Bhutan: Mixing mindfulness with luxury and glamping
When people think about Bhutan, what usually comes to mind is its concept of Gross National Happiness. The government actually uses a GNH Project Screening Tool to ensure that national policies fulfill goals such as people’s health, spirituality, living standards, psychological well-being, good governance, ecological diversity and time use, among others, and the Bhutanese rate very high in GNH.
In fact, Bhutan ranked first in economic freedom, lack of corruption and ease of doing business in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), comes in third after Sri Lanka and Maldives in the Human Development Index, and topped all Southeast Asian countries as of 2024 in the Global Peace Index.
And while other governments may create special economic zones to spur investment and growth, Bhutan has embarked on the Gelephu Mindfulness City, a 20-year project in the south designed as a harmonious blend of nature, culture and technology, with a focus on well-being and sustainability. Imagine that: a whole city built around mindfulness.
But Bhutan has another side: a place of glamping and five-star hotels. A luxury destination for those seeking wellness and natural spa settings (and who are willing to pay an extra $100 per day Sustainable Development Fee to visit). A country currently experiencing an economic boom from hydroelectric power (mostly sold to India), which the government has also used to mine itself $1 billion in Bitcoin. And a place where the most expensive export is a hard-to-find mountain fungi known as O.sinensis (or cordyceps) that grows on caterpillar larvae and can fetch up to $18,000 per kg for the pricy mold that’s usually brewed in tea.
My visit to Bhutan encompassed both sides of this nation: from Ferrari-designed luxe tent villas in Punakha, to roadside Dotsho where traditional hot-stone baths are offered on the cheap; from climbing Tiger’s Nest on foot to tasting locally crafted whiskeys in a majestic retreat amid the Paro pine forests. For those seeking an inner journey and outer luxury, Bhutan seems to hit a sweet spot.
Thimphu: A capital investment
My guide, Lham Tenzin from Dheyma Travels—your gateway to Bhutan, which arranges special curated trips to the country—often spoke about “mindfulness.” It’s a key concept of Buddhism, and it’s what the nation aspires towards. On our first day in Thimphu, the nation’s capital, we visited the Buddha Dordenma during the days-long Empowerment Time. It’s become a tent city surrounding the massive 169-foot brass Buddha statue located on a hill above the city, where thousands gather every day to hear blessings and teachings delivered over loudspeaker by the highest-ranking Buddhist teacher, or Rinpoche, from the text of the Rinchen Terzod. Inside, there are about 100,000 smaller Buddhas, and it’s one of many shrines (or stupas) we visited.
Thimphu is also where I met one of the princesses—Ashi Eeuphelma Choden Wangchuck—who has been an advocate for local Paralympic athletes, with Bhutan entering its first competitor, a female sharpshooter, in the 2024 Paris games. She is not just a princess, but also an active De-suup, or a volunteer in the country’s national De-suung program.
The De-suups take a lifetime oath to volunteer for things like disaster response, crowd management, firefighting, search-and-rescue efforts, tree planting, but also things like bartending (they even invited a Filipino instructor to teach De-suups how to “flair-tend”) and competing in the Kho Kho World Cup in India.
You’ll know the De-suups by their orange versions of the national costume (gho for men, kira for women), and we saw them gathered for group yoga in Changyul Park in downtown Thimphu. All this volunteerism adds a focused sense of purpose, national service and, yes, mindfulness, to the Bhutanese people.
Punakha: Glamping in Bhutan’s original capital
From Thimphu, we drove on to Punakha, the country’s original capital, through Dochula Pass, high up on the East-West Road facing the snowy Himalayan peaks, passing the 108 Druk Wangyel Chortens memorial stupa to fallen soldiers, and finally come to the massive Punakha Dzong, or fortress, originally built in 1637 to protect the old capital from invaders. It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage site and monastery facing the Pho Chhu (male) and Mo Chhu (female) rivers that merge in Punakha Valley. (It was also the wedding site of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema in 2011.)
Those twin rivers are connected by various suspension bridges, like the 160-meter footbridge we crossed, decorated with prayer flags in blue, red, yellow and white. You cross a shorter footbridge to reach Pemako, a five-star resort in the pines along the Mo Chhu River. Owned by Dasho Wangchuk Dorji, head of Bhutan’s conglomerate Tashi Group (which also owns Tashi Air), it’s the country’s first “homegrown” luxury brand resort with a second site in Thimphu, and plans to go international in coming years.
Here at Pemako, western touches are merged with tradition: the Bill Bensley architecture echoes stupa design, and you’ll feel nestled in its warm wood interiors at fine-dining restaurant Soma, hidden chef’s menu restaurant Sura, and luxury Five Nectars Bar facing the river.
Pemako means “hidden lotus-shaped land” in Tibetan, and the Buddhist “journey to paradise” concept starts with a waterfall near the entrance, a resident monk who blesses you upon arrival in a private ceremony, and 21 tented villas hidden away among a hill of pines.
