Luxury stays
FOR many, Bhutan is not just a bucket list holiday but a luxury destination, too, due to its daily tariffs for visitors and other charges.
There are only a few accommodation types available there – homestays, lodges and luxury hotels. As per the minimum tariff requirement, international tourists would have to stay at a three-star hotel or lodge, though there are those who could afford to splurge a little and choose high-end hotels like Six Senses, Amankora, Le Meridien or COMO.
Six Senses currently has four properties in Bhutan (Paro, Punakha, Gangtey and Thimphu) with another – Six Senses Bumthang – set to open within the first half of 2020.
A stay at any of the Six Senses properties will give you amazing views, personalised service, good food, large comfortable rooms and more. If you’re there to celebrate a special occasion, do let your host know and they will try their best to prepare wonderful surprises for you.
What’s best about the properties is that each one is close to several tourist attractions. Visit Karma, the lone black-necked crane in the Black-necked Crane Visitor Centre if you’re staying in Gangtey. Apparently, Karma was discovered by some villagers in 2016 somewhere in the Phobjikha Valley. He was injured and unable to fly with the rest of his flock, which descend on the valley every November to roost, feed and rest.
Unfortunately, the vets are unable to fix Karma’s broken wing and he has been staying at the centre ever since.
At Thimphu, you can make a trip to the Kuenselphodrang Nature Park, where the 51.5m-tall bronze statue of Buddha Dordenma sits majestically. It is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world.
At Punakha, walk across the Pho Chu Suspension Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan. Stand in the middle of the bridge to get a good view of the Punakha Dzong and the Pho Chu Valley.