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As a Bhutanese family with longstanding prominence and deep roots in the kingdom, we have the experience, reputation and contacts to make your trip unforgettable. To us Bhutan is much more than a “destination.” It is our home.

Skykingdom Adventures is owned and operated in Bhutan by a well-known family led by Aum Sangay Om (pictured left) and her husband Kinley Wangchuk. The family also owns and operates the Riverview Hotel Group, based in the kingdom's capital, Thimphu. Aum Sangay Om is the daughter of the late Dasho Kesang, former speaker of Bhutan's National Assembly. Karma Dorji, owner and operator, Skykingdom Adventures, U.S., is Aum Sangay Om's nephew (pictured above on one of our trips with former Everest Expedition member, Peter Nelson). Karma was one of five winners of the 1995 Dag Hammarskjold Award given by the UN Correspondent's Association. Karma is the author of Dreaming of Prayer Flags: Stories and Images from Bhutan, which was featured at the 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival on Bhutan. He is also Editor-at-Large for Bhutan Times and writes a weekly column, Bhutan Reflections."Karma carries in him the spiritual heritage and wisdom of his Buddhist ancestors, says founder of Earthpeace Communications, Elvi Ruottinnen. Together Skykingdom Adventures Bhutan and Skykingdom Adventures in California offer unified travel services to the kingdom. We seek to provide not simply a great travel experience but a cultural bridge between the kingdom and the west. We believe that Bhutan has a message of peace and hope to share with the world. We understand the transformative power of travel and invite you to share an uncommon journey with us through our perspective altering land.

For more on Karma and our other guides and leaders, please scroll below.

Karma Dorji

"I love sharing all that is genuine and true in my culture: A pre-dawn raising of the giant Guru thangka scroll at the Paro festival as the deep gong reverberates from the temple and the first shafts of light slice across the valley. Or standing one eternal moment on the 8th century cobblestone yard of the sacred Tiger's Nest monastery, perched 3,000 feet above the valley floor.

"I love retracing the invigorating trail my grandfather took into the mountains as a young man along the old salt trade route to Tibet, knowing that around the next ridge I will see the same dazzling face of the sacred 24,000-foot peak my people call Ama Jhomulhari, Mother Goddess Mountain of the World.

"I look forward to sharing the excitement and sense of discovery each guest brings to our trips. I love sharing my Bhutanese friends and family with them. I get to experience Bhutan through their eyes. And best of all I get to fall in love all over again with the people and landscape of my birth as we journey together, discovering Bhutan and rediscovering ourselves.”

Chencho

Our senior guide and leader, Chencho's dedication is legendary. He once walked five hours out of the mountains near the end of a trek to get a thirsty guest Red Panda beer. We found later following his reappearance in camp that the beer had been mentioned in a wishful jest! Chencho is crucial to our operations and his intimate connections and popularity in local communities make our treks a delight. He also keeps a sharp eye on the well-being and personal needs of our camp crew, maintaining the high morale. All this and a great sense of humor makes him a joy to be around.

Tshering Dorji

Resourceful and charming, Tshering brings a boundless sense of playfulness to our journeys. His wit and wry humor makes him a quick favorite among our guests. While he may seem lighthearted, Tshering is very good at what he does. His leadership, knowledge of the terrain and personal connections in Western Bhutan are crucial to the smooth running of our travel programs and featured trips. Our most promising guide and leader, he has a great future at Skykingdom Adventures.

Kesang Our other senior guide and leader, Kesang is a true Bhutanese gentleman, perfect foil to Chencho’s exuberance. Kesang hails from a proud family that includes a former chief of the royal cabinet and foreign minister but you would never know it from his demeanor. Well-versed in Bhutanese mythology and respected by his peers, Kesang makes things happen with a gentle smile, smoothing over every logistical aspect of your journey in his easy understated way, making you wonder if there isn’t a bit of magic involved. And there is. It’s called Kesang!
Dorji Phuba (Right) Youthful and impish, Dorji can always be trusted to keep things interesting. His humorous anecdotes and playful antics hide an extensive knowledge of the landscape of his birth, including deep familiarity with farming rituals and rhythms, a fact that can be attributed to his rural background. In fact, between trips the quickest way to find Dorji is to visit his father’s beautiful estate by the Paro river where they grow golden delicious apples, cultivate fertile terraces of Bhutan’s famed red rice and, as often as they can, practice archery. Rinzin Samdrup (Left) Our steadfast administrative manager Rinzin is responsible for making sure we get one of those limited Druk Air seats for the flight to Bhutan. Over the years, he has also made many a potentential logistical challenge disappear so those of us in the field can take credit. Rinzin also ensures that we have all our special permits and paperwork in order so our travel programs move along with seeming effortless ease. He does his job so well that most of the time our guests don't even realize he's there
"Aunty" Chimmi "Little aunt" Chimmi is the youngest matriarch in our family. You will almost certainly run into her at our hotel in Thimphu, the Riverview. She is the one to go to when you realize that you have bought more things than you intended to, and need to get your purchases home! Often, Chimmi also has the inside scoop on the best deals in town and a keen instinct for buying and selling excellent and rare samples of Bhutanese textiles and handmade objects. You'll do a lot worse than seek our smart and savvy aunt's advice when in the capital.
Left: Chencho with younger members of the trekking and camp crew.
	Above: Some of the "Admin Staff" at out Thimph (Bhutan) office Left: Guests with more members of the trekking and camp crew near Tseringma, the peak known as the "Goddess of Long Life".