Overview

Festival Background:
The Annual Black-necked Crane festival takes place at the courtyard of Gangtey Gonpa, in Phobjikha valley. The festival is an occasion for the locals to rejoice and celebrate the arrival of this endangered and majestic bird which becomes an inseparable part of their daily lives during the winter months.
The festival always coincides with the birth anniversary celebrations of His Majesty the 4th King 11th November. It’s also organized by Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) and the Phobjikha Environment Management Committee (PEMC) since 1998 in the objectives of spreading awareness on the cranes and the traditions as well as the culture of local people.
The festival includes cultural programs such as folk songs and dances (with black-necked crane themes), mask dances performed by the local people, crane dances and environmental conservation-themed dramas songs by the school children and also some stroll through handicraft and game stalls.

Black-Necked cranes & Festival History
Bhutan is an important wintering ground for the stately Black-necked cranes, one of the world's most threatened cranes. Each year, Phobjikha valley plays host to more than 230 threatened cranes adding another precious intrinsic value to its rich bio-diversity. It is now a known feature that the cranes fly every year to Bhutan around the 3rd week of October. The local folks with the onset of winter having minimum work mark the arrival of the Thrung-Thrung in the valley as a time for leisure. They stay in the valley until around the first week of March foraging for bamboo tuber, insects, grains, etc. The number of these black-necked cranes is declining every year. This is because of the drainage of their marshy habitat in some places and recent changes in traditional farming methods which have resulted in reduced availability of food for the cranes and partly because of the threats in their breeding areas. Total protection is given to the cranes in Bhutan and there are wardens at their main wintering areas in Phobjikha valley and at Bumdiling. The Royal Government has ensured that the cranes are undisturbed in Bhutan. The Back necked crane is important in local folklore and there are myths, legends, and songs about the bird. The cranes are famous for their spectacular and beautiful dances in which they bow, leap into the air and toss vegetation about whilst uttering loud bugling calls.

Places to visit

This package requires the prior booking of at least 2 months
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN PARO, BHUTAN – THIMPHU (SIGHTSEEING)
DAY 2: THIMPHU (SIGHTSEEING) – PUNAKHA
DAY 3: PUNAKHA (SIGHTSEEING)
DAY 4: PUNAKHA TO GANGTEY, CRANE FESTIVAL –PUNAKHA 11TH
DAY 5: PUNAKHA TO PARO (SIGHTSEEING)
DAY 6: PARO TO HAA VIA CHELE LA& SIGHTSEEING
DAY 7: HIKE TO TAKTSANG MONASTERY
DAY 8: DEPART PARO

MEAL: (B/L/D)
Breakfast = B
Lunch = L
Dinner = D

Details

• Duration: 8 days
• Category: Culture
• Tour operator: Bhutan Glacier Tour
• Contact: +975 17650844
• Email: info@mybhutantrip.com
• Website: http://www.mybhutantrip.com

Additional details

Provider	Bhutan Glacier Tour
Address	Bhutan Glacier Tour
Phone	+975 17650844
Provider email	info@mybhutantrip.com
Provider website	http://www.mybhutantrip.com