Nabji-Korphu Community-based Nature Tourism Trek
Duration: 6 days, Max. Elevation: 1,500m
Highest Camp: 1,500m
Standard: Easy
Best Seasons: October - April
Start: Tongtongphey (Trongsa)
Finish: Reotala (Trongsa)
Introduction
The Nabji Trail is an ideal post-harvest/winter trekking set out in Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, a park with an ecological rich environment. The park, located in central Bhutan, is also home to several cultural rich agricultural villages. The trail is a six-day low-altitude trek (between 693m/23100ft and 1,636m/5453ft) through six different villages located inside the park. Starting point Riotala (1060m/3533ft) and final destination Tongtongphey (1061m/3537ft) are two small villages along the Trongsa-Zhemgang road, situated in the buffer area of the park at the east side of the Mangde Chhu (river).
On this trek, you will possibly see the Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei), one of the rarest primates, which can only be found in Bhutan and neighbouring Assam. Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park is also home to the endangered Rufous-necked Hornbill (Aceros nepalensis). More so, the trail is a superb place for birding (common mynas, blue-fronted redstarts, long-tailed shrikes and Eurasian sparrows, to name just a few common species, but spotted are also serpent eagle, golden-throated barbet, and the yellow-bellied flowerpecker) and has a wide variety of plants and flowers found in this Himalayan area (from Chir Pine, broad-leaved trees and Bamboo, to Rhododendrons and wild Orchids).
Besides the natural beauty of the area, the area also contains cultural history, witnessed among others by the presence of a commemorative pillar in the temple of Nabji. The pillar symbolises the occasion that peace was negotiated between the two kings (King Nauche from India and King Sindu from Bhutan) intermediated by Guru Rimpoche in the eight century. Along the six day trail more traces of Guru Rimpoche’s presence during those days can be found.
The last two days of the trek will go through the homeland of the Monpa people. The small traditional villages of the Monpa community are scattered on the slope overlooking Mangde Chhu. The Monpas are thought to be the first settlers in Bhutan, the Mangde Chhu valley representing one of the earliest areas of settlement in Bhutan. The Monpas practice a mix of animistic shamanism and Buddhism. Monpa refers to “the people of darkness” referring to their isolated position in the past. In general term Mon refers to people without religion that symbolises period before the advent of Buddhism in Bhutan. They were originally hunters and food gatherers and their culture, tradition and practices are intrinsically linked to the forest around them. They are traditionally cane weavers and bamboo crafters, using their skills for house construction, making baskets and other household items.
Community Tourism
The Nabji Trail supports the park management in their efforts to conserve nature by creating more awareness on natural and environmental issues, through tourism awareness programmes and by introducing socio-economic benefits out of tourism. Specific measures are put in place to maximise socio-economic benefits and minimize negative impacts from tourism development to support the livelihood of the local community in the area and to create more awareness on natural, environmental, and cultural issues. The trail itself has been in use since long by the villagers themselves, who use the trail to commute between villages. A waste management system has been put in place where tour groups have to carry their non-degradable waste out of the park. Waste can be disposed of at the end of the trail, at the Park Range Office in Tongtongfey, where an incinerator is build. This incinerator is not only for the benefit of tour groups but also the local community. 
The trail has been developed in such a way that community will have the sole responsibility to manage and provide services. The service package includes community camping sites with basic facilities (Nimshong, Korphu, Kubdra and Jangbi) or with bucket shower/hot stone bath facilities (Nabji), local lunches, tea or meal. The rates for these services are standardised to avoid misunderstanding between communities and the tour operators and tour groups. Each village has a Tourism Management Committee (TMC), as appointed by the villagers. The TMC will monitor and control the services, revenue collection and utilization through the Community Development Fund (CDF). The revenue so generated will go directly into CDF bank account. On rotation basis, individuals from different villages generate income through portering from village to village, assisting as cook, or village guide. Other activities generating income for individuals by developing tourism in JSWNP include cultural performances, sales of crafts, vegetables and other agricultural products. The TMC decides the deposit on certain percentage of the revenue generated from the individual tourism activities such as portering, guiding and cooking into the CDF bank account. The accumulated fund can be used by the communities for their village development activities, children education and expansion, conservation activities and maintenance of the tourism related infrastructure. The fund can be used to support initiatives which involve those who are not directly involved in tourism development (especially children and elderly).
Day 1 Tongtongphey - Jangbi village
(Total distance: 7-9.5 kms, 3-4 hours, altitude range 1,000m - 1,350m)
After an early breakfast at your hotel, you could afford some time to strut around the Trongsa town, combining it with a visit to the Dzong and also the Ta Dzong. The latter is going to be upgraded into a museum which will definitely captivate a visitor with its myriad collections. A 2 hours drive from the town along the Zhemgang highway brings you to the start of the Trek, Tongtongphey. You could also augment your itinerary along the way, with a visit to Kuenga Rabten palace, an important heritage in Bhutanese history. After furnishing yourself with ample information about the trek from the information booth, the village guide steers you down to the Mangdi river where you cross a suspension bridge. Unless you have a strong proclivity for ants and other ground creatures, it is almost impossible to miss out on Golden Langurs that are bountiful on this stretch. The first day brings you in contact with the Monpas who are believed to be the first inhabitants of Bhutan. A glimpse on their lifestyle further validates their ethnicity, coupled by mythical legends about their origins. The campsite in Jangbi stands on the valley sill, which offers a resplendent view of the Mangdi valley. If you still have some energy for locomotion, you could audience yourself to a local cultural program, or better, partake in it.
