January 2008
The Uma Paro is 38 hilltop hectares of natural beauty, architectural sophistication and impeccable hotel service nestled in the heart of Bhutan’s Paro Valley. The resort’s 20 rooms and 9 villas with private spa are comfortable and spacious and come with 25-inch satellite TV, DVD player, coffee- and tea-making facilities, yoga mat, hairdryer and COMO Shambhala bathroom products.
The on-site COMO Shambhala Retreat includes a Jacuzzi, an indoor pool with outdoor sundeck, a hot stone bath house in the forest, a fully-equipped gym, a sunlit yoga room and multiple steam and treatment rooms where guests can enjoy facials, body therapies and massages heavily-influenced by Ayuverda, the ancient Indian healing tradition aimed at restoring the body to its natural state of equilibrium.
Daily yoga classes are offered in the morning, and additional tuition is available at all levels. Several times throughout the year, the resort even offers Yoga Weeks led by internationally renowned teachers. And for guests eager to take in the dramatic scenery of the pristine Himalayan nation, holistic therapies can be combined with various outdoor activities.
On guided walks, camping treks and mounting biking tours, Uma Paro’s English-speaking expert guides will introduce guests to Bhutanese topography and mountain culture through visits to local monasteries, villages, markets and museums.
Cuisine is as integral a component of the Uma Paro experience as exploration and relaxation. The menu at the Bukhari restaurant features traditional Bhutanese offerings with a modern touch; specialties include sicum paa, dried local pork with Bhutanese chili, and bathup, a hearty soup based on handmade noodles.
Contemporary interpretations of neighbouring cuisines are also available, especially Indian and West Bengali dishes. All meals are wholesome and healthy, prepared with organic produce grown in the surrounding valleys – red rice from the fields below the resort and wild mushrooms from the forest surrounding it feature prominently. Ingredients are rich in vitamins and living enzymes, with blended nut milk replacing cow’s milk and genetically-tampered soy alternatives, and honey replacing processed sugars.
The Uma Paro team is happy to organise guests’ Bhutan visas and arrange for all government taxes to be paid.
Location
Bhutan is located in the extraordinary Himalayan region. Landlocked and predominantly comprised of mountains, rivers and forests; to the south lies India, with Tibet to the north. The topography is dramatically varied, featuring pine-clad valleys, terraced hills and towering, snow-tipped mountain ranges with impenetrable heights.
Monasteries cling to cliffsides and rivers snake through valleys. Orchards line their banks. Villages and towns are unspoilt, and the economy almost exclusively rural. The entire nation is Buddhist, and retains deep respect for religious tradition.
The hotel is located on a 38-acre site atop a gently sloping tree-clad hill, overlooking the town of Paro in the valley below.
The rich Paro valley is one of the main cultural centres of Bhutan situated towards its western border. It is also where the nation’s only airport is located, with flights to Bangkok, Calcutta, Delhi, and Kathmandu, serviced by Bhutan's national airline, Druk Air.
Thimpu is the capital. Bumthang lies towards the east, and Punakha at the country’s centre.
Uma Paro is located a 10 minute drive from the airport at Paro.
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