Trip Report: Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Druk Air, Amankora Journey & The Siam
Jun 20, 2015, 7:45 am
#47
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
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Note to self: avoid chill and cheese. Anywhere.
Jun 22, 2015, 9:49 pm
#48
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: New York, NY
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Posts: 90
Panakha Lodge - and the stomach flu claims its next victim
Arrival at the Punakha lodge is very scenic, requiring the crossing of a footbridge covered with prayer flags. Punakha has two rivers (male and female), which join at the Punakha Dzong. The Aman Punakha lodge is on a hill rising up from the banks of the female branch of the river. After crossing the footbridge you are met by an electric cart and transported up the steep hill to the lodge. This main lodge building is an old traditional Bhutanese house with a lovely shaded patio and garden where the tables are set for breakfast and lunch. The setting is very pretty and the views across the valley are lovely. The weather in Punakha is also much warmer than other parts of Bhutan. On the day of our arrival is actually quite hot and humid.
We are checked into room # 7 which is in the furthest building from the main lodge. The rooms in have a slightly different layout with the bed directly in front as you enter, the daybed to right in front of a large window and the bathroom vanity, tub, shower, toilet and closet to the left. The lovely view looks out over the valley and across to mountains on the other side of the river.
After settling in, we head down to the patio to have some lunch. I am finally ready to graduate from toast to plain pasta – yippee!! Unfortunately the stomach virus reared its ugly head again and bit my husband. After taking one look at his lunch, he had to run back to the room, where is spent the next 24 hours in bed. I was still wobbly and the idea of taking on an activity that afternoon was too much.
We are checked into room # 7 which is in the furthest building from the main lodge. The rooms in have a slightly different layout with the bed directly in front as you enter, the daybed to right in front of a large window and the bathroom vanity, tub, shower, toilet and closet to the left. The lovely view looks out over the valley and across to mountains on the other side of the river.
After settling in, we head down to the patio to have some lunch. I am finally ready to graduate from toast to plain pasta – yippee!! Unfortunately the stomach virus reared its ugly head again and bit my husband. After taking one look at his lunch, he had to run back to the room, where is spent the next 24 hours in bed. I was still wobbly and the idea of taking on an activity that afternoon was too much.
Jun 22, 2015, 10:36 pm
#49
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 102
I was at Amankora as well for a week last May. I came down with that same "stomach flu" in Bumthang and it lasted for three days. I soldiered on and did everything I had scheduled but I must say it was not the most pleasant experience (especially when one has 4 hour rides on bumpy roads). A fitting end to my most adventurous vacation after "escaping" from Nepal's devastation just some days before and suffering altitude sickness in Tibet. X-(
Jun 25, 2015, 9:31 am
#52
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Join Date: Jan 2006
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Some pictures of the inside of the Traditional Bhutanese Main Lodge. The inside rooms are quite dark and small, but it is very cozy and interesting to wander around the rooms, which are open for common usage.
Library – located upstairs in 2 rooms – there are some couches, a computer and the usual assortment of coffee table books and travel guides on Bhutan.
Dining Room – this is located downstairs and is very dark and quite small. I believe this is where dinner is served at a communal table. The tables outside on the patio seem a much more pleasant environment for dining.
Library – located upstairs in 2 rooms – there are some couches, a computer and the usual assortment of coffee table books and travel guides on Bhutan.
Dining Room – this is located downstairs and is very dark and quite small. I believe this is where dinner is served at a communal table. The tables outside on the patio seem a much more pleasant environment for dining.
Jun 25, 2015, 9:32 am
#53
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Join Date: Jan 2006
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Punakha Dzong Visit
By noontime on day 5 we dragged ourselves out to visit the Punakha Dzong. It is a beautiful building set at the junction of the male and female rivers surrounded by beautiful flowering trees. The river is crossed via a covered wooden bridge, which leads into a plaza type area outside the Dzong. Looking up at the eaves of the Dzong you will see the most massive bee hives attached to the building. Our guide explained that the hives are never disturbed because that would be against their culture. To enter the Dzong, you must climb stairs followed by another set of steep, almost ladder like, stairs. Inside the Dzong is split into two areas for the local government and the Buddhist monks. Rather than being one building, it actually has many different buildings within the walls, with small plazas in between. We spent about 90 minutes touring the Dzong, with much of the time in the temple getting an overview of the Life of Buddha from our guide. No photos were allowed in the temple though, so I can’t share pics of the beautiful murals.
