Mountain Biking across Bhutan

Prices & Dates

Cost Information
Starting USD 3200 is based on low season and also travel date and group size factor in. Please contact us for cost details

Trip Dates:

Private Journeys for independent travel with your own dates.

Included

Bhutan Royalties, tourists fees, Visa fees.
Accommodations in listed or similar hotels.
All meals in Bhutan.
All transfers and sightseeing with entrance fees.
Local English Speaking Tour leader/Guide.
Bottled water on drives
Support transport for carrying bikes and luggage.

Not included

Flights into Bhutan and out of Guwahati.
Indian Visa
any aspect not listed in included section.

Accommodations

There are wide varieties of accommodations. In west hotel infrastructure are more well established such as 4* deluxe in Thimphu, to top notch tourists standard hotel,but it tend to get basic as we move further in east. So in east we use best categories available and also in some places guest houses. If you wish, farm house stay can be arranged to give extra zing to your experience.

Fatal error: Call to undefined function getallheaders() in /home/windho11/public_html/api/api3.php on line 20

Trip Guide/Leader

Sonam Pelden

×
Sonam Pelden

Sonam Palden is smitten by games most notably national sports of Bhutan- Archery.While growing up in beautiful Ura valley in Bumthang, unlike other kid, he played with traditional traditional bows and arrows. He completed his class 12 from Punakha in 2003. Subsequently he pursued his passion for five years that took him to national limelight. But he missed by whisker to qualify for international.

Slightly disheartened, he refocussed with same intensity and passion to make a mark as a travel guide. In 2008, brandishing his guide license and dream in his eyes he joined Wind Horse , the rest as they is history…

One of the guest said, ” If not a travel guide, Sonam could be Buddhist scholar and his command over english concedes to be an Oxford educated”.

There is hardly any prize for guessing for what he does during his free time, 145 m (476 ft) between 2 wooden targets in archery ground still rules his passion with frenzy.

Love for sport is inherent in him, when Wind Horse started specialised tour like mountain Biking, he jumped into bandwagon happily, although he was doing mountain biking before but in bits and pieces, an opportunity was served on platter, it largely assisted him to hone his skill as well to live to his sporting adrenaline rushes. Whenever free he does a recce of region lying in Thimphu and leads the tour across country. The most audacious biking trip till date along with Sonam Loday, Sonam Palden was from Haa to Phuentsholing via narrow trail, through untamed vegetation and uncharted territory.

In Haa

On Right – Sonam carring the Bike

Sonam Palden on Haa trip, carring Bike due to no roads

Biking in Phobjika in winter
Yonten Phuntsho

×
Yonten Phuntsho

Yonten Phuntsho may give way to being shy guy bordering with man of a few words. But he is man who loves to be in thick of action . He leads from the front whilst on the tour. Behind his facade lies the guide whose knowledge and passion runs deep for the love of his works. His aptly quote Barbara Kingsolver “I do my best work if I think about what it is I have to offer”.

From the outset, he knew what he wants to do in his life. Right after finishing his Class 12, he enrolled for guide course for culture initially then extended few more month to complete course on Trekking as well in 2008. After doing free lancing for a while, he joined Wind Horse Tours in 2010.

For most Bhutanese, appeals that mountainous terrains throw in for an out door adventures are native. In the case of Yonten, it was no exception. He easily gave in to the temptation of Mountain biking with its advent. He explored and lead tours in his bike but his allegiance is more inclined to off road biking trips that leads to quaint villages. To explore the unknown and love for nature, these attributes that he cultivated while trekking the alpine highlands and wilderness in remote corner of country was what prompt him to readily agree to embark on audacious Haa to Phuentsholing on mountain bike, overcoming challenges of carrying bike in tough terrains, untamed vegetations and unexplored areas.

On Left -Yonten & rest in Phobjika Valley

Second Left – Yonten and the rest – all rest to continue journey further carring the bike

Yonten in thick of action – carrying his bike

In centre – Yonten with other amidst Bike Trip
Sonam Loday

×
Sonam Loday

A good sense of humour is the currency that prevail everywhere regardless of the time or circumstances. An asset that that has potential to make even the ordinary trip into extraordinary. Sonam Loday has this traits in abundance. This is intrinsic and come as naturally as bees to the flower. He wears it in his sleeve in every tours that he conducts and this is one aspects that steal the limelight when we receive the feedbacks from the guests.

He finished his higher secondary school in 2005. Subsequently, he was at loose end trying to find meaning to his life and career, a chance meeting with a group of tourists resurrected his passion for the trade. He did his cultural guide course in 2005 and trekking in 2007. He burn the midnight oils to complete his senior guide course in 2008. He joined Wind Horse Tours in 2009 and has led countless tours with flair and his brand of humour.

Along with great sense of humour, he is well versed on both aspects cultural as well as trek. The Horse riding course refuelled his passion for horses to a new height in 2010. He is the coordinator and manager of Wind Horse Ranch and Riding Club – a low carbon footprint product.

