Customized Bhutan tours from Bangladesh and India
Customized Bhutan tours from Bangladesh and India
A wide glacial valley on the western slopes of the Black Mountains — no crowds, very little building, and the winter home of the black-necked cranes.
Phobjikha is unlike the rest of western Bhutan — a broad, treeless bowl of marshland and grazing at around 3,000 metres, with dwarf bamboo covering the slopes and almost nothing in the way of development. It is a protected conservation area, and the restraint shows.
Every winter, black-necked cranes migrate here from the Tibetan plateau and stay until early spring. They are genuinely revered locally, and their arrival is marked with a festival at Gangtey Monastery, which sits on a spur above the valley floor.
The birds are usually present from late October or early November through to around February or March, though exact arrival and departure shift year to year with the weather. If seeing them matters to you, tell us and we will advise honestly on the odds for your dates.
Phobjikha lies beyond Punakha, and the drive from there takes several hours on winding mountain road. It is normally added as an extra night or two on a western circuit rather than visited as a day trip.
Cold, especially in crane season — it sits at around 3,000 metres and heating in the valley is basic by design. Bring proper layers. Many travellers find the cold part of the appeal, but it is worth knowing in advance.