Views of the Punakha Dzong
The covered footbridge
Entrance to the Dzong, Beehives and Steep Staircase
Colorful paintings & prayer wheel inside the Dzong Entrance
Inside the Dzong:
Views of the Punakha Dzong
The covered footbridge
Entrance to the Dzong, Beehives and Steep Staircase
Colorful paintings & prayer wheel inside the Dzong Entrance
Inside the Dzong:
Jun 25, 2015, 9:43 am
#54
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Join Date: Jan 2006
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Throwing in the Towel & the Drive back to Paro Lodge
Still feeling unwell, the visit to the Dzong on this hot, humid and sunny day, completely wiped us out. We still had no energy or appetite and the following day we were due to drive to Gangtey (4-5 hrs. with road construction). Given how we were feeling, the thought of this drive was overwhelming plus seriously doubted if we would be able to partake in any of the trekking and activities on our itinerary. Feeling sick and depressed, we both decided that the best course of action was to cut our trip short and head home early. This was a really difficult decision as we had so looked forward to our trip, but we didn’t remember ever feeling this bad. We contacted Geden, the lodge asst. manager, and asked to make arrangements for an earlier departure.
Geden was very gracious and handled our request with typical Aman professionalism. They were able to get us business class seats on a Sunday Druk Air flight back to Bangkok. Unfortunately due to Aman’s cancellation policies we knew we would not get a refund for the 6 unused nights but it was the right decision for us. We also contacted DavidO who referred us to his colleague Jeff S., an award booking specialist, who was able to change our award flights on Singapore Air. The earliest award flight available was Wednesday, so we would have 3 additional nights in Bangkok. DavidO booked 3 nights for us at the Siam.
The following day we left at 9am for the drive from Punakha to Paro, which took about 5 hrs. due to road closures/construction. Aman packed hot coffee/tea and snacks so we had a nice tea break during the 45 min road closure stop. The construction is actually pretty startling given the manual nature of the process. The road crews are comprised primarily of Indian workers doing hard manual labor without the help of heavy machinery. The workers live on the side of the road in lean-to tents with no electricity or plumbing, cooking is done on wood fires.
Road Construction:
Road Closures – Arriving early and waiting until the road reopens
Geden was very gracious and handled our request with typical Aman professionalism. They were able to get us business class seats on a Sunday Druk Air flight back to Bangkok. Unfortunately due to Aman’s cancellation policies we knew we would not get a refund for the 6 unused nights but it was the right decision for us. We also contacted DavidO who referred us to his colleague Jeff S., an award booking specialist, who was able to change our award flights on Singapore Air. The earliest award flight available was Wednesday, so we would have 3 additional nights in Bangkok. DavidO booked 3 nights for us at the Siam.
The following day we left at 9am for the drive from Punakha to Paro, which took about 5 hrs. due to road closures/construction. Aman packed hot coffee/tea and snacks so we had a nice tea break during the 45 min road closure stop. The construction is actually pretty startling given the manual nature of the process. The road crews are comprised primarily of Indian workers doing hard manual labor without the help of heavy machinery. The workers live on the side of the road in lean-to tents with no electricity or plumbing, cooking is done on wood fires.
Road Construction:
Road Closures – Arriving early and waiting until the road reopens
Jun 25, 2015, 10:16 am
#55
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Join Date: Jan 2006
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A Brief Stay at Paro Lodge & Bye Bye Bhutan
We arrived at Paro lodge around 2pm and checked into Room 6 on the second floor of one of the lodge buildings. This lodge rooms here have the same layout as Punakha. This is clearly the largest of any of the 3 properties we visited, with multiple buildings and a large spa. We had lunch on the patio, which has spectacular views of the mountains and an open fire pit area. I had a club sandwich for lunch and it was amazing - possibly because it was the first real food I had eaten all week?
Paro Lodge Entrance:
Tables set outside for lunch:
View of mountains from lunch table:
Seating area and fire pit:
Library:
Lodge Building:
After lunch I went into Paro town to do a bit of shopping and sight seeing. Downtown Paro is interesting for the well-preserved architecture of the buildings on the main street. I visited a handful of shops recommended by my guide, but did not find much to purchase. It seemed to be mostly cheap souvenirs not really my thing. I would recommend taking a stroll downtown for the atmosphere but giving the shopping a pass.
