Amankora

Amankora takes its name from the Sanskrit aman, peace, and the Dzongkha kora, a circular pilgrimage, apt since a stay here moves guests between five lodges across five Himalayan valleys rather than settling in just one. Amankora Paro, the first international hotel Bhutan ever permitted to open in 2004, sits among pine forest near Tiger's Nest monastery with 24 suites and a two-storey spa. Punakha's eight-suite lodge, once home to Bhutan's chief abbot, occupies a 300-year-old farmhouse above the Mo Chhu river and is the only one of the five with a pool.

Each lodge now grows its own vegetables, cutting the distance ingredients travel to the kitchens across Bhutan's mountain roads. Staff and guests have joined community service between seasons, including helping rebuild the 17th-century Wangdue Phodrang Dzong after fire damage. Highlights of a stay at Amankora include hiking to Tiger's Nest, visiting Thimphu's Textile Museum, or simply watching prayer flags flutter over the vast monastery valley. Private guides can arrange the route between lodges.