Merak Sakten Trek will take us to the two villages of semi-nomadic people in Eastern Bhutan – Merak and Sakteng villages. They have a very unique tradition and culture in Bhutan.
The culture and tradition of the people living there are very unique and different in many ways and respects from the rest of the Bhutanese people. They have a very rich cultural heritage. They live on animals like yaks, sheep, cows, and horses. They move from place to place with animals with the change of seasons. They are known as ‘Brokpas’, which means ‘herdsmen’ or they are semi-nomadic tribesmen. These two villages are called ‘Merak & Sakteng’.
In doing this trek, we will be able to explore the indigenous culture and tradition of these tribesmen, not only having seen them personally. Come and visit before it is too late!
Now we have a farm road just below Merak and Thakthi…2hrs 30mins walk from Sakteng.
Trekking provides the best opportunity to experience the unique culture of Bhutan.
Discover a unique insight into the rural culture of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
Meet the people from Merak and Sakteng.
Explore and enjoy the local life with their animals.
Enjoy the wilderness experiences in Bhutan.
Explore the adventure tours of Bhutan.
Enjoy majestic views of the country’s virgin landscapes and unclimbed mountains.
Explore the routes taken by our ancestors.
Trekking through the beautiful lakes of Bhutan.
Day 01. Arrive to Samdrup Jongkhar via Guwahati.
Our guide will receive you at Guwahati Airport with Indian Car and driver and transfer to Samdrup Jongkhar. The Indian car and driver’s duty will finsh their duty at hotel. This same car and driver may come to drop our guest at Guwahati airport. Check in the hotel and stroll around Samdrup Jongkhar town. Dinner and over night stay at hotel Samdrup Jongkahr.
Meal Plan: Welcome Dinner Accommodation: Hotel
Day 02. Samdrup Jongkhar – Trashigang
After our breakfast, we will drive to Trashigang. En-route we will visit to Khaling Handloom Center and explore and learn the art of weaving culture in Bhutan and at Kalung, visit to Kanglung Zangtopleri Lhakhang. Then transfer to Trashigang Hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel Trashigang.
Day 03. Trashigang Stay
Today we will do sightseeing in Trashigang and Trashi Yangtshi. Drive to Trashi Yangsthi and visit to Gomphu Kora lhakhang, one of the most important pilgrimage spot in Eastern Bhutan, Chhorten Kora and stroll around Trashi Yangthsi town. Explore the town famous for the arts of traditional wood bowl making Daapas and Bhutanese papermaking. Then evening drive to hotel Trashigang. Dinner and over night stay at Trashigang Hotel. Dejung Hotel.
Day 04. Trashigang – Chaling –Damnongchu
The trek to Merak will start from Chaling reached by following an unsealed road from Rangjung. Damnongchu camping area is located after Mindrula which lies at about 3,316m / 10,880ft.
Day 05. Damnongchu - Merak
The trail from Damnongchu to Merak goes along the river bank with gradual ups and downs. Over night at Damnongchu Camp.
Time: 5 hours, camp altitude 3,499 m.
Day 06. Merak - Meserting.
Today we have to cross the Nyakchungla, which is 4300m. From the pass, we have to descend till we reach to our camp at Meserteng. The trek will take about 5-6hours. Lunch will be hot pack lunch. Continue our journey to the camp. Dinner and overnight stay at the camp, Meserteng/Rinagpo.
Day 07. Meserteng – Sakteng
Today’s trek is very short and easy. The trek will take about 3-4hours. Lunch we will reach at the camp, Sakteng. After lunch, we will explore the Manirong, Tengma and Pusa village. Evening, we will organize the dance program by the local people. There are chances that the local people may come to see us. This is called ‘Tshogchang’, where they will bring the local alcohol, ‘Ara” Dinner and overnight stay at Camp, sakteng.
Day 08. Sakteng Stay.
Today we will explore the Sakteng village and Brongmang village. We will also visit Borangtse and Kushu Guru Lhakhang. Lunch will be served at the Camp or one of the farmhouses in the Sakteng.
Day 09. Sakteng – Sakteng - JyonkharTeng
Sakteng to Jyonkhar Teng trek is an easy trek comparing to previous days. It is mostly downhill to Jyonkhar Teng camp.
Time: 6 1/2 hours, camp altitude 1,859 m.
Day 10. Jyonkhar Teng – Phongmey - Trashigang
Today’s trek till Phobmey will be about 3hrs. On reaching Phongmey, we will have lunch together with our trekking crewmembers and say goodbye to our trekking staff and drive to Trashigang On the way, visit to Khardung Anim Dratshang and Rangjung Osel Chhoeling monastery. Evening at leisure. Dinner and over night stay at Trashigang.
Day 11. Trashigang to Samdrup Jongkhar.
Drive to Samdrup Jongkhar. You will have lot of opportunities for you photo shoot and stop where every necessary. We will have picnic lunch or at local restaurant on the way. On reaching Samdrup Jongkhar, our guide will completed the immigration formalities for your tomorrow’s departure to Guwahati. In the evening, you will meet the Indian driver, who will take you to Guwahati Airport tomorrow. Your Bhutanese guide and driver will bid you farewell at today’s dinnertime as they will leave to Thimphu very early morning, next day.
Day 12. Samdrup Jongkhar – Guwahati.
Today after your breakfast, your Indian driver and car will take you to Guwahati airport. We wish you a very safe and comfortable journey back to your country. Thank you very much visiting Bhutan through our company and we hope to see you again in Bhutan some day.
This is a sample itinerary, intended to give you a general idea of the likely trip schedule. Numerous factors such as weather, tour conditions, group options and the physical condition of participants, may dictate itinerary changes either before departure or while on tour. We reserve the right to change this schedule in the interest of our guests, safety, comfort and general well being.
