THE LAST SHANGRI-LA

The Last Shangri-la - Luxury Travel Magazine

The Last Shangri-la

By: Gary Allen and Uli Schmetzer, Issue 48 – Spring 11

Bhutan

THE MAGICAL KINGDOM OF BHUTAN NESTLED INTO THE HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS HAS A GOVERNMENT POLICY AIMED AT DISCOURAGING HORDES OF TOURISTS. GARY ALLEN IS AMONG THE FEW TO VISIT THIS PLACE ON EARTH MANY WILL ONLY EVER DREAM ABOUT SEEING.

THIMPHU, the capital of Bhutan, is the only capital city in the world without a single traffic light. Oh yes, one was installed not long ago but later discarded as the people complained it was too impersonal. Today a lone traffic policeman sits to direct the traffic from a beautifully coloured and decorated stand.

The Kingdom of Bhutan is a magical place that has only recently opened its doors to the outside world. Luckily,the Bhutanese had watched what happened to surrounding countries that welcomed the hordes and their own careful management of tourism since its commencement has allowed the country to maintain much of its culture and quirky identity and of course, its natural beauty. The Bhutanese government’s tourism mantra is “high value, low impact” and with a minimum US$200 per person per day tourist fee on top of the cost of accommodation at the luxury end (rising to US$250 per person, per day in 2012) you won’t come across many backpackers.
Along with my travelling companion, I felt like a pioneer in a distant land - among the first to learn about the Bhutanese people, culture and food, but the tourism figures for next year are set to rise to 100,000 from around 27,000 this year, although the government’s tourism policies will continue to aim at preserving Bhutan’s unique culture and protecting its pristine environment.

Today, traditional dress is worn by over 75 per cent of the 100,000 population of the capital. Buddhist monks are present in robes of orange, saffron and burgundy and many of the buildings are painted with colourful Buddhist drawings. All of this vibrant colour combines against a backdrop of lush green mountains. There’s not a McDonalds or Starbucks in sight, or any other western food or clothing chain for that matter.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN A KINGDOM FAR, FAR AWAY

The Kingdom of Bhutan sometimes feels as if it had been left in a time-warp in the Himalayan foothills, too poor in resources to be bothered, too inaccessible to be conquered, too complex
in its Buddhist-Shamanic faith for missionaries and so reclusive everyone almost forgot it existed – until its sweet innocence lit a beacon for a new kind of world order.

That happened after its visionary king coined the revolutionary economic slogan: “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product.” And that did it. The message caught the imagination of modern philosophers. Within a few years Bhutan became a mini-laboratory for academics and amateur theoreticians, for meddlers and visionaries searching for a third way between neo-liberal free market capitalism and defunct communism, an economic policy that would no longer subjugate social progress to consumerism; a new doctrine that would save the polluted planet, reduce mental depression, the suicide rate, narcotics and anti-depressant drug abuse, obesity, all of it connected, so researchers found, to more and more unhappiness.

In 2006 Business Week magazine claimed Bhutan was the happiest nation in Asia. The first of several international seminars on Gross National Happiness was held in Thimphu, the kingdom’s capital, in 2004 hosted by the Centre for Bhutan Studies. The researchers concluded the global economy today is led by a young and immature nation, the USA. Like most young people, so the findings go, the US culture values physical beauty, physical strength and youth. More mature cultures value the elderly, wisdom that comes from a life well lived, peaceful coexistence and inner rather then outer prosperity.
But what did all this academic analysis really mean to the Bhutanese? Dr Pema Trinley, vice-chancellor of the University of Bhutan feels the king’s GNH policy has caused more fuss abroad then at home. “At the beginning we thought happiness would be better roads, electricity for everyone, more gadgets, more entertainment....but we soon found out there is more to happiness than conveniences and goods. Now we try to maintain the spiritual. Opening up the country has brought in many positive things but also much negative. In fact our surveys found rural people, the ones living a simple life in the old-fashioned ways, are far happier than our modern people in the cities...people in the Haa Valley, one of the poorest and most isolated of our regions, were the most content people in Bhutan our survey found.”

Uli Schmetzer

NATIONAL SPORT

The Bhutanese national sport is archery. Team members and supporters dance around like peacocks all the time singing about how their team will be victorious. There’s much banter between the teams as each member shoots his arrows a distance of 140 metres into a small wooden board. That’s right, 140 metres! The rules allow for yelping and shouting as a player takes aim. It’s all in the fun of the game. They sing after each hit on the board for two points. A hit on the smaller inner circle gets three points and a dance mimicking the black necked crane. Every successful hit wins the player a coloured scarf that he hangs from his belt. The scarves accumulate throughout the match so you can tell who is having the best day. Matches start as early as 8.30 in the morning and will go until as late as 5.30 in the afternoon.

THE BHUTAN PILGRIMAGE

T he popular and exclusive small luxury hotel group Aman has chosen Bhutan as one of its only 15 locations across the globe and brings to the destination an extraordinary journey known as The Amankora Pilgramage; an itinerary of luxurious lodges set throughout the country’s western and central valleys.

Aman guests are met at the airport by a guide and driver who stay with them for the entire pilgrimage. We developed a quick friendship with ours and were impressed by the in-depth knowledge of Tashi and the driving skills of Gembo on some of the world’s hairiest roads.

