INTO THE VALLEY

Nestled between India and China, the tiny Himalayan country of Bhutan unfolds a journey that is transformative, both physically and spiritually. Kirstie Clements travels across Aman Resorts’ circuit of five beautiful but understated lodges to encounter a remote region with the best-preserved traditions that are defiantly analogue, pristinely natural and dazzlingly majestic

- Kirstie Clements

WHEN WE DREAM OF COUNTRIES pure and unspoiled, Bhutan may just be the world’s best contender. As the last surviving Buddhist kingdom, Bhutan’s very prescient ‘High Value, Low Impact’ visa policy has kept tourism extremely limited. (Depending on the season, Indians can bypass the daily $200 to $250 per person fee and gain entry upon showing their passport, but will still have to pay a Sustainable Development Fee of ₹1,200.) In fact, this captivating destination remains largely untouched by development up to this day. There are no traffic lights, malls, hotel chains, fast food outlets or high-rises: the pretty, handpainted wooden dwellings spread across the kingdom are all constructed in the traditional style, by royal decree, featuring small, arched windows and tiled roofs, delivering a charming, old-world uniformity.

It is the time-stood-still ambience of Bhutan that hits every sense almost immediately: the incense scented whiff of spicy juniper, the taste of chilli, the brightly ornate and unforgettable interiors of the dzongs (monasteries), the murmur of prayer and the innate elegance of its people.

Situated in the Himalayas between India, China and the Tibetan plateau, a vast 71 per cent of Bhutan remains fragrant forest—the ground cushioned with pine needles, the air crisp, the rivers clear. There are yaks in the fields, golden langurs in the trees on its vertiginous hills, rare black-necked cranes gliding over the valleys from Tibet, the fabled snow leopard moving in the night. It is a place of myth, legends and spirits. And, given the country has a Gross National Happiness Index, much joy.