Paro Town Main Street
That evening the lodge manager arranged for us to have the hot stone bath (included in the Virtuoso rate) and a complementary massage. The hot stone bath is large enough to do a couple. It takes place outside in a private area accessed from your spa room. The bath is in a deep square wooden tub that has been prefilled with water and aromatic native plant cuttings. When the spa attendant gives the okay – someone inside releases the chute and sends piping hot rocks into a small-contained area of the tub. The water heats up fast and gets extremely hot. The night we did this – it was a bit cool and misty out, so it was really nice to have the cool outdoor air to contrast with the hot bath. Highly recommend this activity for all visitors – apparently this is a very traditional Bhutanese activity. I had a massage directly after the bath, which was very good and relaxing. Sorry no pics of the spa ☺
That evening we ate dinner in the dining room, which is on the lower level of the main building. It appears to be communal style dining with three to four long tables. However it was not crowded the night we were there, so we were alone at the table. We were still eating pretty simply so my opinion on the food is not really worth much. Service was brisk and we were in and done with the meal within 45 minutes. Many of the other guests had done the Tiger’s Nest climb that day and we could hear them reveling in their accomplishment. While we were happy for them it mad us feel pretty sad to be leaving after having seen so little of Bhutan. We could only hope to return another time and experience all that Bhutan has to offer.
The following morning we were able to squeeze in some archery practice with our guide before heading to the airport. All the Aman lodges have archery available so you can tune up your skills as you make your journey. It was really fun to try and something I recommend. As we drove to the airport, we were able to stop briefly and watch a group of serious archers practicing on the town field. Our guide told us he was very proud because his brother in law had made the Bhutanese Olympic team for archery.
Our Guide and Driver primed for the last minute archery lesson:
Ponies used for carrying goods up the mountain – passed on our way to airport:
Pro Archers on the pitch in downtown Paro:
My conclusions – Bhutan is a beautiful, spiritual and largely unspoiled place that is very worth a visit. I highly recommend Bhutan and the Amankora Journey for adventurous travelers who are interested in culture, trekking and nature. The Amankora lodges are lovely, minimal and a bit rustic. I can’t comment too much on the food or wine – since we did not really have any. Service is willing and helpful, but probably not as seamless or polished as we have experienced at other Amans in Asia. If you go – and you should - be prepared and bring lots of Dramamine for motion sickness, altitude medication as a precaution, and any other meds from home you might need (we certainly did).
I am so sad we missed so much of the experience after planning and thinking about trip for such a long time. It was just rotten luck that we both came down with stomach flu. We have travelled all around the world and this is the first time we had such trouble – so I guess we were due.
Paro Lodge Entrance:
Tables set outside for lunch:
View of mountains from lunch table:
Seating area and fire pit:
Library:
Lodge Building:
After lunch I went into Paro town to do a bit of shopping and sight seeing. Downtown Paro is interesting for the well-preserved architecture of the buildings on the main street. I visited a handful of shops recommended by my guide, but did not find much to purchase. It seemed to be mostly cheap souvenirs not really my thing. I would recommend taking a stroll downtown for the atmosphere but giving the shopping a pass.
Paro Town Main Street
That evening the lodge manager arranged for us to have the hot stone bath (included in the Virtuoso rate) and a complementary massage. The hot stone bath is large enough to do a couple. It takes place outside in a private area accessed from your spa room. The bath is in a deep square wooden tub that has been prefilled with water and aromatic native plant cuttings. When the spa attendant gives the okay – someone inside releases the chute and sends piping hot rocks into a small-contained area of the tub. The water heats up fast and gets extremely hot. The night we did this – it was a bit cool and misty out, so it was really nice to have the cool outdoor air to contrast with the hot bath. Highly recommend this activity for all visitors – apparently this is a very traditional Bhutanese activity. I had a massage directly after the bath, which was very good and relaxing. Sorry no pics of the spa ☺
That evening we ate dinner in the dining room, which is on the lower level of the main building. It appears to be communal style dining with three to four long tables. However it was not crowded the night we were there, so we were alone at the table. We were still eating pretty simply so my opinion on the food is not really worth much. Service was brisk and we were in and done with the meal within 45 minutes. Many of the other guests had done the Tiger’s Nest climb that day and we could hear them reveling in their accomplishment. While we were happy for them it mad us feel pretty sad to be leaving after having seen so little of Bhutan. We could only hope to return another time and experience all that Bhutan has to offer.
