Page 26 - Issue 3 2020 - Kyalami Connect

NATURE
Kyalami Estates
Brand Manual
Our 850km journey commenced in the
warm south-east and we travelled west
across the breadth of this remarkable
country on a single-lane paved road which
followed the contours of the land, regularly
crossing dramatic mountain passes - like
the famed Dochu La (pass), littered with
prayer flags and chortens (shrines) - and
passing through magnificent forested
landscapes often dominated by imposing and
impressive dzongs (fortresses of towering
walls surrounding a complex of courtyards,
temples, administrative offices and monks’
accommodation).
West of the Black Mountain range running
from north to south, western Bhutan was
only equipped for tourism relatively recently.
This included the provision of wide roads
and luxurious accommodation, etc. At
the time of my visit, eastern and central
Bhutan were almost totally devoid of any
tourist infrastructure and hotels (if any) in
the widely-spaced towns catered only for
indigenous travellers. For this reason, as
well as for birding logistics, we camped for
11 of our 19-day tour, which necessitated
Kyalami Estates Corporate Brand Bible Behaviour Above Black-necked 15 that all of our food and camping equipment
Crane (RS) be transported in advance to the informal
Below: Himalayan view sites carefully chosen for our camps.
2.0 Establishing the Visual Layout: Signature on green layouts Brown Goral (MA)
Having spent the previous day travelling
Possessing unusually high biodiversity Bhutan’s population is around 770 000, and through the Assam state of India, our group
and enlightened conservation practices, the people are industrious, very hospitable of eight arrived at the Bhutan border an
the Kingdom of Bhutan is the jewel of and friendly, but greatly influenced by hour and a half early, so our Bhutanese
the eastern Himalayas, having one of the religion - Vajrayana Buddhism (75%) and guides (Tserin, Solaam and bus driver
world’s most valuable, unique and intact Hinduism. Small in stature, they are thin Oula), who we were relying on to arrange
ecosystems. The extreme variations in but tough (only one person overweight, a our visas and guide us through the border
altitude and climate also account for its priest, observed during my travels). Attire formalities, were nowhere to be found. They
The signature can also be placed remarkable assemblage of vertebrates. consists of a gho for the men (a long, knee- finally arrived and shortly thereafter we
on multiply on the green primary There are: length robe tied around the waist with a were stepping through a shallow trough of
disinfectant into Bhutan and making our way
cloth-belt known as a kera) and a kira for
colour. It is set to a 3rd size of • more than 100 species of mammals the women (an ankle-length dress made of to the border town of Samdrup Jongkhar for
height. including Snow Leopard, Bengal Tiger, a brightly-coloured finely-woven fabric with the night.
Blue Sheep, Musk Deer, Bhutan Takin, Red traditional patterns). The National sport
Panda, Greater One-horned Rhinoceros, and is archery although shotput, darts and The next morning, we set off for our
Golden Langur (an endemic primate); wrestling are also popular, and the staple first birding excursion, with the road
diet consists largely of red rice, wheat, winding through patches of evergreen
• 620 bird species including Rufous-necked maize, meat (pork, chicken, beef or yak), forest northwards into the foothills of the
Hornbill, Black-necked Crane and Pallas’s cheese and chillies (used as a vegetable, Himalayas. Both Great and Oriental Pied
Fish Eagle; not a spice). Hornbills showed well at a fruiting ficus tree,
• and more than 5 400 plant species, of
which 750 are endemic to the eastern
Himalayas and 50 to Bhutan itself.
The progressive and enlightened
conservation policies adopted by the Royal
Government operate on the premise of
environmental and cultural connectivity
with socioeconomic development thereby
controlling both its pace and direction
to ensure sustainability. Foreign visitors
are required to pay a minimum tariff
of US$250 per day, making it a very
expensive destination – as they believe
that sustainable tourism and Gross
National Happiness matter more than
Gross Domestic Product. Unlike its nearby
neighbour, Nepal, whose economy is largely
financially dependent on tourism, Bhutan
has limited its investment in tourism to
the upgrading of infrastructure, roads and
accommodation in the western part of the
country.

24 Kyalami Estates • CONNECT • Issue 3 • 2020