Day 1 (Sept 5): Arrival and Transfer to Samdrup Jongkhar

• Arrival: You will arrive at Guwahati Airport, where your Bhutanese guide and his Indian associate will meet you.
• Transfer: We will drive approximately 2 hours (depending on traffic) to the Bhutanese border town of Samdrup Jongkhar.
• Evening Activity: Enjoy birding along the nearby streams and rivers.
• Overnight: Karma Khangzang Resort (~150m).

Day 2 (Sept 6): Drive to Tashigang

• Travel: A roughly 5-hour drive to Tashigang, with stops along the way for birding and butterfly watching.
• Wildlife Targets: Look for Rufous-necked and Great Hornbills along the road, as well as the Red-headed Trogon. Mammals may include the Yellow-throated Marten, Capped Langur, and Malayan Giant Squirrel.
• Butterflies: Lowland species such as the Bi-color Commodore, Green Commodore, and White Commodore are common here; the Bhutan Glory will also be in flight.
• Overnight: Lingkhar Lodge (~1,500m).

Day 3 (Sept 7): The Bhutan Glory Wildlife Trail

• Activity: We will drive to the Bhutan Glory Wildlife Trail (BGWT). This trail was initiated by our Bhutanese partner to honour the Bhutan Glory butterfly, which was first described in Bhutan in 1873.
• Observation: The species is often seen flying high or feeding on Swertia bimaculata flowers at eye level.
• Nature Garden: We will explore a privately owned nature garden at the trail entrance, which features an information centre and a small souvenir shop.
• Evening: We return to the lodge, looking for Capped Langurs along the way. If you aren’t too tired, we can go “owling” after dark.
• Overnight: Lingkhar Lodge.

Day 4 (Sept 8): In-Depth Exploration of the BGWT

• Activity: We return to the Bhutan Glory Wildlife Trail for a second day of observation.
• Photography Note: While sightings are virtually guaranteed, achieving high-quality photography can be challenging, so a return visit is recommended.
• Study: We will focus on finding mating pairs and studying host and nectar plants.
• Overnight: Lingkhar Lodge.

 Day 5 (Sept 9): Journey to the “Birding Capital”

• Travel: A 4-hour drive to Mongar.
• Birding: Along the way, we will stop at Korila Pass to look for birds and butterflies. Key targets include the Beautiful Nuthatch and, at higher elevations, the Satyr Tragopan.
• Weather Note: Rain is likely this time of year, but it is necessary as the Bhutan Glory only appears during this season.
• Overnight: Trogon Villa (~1,700m), a premier birding hotel.

Day 6 (Sept 10): Limgmethang and Moth Watching

• Morning: Walk the trails near the hotel for butterflies and birds.
• Afternoon: Descend to Limgmethang (650m) to search for the Tawny Fish Owl.
• Evening: Enjoy moth watching near the villa.
• Overnight: Trogon Villa.

Day 7 (Sept 11): Thrumshingla National Park to Bumthang

• Morning: An early start to reach the feeding grounds of the Satyr Tragopan below Sengor. Breakfast will be served in Sengor.
• Wildlife: Look for the Red Panda and the rare Kaiser-i-Hind butterfly.
• Afternoon: Drive through the Thrumshingla Pass (3,500m) toward Bumthang. Late afternoon is the best time to spot Blood Pheasants and Himalayan Monals feeding along the roadside.
• Overnight: Bumthang (~2,800m).

Day 8 (Sept 12): Tharpaling Monastery and High-Altitude Species

• Morning: Visit Tharpaling Monastery (3,500m) to see Himalayan Monals. These birds are wild but are fed by the monks, making sightings nearly guaranteed.
• Other Species: We may also see Blood Pheasants and Satyr Tragopans.
• Butterflies: Look for high-altitude species like the Common Blue Apollo, Dark Clouded Yellow, and Azure Sapphire.
• Overnight: Trongsa Tendrel Resort (~2,200m).

Days 9 & 10 (Sept 13–14): Tingtibi and the National Parks

• Location: Two days exploring the periphery of Royal Manas and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Parks.
• Wildlife: Observe Golden Langur troops and a variety of butterflies, including Sergeants, Studded Sergeants, Awls, and Punches.
• Overnight: White-Bellied Ecolodge (~650m).

Days 11 & 12 (Sept 15–16): Pantang Exploration

• Location: We move to Pantang, an area excellent for general wildlife and butterflies.
• Accommodation: We will stay at a local ecolodge. If a new government-initiated campsite near the river is completed by your arrival, we may use that for easier access to butterfly watching.
• Overnight: Pantang Ecolodge (~200m).

Day 13 (Sept 17): Flexible Return Route

• Route: We will attempt to drive to Mongar via a new route through the Panbang area.
• Note: This is a long drive. If the new road is blocked by landslides, we will return via Trongsa and Bumthang, using the opportunity to look for any high-altitude wildlife missed earlier.
• Overnight: Mongar (Trogon villa) or Trongsa (Tendrel)

Day 14 (Sept 18): Birding and Butterflies at Trogon Villa

• Activity: Spend the morning birding and butterfly watching within short distances of the hotel.
• Overnight: Trogon Villa.

Day 15 (Sept 19): Final Bhutan Glory Observations

• Activity: A visit to the Bhutan Glory habitat to observe mating and egg-laying behaviours.
• Evening: a dedicated moth-watching session.
• Overnight: Lingkhar Lodge.

Day 16 (Sept 20): Final Bhutan Glory Observations

• Activity: A final visit to the Bhutan Glory habitat to observe mating and egg-laying behaviours.
• Travel: We will travel to the border town of Samdrup Jongkhar in afternoon.
• Overnight: Karma Khanzang Resort, Samdrup Jongkhar.

Day 17 (Sept 21): Departure to Guwahati

• Activity: Morning spent on butterflies and/or some birding and other wildlife watching
• Travel: After lunch we will drive from Samdrup Jongkhar to Guwahati (journey time of approximately 2 hours). We will make extra wildlife stops on the way, depending on our schedule.

Sonam Dorji graduated from Sherubtse college in eastern Bhutan with a B.Sc. in Physical science. He worked as a communication officer in an Environmental NGO in Bhutan for several years. He began butterflying in 2010 and since then has been engaging actively in butterfly and wildlife promotion in Bhutan.

He has already made a significant contribution towards the knowledge of butterfly fauna in Bhutan, including the recording of several species for the first time in the country.

During the recent pandemic, he undertook a lot of field work. He discovered the elusive Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis) in Bhutan, plus a location where Bhutan Glory (Bhutanitis lidderdalii) and Ludlow’s Bhutan Glory (Bhutanitis ludlowi) fly together, something which had not previously been observed elsewhere.

Since then, he has been documenting the life cycle of B. ludlowi, as well as continuing to record different species in close consultation with Greenwings, his chosen partner for ecotourism.

Sonam has boundless energy and enthusiasm for the nature of Bhutan and is committed to helping conserve it. He believes strongly in involving the local people in order to achieve that and has been instrumental in setting up a number of educational activities with local children in the area where the two Glories were found. He has also been able to demonstrate the potential benefits of ecotourism, by using funds raised from his work to invest in local facilities and encouragement of the production of various nature-related arts and crafts for local people to generate an extra income from.

Greenwings plans to help Sonam develop his work, partly by using some of the proceeds generated from our Bhutan tours. He has also been awarded a grant from The Swallowtail & Birdwing Trust.

Reports to follow