ORCHIDS TOUR

Tour Highlights

Bhutan has one of the richest stock of orchids in the world. Of the 369 species, 82 are unique to the mountain kingdom. Two species – Vanda griffithi and Vanda bicolour – considered almost mythical and not spotted for the past 150 years were discovered recently. A species, Cymbidium hookerianum (locally called Ola Choto), is considered a delicacy in Bhutanese cuisine. Sixteen species are listed as threatened out of which nine are endemic.
The pioneering endeavour towards conserving wild orchids was the establishment of Tse-rim Orchid Sanctuary at Rimchu in Punakha. With forests largely unchanged from how they were 150 years ago, Bhutan’s orchid diversity is highly prized in the international orchid trade but are generally well preserved.