Your trip to Bhutan will almost certainly begin in the Paro valley, home to the country's only international airport. It's a gentle first base, and the old watch tower of Ta Dzong, now the National Museum, is a short climb above town. From Paro, the road runs east. Thimphu, the capital, sits beneath a giant golden Buddha on the hillside, while honeymooners tend to linger in the Punakha valley, where the pilgrims' path to the fertility temple of Chimi Lhakhang crosses tiered rice paddies. Walkers will love the Gangtey valley, whose marshy Phobjikha flats make for long, level rambles, and repeat visitors usually push further east to the Bumthang valleys, where Bumthang Mountain Lodge is a warm, welcoming stop. You can choose between 61 properties across Bhutan, with prices ranging from USD 275 to USD 2,000 per person per night. At the top end, Amankora Thimphu Lodge sits among blue pines, with a traditional hot stone bath waiting after a day of temples.

Gangtey

Punakha
Gangtey

Paro

Thimphu

Punakha

Gangtey

Paro

Thimphu

Punakha
Paro

Thimphu
Punakha

Paro

Thimphu

Punakha

Paro

Thimphu

Punakha
Paro

Thimphu
Punakha
An earthly paradise waiting to be discovered
Inspired by the remote Himalayan sanctuary, or beyul, of the same name, Pemako is an earthly paradise waiting to be discovered.
A perfect convergence of person, place and time; where peace restores perspective, spaces inspire wonder and the pace is entirely your own

Paro

Thimphu

Paro
Namibrand, Namibia