It falls away south of Trongsa in ridge after forested ridge toward the Manas river system. It is home to the golden langur, found only in this corner of the earth, and to hornbills, trogons and some four hundred other recorded species. The Kheng people who live in these forests are the kingdom’s finest bamboo and cane weavers; their villages cling to spurs above rivers few travellers ever see.
Come for the wildlife, stay for the sense of a Bhutan that tourism has not yet imagined.
Zhemgang is about four hours south of Trongsa. Two nights is enough for birding at dawn and a visit to a Kheng village. November to April is the best time, with drier weather and easier roads. The lower valleys are warm and humid.