The following morning we were able to squeeze in some archery practice with our guide before heading to the airport. All the Aman lodges have archery available so you can tune up your skills as you make your journey. It was really fun to try and something I recommend. As we drove to the airport, we were able to stop briefly and watch a group of serious archers practicing on the town field. Our guide told us he was very proud because his brother in law had made the Bhutanese Olympic team for archery.
Our Guide and Driver primed for the last minute archery lesson:
Ponies used for carrying goods up the mountain – passed on our way to airport:
Pro Archers on the pitch in downtown Paro:
My conclusions – Bhutan is a beautiful, spiritual and largely unspoiled place that is very worth a visit. I highly recommend Bhutan and the Amankora Journey for adventurous travelers who are interested in culture, trekking and nature. The Amankora lodges are lovely, minimal and a bit rustic. I can’t comment too much on the food or wine – since we did not really have any. Service is willing and helpful, but probably not as seamless or polished as we have experienced at other Amans in Asia. If you go – and you should - be prepared and bring lots of Dramamine for motion sickness, altitude medication as a precaution, and any other meds from home you might need (we certainly did).
I am so sad we missed so much of the experience after planning and thinking about trip for such a long time. It was just rotten luck that we both came down with stomach flu. We have travelled all around the world and this is the first time we had such trouble – so I guess we were due.
Jun 25, 2015, 11:03 am
#56
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 9,125
This is very common in Bhutan. Any pharmacy will give you a broad spectrum antibiotics that clear it up within 24 hrs. Otherwise it can be agony.
Jun 25, 2015, 11:12 am
#57
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 794
Yikes, sorry to hear that. It seemed you got better toward the end in Paro? Were you thinking about staying in Paro for the next 6 days and just enjoy the local area? It seems such a waste to cut the trip short without getting any money back. The alternative isn't exactly relaxing either. Flying to BKK, the locomotion in BKK, and then flying home early when you might not feel 100%.
Jun 25, 2015, 11:17 am
#58
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Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Yikes, sorry to hear that. It seemed you got better toward the end in Paro? Were you thinking about staying in Paro for the next 6 days and just enjoy the local area? It seems such a waste to cut the trip short without getting any money back. The alternative isn't exactly relaxing either. Flying to BKK, the locomotion in BKK, and then flying home early when you might not feel 100%.
I never have stomach issues and I think it's because I travel all the time. The bacteria in my stomach has become used to everything. But for people who don't travel a lot, especially to certain parts of the world, these thing happen.
Jun 25, 2015, 2:03 pm
#59
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 90
Thanks all for your comments and well wishes. It has taken me a long time to report on this trip given the outcome, but I did want to share what little of Bhutan we did experience because I do think it is such a special place.
We went prepared with Cipro, Diamox (altitude meds), Dramamine etc...... I was sick before ever consuming food or water in Bhutan, so at first I thought it was either motion sickness, altitude or something I ate at the airport in BKK or on the plane. I started taking the Cipro and the Diamox and neither worked. The doctor told me to stop both and gave me a different antibiotic called BRAKE - which he said was more effective there. Unfortunately this really did not work either and when my husband came down with the same thing - we pretty much concluded that it was a virus I picked up somewhere on my journey. I was on Cathay Pacific flight for a very long time, then a connection, then Druk Air - could have been anywhere. The problem was that once the 48 hours of stomach symptoms, fever and chills slowed down, I still felt horrible - weak and tired. Then to watch my husband go through the same thing was pretty disheartening.
The reason we decided to leave was that we were sick of sitting in our room with no tv for hours on end, cut off from civilization. We were convinced (maybe right or wrong - not sure) that the altitude was impacting our recovery time. We made the decision after our 5th night of needing to skip lunch and dinner. I know this won't make sense to most people. If I was reading this trip report - I would ask the same questions. We did feel a bit better when we arrived in Paro - but at that point our flights had already been changed and the ball was rolling.
pricesquire - No need to blame the Chile & Cheese - we never even touched it
Good news - as soon as we arrived in BKK we were feeling good again - maybe it was the sea level elevation maybe it was just time - who knows!! We live at sea level in NYC - so it sure felt better. Also we don't mind crowded city life for recuperation - it is what we are used to. The Siam (more to come on that) is also a quiet haven in the midst of crazy Bangkok, so a great place to recuperate.
Good news 2 - we were able to fully collect on our claim from Chase Sapphire for the 6 nights we did not use at Amankora - what an awesome Credit Card!!