Each 290-sqm Luxury Tented Pool Villa is enveloped in a khaki tent design by Serge Ferrari Fabrics (echoing the domiciles of Himalayan hill people) with a private infinity pool awaiting you on the outdoor wooden deck (your personal butler can turn on lights, heating and jacuzzi during bed turndown).
Inside, it’s decked out in orange tasseled furniture, beautiful dark-wood cabinets holding Bhutanese sculptures, stuffed yaks, Tibetan warrior headdresses and modern chandeliers with local touches. Call it “glamping,” if you must. The massive seven-person bed offers plumped-up pillows (you can select more from the pillow menu) and the bathroom features copper bathtubs and fixtures, and heated floor tiles. Over by the complimentary minibar, you can sample the local Druk beer and try their special infused waters with 5 Magical Herbs said to increase happiness, long life, strength and vitality, clarity, energy and balance.
The hill villas feel truly “hidden,” built into the land’s topography and nicely secluded. Peace abides; you can’t even hear helicopters at the hotel’s private helipad. There’s archery, yoga, group and private meditation, and specialized treatments at the Lotus Realm Spa. Best of all is the surrounding silence and birdsong, the gentle gurgle of the Mo Chhu river as you take your breakfast al fresco at Soma.
Peaceful Paro
Our journey continues to Paro, where we had first landed at the international airport days before, threading our way through the narrow mountain valley. The next day we would scale one of those mountains to reach Tiger’s Nest; but first we settled in at COMO Uma Paro, a five-star lodge resort nestled in the blue pine hills with rejuvenating 105-minute body scrub and massage treatments at COMO Shambala, guided treks and tours around the property, and archery (their national sport). The main restaurant, Bukhari, is headed by a female chef who devised a wonderful Bhutanese Seasonal Menu that takes the country’s traditional fare of Churu Gongdo (riverweed egg-drop soup with farmer’s tofu), Dhang Eazy (buckwheat dumplings) and ever-present Ema datshi, a green chili and cheese curry stew, in unexpected, mindful new directions. It’s capped with a Laya cordyceps-infused farmer’s milk jelly dabbed with seasonal fruits and walnuts that is sublime.
On another night, I sampled a flight of Bhutan whiskies, including a K5 bottled in Gelephu to commemorate the king’s coronation.
A restful night’s rest was needed to scale Tiger’s Nest, the most challenging trek I took in Bhutan
Taking Tiger’s Nest (by strategy)
Let’s start at about 10,000 feet above sea level, gazing at a monastery in the sky, the Tiger’s Nest, aka Taktsang Palphug Monastery, carved into the side of a mountain.
It’s here, around 747 AD, that Buddhist Guru Rinpoche chose a remote cave on a sheer rock face to meditate. They say he then assumed a wrathful deity form and rode a tigress to subdue the evil spirits in the locality (or was it really his female consort, Yeshi Tshogyal, in the form of a fearsome tigress, who flew him up there from Eastern Bhutan to Taktsang?). In any case, it worked: Guru Rinpoche brought Buddhism to Bhutan.
Since then, the Tiger’s Nest has drawn key spiritual leaders like Ngawang Namgyal, who unified the valleys of Bhutan under Vajrayana Buddhism, and his successor Tenzin Rabgye who, in 1692, had a vision and built a shrine in the sky: a network of 13 “tiger lairs” for the many monks who took up residence there. No wonder the “Shrine of the Guru with Eight Names” is now a sacred site, drawing thousands of visitors daily in peak months.
Getting there is no walk in the park. It’s about 2.5 hours on foot (some take horseback rides for the first hour). What with the altitude, I found myself huffing and puffing like a chain smoker. Yet my guide Tenzin does this trek so often, he was casually checking videos on his phone while strolling along. (Yes, the cell service is okay up here.)
When you reach the stone steps and see the monastery across the valley like some ancient jewel encrusted in the mountain cliff, almost within reach, you know you’ll probably make it to the end. (But you’d also give your left lung for a ride from a tigress.)
Touching back down at base camp, I felt elated about my climb. Until I looked at my smartwatch and realized I’d only walked… 17,961 steps.
Which felt kind of bitin.
It’s so hard to seek enlightenment when you’re constantly reminded of your progress.
Bhutan, as you can see, offers paths to enlightenment and other paths to luxury bliss. Our journey had one more surprise upgrade — with a twist. Boarding our flight out from Paro International Airport, I had an opportunity to sit in the cockpit during takeoff, so it was one more majestic peak reached high above Bhutan.
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Special thanks to Dheyma Travels (www.dheymatravels.com), Pemako (www.pemakohotels.com), Como Uma Paro (www.comohotels.com/bhutan/como-uma-paro) for their hospitality, Department of Tourism-Bhutan for press visa.
