The Amankora Journey (Bhutan)
Apr 18, 2023, 1:30 pm
#50
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,747
I wasn't sure where to reflect on our Amankora adventure. I decided to post here, despite the 7 year gap, given the remarkable KI-NRT reflections on his trip. I referred to it while in Bhutan and went to see takins thanks to his pictures. Who wouldn't want to see such a rare and ugly beast? I expect that the pictures of the roads that he showed don't reflect current reality but otherwise, the lodges are much as he reported.
We have been to the following Amans:
Amanoi - 3x
Amangiri - 2x
Aman Stefan Sveti
Aman Galle
Amanjiwo
Amankora has leapt to the top of the properties we have visited. Everything was provided, from all food and beverages, laundry, and private driver and guide. The focus is on experiencing the culture of Bhutan. A program is provided with suggested activities for the day. It can be modified as desired to focus on specific interests.
We chose Amankora to celebrate a significant anniversary. It occurred last year, but the country was closed thru Sept 2022. We decided to wait til April this year in order to see the Paro Tsechu, the first time it was held in 3 years. I also felt temperatures would be a bit milder as we move on toward spring.
We chose the 7 night journey with the three main lodges:
Aman Thimphu
Aman Punakha
Aman Paro
Thimphu is the capital city of Bhutan and has a population of 115K. The lodge is roughly 1 1/2 hours from the airport and beautifully isolated in a lovely serene setting. Jonathan Lithgow, the country manager for Aman, is based here. John Reed, who developed the five Aman properties, has a home near this property.
Punakha is a 2 hour drive east of Thimphu with the lodge reached by a foot bridge, then a golf cart type vehicle on to the lodge
Paro is where the airport is. The lodge is a half hour drive from the airport, again set in isolation. It is the largest lodge of the five that Aman has built in the country. You walk down a pine strewn path from the road to reach the lodge.
We booked directly with Aman. There are some Virtuoso benefits available if booked via one of their agents, but there are other benefits of booking directly. The Aman agent told us that benefits do not stack and that the benefits for our 7 night trip were greater if booked directly with Aman. Aman took care of everything, from booking our flights into the country to getting our visas. At the time we booked flights, only the flights from Bangkok had been reinstated. Subsequently, flights have been added from New Delhi, Kathmandu, Dhaka, and Singapore. We booked business class seats which were only moderately more expensive than coach. Aman took care of getting us seat assignments which only became available on the day or prior day. The left side is considered desirable when flying in, the right side on flying out. Honestly, I'm not sure it made much of a difference. We had to have travel insurance, both medical evacuation and medical. We booked that with Travelex and provided proof to Aman in order to get our visas.
Our driver and guide met us at the airport. Our guide was the weak point of our trip. He was soft spoken and did not discuss activities for the day. By the second day we learned to be proactive, talking thru what there was to do and what suited us. We would have missed seeing the takin if not for KI-NRT. We spent two nights in Thimphu, two nights in Punakha, and three nights in Paro. This was the right split, especially given the big tsechu in Paro that went on for 4 days. (A few hours one day was sufficient for us.) We also saw a tsechu at Talo, enroute to Punakha. We had to drive up a windy, narrow mountain road to get to it.
At this point, I should caution you about toilets. You don't want to use Indian toilets (squatty potties). The ones for the large festivals are dirty. Our guide had not planned toilet breaks that day. He did after that and there are fine toilets in hotels or shops along the way.
Food was good at all three lodges. We love Indian food and special menus were provided for us at two of the lodges. Thimphu does not have communal dining, but the other two do. I do not enjoy that, and we were given individual tables in outdoor settings. The Paro lodge made particular effort to give us special dining experiences, setting up a lunch by a stream one day. Delightful.
Each lodge has some evening entertainment. My impression is that it is every other night. At Thimphu, dance groups were brought in. We had a half hour program of diverse dances, outside, fire going, blankets to keep us warm, and beverages and little food treats delivered to us. We also had a dance program at Punakha. We were eager to see it but it was less interesting, provided by employees who danced around a fire pit with no special costumes nor obvious stories to the different dances. Paro had programs two of three nights. One night, a monk spoke about the Gross National Happiness, a measure of the quality of life that is important in Bhutan. Another night, a different monk came and created a rice mandala with the participation of guests.
