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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.

A Spa-cation in Pangkor Laut (Malaysia)

It was the ‘no reason except because I love my husband’ vacation! Aditya had been working around the clock and I felt he needed a break! 3 days of spa, pampering, massages and doing nothing I was sure he’d be back to his handsome, happy self in no time! So I knew he’d cheer up with a SPA-cation ( spa vacation!)

That’s why I chose Pangkor Laut Resort! I decided to kidnap my husband and take him to a resort I’d had my eye on for a long time! Off the coast of Malaysia,this  privately owned island located three miles off the West Coast of Malaysia along the Straits of Malacca and is entirely a luxury resort.

From Singapore you must take the budget airline Firefly (the only one which flies to Ipoh) then take a 90 minute luxury car ride to Lumut and then a 30 minute boat ride…! The island arranges for fabulous transport and your spa experience starts literally from the car itself with warm towels, reading materials, snacks and calming music…you are almost immediately transported!! I know that by the end of these transfers you must wonder whether it is actually with it! And it is! Nestled in the glorious lap of natural beauty Pangkor Laut resort is an unmissable experience!

Because Aditya really needed to relax and unwind, I signed us up for the spa package. The Spa bungalows were water bungalows located in the spa section. The bungalows perfectly balanced on stilts above the water provided privacy and incredible romance. The spa section was all about quiet luxury,  private pools and easy access to the spa and all it’s amenities! The spa package ensured that we’d have at least one massage every day lasting over 3 hours….now that may seem a lot to some but the spa package was uber fun (even for a non-spa person like me!). After you had a cup of aromatic green tea, the routine started!

First you had your feet scrubbed. then you wade thru chilly water and rushed through a running stream only to come out on the other side and be assaulted by incredible aromas of fresh spices. Then you bathed Japanese style sitting on stools and pouring mug fulls of water on yourself. Only then did you finally enter the massage area where each day you’d go thru a different massage technique used to calm stress, revitalize you or just to rid toxins from you!

Post the massage you’d have a quick wash and jump into the private pool…and you’re ready to take on the world or just sleep in the sun the way holidays were meant for!

Five restaurants and two bars serving everything from continental, to Malaysian, fresh fish and fabulous sushi- the choices are endless. The island is huge so you pretty much phone for a pick up when you want to travel! This is fun cos we’d end up walking to the shuttle stop post a massage and then taking a nice , romantic walk back to our rooms post a wonderful dinner!

There are lots of wild animals on the island and don’t be surprised if you see a bunch of monkeys fighting over the housekeeping cart or running away with a pack of biscuits left unattended!

I also booked us an exclusive private 5 course dinner at the Emerald Beach named because of the Emerald waters surrounding it! The dinner was calm, romantic and pretty darn amazing!

Running in the wind with your feet in the sea and your head in the clouds…sometimes that’s what vacations are meant to be… an incredible dream that you never wanna wake up from!