Six Senses Bhutan — Hotel in Gangchhe_Talakha

We have traveled all over the world for 45 years and Bhutan was truly one of the highlights of all our travels. Learning about the country, people, and culture made it so special.||I have been wanting to visit Bhutan for many years and we finally we did it! If you are looking for a journey that will give you lasting memories than Bhutan is for you!||We worked with Antriksh with Six Senses in planning our 12 night stay and he was fabulous and detailed in planning our itinerary. We visited 4 cities- Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey and Paro. You will be given a planned itinerary of all the major sites – I added some extra things to do and see that you will read about In the end of my review of “ Must do in each lodge”. Antriksh also got our visas and booked our flights.||The lodges are all inclusive – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and your guide and driver. There is complimentary laundry and drinks in mini- fridge.||We are elderly so did we not do the treks that many people do. We spoke to many guests who loved doing them in each lodge.||Upon arriving at the first lodge In Thimphu which is refereed to at as the “Palace in the Sky “ they open a huge door at the entrance- and in front of you are the Himalayas Mountains and most gorgeous views you will ever see. The lodge has lovely water features and outdoor sofa sitting where one night before dinner they had a performance with singers and masked dancers with treats and a bar set up. Wow was that extraordinary!||The food at all the lodges was creative and delicious with many choices. Service was impeccable! All staff are so kind and friendly.||The accommodations and décor at all the lodges are beautiful and spacious with sitting areas, balcony and large bathrooms with tub and shower.||The managers of the lodges greeted us upon arrival and were engaging throughout our stay. You will be assigned a Guest Experience Manager- almost like a butler who you can communicate with on what’s app that will come pick you up in golf cart for meals, make fire in your suite and any other requests you may have.||Try and coordinate you stay to be there for one of the festivals. We were there for a festival in Paro- the lodge dressed us in native clothing. It was so much fun to watch the festival that included masked dancers. The festivals take place in different cities- Six Senses can advise you on that.||You will have the same guide and driver for your entire stay. Our guide Tashi was magnificent and was the best guide we have ever had in all our travels. She was so knowledgeable, compassionate, and attentive and we were so grateful to have her on our journey through Bhutan. We learned so much from her about the culture, history, Buddhism, daily life of the people etc. Every day was extraordinary being with you! Our driver Tobgay was a joy to be around and was not only a great driver but so attentive to us. We adored both of you and miss you so much! ||Housekeeping cleaned our suites and villas to perfection. We appreciate your service to us.||We had the pleasure of meeting in Thimphu the General Manager over all the lodges-Marieke. She was so lovely and engaging. Six Senses is lucky to have her.||The highlight in Paro is going to Tiger’s Nest. We took the horses half way up to the cafeteria- since we knew the walk would be difficult for us going all the way up to the top. We spent some time enjoying the views from there. Then we walked down with the assistance of our guide and driver. It was not difficult and it took 1.5 hours to get to the bottom. The whole experience was a fantastic day going through the forests.||When you return from Tiger’s Nest they give you a wonderful foot massage. Six Senses sure thinks about everything to give you a first class experience.||Be sure to go to the Spas in all the lodges. The treatments were outstanding. I studied all their offerings and chose the ones that were unique for each lodge. You can see below in “Must do in each lodge”.||The founder of Six Senses is related to the Royal Family. It took 10 years designing, building and perfecting the lodges. Each lodge is unique and stunning with breathtaking views.||There are other luxury lodges in Bhutan. But Six Senses Lodges has the best locations, views , accomodations, facilities and is the newest and most luxurious. Nothing else compares to Six Senses.||Six Senses Bhutan has won many hospitality awards including: World Travel Awards as Bhutan’s Leading Hotel -this prestigious award recognizes Six Senses Bhutan for its outstanding luxury, service and overall guest experience. Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award for its exceptional experiences. Tatler Spa Guide Award for its unique and inspiring spa offerings. Hospitality Design Magazine Award as the winner in Resort category in this prestigious design award and Prix Versailles World Awards for Best Hotel Design.||Thank you Six Senses for memories that will last us a lifetime! It was a MAGICAL experience we will never forget!|||MUST DO IN EACH LODGE! ||THIMPHU: |Buddha Dordenma, Dochula Pass, Changangkha Temple||General Post Office:. You get to make your own personalized stamp with your picture and the lodge will send your postcards for you.||Paper making factory- very interesting.||Lodge Spa- Hot Stone Bath called Dotsho- Mineral rich stones are heated an added to your bath. It was wonderful!||Have your experience Manager make you a fire in your suite at night at every lodge.