Between the Tibetan Plateau to the north and the Indian plains to the south, Bhutan is a land of great vertical variation. Rising sharply from 150m above sea level in the subtropical south to more than 7,570m in the Himalayas to the north, Bhutan encompasses an extraordinary range of ecosystems within a distance of only 150km. Its most isolated peak, Mount Gangkhar Puensum, is the highest point in Bhutan and in the entire Himalayan region.
The whole kingdom is split into large glacial rivers, including the Manas, Mo Chhu, and Jaldhaka, which are carved into gorges and flow south into the great Brahmaputra. The country’s rivers define its valleys, which are where most Bhutanese people live.
What makes Bhutan different from other places around the world is that this country is covered with virgin forests, more than 75%, according to official sources. It makes Bhutan the only carbon-negative country in the world. Moreover, the forests of Bhutan are a safe habitat for thousands of species, which makes Bhutan one of the ten ecological spots on the planet. As a result, while hiking in Bhutan, you can experience all kinds of landscapes, from tropical jungles, temperature oak forests, and alpine meadows to moraine valleys.