We Found Peace in Bhutan | Club Mahindra Member Review

This year, we decided to do something different for the holidays. After the stress of COVID-19, we wanted a peaceful environment to relax and destress. Beautiful Bhutan seemed like an obvious choice. There might not be many things to do in Bhutan, but that was okay with us. I searched for resorts in Bhutan and found two Club Mahindra properties. We decided to book both for seven days of peaceful Bhutan holidays. We looked forward to the many places to visit in Bhutan and sights to see.

Our Bhutan Trip Itinerary

We divided our stay in Bhutan between the two resorts: Four days at Hotel Dragon’s Nest in Punakha and three days at Hotel Tashi Phuntsok in Paro. We had enough things to do in Bhutan. Monasteries, museums and breath-taking natural beauty, we wanted to see it all.

On our first day in Punakha, we visited the Punakha Dzong, one of the essential things to do in Bhutan. It is a beautiful structure that is also known as the ‘Palace of Great Happiness’. Our next stop was Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, a beautiful four-storied monastery.

The second day was dedicated to Torsa Strict Nature Reserve near the China border. We enjoyed the peace, and it was almost evening when we returned to our hotel. We enjoyed the bonfire in the hotel garden before dinner. The hotel’s restaurant offers an amazing choice of cuisines.

On the next day, we visited the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery. It is a Buddhist temple which also trains nuns. It is home to a majestic 14-foot-tall bronze statue of Avalokisteshvara. From there we went to the Royal Botanical Park, which has 38 species of rhododendrons! We enjoyed a bit of adventure on the Punakha Suspension Bridge, which sways in strong winds.

We spent most of the fourth day in travelling to Paro and our next hotel. But we took a quick trip to the Paro Dzong before spending a relaxing evening in the hotel’s excellent spa.

The next morning, we left for Taktsang Monastery. It was an extraordinary experience! The climb is tiring, but the views from the top make it all worth the effort. We spent the entire day out there before returning back to our hotel, tired but happy.

On the sixth day, we visited the beautiful 7^th-century Buddhist temple of Kyichu Lhakhang. It is peaceful and has a beautiful collection of murals and statues. Then we proceeded to Chele La Pass which is the highest road pass in Bhutan. The road to reach there was as beautiful as the pass.

On our last day in Bhutan, we enjoyed the Paro Craft Market. It is very colourful and offers an amazing variety of local arts and crafts. We shopped quite a bit! We enjoyed the local delicacies at Paro in some of the best restaurants in Bhutan. What an experience it was!

Bhutan offered us so much more than its food, culture and natural beauty. It offered us peace of mind.

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Submitted by: Arpa and Rajesh Mehta, members since February 2010