Throughout the pilgrimage we selected from activities like visiting the ancient dzongs, sitting in on a local primary school classroom and teaching English to the young monks in a nearby temple (one of our highlights). We had a full day in each village, so we chose to meet our guide and driver immediately after breakfast before spending the day out, sometimes picnicking in a beautiful meadow (with cows) for lunch. On other days we’d come back for lunch at the lodge and then head out again for the afternoon. Dining back at the lodge was always sensational. The local cuisine, which revolves around yak products - butters, teas and stews - may prove to be a challenge for the more unadventurous eater and a little spicy for some with the use of a lot of chilli. We had yak every conceivable way including yak carpaccio, yak stroganoff and our favourite, a toasted rye yak
rueben sandwich.

The suites at each lodge are rich and simple and all come with a bukhari (a traditional wood burning stove), a large bathtub (as is the Aman way), a large window seat and huge windows with jawdropping views. The living rooms in the main lodges at each site have magnificent views through floor to ceiling windows and make for great places to meet the other guests. Most of the dining rooms throughout the pilgrimage have communal tables so the conversations started at pre-dinner drinks would continue over dinner. Our journey sometimes overlapped with the same guests a few days later at a new lodge providing more opportunities to swap travel tales.

THE LODGES

AMANKORA PARO

The small town of Paro, in the centre of a valley on the banks of the Paro Chhu, is usually the first Amankora property visited as Paro is the site of the country’s only airport. Its 24 suites sport a mix of rustic and contemporary design features with stunning views of the surrounding pine forest and Mount Jumolhari on clear mornings.

AMANKORA THIMPHU

The 16 suites of the Amankora Thimphu lodge are set in the Motithang area, close to Bhutan’s
capital city of Thimphu. The property features beautiful views of the nearby stream and pine forest and also houses a spa.

AMANKORA PUNAKHA

Centred around a traditional Bhutanese farmhouse, Amankora Punakha can only be accessed by crossing a suspension bridge over the Mo Chhu and features a traditional altar room, a courtyard and a tea pavilion.

AMANKORA GANGTEY

Well off the beaten path, Amankora Gangtey is near the isolated village of Gangtey, in the Phobjikha Valley which is part of Bhutan’s most important wildlife reserve. The living room at the lodge has scenic views of the valley floor and a 16th century monastery.

AMANKORA BUMTHANG

In the centre of the historic Bumthang Valley, Amankora Bumthang’s 16 suites are in four separate dwellings with a courtyard adjacent to the Wandichholing Palace, birthplace of Bhutan’s monarchy. Bumthang is also home to 29 temples and monasteries as well as a museum.

RATES

Each Amankora night is US$1,300 (about A$1,219) per suite for single occupancy, or US$1,400
(about A$1,313) per suite for double occupancy. However, usually Aman’s Bhutan guests experience all five lodges in a tailor-made itinerary of a minimum of seven nights. The itineraries include long road permits, private transport with a driver and a guide between lodges and a 60-minute massage. However, to visit all five Bhutan valleys, a minimum of 11 nights is recommended.

A seven-night journey will take you from Thimphu to Punakha to Paro, and is US$9,100 (about A$8,533) for single occupancy or US$9,800 (about A$9,190) for double occupancy. An 11-night journey will start in Thimphu and then continue on to Gangtey and Bumthang before visiting Punakha and Paro. This journey is US$14,300 (about A$13,409) for single occupancy and US$15,400 (about A$14,441) for double occupancy. The prices include all meals and beverages,
airport transfers and visa processing assistance.

GETTING THERE

The only flights into Bhutan are operated by DrukAir, the country’s national carrier. From Australia the easiest way to meet a DrukAir flight is to travel via Bangkok. You’ll need to overnight in Bangkok as the only flight out leaves at 6:50am most days so check in at the Druk Air counter will be before 5:00am.

The Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport is the best choice for the overnight in Bangkok. It offers a free 24-hour shuttle service from the airport to the hotel (a five-minute ride) and operates a 24-hour “flexi check in” which means you have your room for 24 hours from the time you check in. It also offers 24-hour room service, several restaurants, a courtyard with pool and a large fitness centre which rivals any private gym. With a 4.00am wake up call we had a hot breakfast before our five-minute ride
back to the terminal in time for check-in.

The DrukAir flight to Bhutan is about three hours and arrives at Paro International airport which is currently the only airport in the country.

Tighten your seat belt as you approach the runway. The plane glides past the foothills of the Himalayas dipping and weaving in between breathtakingly beautiful mountains. (There are only a few pilots trained to land in this often tricky place.) The weather plays havoc with arrivals and flights may be cancelled when the Gods don’t cooperate so with only one flight daily from Bangkok, the Land of the Thunder Dragon must welcome you or you’ll be turned away for another day.

As we flew in our captain suddenly swooped back up into the sky. There were people on the runway so we had to circle and try again landing perfectly the second time.

Currently, Druk Air flights can be booked with Thai Airways which is convenient if you choose to fly with Thai Airways from Australia. Return economy fares from Sydney to Bangkok start at A$1,243 and business class at A$3,674. Return economy fares from Bangkok to Paro start from A$856 and business class from A$1,013.

WHEN TO GO

Bhutan is great in any season. The autumn and winter months (September to mid-March) are dry with clear skies and daytime temperatures around 12-20 degrees Celsius and cold nights. Autumn is also when most of the festivals are held, so it’s a high tourist season.
Luxury TraveL Magazine travelled in August which is low season and so we were usually the only tourists at the temples and on our hike to the Tigers Nest, something everyone should do, we didn’t see anyone else until we were almost back down to the bottom.

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