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Trip Report: Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Druk Air, Amankora Journey & The Siam

Trip Report: Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Druk Air, Amankora Journey & The Siam

Old Jun 17, 2015, 3:51 pm
  #16  
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I will finish posting tomorrow when I have more time. I posted here because this is where I got all the info on Amankora and the Siam. The reason I included the Druk info is that it was booked through Aman and required to get there. However iif the moderator feels it should be moved I have no objection.
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 4:09 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by chelsea2
I will finish posting tomorrow when I have more time. I posted here because this is where I got all the info on Amankora and the Siam. The reason I included the Druk info is that it was booked through Aman and required to get there. However iif the moderator feels it should be moved I have no objection.
Seems fine to me to leave it here. Quite interesting so far, keep going!

RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 6:22 am
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Very nice TR so far chelsea2, looking forward to the rest.
After having heard so many great things about the MO Bangkok I really have to try it next time.
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 9:59 am
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I am really wondering if Aman fixed the communal dining problem. Paro was like a college camp and Gangtey was awful for dinner. Won't return to an Aman in any case.
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 10:50 am
  #20  
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Amankora Journey - 1st stop Thimpu Lodge

Our itinerary for the 12-day journey includes 2 nights Thimpu, 2 nights Punakha, 3 nights Gangtey, 3 nights Bumthang and 2 nights Paro. The Amankora Journey is inclusive of all meals & drinks (excluding premium beverages), a private car with guide and driver and most activities. Additional activities such as astrology readings, spa treatments, private dinners in special locations, and Rimdo blessing ceremonies can be arranged at an additional cost. Since you have your own dedicated driver and guide, you itinerary can be completely customized based on your interests. They start with a list of planned activities and give you many options to choose from.

We were met outside the door of the airport – (only passengers are allowed in the baggage claim area) by our Aman guide Ugyen and driver Gyelthen. They loaded our bags into a small SUV (maybe Korean make- not sure) – with seats covered in traditional Bhutanese fabric. It is a bit of a tight squeeze with four people and luggage blocking the back window - but comfortable enough for us. Some guests that are used to large Western sized SUVs may find the car too small. As expected the car is stocked with all the Aman extras – canisters with snacks, bottled water, cold cloths, hand sanitizer, motion sickness inhaler and sunscreen. Ugyen provides us with a folder that has contains our preliminary itinerary, spa menu and lodge contacts all personalized and printed on traditional Bhutanese paper. I am including a picture of the SUV so you can see the size.




The Thimpu lodge is about an 1.5 hour drive from Paro. The road from Paro to Thimpu is the best you will encounter in Bhutan – it is fully paved 2 lane highway – still very curvy but not bumpy. About halfway through the drive we stop to visit the Iron Chain Bridge. It is very scenic suspension footbridge that crosses a small gorge with a stream below made entirely from iron chains. The walking surface is covered with something like chain link fence so you can see the steep drop below. The bridge sways and bobs greatly as you make your way across – very fun. After crossing the bridge we take a few minutes to tour the bridge tower – which has colorful painting and many “Tsa-tsa’s” which are mini-stupas left as an offering. A tiny scroll containing an ancient prayer is inserted inside each tsa-tsa. I was fascinated by the tiny size of tsa-tsa’s and really enjoyed finding them in various nooks and crannies throughout our visit.














You arrive in city of Thimpu through the main gate which brings you to the downtown area. The Thimpu lodge, is located about 15 minutes, up a winding hilltop road, from downtown. The lodge has a long driveway and a staircase leads up to the main plaza. We are greeted on the stairs by the Amankora team with cold towels and we are each presented with a “Khata”, which is a traditional white silk ceremonial scarf. We are then escorted to the main dining room/lounge area for a nice cold welcome drink. This gives us the chance to meet and chat with Norbu the Lodge Manager and Trayl Aitken-Cade the visiting massage & fitness specialist. Unfortunately I start to feel a headache coming on and Norbu suspects that it might be the altitude or motion sickness. I pop a few Advil and hope for a quick resolution.