Start planning your tailor-made Dream Holiday to Bhutan – The Land of happiness!
In order to experience the best and rewarding fulfillment clients must plan in advance the different logistics that you have in your minds before actually venturing into the world of trips. You might have wishes and hopes for which you need to plan.
The following information will help you to plan your dream trip to Bhutan.
1. When and how to visit Bhutan?
Choose your traveling date like Arrival/Departure date. You also need to choose entry/depart Bhutan via AIR or LAND.
By Air: Druk Air, the national carriers is the only service operator in the kingdom and operates several flights per week from Bangkok (Thailand), Delhi & Kolkata (India) and Kathmandu (Nepal) to Paro (Bhutan). The Paro International Airport is located about an hour and a half drive from Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan.
Paro airport is daylight restricted, and the flights are totally dependent on the weather. As a result, sometimes flights are delayed. It is therefore a good idea to keep at least 24 hours of transit time for connecting flights out of Paro. You might also want to consider traveling on a non-restricted ticket so that if you miss a connecting flight, you can be rerouted or seated on the first available carrier.
Sometimes flights into Paro are disrupted because of unfavorable weather conditions. If this occurs, the flight will stop for the night at the transit airport. To be prepared, you may want to carry your essential personal items in your carry-on luggage.
By Land: Phuentsholing, a Bhutanese town in the southwest has road access to India. It is located about 170 km from the Indian domestic airport at Bagdogra, West Bengal. Phuentsholing is about 172 km from Thimphu the capital city of Bhutan and is about 6hours drive distance. And S/
2. What are your itineraries?
All the tours can be customized and extended as per our valued client’s requirements. There are sample itineraries for your kind reference and it will give you some general idea of the likely trip scheduled.
Complete the tour request form and submit it to us. Send us correct name list. We will send you the flight reservation status via email.
After confirming your reservation, we need the scanned copy of member’s passport.
Please remit us full payments and send us the copy of remittance paper via email. Visa will not be accepted without full payment.
We will send you the flight ticket copy and Visa Clearance Copy prior to your departure to Bhutan via email. You need to print out and carry along with you.
Start packing and looking forward to have a memorable trip in the LandThunder Dragon, DrukYul.
Hot stone bath (Dhotsho) is a traditional bath of Bhutan, where a tradition of heating up stones and then soaking in the water that is in turn heated by the stones. This is also a curative method and is used throughout the country We Bhutanese belief that this bath has so much of medicinal benefits. Some diseases are curable-like joint pains, hypertension, stomach disorder, arthritis and many other minor diseases. Especially for the old age, where we have lots of body pains, joints pains helps a lot by this Hot Stone Bath (Dhotsho).
I think, the minerals in the rocks have certain chemicals, which can cure certain disease of our body. Hot stone bath has no side effects. It is in its pure natural form. We can organize the hot stone bath during your stay in Bhutan.
The Bhutanese textiles are rich, vibrant, and colorful and are a complex art form as well as an integral part of the Bhutanese culture. This Bhutan weaving experiences will give you an insight about the rich textiles in Bhutan. You can sit one of the handlooms of Bhutan and weave your self practically. We promise that you will really enjoy this with great satisfaction in your life.
We will also see or learn the natural coloring and dyeing. You can bring your own materials like handkerchief to dye and color. So visit Bhutan and experience it practically by yourself.
Folk Performing Arts & Music in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan
We have Cultural Program Performing groups, which they will perform like Traditional folk songs, dances and keeps original tunes and dances alive. Moreover, new choreography for some traditional and regional songs is sometimes developed.
The troupe also performs mask dances that have historical and spiritual significance.
Tiger’s Nest is most visited spot in Bhutan and it is much awaited by every tourist who visits Bhutan to climb to Tiger’s Nest.
It takes about 2 hrs 30mins up steep climb through the forest of pine, oak and Rhododendron. However you can ride the horse and climb till the Taktshang cafeteria.
The above activities can be incorporated easily into your travel itinerary. However some activities need to pay some additional fees. So let us know which activities you would like to experiences so that we will include in your invoice.
Our company will provide the Trekking Equipment like Tents (Sleeping, Dinning, Toilet, Shower Tents), Mattress, Hot-Water bag, Cooking Utensils, Sleeping Bags. But we advise our clients to bring their own sleeping bags, if they can. However our guests have to bring some trekking gears by themselves. Therefore, everything mentioned below on the list are useful, and most of the things are important on trek.
Equipment for all the trekkers
Footwear
camp shoes or thongs
socks – polypropylene
Clothing
jumper or pile jacket
hiking shorts (men) or skirt (opt)
waterproof jacket, poncho or umbrella
hiking pants
T- shirts or blouses
underwear, sun hat
swimwear (opt.)
insulated paints
nylon wind breaker
nylon wind pants
long underwear
woolen hat
gloves
long gaiters
Above 4000 m.
socks, wool, to wear with boots
socks, light cotton, for under wool socks
Photography Equipments
( Optional )
lenses cleaning equipments
film
compass
thermometer
binoculars
books for reading while waiting for plane
Other Equipments
sleeping bag
water bottle
torch
Miscellaneous Items
toilet paper and cigarette lighter
small knife
sun block
towel
laundry soap
medical and frist aid kit
pre-moistened towelettes
sewing kit
sunglasses
sun block for lips
Speak to a specialist
Email: info@authenticbhutantours.com
Cell: 00975-17343434
Get inspired by the trip ideas on our website and in our brochures. Then speak to us for first-hand expert advice and if you’re ready, start planning your trip in detail.