KI-NRT spoke of the similarity of the lodge rooms between the different properties. This was disappointing. By the third lodge I would have liked to see something different. Fortunately, we did better than him in regards to having a space to work in the room. My husband must work wherever we are. At each property, they brought in a small square table with a chair, such as they use for outdoor dining. The internet signal was strong and this worked well. I like a hassock so that my feet are up as I read. At the first property, they brought in stools of three different heights. I chose one and that traveled in the car with us so that I had it at each lodge.
We did not do the hike to Eagles Nest. So they created a special experience for us. They had found a cabin in a clearing with a beautiful view of Eagles Nest. They took us there to enjoy it and to have tea. We were the first Aman guests taken there. They signed the lease for the property while we had our tea. They will open a new trail from Eagles Nest down to this cabin for Aman guests. It will be a much more serene experience than the parking lot where guests for all lodges are currently dropped off and picked up.
Be aware that the country has now imposed a daily fee for all guests of $200. Thus, for two of us, for 7 nights, this was $2800. Bhutan wants low tourism. We were impressed by the steps that Bhutan has taken to preserve their culture. The exterior of buildings have to be built in the Bhutan way. If you enter a government building, you must be in national dress. Our guide had a white sash in the car that went on over his local attire whenever we entered a dzhong. I really respect their vision in doing these things. You have a real sense of place when you are in Bhutan.
We have been to the following Amans:
Amanoi - 3x
Amangiri - 2x
Aman Stefan Sveti
Aman Galle
Amanjiwo
Amankora has leapt to the top of the properties we have visited. Everything was provided, from all food and beverages, laundry, and private driver and guide. The focus is on experiencing the culture of Bhutan. A program is provided with suggested activities for the day. It can be modified as desired to focus on specific interests.
We chose Amankora to celebrate a significant anniversary. It occurred last year, but the country was closed thru Sept 2022. We decided to wait til April this year in order to see the Paro Tsechu, the first time it was held in 3 years. I also felt temperatures would be a bit milder as we move on toward spring.
We chose the 7 night journey with the three main lodges:
Aman Thimphu
Aman Punakha
Aman Paro
Thimphu is the capital city of Bhutan and has a population of 115K. The lodge is roughly 1 1/2 hours from the airport and beautifully isolated in a lovely serene setting. Jonathan Lithgow, the country manager for Aman, is based here. John Reed, who developed the five Aman properties, has a home near this property.
Punakha is a 2 hour drive east of Thimphu with the lodge reached by a foot bridge, then a golf cart type vehicle on to the lodge
Paro is where the airport is. The lodge is a half hour drive from the airport, again set in isolation. It is the largest lodge of the five that Aman has built in the country. You walk down a pine strewn path from the road to reach the lodge.
We booked directly with Aman. There are some Virtuoso benefits available if booked via one of their agents, but there are other benefits of booking directly. The Aman agent told us that benefits do not stack and that the benefits for our 7 night trip were greater if booked directly with Aman. Aman took care of everything, from booking our flights into the country to getting our visas. At the time we booked flights, only the flights from Bangkok had been reinstated. Subsequently, flights have been added from New Delhi, Kathmandu, Dhaka, and Singapore. We booked business class seats which were only moderately more expensive than coach. Aman took care of getting us seat assignments which only became available on the day or prior day. The left side is considered desirable when flying in, the right side on flying out. Honestly, I'm not sure it made much of a difference. We had to have travel insurance, both medical evacuation and medical. We booked that with Travelex and provided proof to Aman in order to get our visas.
Our driver and guide met us at the airport. Our guide was the weak point of our trip. He was soft spoken and did not discuss activities for the day. By the second day we learned to be proactive, talking thru what there was to do and what suited us. We would have missed seeing the takin if not for KI-NRT. We spent two nights in Thimphu, two nights in Punakha, and three nights in Paro. This was the right split, especially given the big tsechu in Paro that went on for 4 days. (A few hours one day was sufficient for us.) We also saw a tsechu at Talo, enroute to Punakha. We had to drive up a windy, narrow mountain road to get to it.
