bhutanese way.
Duration: 6 -7 hours
Overnight: Hotel Jomolhari

Day 05: Across the Dochu La to Punakha
Our stay in Thimphu is only a short one and we breakfast in anticipation of the bike ride that lies ahead of us. The road up to the Dochu La (3050m) involves a 22kms ride and a height gain of 670m. The hillsides on either side of road are covered in a luxuriant temperate forest, with an abundance of rhododendron and magnolia. The lower slopes are even lusher, with orange trees, bananas and bamboo. Several species of deer and monkeys make their home in this forest. We will meet our support vehicle at the pass and have a stop for rest and refreshment. The pass is marked by many prayer flags and chortens and it offers a magnificent panorama of the Eastern Himalaya, including the all of the giant 7000 meter peaks of Lunana in northeastern Bhutan. The downhill from the Dochu La into the Punakha valley will leave you speechless 1700 meters of descent, through lush forest and jungle and spread over a distance of 50 kilometers. After a quick shower and change in the hotel, we take the bus for a side trip to Punakha, Bhutan’s old capital. Lying at the junction of the Mo (Mother) Chu and the Pho (Father) Chu, Punakha Dzong is the winter home for over 1000 monks. Every year the Punakha festival celebrates the famous victory over the Tibetans, who were repulsed whilst trying to recapture the sacred statue of the God of long life, brought to Bhutan by Shabdrung. We have a sightseeing tour of the magnificent Dzong which was built in 1637 and partly restored following a flood 10 years ago.
Duration: 4 – 5 hours
Overnight: Hotel YT

Day 06: Bike to Talo
Challenging climb to the Royal villages of Talo through chirpine forests in the morning is followed by an amazing single-track descent to the ancient temples at Norbugang through beautiful forests of oaks and rhododendrons. Continue biking down the trail along the ridge to Punakha.
Duration: 4-5 Hours
Overnight: Hotel YT

Day 07: Day at Wangdi Phodrang Festival
Today, we will spend our day at the festival in Wangdi Phodrang Dzong, another district that is not so far down stream towards the south of Punakha. This festival is celebrated annually in the fall in honor of Guru Padmasambhava, popularly known as Guru Rinpoche to commemorate his great deeds. Both lay people and monks perform the dances of the Tsechu. The dancers take on the aspects of wrathful and compassionate deities. The dances known as Cham bring blessings upon onlookers, to instruct them in the teachings of the Buddhist Dharma, to protect them from misfortune, and to exorcise evil influences. Deities are invoked during the dances; through their power and benediction, misfortunes may be annihilated, luck increased and wishes realized. It is also a social gathering where the people rejoice together, dressed in their finest clothing and jewelry.
Overnight: Hotel YT

Day 08: Around Punakha ride and rafting
This day combines great sightseeing with the first ever designed mountain biking trail in Bhutan and a white water rafting descent. Riding down the valley, the massive artchitechural building of 17th century Punakha Dzong (fortress) soon looms into view; Built in 1637 by Zhabdrung Nawang Namgyel in a commanding position at the confluence of Pho Chu And Mochu ( Male and female rivers) it is the second oldest Dzong. It served as the seat of the kingdom’s government until 1955 and today functions as the winter home of je khenpo, the head abbot of Bhutan, along with the retinue of 1000 monks. After a look around we head out on an exiting single- track trail along the Po Chu to Samdingkha and picnic lunch will be serve at the put- in for the rafting. This wonderful class three river is a great introduction to whitewater with some fun intermediate rapids. It ends up passing under Punakha Dzong back at the confluence. This exhilarating ride will take you through a series of fast and calm waters allowing you to experience both the thrill of conquering whitewater and the landscape up close.
Duration: 4 – 5 hours
Overnight: Hotel YT

Day 09: Back to Paro
This morning, we will take a drive back to Paro via Thimphu. We will have lunch and spend some time in Thimphu shopping or just walking along the street before we proceed to Paro. Thimphu has a special charm and it is fascinating to sit and watch a gathering of local people in the town square, wearing their traditional dress and going about their business in a typically unhurried Bhutanese way.
Duration: 6 – 7 hours
Overnight: Uma Resort

Day 10: Departure
After breakfast in the hotel, drive to the airport in time to catch up your onward flight. Your escort from Bhutan wilderness travels will bid you farewell, and soon the remote and legendary Dragon Kingdom disappears again behind its guardian mountains.
Tashi Delek!