Karen Haranis of Rare Air Travel talks about the joys of travelling in lesser-known Bhutan.
What's your earliest bushwalking memory?
As a teenager I lived in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne. A school friend and I decided to walk from my house to the top of Mount Dandenong and back. It was a great adventure in the bush, and we were hooked. Later, we got ourselves a guidebook and kept trying new walks, often getting lost!
What got you into the walking tour business?
I’ve been running multiday trips with my bushwalking club for years. In 2017, I organised a trek for my club in Bhutan. Our guide for the trip was Namgyel, who now works for Rare Air. I thought he was exceptional. He’s into logistics like me. He’s also intuitive, kind and has a great sense of humour. He loves being a guide. I think he’d do it even if he didn’t get paid. When I met him, he was setting up his own company. I helped him out by advertising in Great Walks. After a while it was clear that it would be better if I had greater involvement, so I set up Rare Air and I am the contact person in Australia.
What is it about Bhutan you love so much?
For me it’s the blend of nature and culture. The forests, mountains and rivers are spectacular in Bhutan, but then you add in a monastery or a high-altitude village along the way and it makes it even more interesting. I love the changes in the seasons because you get something different each time. The clear mountain views in late autumn and winter, the lush green picture postcard valleys in early autumn, the rhododendrons in spring.
Wildlife spotting is always fun in Bhutan. On trek we often see blue sheep and marmots, and yaks of course. In the forests there are Himalayan black bears, leopards, red pandas and Bengal tigers, which are now being found in the higher altitudes of Bhutan due to loss of habitat in India. There are over 700 species of birds, in a place that is only two thirds the size of Tasmania!
I love that it’s never crowded. Unlike its neighbours, Bhutan doesn’t seek large numbers of tourists. It is one of an increasing number of countries that imposes a daily tariff on visitors to protect its natural environment. They have a low-volume, high-value policy. Apart from the trail to the Tiger’s Nest, you’re probably going to have the trails all to yourself.
Where do you take clients in Bhutan?
We go to all the main hotspots in the west, where the airport is, but also specialise in trips to the east. I really love eastern Bhutan. It has a slower pace of life and everyone is very relaxed and friendly. There are some amazing temples and dzongs, which are the magnificent fortresses that were built strategically in every major town to defend against invading armies from Tibet. Some of my all-time favourite trails are in the east, like the Omba Ney trail and the downhill trail from the Thrumshing La.
Our favourite trek is the Jomolhari to Laya Trek, especially when the Royal Highland Festival is on in October. It’s 12 days of incredibly varied walking, with the always impressive Himalayas as a backdrop. We have other off-the-beaten-track treks that we offer too. I’m keen to get the Nub Tshonapata trek in Haa up and running in the future. It goes to a sacred lake and the wildflowers are supposed to be spectacular. I’ll be scouting it out soon.