Nestled on a Himalayan hillside just above the town, COMO Uma Paro is just a ten-minute drive from the airport yet feels a world away. This was one of the country’s very first luxury boutique hotels, and each of the villas and suites is filled with authentic touches. Intricately carved wooden furniture and hand-stitched Indian fabrics blend in with cool, contemporary design flourishes. Some of the more spacious villas even feature outdoor stone bathtubs and warming firepits.
The COMO Shambhala spa – as you would expect - is outstanding. There’s an in-house naturopathic doctor, daily yoga classes and a roster of Ayurvedic-inspired therapies in treatment rooms surrounded by pine forest. Days can be spent walking, mountain biking, learning archery or visiting the iconic Tiger’s Nest monastery. In the hotel restaurant, the chef uses traditional and seasonal Bhutanese ingredients to craft deeply inspired local, Indian and international dishes – while the wraparound windows provide breathtaking, 300° views of the valley floor.