At this point, I should caution you about toilets. You don't want to use Indian toilets (squatty potties). The ones for the large festivals are dirty. Our guide had not planned toilet breaks that day. He did after that and there are fine toilets in hotels or shops along the way.
Food was good at all three lodges. We love Indian food and special menus were provided for us at two of the lodges. Thimphu does not have communal dining, but the other two do. I do not enjoy that, and we were given individual tables in outdoor settings. The Paro lodge made particular effort to give us special dining experiences, setting up a lunch by a stream one day. Delightful.
Each lodge has some evening entertainment. My impression is that it is every other night. At Thimphu, dance groups were brought in. We had a half hour program of diverse dances, outside, fire going, blankets to keep us warm, and beverages and little food treats delivered to us. We also had a dance program at Punakha. We were eager to see it but it was less interesting, provided by employees who danced around a fire pit with no special costumes nor obvious stories to the different dances. Paro had programs two of three nights. One night, a monk spoke about the Gross National Happiness, a measure of the quality of life that is important in Bhutan. Another night, a different monk came and created a rice mandala with the participation of guests.
KI-NRT spoke of the similarity of the lodge rooms between the different properties. This was disappointing. By the third lodge I would have liked to see something different. Fortunately, we did better than him in regards to having a space to work in the room. My husband must work wherever we are. At each property, they brought in a small square table with a chair, such as they use for outdoor dining. The internet signal was strong and this worked well. I like a hassock so that my feet are up as I read. At the first property, they brought in stools of three different heights. I chose one and that traveled in the car with us so that I had it at each lodge.
We did not do the hike to Eagles Nest. So they created a special experience for us. They had found a cabin in a clearing with a beautiful view of Eagles Nest. They took us there to enjoy it and to have tea. We were the first Aman guests taken there. They signed the lease for the property while we had our tea. They will open a new trail from Eagles Nest down to this cabin for Aman guests. It will be a much more serene experience than the parking lot where guests for all lodges are currently dropped off and picked up.
Be aware that the country has now imposed a daily fee for all guests of $200. Thus, for two of us, for 7 nights, this was $2800. Bhutan wants low tourism. We were impressed by the steps that Bhutan has taken to preserve their culture. The exterior of buildings have to be built in the Bhutan way. If you enter a government building, you must be in national dress. Our guide had a white sash in the car that went on over his local attire whenever we entered a dzhong. I really respect their vision in doing these things. You have a real sense of place when you are in Bhutan.
Last edited by SanDiego1K; Apr 18, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Apr 18, 2023, 1:36 pm
#51
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,747
Cabin with views of Eagle Nest
Rice mandala created and prayed over, then swept up and thrown in stream
Nightly gifts including prayer beads and prayer flags
Nightly gifts including incense, prayer wheel, and book with 365 sayings on happiness
Jul 21, 2023, 5:46 pm
#52
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: St. Paul, MN
Programs: Walmart Super Elite
Posts: 727
Thanks for your post SanDiego1K. I'm in the beginning stages of planning a trip to Bhutan. If you are willing, could you share what your seven night journey with Amankora cost, in addition to the USD 2800 SDF? Or PM if you prefer.
Jul 21, 2023, 9:50 pm
#53
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,790
Interested to know as well. Planing for end of March.
Jul 22, 2023, 7:43 am
#54
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: YYC
Programs: AC 50k 1MM, Marriott LT Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,401
Isn't this something best answered by the hotel? For reason of good etiquette if no other...
Jul 25, 2023, 12:26 pm
#55
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 318
SanDiego1K I think you flew through BKK? That's what Amankora is still recommending as they have an agent there i guess. I am looking at this trip for next April. Considering flying through BKK on the way in and SIN on the way out (there is a direct flight home from SIN to YVR). I'm just not sure how much of a buffer i need for Druik Air as missing return leg of flight home could be quite costly but i don't want to spend more than 1 night in either of those cities if i can avoid it. The Paro SIN flight is only twice a week too. Did you give yourself a couple days buffer in BKK at the end?
