Eastern & Western Bhutan with Merak & Sakteng Highlands

My wife Sarah and I travelled with Elwyn and Jill Jones who have already written a testimonial. We echo what they say; it was an excellent experience during which all arrangements went like clockwork. All of the people who looked after us, particularly on the trek, were friendly, helpful and attentive. The villagers we met were most welcoming, and our guide Tashi helped us meet as many as possible. The festival at Mongar was a privilege to be at; there were very few westerners there.
Eastern Bhutan is a traveller’s delight, (though the roads can be a bit bumpy, unpredictable and precipitate), additionally so for photographers and wildlife lovers.
Highly recommend Windhorse.

Hello Rinzin

Hi Anand, – I think the trip went well.  I did get sick at one of the hotels from food being incorrectly described.  Pema said he told the hotels in advance of my Celiac condition, and I asked the woman serving the food if there was any wheat in a vegetable dish and she said no.  I asked her to please double check.  She said she asked the chef if there was any wheat in the dish and he told her no.  I got sick that night and was sick for about a day and a half during the trip because of a mistake or a misunderstanding.  I know this was not Wind horse’s fault, but it definitely made for a bad day and a half for me.

Regarding the trek, I enjoyed it, but when I read and heard about Merak / Sakten being remote, I didn’t think of crossing farm roads and walking on farm roads made by heavy machinery and passable by cars  and trucks.  I know that the roads don’t reach the towns yet, but in my mind the roads changed the character and scenic aspect of the trekking experience.  When walking on old trails used by the locals and then crossing and seeing roads, I didn’t feel quite the remoteness I thought I would.  It may not bother some people, but when I hike and or backpack (trek) in the USA ( and in New Zealand and Nepal in the past) I don’t encounter or see roads and that is what I am used to and expect.

I understand that Bhutan is changing and that the roads are good for the local economy and make life easier for the people, it’s just not my preference to see a hillside with a road nearby while trekking, nor do I prefer crossing the roads.  I wouldn’t mind walking a short distance at the beginning or end of the trek on a road.  But when I think of trekking, I don’t think of roads.

The two chefs did a very good job with the meals.  The meat the last two or so days seemed a little suspect and we were not surprised by this considering there is no refrigeration or coolers for the meat.  Not a big deal, but we didn’t need fresh meat and perhaps dehydrated or freeze dried food could be used at the end of the trip.

The horseman did a good job with the horses and we liked not having to carry all of our gear.
Overall I enjoyed the trekking portion of the trip, but personally I might have better liked a trek that was not in an area with farm roads.
The rest of the trip went well and we enjoyed our guide Pema and our driver Dawa.

Regards
TID – 8747, May 09-26, 2015, (Merak & Sakten Trek) Pema Dhendup (Guide)

Bhutan is an amazing country, a country whose people, beliefs, kindness and true caring is hard to find when’s travelling nowadays. It is a country that is a perfect holiday for anyone with the right tour company to make the arrangements, we travelled with Wind Horse Tours, they are amazing!!!, going above and beyond.

My husband and I travelled for 3 weeks in Bhutan, we travelled in the East to start, attending the Gomphu Kora festival, then we went on a six day trek to Merak and Sakteng. The trek was more than words can describe!!! We were looked after like royalty, every small detail was looked after and Wind Horse did an excellent job of changing the intinerary to better reflect what our needs were. All the equipment was in great condition, and the Pack horses were in good shape as well. The meals were very satisfying and tasted superb. All of our needs and attentions were looked after. The trek was outstanding, every day , different flora and fauna, the Brokpa people were so very very interesting.we felt privileged to be there.

After the trek was completed we travelled from the East to the West,ending up in Paro, where we flew out with Druk Airlines. The country is filled with beautiful temples and breathtaking vistas. The accommodations were very comfortable and we always felt safe and secure. We felt honoured to be able to visit this country and be part of their traditions and beliefs, not just something put on for tourists.

Wind Horse tours, from the very beginning of our travel planning, with their prompt and thorough replies, to their great group of working guides and careful drivers ( Pema , our awesome guide and Tinzin our very cautious driver) to their great choices for accommodations. And restaurants are a top notch tour company, I believe the very best in Bhutan. Travel to Bhutan ……don’t just take a trip, …let the trip take you.

Merak & Sakten Trek, TID 8699 – March 26 to April 13, 2015 (Guide Pema Dhendup)

TID – 772 (Oct 21 – Nov 07, 2014) Guide – Dorji Tshering

Dear Anand, Apologies for such a delayed reply.
The Merak and Sakten trip was incredible, I daydream about my time in Bhutan all the time now when I should be working!

