Bhutan Fitness Zone

Owned and personally run by an ex- Mr. Bhutan bodybuilding champion, Bhutan Fitness Zone is a five-story structure that offers not only a dedicated gym space but also massage, sauna, TRX group class, and personal training by Mr. Bhutan himself.

The Bhutan International Marathon features some of the most spectacular scenery offered on the international circuit. Starting at an elevation of 2042 m (6700 ft) in sight of Himalayan peaks that never lose snow cover, the route follows the Mo Chhu river past the temples and villages and rice paddies of Punakha Valley before crossing a 100-meter-long suspension bridge to finish at Punakha Dzong fortress, ancient seat of government and winter home of the monastic body.

Bhutan is a birders' paradise. This country the size of Switzerland is home to about 680 species of avifauna in astonishing variety — gulls, terns, storks, falcons, woodpeckers, kingfishers, hornbills (including the spectacular rufous-necked hornbill), macaws, cuckoos, starlings, and on and on. Bhutan is such a biodiversity hotspot that ornithologists are sure more species await discovery within its borders.

Only known to science since 1876, the the IUCN Red List lists this shy species of crane as "vulnerable." A few hundred individuals fly to Bhutan's serene Phobjika Valley -- the country's largest wetland area -- to escape the Tibetan Plateau's frigid winters. The RSPN (Royal Society for Protection of Nature, which created the center) has monitored the cranes here since 1987, and bird arrivals have been steadily increasing in the three decades since.