Last edited by tdiddy23; Jul 25, 2023 at 12:35 pm
Jul 25, 2023, 1:38 pm
#56
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,747
SanDiego1K I think you flew through BKK? That's what Amankora is still recommending as they have an agent there i guess. I am looking at this trip for next April. Considering flying through BKK on the way in and SIN on the way out (there is a direct flight home from SIN to YVR). I'm just not sure how much of a buffer i need for Druik Air as missing return leg of flight home could be quite costly but i don't want to spend more than 1 night in either of those cities if i can avoid it. The Paro SIN flight is only twice a week too. Did you give yourself a couple days buffer in BKK at the end?
We had buffer days at each end but not because I felt we needed insurance. Rather, there were hotels where I wanted to stay and that's how it worked out. Druk Air was very reliable both in and out of Bhutan. All flights must take off and land in daylight hours due to this being one of the most challenging airports in the world.
I found an old response on TripAdvisor from 2019:
In 2014, there was heavy snowfall till the flights to enter or leave Paro for 2 days were cancelled. I was luckily enough that my arrival to Paro was delayed for 6 hours because of thick cloud in mid December. My departure from Paro was delayed by 2 hours end of December. For the past few years, I don't think there are flights cancellations or long hours flight delays.
More recent data shows rare delays and those at half an hour or so. I think you'll be fine with one night in Singapore.
Feb 7, 2024, 8:26 pm
#57
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,790
I am connecting through DEL. Would you recommend getting an Indian visa? For the flight to Bhutan, I'm arriving around 9 pm and will stay at the Holiday Inn Express on the airside, so I don't think I need a Visa. On the way back, I'm going to arrive at DEL at 13:45 but my flight back to the US is at midnight. While I've never visited India, is the amount of time worth a trip to Delhi? or should I just stay at the airport?
I'm tempted just to stay at the airport for the connections, but I wonder if I should get a visa just in case something goes wrong.
I'm tempted just to stay at the airport for the connections, but I wonder if I should get a visa just in case something goes wrong.
Feb 7, 2024, 11:01 pm
#58
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 318
Also between red fort, Humayun’s Tomb, qutab minar lots of ways to spend a couple of hours in Delhi if feeling adventurous
Feb 8, 2024, 8:36 am
#59
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 9,123
I am connecting through DEL. Would you recommend getting an Indian visa? For the flight to Bhutan, I'm arriving around 9 pm and will stay at the Holiday Inn Express on the airside, so I don't think I need a Visa. On the way back, I'm going to arrive at DEL at 13:45 but my flight back to the US is at midnight. While I've never visited India, is the amount of time worth a trip to Delhi? or should I just stay at the airport?
I'm tempted just to stay at the airport for the connections, but I wonder if I should get a visa just in case something goes wrong.
I'm tempted just to stay at the airport for the connections, but I wonder if I should get a visa just in case something goes wrong.
I always enjoy Khan Market (excellent shopping) and the Red Fort et al are always worth a visit but if traffic is heavy you may not have much time to see it. Suggest you get either a driver or hire a cab for the entire time. You'll need INR. Plan to drive back to the airport with sufficient time to spare - e.g. at least 2 hours before the flight.
Feb 8, 2024, 11:59 am
#60
Join Date: Oct 2010
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 404
I am connecting through DEL. Would you recommend getting an Indian visa? For the flight to Bhutan, I'm arriving around 9 pm and will stay at the Holiday Inn Express on the airside, so I don't think I need a Visa. On the way back, I'm going to arrive at DEL at 13:45 but my flight back to the US is at midnight. While I've never visited India, is the amount of time worth a trip to Delhi? or should I just stay at the airport?
I'm tempted just to stay at the airport for the connections, but I wonder if I should get a visa just in case something goes wrong.
I'm tempted just to stay at the airport for the connections, but I wonder if I should get a visa just in case something goes wrong.