The River Guides of Panbang is a community-led ecotourism group in Panbang, Zhemgang District. Founded in 2010, the group has nine members and employs 10 local youth to manage the Marangdutt Jungle Lodge and rafting services. To enhance local capacity and improve ecotourism activities, we have supported the group by upgrading the Lodge’s infrastructure and providing training in campsite management and local ecotourism guiding. Moreover, three group members and four local community Youths were trained and certified in Rafting Guides, Whitewater Rescue & First Aid, and Kayaking. In 2013, we helped launch rafting services in Manas and recently supported the acquisition of new rafting equipment to improve their services.
This support has benefited the Panbang communities and boosted ecotourism activities in the area, with the group now catering to around 100 international, 700 regional, and 1400 national guests. To learn more about the group and the ecotourism services in Panbang, visit http://www.paddlebhutan.com.