||PUNAKHA: |Breakfast with the monks at a 16th. Century Monastery. This activity was one of the highlights of our trip to Bhutan. They will assign you a monk that will explain about their life there and you can ask him questions too. We saw the temple where they were praying, rooms where young monks slept, watched them play soccer etc. It is nice to bring gifts for the young monks like we did such as soccer balls, stationary and pencils. You can buy them with your guide before by going to a general store.||River Rafting in The Pho Chu River and picnic lunch on the river afterwards- an absolute must and highlight.||Falafel Salad Bowl for lunch that includes Hummus and Baba ganoush. They told me it is the most popular item on the menu and I had it every day! Delicious!||Sangchen Dorji Lhendrup Nunnery- The nuns were so friendly and welcoming to us.||Lodge Spa: Body wrap and Facial – Spa is largest of all the lodges and was |wonderful!||Crossing suspension bridge over the river.||Punakha Dzong- Actually saw cows crossing the bridge there.||Local Market||Take a swim in the lodge’s outdoor pool.||GANGTEY:|Lodge Spa: Swedena Steam Bath- you are placed in a wooden structure and herbal steam is released. Truly special!||Local market||Local elementary school- we brought gifts for young students including coloring books , color markers and soccer balls.||Tour of farmer’s house who planted potatoes for a living.||Gangtey Goemba Monastery- be sure to visit with the young monks there.||Black Neck Crane Visitor’s Center||Evening prayer visit with monks at Sheydra. This was very special to see with drums beating- be sure to include this.||Stopping on side of road to put up prayers flags.||PARO: |Tiger’s Nest||Lodge Spa: Massage after going to Tiger’s Nest- was surely great to have that after a long day.||Prayer Flag making at a prior monk’s home with beautiful artifacts in his house. So interesting and a must visit.||Town of Paro for shopping.||Rinpung Dzong|||I want to thank the staff that made our stay so special:||THIMPHU:|Asha, Ngawang, and Yeshi/guest experience maker.|Pema/Waiter and Mixologist, Dechen/Waiter|Hot Stone Bath- Santi and Khandu|Dinesh/Housekeeping|Choda/Executive Chef|Jambay/Assistant Chef|Kabita/Restaurant Supervisor|||PUNAKHA:|Tshering/Waitress|Lodge Manager/Tshering |Tshering/Guest Experience Maker|Cheten/Mixologist- Thanks for the delicious Coconut Ice Cream frozen drink.|Jyotti/Restaurant Supervisor|Nima/Chef- Food at your lodge was great!|Sonam and Shanti/Therapists at Spa||GANGTEY:|Tshering and Passang- Spa|Chefs: Tash and Harka|Kinley, Dorjia, Jeevan and Sabika/Restaurant Waiters|Pempa/Guest Experience Maker|Lodge Manager: Tashi|Restaurant Manager/Pema||PARO:|Ugyen/Housekeeping Assistant Manager|Yeshi and Tshering/Spa|Tenzin/Guest Experience Maker- You were truly amazing!|Roy/Lodge Manager- We adored you!|Mendrel, Choki, Karma, Chencho, Jack, Tshewang/Restaurant...

If you are reading this review, I assume you have decided to visit Bhutan and are considering your accommodation options. Here it is in a nutshell. For a truly extraordinary Bhutan experience that will leave a lasting impression, go for the five-lodge, fifteen-night slow luxury Six Senses khamsa. If you’re short on time, go for as many as possible. Just go. ||We traveled from November 1 - 16, timing our stay to be at Gangety when some black cranes would have migrated from Tibet and arrived for winter and in Bhumthang for the Jakar Tshechu Festival. The weather was refreshing and great for outdoor activities: mostly sunny, crisp days that dropped a bit chilly by nightfall. We booked our trip through GeoEx.||We were accompanied by two absolute gems, our guide, Sonam Norbu, and Tenzin Sangay, our driver. Sonam is knowledgeable and deeply spiritual, a great storyteller, and passionate about Bhutan and Buddhism. Tenzin navigated the winding mountain roads with care and safety in a well-maintained comfortable SUV. As a team, they were adaptive and flexible as they got to know our preferences and interests. It turned out they were also good archery teachers, which was lots of fun. ||The menus at all lodges, although different, incorporate Western, regional, and local dishes. This is great - every meal was delicious. What is better than great is their willingness to adjust a dish or make whatever you may like. We met the Executive Chef for all the lodges and he described their commitment to local organic ingredients and how the menus highlight the culture. At each lodge, we met the chefs. After listening to my husband’s digestive issues, they suggested items on the menu and possibly some modifications or offered to make something for us. One chef went into a lot of detail on suggestions for my husband’s issues and wrote it all up for us to take home. When we asked for the recipes, they were printed out for us; we made the lemon yogurt sorbet and it transported us back to Bhutan! ||Luxury is being in this beautiful quiet country on a private khamsa with Six Senses. Luxury is staying in small lodges that architecturally merge traditions with superb spacious modern accommodations and the uniqueness of each location; wherever you are there are expansive views, even from within your bedroom. Add to this is the people - all the staff including lodge managers, the chefs, and servers in the restaurant, our guide and driver, spa wellness, housekeeping, and groundskeepers - all have a kindness and positive energy about them such that there is this sense of being in a supportive cocoon where they anticipate your every need. My husband is spoiled as am I. ||I could