What a climb! The penultimate stage of Le Tour de Dragon was by far the most strenuous. The grueling 1225-meter (that’s 4000 feet for the American’s) climb over 30 kilometers would even make a top athlete think twice at this altitude. Because of our vertical gain, we managed to ride through four different types of forests. The motivation of the beautiful Royal Botanical Park and a hot lunch at the top was just what we needed to overcome the increasingly thin air.
With tired legs and a full bellies, it was time to discover what the Park had to offer. Being caulked full of things to do ranging from bird watching to mountain biking, it was hard to decide what to do with our limited time. Aside from the plethora of activities, the Park was also an invaluable source of information on the local environment. If the creative displays in the main house did not quench our thirst for knowledge, the rangers certainly could.
Display at the Visitors Center at the Royal Botanical Nat'l Park
The location of the Park could not have been better. Nestled between the two fastest growing areas in Bhutan (Thimphu and Punakha), it is an ideal place to spread the message of conservation and climate change. As an added plus, the Park acts as a biological corridor between two larger Parks, one to the North and one to the South. This means animals such as the endangered Tiger can have a much larger protected range.
Our stay at the Royal Botanical Park would not have been possible without our fellow cameraman and Park manager, Tenzin Phuntsho. I would like to thank him for sharing such an incredible part of Bhutan with our Bhutan Ride for Climate riders.
Hi Karl: I’m definitely planning to go to the Royal Botanical Park thanks to your blog post. Did you see any wildlife while you were visiting the park?