Thimphu, Bhutan

Six Senses Lodges – Whichever Six Senses lodge you check in to in Bhutan, the first thing that hits you are the views: mountain after forest-covered mountain rolling onto the horizon, back dropped by a streak of snowy peaks on clear days. Spread around western and central Bhutan’s most visited valleys (Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang) Six Senses’ five lodges wrap their guests into some of Bhutan’s most awe-inspiring landscapes in sprawling hilltop resorts where large windows and wide open spaces predominate. The five lodges range from 20 suites and 05 villas in Thimphu to just 08 suites and a villa in Gangtey and Bumthang. In the mountain top Thimphu lodge, nicknamed ‘The Palace in the Sky’, they feature swirling wall art depicting wind and clouds, while the suites in sub-tropical Punakha come furnished with lots of bamboo wickerwork and bathrooms clad in creamy marble. The suites in Bumthang are particularly stunning: they swap the farmhouse-chic vibe for a straight-angled floor plan circling a private, glass-walled courtyard for James Turell-style sky gazing. Food and drink The lodges’ kitchens make full use of Bhutan’s plentiful bounty. From breakfast to lunch to dinner, the restaurants (each lodge has one) dish out an imaginative mix of local and western options. Guests can help themselves to crystal-infused water and a rotating selection of house-made treats—chili-speckled macarons, brownies, granola bars—in the lobbies, and in-room minibars come stocked with dried fruits and bottles of pine-infused lemonade and local vodka with apple and cinnamon.