Our room is #14 on the second floor of the farther lodge building. The room is comfortable and furnished in typical Aman style. There is a king size bed immediately to the right with a day bed window seat on the far wall beneath a large picture window overlooking the woods. To the left is a double vanity area, soaking tub and shower with separate rooms for the toilet and closet. The room is comfortable but a bit dark and the lights switches are a bit tricky to figure out at first.







After quickly settling in to our room, we head down for lunch prior to our first outing. The dining room is basically deserted with only one other couple seated. Despite being empty, the service is a bit slow. The young lady who waits on our table has a very dour expression and doesn’t seem to like her job – strange for an Aman. Lunch is perfectly good but nothing remarkable. I have the asparagus soup (the menu is featuring many special asparagus dishes because it is the height of Bhutanese Asparagus season) and a local rice dish while my husband has Tom Kha Gai soup and tuna tartar.







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Old Jun 18, 2015, 10:56 am
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Great start and very excited to see more. The Amankora journey is very high on my bucket list!
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 11:11 am
  #22  
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Thanks for your wonderful trip report so far, looks already beyond awesome. ^
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 11:13 am
  #23  
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Originally Posted by sfoactuary
Great start and very excited to see more. The Amankora journey is very high on my bucket list!
Indeed, but I wonder what's is the cost $$$ of such a complete Amankora journey?

Would be interesting to know. Cheers. ^

[PM received, thanks]

Last edited by uggboy; Jun 18, 2015 at 12:39 pm
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 11:16 am
  #24  
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into a small SUV (maybe Korean make- not sure)
Indeed Korean and Japanese, in your image I recognize a Hyundai SUV [the first one] with the SUV behind being a Nissan. ^
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 11:45 am
  #25  
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^

Good idea to include Druk Air and the drive.

There should be more hotel reviews combined with trip reports here.

Last edited by LuxuryRogue; Jun 26, 2015 at 12:11 pm
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 12:13 pm
  #26  
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Originally Posted by behuman
I am really wondering if Aman fixed the communal dining problem. Paro was like a college camp and Gangtey was awful for dinner. Won't return to an Aman in any case.
I don't know for sure if Aman does that on purpose, but every hotel I've been to in Bhutan has communal dining. Maybe it's a cultural thing and if so, you are there to experience the culture, right?

Reading chelsea2's last post, I am sooooo happy I got to experience Bhutan before the tourist rush. Read how it was back in 2007 if you like http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ip-bhutan.html . Rough around the edges to put it mildly, but infinitely more interesting IMHO.
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 12:17 pm
  #27  
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The Journey Begins - and takes a turn for the worse

The next day is an important holiday in Bhutan (Death Anniversary of Zhabdrung Kuchoe) so our guide suggests visiting the National Memorial Choten in Thimpu, as many locals will be gathering here for prayer activity. Since I am still feeling a little shaky, I ask to sit in the front seat for the windy road downhill to town. Unfortunately, by the time we reach the Choten, I am green around the gills and need to head back to the lodge. This is beginning a 3-day ordeal with a very violent stomach flu. I am unable to leave the room for the next 48 hours. By the second evening Norbu, the lodge manager, suggests calling a doctor. The local doctor, diagnoses me with severe gastroenteritis and provides me with various medications. By day 3, I am able to eat some toast and tea but still can’t leave the room for more than a brief walk around the lodge. We decide to spend a 3rd night in Thimpu and see how I feel the following day.

My husband continues on with our planned activities without me – although I think he feels really guilty leaving me in the lodge by myself. My description of the things he did is not going to be very detailed because he is not really a details guy :-). The first afternoon they returned to Memorial Choten and joined the locals in circling the Choten, spinning the prayer wheels and chanting (well at least he listened to the chanting). He visited the large Buddha statue, Buddha Dordenma, on a hill overlooking Thimpu – I think he said this is the largest Buddha in the world and was financed by a wealthy foreigner. They hiked one-hour hike each way to the Tango University of Buddhist Studies in the woods outside Thimpu and made offering with the locals on the holiday. They were among hundreds of Bhutanese people who were making offerings and giving prayers on this holy day. He also had an astrology reading at the Pangrizampa Lhakhang Monastery, a paid activity that we prearranged. The Lama gave his reading verbally in the local language and our guide Ugyen translated. My husband got a real kick out of this, particularly the part about coming back in his next life as either a pigeon or the son of a wealthy man – depending on his ability to eat less meat in this life! He visited the zoo to see the Takin, the national animal of Bhutan. He also visited Thimpu city and walked around, did a little shopping at a Bhutanese hand made paper store and took photos of the traffic conductor.