When it comes to giving air to his interests and passion, he has varied propensities, it ranges from being cultural and trek guide to horse manager to his new found passion – mountain biking, his new best friend. On weekend, perhaps he will be one among the many guys to come across in Thimphu biking zone. And also among the few to volunteer first for audacious Haa to Phuentsholing Trip.

On Left – In Pass in Haa

In Phobjika valley

On right – In Haa

In Phobjika valley
Pema Dhendup

×
Pema Dhendup

Pema Dhendup is the one among the few young guns at Wind Horse Tour, Bhutan. He possess an infectious smile and exuberance that rub off to child and old alike. Unwarily, he has a mature head on his young shoulder and it is most conspicuous when he is among guests, untying knots of religion and its intricate iconography with ease and dexterity.
It took him to many different regions in the country to finish his school as his father’s job demanded. This helped to pick up different local dialects of the region. Currently, this stand in good stead for him. In 2011, he completed his Degree in Arts with history as major from Darjeeling, a hill station in India. He knew what he wanted and it was such a easy choice to opt for guide training. He led his first group 2013 at Wind Horse Tours and the rest the guests’ feedbacks and testimonial itself speak volumes.

He harbours a new found passion for birds, which was ignited when he was doing a tour with bird enthusiast.

Reviews / Testimonials

Lily T
Honolulu, Hawaii Oct,25,2007

Thank you for making our trip to Bhutan a very memorable trip. ( Thank you for making our trip to Bhutan a very memorable trip.)
5 " " Bhutan (Bumthang Trek) Oct 2007 Dear Ugen, Lloyd, Gayle and I returned to Honolulu yesterday from our trip to Bhutan. We went to Anghor Wat for a few days after our trip to Bhutan ended. At your suggestion, we went to Anghor Wat after rather than before the Bhutan trip. The weather

Thank you for making our trip to Bhutan a very memorable trip. Bhutan (Bumthang Trek) Oct 2007 Dear Ugen, Lloyd, Gayle and I returned to Honolulu yesterday from our trip to Bhutan. We went

×
Lily T

Bhutan (Bumthang Trek) Oct 2007

Dear Ugen, Lloyd, Gayle and I returned to Honolulu yesterday from our trip to Bhutan.

We went to Anghor Wat for a few days after our trip to Bhutan ended. At your suggestion, we went to Anghor Wat after rather than before the Bhutan trip. The weather in Siem Reap was perfect.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you personally and your staff for a wonderful trip. Your work in the US (via e-mail and telephone) made it possible that the travel arrangements went very smoothly and efficiently.

Since we had not traveled to Bhutan before, we have no way to compare Windhorse with other companies but we were extremely happy with our trip to Bhutan. We felt that Pelden and his staff were very professional but by the end of the trip we also felt like they were also our friends and family. Pelden (our guide), Do-ji (driver), Ming-jeu (head cook and guide by necessity) and Nee-ma (assistant cook) were the personnel on our trip and they all did an outstanding job. Pelden was our encyclopedic guide to Bhutan, its history and culture. He answered all the questions we peppered him with and made alterations to our original itinerary to accommodate our desires. Lloyd got "Zhonged" out after a couple of days and asked Pelden to add more day hikes which he did with ease. I often sat in the front passenger seat as I am prone to motion sickness and I must say Doji must be the most skillful and safest car driver in all of Bhutan.

He also took wonderful care of the new Toyota minivan we were in. I can't give enough thanks to Ming-jeu who cooked very good meals for us on the trek but who also became our principal guide when Pelden suddenly became ill the night before we started on our trek in Bumthang. Pelden was very apologetic about his illness the morning of the trek but looking at him, we all agreed that he should stay back in Bumthang and recover.

Although, he sent Do-ji in his place and Doji tried to do everything he could, Do-ji was clearly not in his element. During the trek, we found out that Do-ji had never been on the trek before but that Mingjeu had done the trek many times. So, Ming-jeu not only cooked for us, he was our principal guide so we didn't take the wrong turn on the trail.

Since we were a small group of three and we had all trekked before (Nepal), I hope your staff felt that we helped make an unforeseen circumstance of Pelden's illness easier on them.

I think we either wrote or expressed to Chimi some suggestions about the trip but I do know that Lloyd felt that a trip to farm, school or something like that in present day Bhutan would have enhanced the trip. In the planning of this kind of trip to Bhutan particularly for a small group, you might ask the possible participants what they would like to do in Bhutan in addition or instead of the regular sightseeing ... day hiking, visiting present-day Bhutan such as a school or farm so that the guide does not have to improvise like Pelden had to do with us. One minor suggestion of mine would be to provide and place some sort of hand sanitizer (eg Purell) next to the toilet roll in "potty" tent so that you could wipe your hands easily even in the middle of the night.

Things beyond your control is the complete disregard for litter I saw among the Bhutanese. In the streets and on the trails, it was common to see empty plastic containers or wrap that people just left to litter the beautiful countryside.

Again, thank you for making our trip to Bhutan a very memorable trip. If you would like to use me as a referral, please feel free. If you have any questions of me, please just e-mail me.Finally, please extend my personal regards to Pelden, Doji, Mingjeu and Nema when you e-mail your staff in Thimphu.

With warmest regards,