Overview: Just emerging from its soft launch phase is this 24-suite resort in Bhutan’s lush Punakha Valley, surrounded by pine forest and overlooking the Punakha river and the valley’s terraced paddy fields (the relatively low-lying Punakha is known as the country’s “market garden”). It’s the first property from new Singaporean brand Dhensa Boutique Resorts, and they’re championing a “return to innocence” theme.
Design: Contemporary style fused with Bhutanese tradition (what sounds like a standard formula these days is, in fact, seamlessly executed here). It incorporates six cottages with private balconies, a reading lounge, Dhensa Spa cottage and a dining room serving up Bhutanese, Asian and Western cuisine that uses seasonal, local and organic produce. At Dhensa Spa guests can make the most of the yoga, sauna and steam rooms, as well as the specialist spa treatments, and lie back in an outdoor wood-fired bath.
Rave: Aside from the jaw-dropping setting? The idea of rediscovering your childhood wonder might sound cheesy, but when it translates into one-of-a-kind experiences like crafting your own souvenir with a local artisan, hiking into the forest to learn more about the flora and fauna and watching rice threshing up close, it’s hard not to be impressed.
Rant: It’s a four-hour drive from Paro to Punakha; assuming there are no landslides blocking the road. Then again, it’s not like you’ll just be swinging by Bhutan for a long weekend so there’s no rush.
Price: From USD$350 ($440)/night
