Elite Traveler Summer 2024

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Clockwise Bumthang; riverside dining at andBeyond Punakha River Lodge

the evil force of over-tourism. They’ll need more than tea and cookies if that ever breaches the kingdom’s defenses. Dotted across Bhutan are the majestic, centuries old dzongs (fortresses), symbols of feudal power in a country that has only existed since the fi rst king was crowned inside the Punakha Dzong in 1907. At the Trongsa Dzong, the largest, I was unbelievably, once again, the only visitor — apart from the monks that live there, one of whom gave me an apple as he showedo ff hisphone. The luxury lodges of the temperate Punakha Valley, underneath the domineering presence of the dzong, were joined in 2023 by luxury safari specialist andBeyond, unveiling its fi rst Asian property — a sumptuously stylish nine-room lodge facing the Jigme Dorji National Park. The lodge exudes a laid-back opulence underpinned by an elevated standard of cuisine; it proved di ffi cult to say goodbye. The secluded one-bedroom River House, in an idyllic spot next to a tumbling stream, surely rates among the most covetable romantic retreats in the world. High above Thimphu, meanwhile, secreted among apple orchards across the valley from the Buddha Dordenma (one of the largest sitting Buddhas in the world), Six Senses’ ‘Palace in The Sky’ is, like Amankora, one of fi ve lodges pro ff ering the possibility of an interconnected journey. A modern masterpiece of wood and stone encased in soaring shards of glass, with a large spa next to a fabulous in fi nity pool, it presides serenely over the capital like a spiritual overlord. Back down the hill, we fi nd a little town strenuously asserting its credentials as a big grown-up capital city — albeit the only one in the world without a tra ffi c light — where, amid the bustling building work, we stumble straight into an archery contest, Bhutan’s national sport. Two teams, 500-ft apart, all dressed in traditional gho (a knee-length robe), were fi ring arrows, along with the occasional insult, back and forth from bamboo bows with astonishing accuracy. A highly choreographed song and dance routine was performed every time the target was hit. Accidents, apparently, are not uncommon. That relationship established by Adrian Zecha between HNW visitors and a unique fragile society wary of being overwhelmed is alive and well. To some, it’s extreme; a sledgehammer to crack a nut, perhaps. But until a better way to safeguard this mesmerizing sliver of Himalayan heaven emerges, just keep on swinging that hammer. By Andrew Harris aman.com; andbeyond.com; sixsenses.com

Amid the multicolored, timeworn, dimly lit rooms where monks quietly replenish fl owers beneath the enigmatic golden gaze of the Buddha, time doesn’t simply stand still; one wonders if it’s ever moved

Photo Amp Sripimanwat