Nabji-Korphu Trail

The Nabji-Korphu trail was set up in the mid 2000s as a community-based trek: it runs for five or six days through villages in the buffer zone of Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park at altitudes between about 1,000 and 1,600 metres, and the villages provide the accommodation, food, guiding and porterage, with the income going to them directly. That low altitude makes it a winter trek, the opposite of most Bhutanese routes, and it passes through subtropical forest with orchids, langurs and a good bird list. Nabji has a stone pillar associated with a peace settlement mediated by Guru Rinpoche, and Korphu has a temple on a ridge. The Monpa, one of the country's smallest ethnic communities, live in this area.

What you actually see

• Village accommodation - beds and meals provided by the settlements.
• Subtropical forest - orchids, langurs and lowland birds.
• The Nabji pillar - the stone tied to a legendary peace settlement.
• Monpa communities - one of Bhutan's smallest ethnic groups.

When to go

October to March, which is the reverse of the high treks: the route is too hot, wet and leech-ridden in summer. December to February is the most comfortable window.

Honest expectations

Accommodation is village houses and community camps, basic and shared. The trail is low but undulating with real ascents. Leeches are a serious nuisance outside the driest months. Arrangements go through an operator working with the community, and departures are limited.

Nearby

Trongsa lies north; Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park surrounds the route.