Viewpoints · Jayanti
Sunset on the Jayanti riverbed
The Jayanti's dry-season bed is a vast plain of pale stones with the Bhutan hills rising behind. Walking out onto it in the late afternoon, as the light turns gold, is the simplest and best thing to do in Jayanti.
From October to May the river shrinks to a few clear channels, and the bed becomes a wide open space between forested banks. Walk out from the village side, cross a channel or two on stones and find a boulder to sit on. The hills to the north are the first ridges of Bhutan, turning blue and then purple as the sun drops.
Village children play cricket on the flats, families walk, and cattle graze along the edges. Birds such as river lapwings, wagtails and plovers feed in the shallows. In the distance, elephants are sometimes seen crossing the bed from one forest bank to the other, which is why everyone heads back as the light goes.
Leave the bed before dark. Never approach elephants, even if they seem far away; they move fast and the open bed gives no cover. In the monsoon the bed fills with fast water and is off-limits.
Cost: Free
Questions people ask
Good to know
Is it safe to walk on the Jayanti riverbed?
In the dry season and in daylight, yes, near the village. Cross only shallow channels, keep children close, and leave before dusk when elephants cross. After heavy rain in the hills the river can rise quickly; if the water turns brown or rises, move to the bank at once.
Can we see elephants on the Jayanti riverbed?
Sometimes, usually at dusk or early morning, crossing between the forests on either bank. Watch from a distance and move away calmly. Do not follow them for photos or shine lights at them. Your homestay will tell you if herds have been around.
When is the Jayanti riverbed dry?
Roughly from October or November to May, when the river shrinks to a few channels. From June to September the bed fills and the forest zones close. Early October may still have high water after late rains.
Also in Jayanti
More things to do
Treks and walks · 6–8 hours returnThe Mahakal cave walk up the riverbedJayanti · Guide ₹600–1,000; forest fees if applic…
Treks and walks · 3–4 hours returnThe climb to Pokhri lakeJayanti · Guide ₹600–1,000
Wildlife and birds · 2 hoursMorning birding on the Jayanti bankJayanti · Free; guide ₹500–800