Some good news for hiking enthusiasts, the Ancient Takin Trail in Thimphu has been extended. Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay inaugurated the 350-metre extended trail today. The hiking trail now starts from Motithang below the open-air gym, connecting the old trail to the entrance of the Takin Preserve. The Guide Association of Bhutan led the initiative to attract tourists and local hikers.
The Guide Association of Bhutan (GAB) along with volunteers planted tree saplings and cleaned the stream along the trail for a month.
Garab Dorji, Chairman of GAB said “running for the fourth year, we have more people now know about this trail and we have a lot of people now including tourists who visit this trail because of the importance of this trail. Now, this entire trail is over 1.3 kilometres and it takes roughly around half an hour for leisure walking and we are hoping to extend this trail to Thrimzhung.”
Indian tour operators who attended the inauguration of the trail said they are looking forward to including the trail in their itinerary.
Debashis Chakrobarty, General Secretary of Ehttoa said “I am sure that henceforth when our tourists come, we will have a fixed itinerary over here. So that once you come to Thimphu, you must visit this place, and you should experience this beautiful journey, and feel what is called a carbon-free country all over the world.”
The work to extend the trail initially started in 2020. It was funded by the Bhutan Trust Fund and the Bhutan Water Project.
Singye Dema
Edited by Tshering Zam