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Nabji Trail
A community-based ecotourism trek through Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park in south-central Bhutan, passing through Monpa and Kheng villages between 1,000 and 1,500 metres elevation.
The Nabji Trail is a six-day trek through the buffer zone of Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park in Trongsa District, central Bhutan. It was the first community-managed ecotourism trek in Bhutan when it opened around 2010, designed to channel tourism revenue directly to remote rural settlements. The route connects six villages — Riotala, Nabji, Korphu, Nyimshong, Kudra, and Tongtongphey — descending from temperate forest into subtropical zones between roughly 1,000 and 1,500 metres altitude. Because it stays at low elevation, the trek is accessible during winter months from mid-October to the end of March, when higher treks are closed by snow.
Route and Geography
The trail begins at Riotala, reached by road from Trongsa town, and finishes at Tongtongphey over five to six days of walking. The path drops through blue pine and broadleaf forest into bamboo groves and subtropical vegetation along the Mangde Chhu river valley. Daily stages are moderate, typically four to six hours, with the lowest points near the river at around 800 metres. The trail crosses several suspension bridges and passes through rice terraces, cardamom plantations, and patches of dense bamboo. Trongsa serves as the staging point, with the trailhead accessible by a half-day drive south from the district headquarters.
Cultural Significance
The trek takes its name from Nabji village, where a stone pillar marks a peace accord between the kings of Bumthang and Assam, said to have been brokered by Guru Padmasambhava in the 8th century. The word "Nabji" translates roughly as "oath" or "promise" in local usage. The pillar and the small temple beside it remain a place of reverence for surrounding communities.
The first two days of the route pass through the homeland of the Monpa, believed to be among Bhutan's earliest inhabitants. The Monpa population numbers around 3,000 and is concentrated in scattered hamlets on the slopes above the Mangde Chhu. Their cultural practices blend Buddhism with animistic shamanism, and they are skilled cane weavers and bamboo crafters. Further along the trail, trekkers enter settlements of the Kheng community, whose villages occupy the warmer lower valleys.
Biodiversity
The trail passes through one of the most species-rich corridors in the Eastern Himalayas. The park harbours at least 395 bird species, including the rufous-necked hornbill. Golden langurs — one of the rarest primates on earth, endemic to the region straddling Bhutan and north-eastern India — are frequently seen along the route. Other recorded fauna include red pandas, Himalayan black bears, rhesus macaques, clouded leopards, and several species of pheasant. The forest canopy transitions from oaks and magnolias at higher elevations to tropical hardwoods, tree ferns, and dense epiphytic orchids lower down. The trail's position in the Royal Manas buffer zone means it lies within one of the biological corridors connecting Bhutan's protected areas.
Community-Based Tourism Model
The Nabji Trail operates under a community-based tourism framework. Trekkers stay in village homestays rather than tented camps, eat meals prepared by local families from local ingredients, and are guided by residents trained as trek guides. Revenue from tourism fees, accommodation, and food goes directly to the villages. The model was developed with support from the Royal Government and the World Wildlife Fund as a means of providing alternative livelihoods to communities with limited access to markets and services. Permits are required, and group sizes are limited to reduce environmental impact.
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References
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