The driver, Chimi, and guide, Dorji, were friendly and welcoming and extremely hardworking – I feel very grateful to have met them. Our trek team were brilliant and so friendly. and The communities of Merak and Sakten were so special – I will never forget my time there. I am very interested in plants and birds so East Bhutan is the best place I have ever been to see so many different and rare species.

My only worry is that, because of Bhutan’s organisation that you pay the same amount per day if you stay in a 5* hotel or a homestay that nobody stays in smaller guesthouses or with families. Our group were all quite young, but many people we met on holiday in Bhutan were quite old! I really like to stay in homestays and in more simple accommodation – but I know lots of older people like luxury. But I worry that the big hotels are not very environmentally friendly and you do not get to know the people who work there. Maybe people who like nature might like to stay in homestays and simple accommodation – so this might be an option for people who choose to go on the Merak and Sakten trip.

I hope this helps, please ask if there are any specific questions I can answer.
Thank-you very much to everyone at Windhorse for organising our journey.

Best wishes,

TID 772 Merak & Sakten Trek (21 Oct to 7 Nov, 2014) Guide Dorji Tshering

Hi,

Well I enjoyed the trip a lot. The trek was excellent and the staff were fantastic. They were always helpful, kind and patience and on top of that they were a lot of fun too! In general the hotels were good although there seemed to be a range of quality from basic (one occasion without hot water) to excellent and luxurious (hotel in Thimphu). The bus was comfortable and always clean, the driver was excellent too and we had confidence in his abilities, essential for those difficult mountain roads. Itinerary was mostly followed quite closely but we were allowed flexibility and generally everything worked well. Our guide was pleasant and always helpful. He was respectful and knowledgeable.

On the trek some days were long and tiring but that was to be expected. The staff always were quick to set everything up and have tea waiting for us when we arrived. It was hard to estimate walking times but that is simply due to the variation that is found in people’s natural walking pace. More information could be given about what is expected for visits from local people. We had several visits when we entered villages, campsites etc, which was very nice however we felt compelled to give a gift of money and this made us feel uncomfortable at times. Some clear explanation before arrival in Bhutan could help others prepare for this situation and help allow preparation of gifts for local people that are not simply cash but other items (potentially items from client’s own countries).

The festival in Jakar was certainly a highlight and personally I could have enjoyed more time here in order to experience this unique cultural event.

All in all it was an excellent trip that I would really recommend to others considering it.

Many thanks,

Merak Sakten trek TID 694 (8th to 25th Oct 2013)
STAFF:Excellent, good natured, attentive to needs of us, remembered individual likes and dislikes, very professional. (See below re Kili)A treat to have Ugen with us!!!!!!He was very tactful about our dislike of the tradition of the Brokpa people coming to our campsite laden with ara both internally and in bottles! Apparently they expected us to give them money. It felt like extortion. Ugen finessed the second encounter while we stayed in our tents and were served dinner in our tents!!

Guides:Suggestion: it would be very helpful if each night the guide and clients had a very brief debriefing meeting with the clients and a rundown of the next day’s activities. Kili would sign us in, make sure we were comfortable, arrange dinner time for us and hurriedly said what time we would leave the next day. Kili told me that the driver and he often didn’t know until arriving whether they would be staying at our hotel or not and so left quickly to find a room for themselves. Could that he alleviated by calling the hotel around noon to see what the status was for that night for the driver and guide? If there was no room, could they call other places to find a room before arriving in the town?

Discussing the following day would help us know whether to put hiking boots on or take them to wear later, for example.

In Jakar, we were there for 2 days and neither day were our beds made up.

KINLEY: I know that Kili was a last minute substitute because of KT’s problems. He was a lovely man, well versed. I found his English very hard to understand. When he got excited, which he did each time we neared a town, he would talk at a very rapid rate and we missed most of what he said. When I was with him alone, I tried hard to enunciate words he garbled, but he never seemed to repeat the correct pronunciation after me.

WELCOME GIFT FROM WINDHORSE
Thank you for the white scarf we each got at the beginning of the tour. May I suggest that instead of the scarf, you give a prayer flag with a windhorse on it? I didn’t realize for many days that the windhorse is one of the symbols on the prayer flags. Prayer flags are such an important part of Bhutanese tradition, that I think your guests would love to have one to take home or to hang on the top of a hill on a walk or trek.Lastly, I have taken the time to write this very long, detailed report because I think so highly of your organization. I did a lot of searching before choosing Windhorse. Having an American presence was very compelling for me. I was not disappointed in my choice. I wish you all the best and you can be sure I will send whomever asks about travel agents in Bhutan to you, Windhorse