Day 2. Jangbi village- Kudra village
(Total distance: 13-14.5 kms, circa 6 hours, altitude range - 1,350m - 1,500m)
The morning allows you to further interact with the Monpas. Before you proceed, you could also pay a visit to the orchid garden that fences about 75 different kinds of orchids till your thirst for botanical photography gets satiated. The hike to Kudra provides a nuance of jovial atmosphere because this part of the trail meanders along stone imprints of Guru Rinpoche’s footprints, dagger and phallus, festooned by stories that espouse Guru’s praxis. Lunch is served just before you arrive at Phrumzur, one of the villages of the Monpa communities, off the trail. You could also visit the village Lhakhang in Phrumzur and then proceed to the campsite in Kudra. En route, you traverse another small Monpa village called Lekpogang, after which, the campsite in Kudra is just an hour’s walk. The campsite offers a bird’s-eye-view of Nyimshong village and also the Zhemgang town.
Day 3. Kudra village- Nabji village
(Total distance: 11-14 kms, circa 5-7 hours, altitude range - 1,500m - 1,300m)
You wake up with the distant call of the Rufous-necked hornbill. This part of the trek is a collage of streams, waterfalls and thick forests that will give you an invigorating feeling of being out in the wild. The Great Himalayan Squirrel, Rhesus Mecaques, and small snakes are often spotted along the trail. Unseen but present, are Himalayan black bear, Red pandas, tigers, Clouded leopards et cetera. Upon arrival at the holy tree in Nabji, the people will give you a heartwarming reception. Nabji is a beautiful village where paddy fields seem to circumambulate the clustered houses. You could also hike to the community school and indulge yourself in game of football or volleyball, where children rejoice the presence of outsider athletes.
Day 4. Nabji village - Korphu village
(Total distance: 9.5-13km, 2-3 hours, altitude range - 1300m - 1500m)
En route to Korphu, the Nabji temple is located in the middle of the paddy fields. Inside, there remains a stone pillar on which Guru Rinpoche, while traveling through Bhutan in the 8th century, brought consensus between the warring kings: King sindha Gyelp of Bumthang, and King Noeche, by imprinting their thumbs on each side of the stone. A unique festival is celebrated sometime in early January at the temple grounds. Korphu is situated on a mountaintop at an altitude of 1,500m. The most striking thing about Korphu is that the people exemplify hospitality almost treating you like ‘A King on accession to throne’. You have the option of being welcomed with a traditional ‘Chipdrel’ procession and a ‘Marchang’ ceremony, singing traditional songs of praise and wellbeing for new visitors. They also perform the traditional ‘Tashi Labey’ dance to bid you farewell. If you are interested, the villagers can explain and demonstrate and even allow you to participate in the quintessential Bhutanese games of ‘Khuru’, ‘Dego’, ‘Sok-sum’, and ‘Gee-dum’, all on the brink of disappearance. You could also pay a visit to the village temple that houses the sacred relics of Pema Lingpa, the famous ‘Treasure revealer’ of Bhutan. A local lunch could be provided in the village campsite which also provides a spectacular bird’s-eye view of Nabji and other surrounding areas.
Day 5. Korphu village - Nimshong village
(Total distance: 11-12 km, circa 4-6 hours, altitude range - 1,500m - 1,300m)
The hike from Korphu to Nyimshong is the pleasant and arguably the best birding spot which can boast a bird list of more than 395 species. The elusive Rufous Necked Hornbill has its nesting holes adjacent to the trail. The walk is mixed with waterfalls and, streams and cantilever bridges. The evening brings you to Nyimshong, a village with its reticent architecture and lifestyle. The campsite is equipped with an amphitheatre. The women of Nyimshong have a penchant for singing and dancing and a cultural show would be ideal to express certain euphoria to end your trek. Of course this is optional.
Day 6: Nimshong village - Trongsa town
(Total distance: 5-6km, circa 2 hours, altitude range - 1,300m - 1,000m)
If you are lucky, the Golden Langurs will lead you to the exit. You descend down to the Mangdi river again to see some Herons and River-lapwings. An hour’s steep ascend to the road and your driver will drive you back to Trongsa.
NOTE : The above itinerary shows the actual duration of the trek only. You can combine this trek with any other sightseeing tours which will determine the actual duration of your trip. To customize your trip, write to us at contact@welcome2bhutan.com .
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