Trans Bhutan Trail

I haven’t heard about this one at all, and I look around for long-distance trails pretty often…

https://transbhutantrail.com/

Link for those that are interested.  I assume that because it’s been shut down for longer than I’ve been around, there’s been little news of it to be had…so this definitely piques my interest, now that it’s on the radar.  I could use a little Gross National Happiness in my life.  Thanks for posting!!

Thanks for the link Bonzo.

It appears we’ll have a guide with us along the hike and locally at each overnight stay.  Minimum cost is $250/day.  They also shuttle your gear from point A to B.  You only need a day pack and wide eyes to enjoy the view.  You can pick tent sites, home stays or 5 Star luxury.  All will have meals prepared and a hot shower.  Sounds good to this 58 year old.

I’m very tempted.

I was a bit taken aback when I saw that the government literally charges you a prepaid fee just to be in the country and traveling…and for accommodations and features that I neither want nor need when I’m hiking.  $250/day is five times what it cost me for my travel through western/central Europe, and that included air/train fares, all foods, and all accomodations/activities…and I wasn’t camping, then, either.  If that’s what the Bhutanese see as the correct or optimal thing to do, that’s cool…but it’s definitely out of my budget range, now.

They are highly regulated under the policy “High Value, Low Impact Tourism” in order to minimize the impact on the country’s unique society and environment. Bhutanese policy ensures that only a limited number of tourists enter the country at any one time, preventing it from being overwhelmed by mass tourism and thus altering its character, and that the tourists who do come get the most out of their visits. I like their policy and understand why they do it. I have friends that have visited and they have been invited back by people that they have met and can stay without all the large fees.

I get why they’re making the effort to lessen impact on their culture, ecosystems, resources, etc…but let’s call this particular measure what it is: sorting by wealth…and it’s their country so they get to make that rule if they want to do so.  No issues, there…but if there’s also a workaround that allows international travelers to avoid paying a fee to which they are rightfully subject, that makes that makes the system effectively unfair and it throws the wealth-sorted prioritization into an even-less-favorable light.  Just my opinion, though.