KUZU ZANG ;O LÀ BHUTAN

Embraced in quiet solitude amidst the magnificent Himalayas, the Six Senses at Bhutan is soup for the weary urban dweller's soul

- VAIDEHI TIKEKAR

For someone who unfailingly sleeps through every car ride, the glorious views of Bhutan kept me awake throughout the long journeys in between the valleys of the Kingdom. It has been a week since I've been back home and now the memories keep up all night. As I write this, my mind goes to the panoramic mountain views, travelling across the Six Senses from Thimphu (Palace in the Sky), to Punakha (The Flying Farmhouse) and the fortress at Paro (Stone Ruins).

I reminisce the pine-needle and tamarind tea, steaming momos, noodles in light broth, chicken stew with subtly spiced, organic produce.

The Ema Datshi, buckwheat pancakes, chilli chutneys and fresh fruits were a wholesome indulgence after days filled with monastery visits and numerous hikes. The lodges at Six Sense evoke a sense of home, where one can unwind on the porch, savouring sunrises with ginger honey tea and a yak wool blanket. Slow walks in the properties reveal picturesque scenes of pine forests, apple orchards, rice paddies, clear skies and ancestral settlements. Despite apparent similarities, I discover disparate details - from high windows to hand-painted Lha-Zo (Buddha paintings), the expansive lodges feature flying roofs with wooden and stone structures.