COMO

the Paro Taktsang (a.k.a. Tiger’s Nest) monastery and witnessing the world’s last stronghold of Vajrayana Buddhism. But limited flights and a US$250 daily tax have kept tourism low-impact and high-value, as witnessed at the luxe lodge circuits operated by Aman ( aman.com) and Hotels and Resorts ( comohotels .com), which has also launched the country’s first helicopter adventure. This year, look out for the opening of Six Senses Bhutan ( sixsenses.com), a collection of five intimate lodges scattered among the mountain valleys of western and central Bhutan. The first three (Thimpu, Punakha, and Paro) will set the tone in September, with Bumthang and Gangtey following toward the end of the year. impossibly clear water—in fact, more than 99 percent of the country’s exclusive economic zone is ocean. Today, the 15-isle archipelago is setting global goals when it comes to conserving its biggest asset, as witnessed by the recent launch of Marae Moana ( maraemoana.gov.ck), a vast marine managed area (the name translates as “Sacred Ocean”) covering almost two million square kilometers, with a chunk that is completely off-limits to fishing and seabed mining. So grab your snorkel and prepare to gaze, unobstructed, at more than 130 species of coral, 600 types of fish, numerous species of threatened turtles, endangered reef sharks, whales, and dolphins.