go on about the hikes, the monasteries we visited, and other activities like going with the flow river rafting, the breakfast with monks at a hilltop monastery, yogic stretching and living without time on our minds, a birthday celebration at our lodge with music and dancing for the fourth king, refreshments on a hill overlooking the black cranes, etc, etc, etc. - |but in hindsight, |it is the unscripted moments of silence, feelings of space and beauty in nature, and the surprises and interactions with the people that are enduring. Like conversations at the Jakar Tshechu Festival translated with the help of our guide where I met a nine-year-old girl who is now my digital pen pal, or the night my husband played guitar for the lodge staff and our conversations with the staff that night, or when we observed from our room the three hour preparation for our hot stone bath in which the stones are actually heated on an open fire and then the friendly young spa attendant explaining how the experience flows, followed by the sheer drama when the stone comes down the shute into the bathtub - oh, then there is more…the total pampering reminders to use the cold towels and drinks. These are just the tip of the iceberg! ||Six Senses creates the opportunity for special moments and a transformative journey. I hope I have given you a taste of our experience. They’re not just travel memories. Life doesn’t look the same after our Six Senses...

If you are reading this review, I assume you have decided to visit Bhutan and are considering your accommodation options. Here it is in a nutshell. For a truly extraordinary Bhutan experience that will leave a lasting impression, go for the five-lodge, fifteen-night slow luxury Six Senses khamsa. If you’re short on time, go for as many as possible. Just go. ||We traveled from November 1 - 16, timing our stay to be at Gangety when some black cranes would have migrated from Tibet and arrived for winter and in Bhumthang for the Jakar Tshechu Festival. The weather was refreshing and great for outdoor activities: mostly sunny, crisp days that dropped a bit chilly by nightfall. We booked our trip through GeoEx.||We were accompanied by two absolute gems, our guide, Sonam Norbu, and Tenzin Sangay, our driver. Sonam is knowledgeable and deeply spiritual, a great storyteller, and passionate about Bhutan and Buddhism. Tenzin navigated the winding mountain roads with care and safety in a well-maintained comfortable SUV. As a team, they were adaptive and flexible as they got to know our preferences and interests. It turned out they were also good archery teachers, which was lots of fun. ||The menus at all lodges, although different, incorporate Western, regional, and local dishes. This is great - every meal was delicious. What is better than great is their willingness to adjust a dish or make whatever you may like. We met the Executive Chef for all the lodges and he described their commitment to local organic ingredients and how the menus highlight the culture. At each lodge, we met the chefs. After listening to my husband’s digestive issues, they suggested items on the menu and possibly some modifications or offered to make something for us. One chef went into a lot of detail on suggestions for my husband’s issues and wrote it all up for us to take home. When we asked for the recipes, they were printed out for us; we made the lemon yogurt sorbet and it transported us back to Bhutan! ||Luxury is being in this beautiful quiet country on a private khamsa with Six Senses. Luxury is staying in small lodges that architecturally merge traditions with superb spacious modern accommodations and the uniqueness of each location; wherever you are there are expansive views, even from within your bedroom. Add to this is the people - all the staff including lodge managers, the chefs, and servers in the restaurant, our guide and driver, spa wellness, housekeeping, and groundskeepers - all have a kindness and positive energy about them such that there is this sense of being in a supportive cocoon where they anticipate your every need. My husband is spoiled as am I. ||I could go on about the hikes, the monasteries we visited, and other activities like going with the flow river rafting, the breakfast with monks at a hilltop monastery, yogic stretching and living without time on our minds, a birthday celebration at our lodge with music and dancing for the fourth king, refreshments on a hill overlooking the black cranes, etc, etc, etc. - |but in hindsight, |it is the unscripted moments of silence, feelings of space and beauty in nature, and the surprises and interactions with the people that are enduring. Like conversations at the Jakar Tshechu Festival translated with the help of our guide where I met a nine-year-old girl who is now my digital pen pal, or the night my husband played guitar for the lodge staff and our conversations with the staff that night, or when we observed from our room the three hour preparation for our hot stone bath in which the stones are actually heated on an open fire and then the friendly young spa attendant explaining how the experience flows, followed by the sheer drama when the stone comes down the shute into the bathtub - oh, then there is more…the total pampering reminders to use the cold towels and drinks. These are just the tip of the iceberg! ||Six Senses creates the opportunity for special moments and a transformative journey. I hope I have given you a taste of our experience. They’re not just travel memories. Life doesn’t look the same after our Six Senses...