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Six Senses Paro

And so after a leisurely breakfast we were off to Paro. The two resorts are at approximately the same height but the Paro resort is minutes away from the airport; so it was definitely a good idea to come here.

On the way to the hotel we stopped at the National Museum. The museum looked has a round , winding structure. The grounds were large and has in its possession over 3,000 works of Bhutanese art, covering more than 1,500 years of Bhutan’s cultural heritage. What was really interesting were the winding staircases that took us down to each floor.

The route was wonderful. Hanging bridges, colourful flags and numerous prayer wheels were at the side of the road as we traveled to this beautiful resort. The cold weather had already made us hungry and we enjoyed the wonderful and warm Bhutanese food as we arrived at the hotel.

Post lunch we went to the room. The room was spacious and large. Unfortunately the altitude was an issue for me now and I started having a little difficulty breathing. The guide was ever prepared and immediately brought out a small oxygen tank which helped me tons. The town of Paro is very quaint with a few shops selling marked up artefacts. It also is dotted with numerous coffee shops.

Six Senses across the world are known for their spas so sure enough in the evening I decided to get a massage. The spa is under ground and a short walk from the main building. The one hour treatment left me feeling relaxed and a lot better than my breathless afternoon.

After a delicious dinner in the room we slept, relaxed post the wonderful massage.

The next morning we left post breakfast to Tiger’s Nest. Now if you plan to trek up to Tiger’s Nest , Paro Taktsang, also known as the Taktsang Palphug Monastery and the Tiger’s Nest is a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site located in the cliffside of the upper Paro valley it is advised to leave early if you wish to climb to the top. It is said that this climb can take 4 hours or more. At the half way mark there is a cafe and rest stops. A donkey can carry you up to the half way mark but post that you have to climb yourself.There are about 700 steps down and then 250 steps up at the end. But the steps are a very small part of the journey which consists of a trekking route. Returning, of course, there are about 250 steps down and then 700 steps up. The hike is approximately 6 km.

With me finding it hard to breathe, we didn’t do the trek. We took a few pictures and then drove back to Kyichu Lhakhang.

This was beautiful.The Jowo Temple of Kyichu is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, originally built in the 7th century by the Tibetan Emperor Songtsen Gampo. We walked around the peaceful lawns and prayed and spun the prayer wheels before heading back home.

The evening was an exciting one. We had booked a special temple blessing and post that a wonderful dinner at the ruins of the hotel.

The blessing was glorious. We lit beautiful diyas and then sat in from on monks while they chanted and prayed. It was truly a sublime experience. Post the beautiful blessing we were taken to the ruins which had been lit up just for us. The chef had also made some Indian food in case we were craving that. The meal was in multiple courses but what made the night so special is that they had special local performances. Dances dressed in fabulous costumes and danced traditional celebratory dances for us. The costumes were wonderful. From their traditional Kira to dressing like a dragon; we were treated to a multitude of costumes. The performers danced and sang while food was served. The 2 bonfires and the beautiful lighting served a perfect backdrop to a truly special evening.

Evening done, we slept happy and woke up and checked out at a comfortable time since we were barely minutes from the airport.

Six Senses Thimpu

Six Senses Thimpu is a beautiful hotel. With rooms facing the Great Buddha Dordenma; to wake up in the morning looking at this exquisite sight is truly unbelievable. We arrived in Thimpu about 75- 90 minutes from the Paro Airport. Since our flight had been at an awfully difficult time; we chose to use the day to rest, spa and relax. The Six Senses across the world , are known for their phenomenal spas so it made sense to massage the exhaustion out of us. It also made sense to get used to the altitude. If you do have high blood pressure or do tend to get breathless; this may be something you speak to your doctor about so they can help make the trip a lot easier.

Six Senses curates itineraries for you and I was very happy with the 4 night 5 day itinerary that they had curated for us in Bhutan.

So the next morning we went to see the Great Buddha Dordenma. This is is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world, at 169 feet (52 m). It is important to note that in places of worship; it is important to dress conservatively and wear no cap/ hat. Also within the Buddha there can be no photographs taken.Walking around the Buddha you are able to marvel at the sight of the valleys below and the gorgeous peace radiating from this very holy space. Inside the Buddha you’ll see monks praying and some looking thru Facebook! You’ll also see many altars you can pray from. The space us filled with calm and light.

We then went to the Simply Bhutan Museum which shared with us how locals live, their style of dressing and even the foods that they eat. The museum is tiny but they have a pre arranged tour where you are moved from space to space ; hence it does take approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Post this we were taken to a beautiful park for a picnic lunch. After a quick stop to see the national animal the takin- which is a mixture between a yak, a horse and a bull; we then headed back to the hotel to rest for the evening.

The evening was wonderful. A dance program had been arranged for the lodge with wine and hors d’oeuvres and a series of dances were performed with the tales surrounding these dances. This was absolutely lovely. On a crisp spring evening ; covered in blankets and shawls dancing with locals and watching locals dance was definitely a highlight of our trip.

The next day post a leisurely breakfast it was off to Paro!

Cost-:$1100 per night+Service fee and Tourism fee which varies basis the country you come from

Best times to Travel-:March/ April and May when the weather is pleasant and it’s spring time.