A Bhutan holiday is quite an extraordinary experience. Bhutan truly is one of the Earth’s blessed Acres. It’s a small country with a very low population density – itself a unique gift in over-populated south Asia. The landscape – straddling the Eastern Himalayas from the foothills to the spine – is some of the most beautiful on Earth and further embellished by a particularly harmonious architecture, essentially Tibetan in origin but feeling just right for these densely forested mountains as well. And the forests are extensive. By law Bhutan must have a minimum of 65% of land area under forest. At the present more than 75% of the country is under a range of different types of forests – from sub-tropical moist deciduous to montane evergreen, birch and alpine meadow. And the forests are absolutely bursting with life. The Eastern Himalayas are a world bio-diversity hotspot and with the highest percentage of land under forest, Bhutan is the very epicentre of this coffer of biological riches. Walk a trail through a forest of giant hemlocks and one gapes in amazement at just how much life a single tree can support – Spanish, moss, ferns, fungi, rainbow flocks of birds in the branches. I reckon you could spend a fair few days just identifying and counting up what a single tree supports!

But here’s the thing – you could be doing this while threading your way along a tree shadowed path to a remote little monastery made sacred with the hum of Buddhist prayer; draped in bright strings of flags in the colours representing the five elements recognised by Buddhists and Hindus as the basis of the cosmos.

Stunning Scenery - Bhutan Holiday With IndianExplorations.com

In the modern age we increasingly make the distinction between natural and man-made worlds. And by extension we label our holidays as nature safaris or cultural tours. But with a Bhutan holiday these distinctions are blurred to the point of non-existence – nature and humans live in harmony and so any Bhutan holiday is automatically an experience of nature and human culture. Something that the Bhutanese themselves are deeply proud of.

Serenity - Bhutan Holiday With IndianExplorations.com

Do you have to live in yak hair tents in the pastures of high altitude nomads to experience Bhutan? Not exactly – although that option is very much available! In recent years Bhutan has seen the arrival of some wonderful small hotels like the Uma Paro and the Amankora hotels in Paro, Punakha and Bumthang along with some excellent Bhutanese five star options like the luxurious but ethnic Zhivaling in Paro. Ideally, you can mix and match – using normal Bhutanese accommodations for most of the trip with a few days in the lap of luxury.

Ask anyone their favourite beach destination in India and Goa is still the winner. Goa has seriously moved on.  Forget the happy-clappy scene – now Kate Moss, Mick Jagger and Daniel Craig are all going. All the kaftan-wearing, champagne-sipping thirty something’s are renting stylish, funky houses that equal the places they love in Ibiza and Morocco.

Talk about luxury holiday homes in India and tucked away at the end of a quiet lane, off the bustling main road to Calangute, is Aashyana.  This royally appointed jewel in the crown nestles on the prettiest stretch of Candolim beach, in a lush tropical garden exuding tranquillity. It’s a lovely, intimate little hotel created by a local entrepreneur named Ajai Lakhanpal.  The choice is yours to be pampered in the elegant luxury holiday home, the fully staffed 5 bedroom villa or reside in style at one or more of the three self-contained two bedroom cottages – Casinhas – each complete with an individual, private garden.

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A sweeping drive leads you to the entrance villa, a stunning two-storey, five-bedroom luxury holiday home. The spacious veranda spans the entire ground floor, with built-in seating areas in the traditional Goan-Portuguese style. Inside, the contemporary décor offsets select pieces of furniture from the owner’s collection. The luxurious use of materials in the architect designed rooms includes honey-coloured Rajasthani stone, charcoal grey granite and subtle mosaics. Both in the interior and in the external spaces, the essence of Aashyana Lakhanpal is conveyed through an emphasis on tranquillity.

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There are three Aashyana Casinhas – Leo, Libra and Capricorn, clustered within the grounds of the main villa and are reached through their independent, wrought-iron gate leading to a delightful courtyard. The whitewashed casinhas are stylish and welcoming, using neutral décor and local features like terracotta-tiled roofs, stone floors and traditional built-in seating. This décor contrasts and highlights the owner’s private art collection. Whichever you choose, this gorgeous holiday home in India awaits you in a breath-taking setting, within a few paces of Candolim’s sun kissed beach.  The shadowy garden, with its coconut groves, lime, cashew and ‘ guava trees, contains a dragonfly-spangled , swimming pool, a gate to Candolim beach,  also a pavilion from which to watch Goa’s stupendous oceanic sunsets.

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Ashyana’s spacious dining area is complemented by an optional garden dining facility for al fresco lunches or candle lit dinners under the stars – unforgettable luxury. The kitchen garden supplies a variety of organic herbs and vegetables and you can also plan an exciting fresh seafood menu with our chef Jagat Singh who recipes are a treat in itself.

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There is an informal gallery where guests may ponder a unique collection of modern Indian art. Lakhanpal, before he turned his home into a hotel, threw it open to any young painters requiring free board and lodging, and in return asked only that each give him a picture. They’re hanging there today, among the most interesting a portrait of Lakhanpal himself by Goa’s most famous son, Mario Miranda. This luxury holiday home comes along with armies of staff on-site masseurs and gourmet chefs -  oh, and the decor is pretty hot, too.  The back of Aashyana Lakhanpal opens up, LA-style, onto a lush garden, the kind of green paradise we all want to find in the hippie idyll.