We went prepared with Cipro, Diamox (altitude meds), Dramamine etc...... I was sick before ever consuming food or water in Bhutan, so at first I thought it was either motion sickness, altitude or something I ate at the airport in BKK or on the plane. I started taking the Cipro and the Diamox and neither worked. The doctor told me to stop both and gave me a different antibiotic called BRAKE - which he said was more effective there. Unfortunately this really did not work either and when my husband came down with the same thing - we pretty much concluded that it was a virus I picked up somewhere on my journey. I was on Cathay Pacific flight for a very long time, then a connection, then Druk Air - could have been anywhere. The problem was that once the 48 hours of stomach symptoms, fever and chills slowed down, I still felt horrible - weak and tired. Then to watch my husband go through the same thing was pretty disheartening.
The reason we decided to leave was that we were sick of sitting in our room with no tv for hours on end, cut off from civilization. We were convinced (maybe right or wrong - not sure) that the altitude was impacting our recovery time. We made the decision after our 5th night of needing to skip lunch and dinner. I know this won't make sense to most people. If I was reading this trip report - I would ask the same questions. We did feel a bit better when we arrived in Paro - but at that point our flights had already been changed and the ball was rolling.
pricesquire - No need to blame the Chile & Cheese - we never even touched it
Good news - as soon as we arrived in BKK we were feeling good again - maybe it was the sea level elevation maybe it was just time - who knows!! We live at sea level in NYC - so it sure felt better. Also we don't mind crowded city life for recuperation - it is what we are used to. The Siam (more to come on that) is also a quiet haven in the midst of crazy Bangkok, so a great place to recuperate.
Good news 2 - we were able to fully collect on our claim from Chase Sapphire for the 6 nights we did not use at Amankora - what an awesome Credit Card!!
Jun 25, 2015, 2:26 pm
#60
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 90
Druk Air KB140 - PBH to BKK
Check-in for business class on Druk Air is done in a separate lounge area. However this area is quite crowded and there is only one agent working so the process takes about 20 minutes. There are leather chairs available to sit in during the wait so it is perfectly comfortable. After check-in they direct us to through customs and then make our way upstairs to the business class lounge. This is very confusing because after clearing customs, you need to backtrack to the check-in area to go up the staircase to the lounge. Apparently there is an honor system so you can just bypass customs the next time through – strange. The lounge upstairs is pretty small and very crowded. There are passengers for at least two flights waiting to be called. The lounge does have food and beverages but we did not partake. Once our flight is called we make our way back through bypassing customs and going through security. We walk from the gate to the plane and board up a stairway.
Druk Business Class Check-In Lounge
Druk Business Class Lounge:
Today we are flying on one of the older A319 planes, it is a big letdown after the new plane we arrived on. The seats are beige leather and in need of a cleaning. The plane stops in GAU on the way to BKK and drop off/pick up passengers. We take this opportunity to eat the lunches that were packed for us by Amankora. I highly recommend that you request your lunch to be packed for you before departing. They did not proactively offer this, but were happy to accommodate our request. Make sure you place your order with the staff either the night before or at breakfast so they have enough time to get it ready.
Business Class Seats:
Arrival at BKK is quick and our gate is very near baggage claim. We quickly claim our bags and meet our driver from The Siam. We booked our transfer in the BMW5 series, which was fine for our needs. They have options to book larger or more luxurious vehicles as well. It was Sunday afternoon when we arrived, so traffic was light. We were spoiled with the in-vehicle Wi-Fi on our transfer to the Mandarin Oriental, so were a bit disappointed that this was not available.
Druk Business Class Check-In Lounge
Druk Business Class Lounge:
Today we are flying on one of the older A319 planes, it is a big letdown after the new plane we arrived on. The seats are beige leather and in need of a cleaning. The plane stops in GAU on the way to BKK and drop off/pick up passengers. We take this opportunity to eat the lunches that were packed for us by Amankora. I highly recommend that you request your lunch to be packed for you before departing. They did not proactively offer this, but were happy to accommodate our request. Make sure you place your order with the staff either the night before or at breakfast so they have enough time to get it ready.
Business Class Seats:
Arrival at BKK is quick and our gate is very near baggage claim. We quickly claim our bags and meet our driver from The Siam. We booked our transfer in the BMW5 series, which was fine for our needs. They have options to book larger or more luxurious vehicles as well. It was Sunday afternoon when we arrived, so traffic was light. We were spoiled with the in-vehicle Wi-Fi on our transfer to the Mandarin Oriental, so were a bit disappointed that this was not available.