World’s Largest Buddha


Buying Offerings for the Temple


Seen Along the Hike: tsa-tsa’s, stray dogs and rock painting








At the Temple:








The Takin – National Animal of Bhutan


The Famous Traffic Cop of Thimpu
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 12:23 pm
  #28  
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12 day Amankora journey is certainly a bucket-list item for me.

The misses on the other hand....

Originally Posted by uggboy
Indeed, but I wonder what's is the cost $$$ of such a complete Amankora journey?

Would be interesting to know. Cheers. ^
I don't know what OP paid but....

http://www.amanresorts.com/exclusive...w.aspx?id=1988
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 12:35 pm
  #29  
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Originally Posted by gohima
12 day Amankora journey is certainly a bucket-list item for me.

The misses on the other hand....



I don't know what OP paid but....

http://www.amanresorts.com/exclusive...w.aspx?id=1988
Thanks. ^
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Old Jun 18, 2015, 12:36 pm
  #30  
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Originally Posted by chelsea2
The next day is an important holiday in Bhutan (Death Anniversary of Zhabdrung Kuchoe) so our guide suggests visiting the National Memorial Choten in Thimpu, as many locals will be gathering here for prayer activity. Since I am still feeling a little shaky, I ask to sit in the front seat for the windy road downhill to town. Unfortunately, by the time we reach the Choten, I am green around the gills and need to head back to the lodge. This is beginning a 3-day ordeal with a very violent stomach flu. I am unable to leave the room for the next 48 hours. By the second evening Norbu, the lodge manager, suggests calling a doctor. The local doctor, diagnoses me with severe gastroenteritis and provides me with various medications. By day 3, I am able to eat some toast and tea but still can’t leave the room for more than a brief walk around the lodge. We decide to spend a 3rd night in Thimpu and see how I feel the following day.

My husband continues on with our planned activities without me – although I think he feels really guilty leaving me in the lodge by myself. My description of the things he did is not going to be very detailed because he is not really a details guy :-). The first afternoon they returned to Memorial Choten and joined the locals in circling the Choten, spinning the prayer wheels and chanting (well at least he listened to the chanting). He visited the large Buddha statue, Buddha Dordenma, on a hill overlooking Thimpu – I think he said this is the largest Buddha in the world and was financed by a wealthy foreigner. They hiked one-hour hike each way to the Tango University of Buddhist Studies in the woods outside Thimpu and made offering with the locals on the holiday. They were among hundreds of Bhutanese people who were making offerings and giving prayers on this holy day. He also had an astrology reading at the Pangrizampa Lhakhang Monastery, a paid activity that we prearranged. The Lama gave his reading verbally in the local language and our guide Ugyen translated. My husband got a real kick out of this, particularly the part about coming back in his next life as either a pigeon or the son of a wealthy man – depending on his ability to eat less meat in this life! He visited the zoo to see the Takin, the national animal of Bhutan. He also visited Thimpu city and walked around, did a little shopping at a Bhutanese hand made paper store and took photos of the traffic conductor.





World’s Largest Buddha


Buying Offerings for the Temple


Seen Along the Hike: tsa-tsa’s, stray dogs and rock painting








At the Temple:








The Takin – National Animal of Bhutan


The Famous Traffic Cop of Thimpu
Wonderful photos and tour, but sorry to hear in regards about your health, I hope you had/have a speedy recovery. ^

Last edited by uggboy; Jun 18, 2015 at 1:03 pm
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