Bigfoot Adventure Trekkers (Tours) combines all Tours, Trekking, and Adventures of both the mind and the body. Generally our tours combine with short hikes or also sometime with long treks (and walks for less energetic and aged ones). For others who do not like physical exercises, we provide cultural trips for those keen on exploring Bhutan’s artistic, religious and cultural heritage, and nature adventures such as Birds, animals and flower watching, sightseeing and trips to country’s prized parks and sanctuaries for nature lovers. Bigfoot Adventure Trekkers (Tours) will also arrange tailor made programs for their clients.

Tour Escorts | Birding | Fishing | Annual Black Necked Crane Festival

Tour Escorts

All our Tours are escorted by well-trained, knowledgeable guides, certified by the Department of Tourism. Most of the guides are English speaking but Japanese, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian speaking guides could also be provided with prior information and on additional cost.

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Birding

Bhutan is a paradise for the Bird watchers. On the world scale, the country is recognized as formingthe major part of an area of especially high biological diversity known as the Eastern Himalayan ' Hot spot'. Over 616 bird species have been recorded in Bhutan so far and many more species are likely to occur. This is a large number for the size of the country. There are ten bird species in Bhutan, which have been identified as globally threatened by Bird life International. These include the Black-necked Crane, one of the World's rarest and least known cranes, which traditionally winters in Bhutan, the Rufous-necked Hornbill, Blyth's Tragopan, Blyth's King fisher, Ward's Trogon, chestnut breasted Partridge, white bellied Heron, Wood snipe and Pallas's Fish Eagle. In addition, Bhutan is also home to winter visitors which breed farther north, such as migrant thrushes and for many breeding summer migrants including cuckoos and flycatchers. Most of Bhutan's resident birds are Altitudinal migrants, which move up and down the mountains depending on the season and weather conditions. Bhutan may also be internationally important for 114 species, which may have significant breeding population in the country. These birds have breeding ranges, which are restricted to an area encompassing the Himalayas, northeast India, northern south East Asia and southwest china.

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Fishing

Bhutan is one of the rich watersheds of four main rivers namely Toorsa, Raidak, Sunkosh and Manas flowing from high Himalayan glacier of the North to the Indian plains in the South. These four river catchments practically cover the whole of Bhutan. The Royal Government of Bhutan has rehabilitated most of the rivers and lakes in the higher altitude with Brown Trout imported from western Himalayas with an intention to keep water potable on sustainable basis. This program was launched during early '50. The lakes and rivers of Bhutan present another interesting habitat. No survey of the types of fish has yet been under taken. Forty-two species have been recorded but potentially there may be an additional two hundred, because rivers all join the Brahmaputra beyond the border of Assam and are enriched by the stocks of that river. The greatest variety is found in the lower-lying river sections. Mainly in the winter months, when the water level is low, some fish migrate from the Brahmaputra to the higher sections of the Bhutanese rivers in order to spawn. The snow trout [Schizothraichthys progastus] is very common and popular. It is not a trout at all but belongs to the carp family, can grow up to fifty centimeters and loves swift waters. It migrates to the highest region for spawning, afterwards returning to the lower areas. In the swift brooks of the high mountains up to an altitude of 2,770 meters, brown trout (Salmo trutta) can be found; they are not indigenous, but seem to have been released. These fast-flowing rivers have produced a fish that is ideally adapted to high flux. The barbs (Garra gotyla gotyla) have a sucking disc on their underside, which enables them to attach themselves to stones. They feed on algae and attain a length of 15 centimeters. At present it has been observed that most of the rivers and lakes between the elevation of 5,000 to 16,000 feet above the sea level are well populated with the brown trout and the Royal Government has started culling of excess population by issuing fishing licenses as a luxurious sport based on both social, cultural and scientific plans approved by the Government. We offer two fishing trips in and around Bhutan. Please take a look and let us know if you are interested. We recommend you to combine it with cultural tours. Most of the rivers are accessible by motorable roads where as the lakes are NOT. The rivers usually flood during the monsoon season starting from June to August and all the lakes are inaccessible during the winter months (November, December, January and February) due to heavy snowfalls.

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Annual Black Necked Crane Festival

Bhutan is an important wintering ground for the stately Black necked cranes, one of the world's most threatened cranes. Each year, Phobjikha valley plays host to more than 230 threatened BNC adding another precious intrinsic value to its rich bio-diversity. It is now a known feature that the cranes fly every year to Bhutan around the 3rd week of October. The local folks with the onset of winter having minimum work mark the arrival of the thrung thrung in the valley as a time for leisure. They stay in the valley until around the first week of March foraging for bamboo tuber, insects, grains etc. The number of these Black necked Cranes is declining every year. This is because of the drainage of their marshy habitat in some places and recent changes in traditional farming methods which have resulted in reduced availability of food for the cranes and partly because of the threats in their breeding areas. Total protection is given to the cranes in Bhutan and there are wardens at their main wintering areas in Phobjikha valley and at Bumdiling. The Royal Government has ensured that the cranes are undisturbed in Bhutan. The Back necked crane is important in local folklore and there are myths, legends and songs about the bird. The cranes are famous for their spectacular and beautiful dances in which they bow, leap into air and toss vegetation about whilst uttering loud bugling calls. The Black Necked Crane Festival is held every year in the month of November at Phobjikha valley with the following objectives. *Raise awareness and the involvement of the public in activities that can lead to the conservation of the Black-necked Cranes. *Foster and encourage understanding related to all phases of conservation of the rare and endangered Black necked cranes and their critical habitat among the local population and visitors. *Enhance opportunity for the tourists to learn more about better appreciate the local areas, natural and cultural heritage. *Design, co-ordinate and advance community involvement in the organization of the festival, which will eventually contribute to conservation of the Black- necked Crane and economic development of the local community. *Raise funds for ecologically sustainable economic development of the Phobjikha community and to change the attitude of the local community towards the conservation of the rare and endangered Black necked Cranes.

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