A shaded path leads up to a classical porch and wide veranda which overlooks an inviting, mosaic tiled 20 meter private pool set to the right of the villa. Both internally and externally the Villa has been thoughtfully provided with easy access to all facilities for wheelchairs if needed. Whether relaxing in the air conditioned luxury of the interior or sunbathing in the sumptuous gardens around the pool, let your senses be seduced by the Aashyana. Delicadeza, a charming Portuguese term, describes a specific sense of style, courtesy and gracious living. I am convinced that your stay at this luxury home in India will be permeated with this sense of delicadeza.

Bhutan Holidays – this is a once in a lifetime journey that I think everyone should simply do! Bhutan is a small kingdom which simply enwraps you – and most people who are lucky enough to travel there, feel it is even a life changing experience. The incredible awe inspiring scenery, the gentleness of the people, the atmosphere of the country as a whole – it somehow puts everything into perspective.

Have a sneak preview at this video I found. I think it is superb and the music is too! It gives a tiny insight to this fascinating country!

Holidays to Bhutan – Have you seen this month’s Tatler?  A wonderful article about the amazing holiday that Tatler’s  Nick Niarchos took to Bhutan at our invitation. He had a simply stunning trip and wrote an evocative and highly accurate description of this “must-visit” kingdom. Read it now, adobe download here!!:  November Bhutan

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Bhutan – Lost Land of the Tiger

Several years ago I happened to be chatting to Dr. Chuck McDougal – one of the world’s great experts on the wild tiger (and my ex-Boss) – about his recently concluded survey of some of Bhutan’s forests on behalf of WWF – Bhutan. One of his most surprising finds was fresh sign of tigers that he found between 8,000 and 10,000 feet. This was fascinating information because where Chuck had found the sign was not atop a pass that tigers might use in crossing between one deep forested valley to another. Rather it was in high country along yak trails. Exactly the sort of country where Gordon Buchanan (the cameraman filming the BBC series on Bhutan’s tigers) found his first sign of tiger at over 10,000 feet in the form of a yak kill. We do know of course that tigers are incredibly adaptable. After all, except for the rarified air, the conditions in these high mountains are no different to the habitat and climatic conditions of the Amur or Siberian tiger. But somehow we have grown accustomed to images of tigers in snow-bound taiga. But here you have what is presumably a small population of the Indian race of tigers living in country that we have become accustomed to thinking of as Snow leopard habitat. Indeed this film makes the point that here is one of the last places left on earth where tigers, snow leopards and leopards share the same habitat. There are other places where the two smaller cats may be found together in the Himalayas – but to find a tiger in this high and inhospitable country begs the question as to what keeps them here? What is their prey? This is not a 100 lb leopard but a 500 lb super predator – the largest cat in the world. No doubt some of the answers will be spun out over the remaining two episodes but to my mind the key is the presence of large herds of yaks – the sort of large prey that tigers need. The film begins in the steaming lowlands of Bhutan – in the Royal Manas  National Park just across the river from Manas Tiger and Biosphere Reserve in the Indian state of Assam.

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It is a stunningly beautiful park – especially along the river and the wealth of wildlife of all descriptions that the film reveals make it an absolute joy to visit. Our trips to Manas are never less than 4 nights and now with the possibility of continuing up into highlands of Bhutan through the park, opens up all sorts of exciting possibilities. I can just imagine a ‘tiger trail’ following reports of tigers from the lowlands to the high pastures beneath the snows. Only Bhutan – with its reverence for all life, its tiny population in a relatively large area, its huge forests – could pull off such a trick.

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Lost Land of the Tiger will be broadcast on BBC One at 21.00BST on Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd September.

Whilst technically of course not in India per se, we love this tiny, eclectic, kingdom so we thought we’d focus briefly on (and remind you about) a holiday to Bhutan.

Located just below Tibet and encircled by the towering Himalayas, Bhutan is mountainous with elevations ranging from an almost-tropical 100m to a chilly 7554m on the Tibetan border. Sparsely populated with just over 700,000 inhabitants, Bhutan has a sensitive, evocative soul as the only surviving Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayan region. Dzongs, or pretty fortress-like monasteries, dot the countryside while the people’s faith permeates all aspects of secular life.

Bhutan - Young Monk At Paro Dzong

The kingdom’s environment is pristine with a variety of habitats from jungles and rugged hills to rhododendron forests and sweeping valleys. 90% of the population are hill farmers who live in villages and, until the 1960’s, the fabled Land of the Thunder Dragon was unknown to tourists. In 1972, the King decided to open and modernise the country by developing industry and agriculture but the Government of Bhutan still measures its nation’s well being by not only Gross National Product but also by Gross National Happiness – an official policy passed by parliament!

Bhutanese Prayer Flags

There’s something for everyone on a holiday to Bhutan. One can simply relax and stroll around dzongs, stupas and museums or take more strenuous hikes with higher ascents and more demanding routes. The Bhutanese work hard to maintain their 13 traditional art and crafts which include weaving, wood carving, embroidery, painting, carpentry, masonry, leather working, sculpture, sand and wax casting, smithing (iron, gold and silver), bamboo/cane working and the art of making paper. Visits to the craftsmen and women are therefore a “must”. Then there’s mountain biking, visiting festivals, archery, rafting, kayaking, plenty of interesting flora including the superb rhododendron forests, birding, plenty of other cultural possibilities and so on.

Bhutanese In Traditional Dress

With the advent of Como Hotels and Aman one can stay at extraordinarily comfortable establishments with very good spa facilities and eating the most exquisite cuisine (and having the best guides) or stay at charming 2/3 star Bhutanese government lodges which are more basic. This is perfect to suit a range of requirements for individual clients.

Call us on 0844 504 3926 for more information and to chat about some ideas for an unforgettable and utterly tailor-made holiday to Bhutan.