Zhiwa Ling Hotel

Nestled in the hills outside the town of Paro, Zhiwa Ling is an architectural gem that unites Bhutanese culture and heritage with 21st-century comforts. Its main lodge and cottages – each hand-decorated with intricate carvings – are set in a lush landscape of weeping willows and fruit trees.

This is the first five-star Bhutanese-owned hotel, and its 45 beautifully appointed suites look out over the emerald foothills of the Himalaya. Within easy reach of Bhutan’s most revered temples and monasteries the hotel is a work of art, painstakingly constructed, carved, and painted by Bhutanese artisans over five years.

From its traditional Bhutanese architecture to its elegant temple made with 450-year-old timbers to its Swedish under-floor heating, Zhiwa Ling Heritage seamlessly combines past and present in all areas of operation.

The main lodge houses two restaurants; Lingka, meaning Merry Making, offering a multi-cuisine menu and Gawa, meaning Happiness offers western cuisine along with local Bhutanese dishes such as ema datsi (the favoured dish of chillies & cheese).  The Mad Monk Bar is the ideal destination for a pre dinner drink or to toast your success after a walk up to Tigers Nest Monastery. If you want to reward your efforts with a nice cup of tea, then the Tea House is your ideal destination. There is a spa offering a range of treatments to sort out the trekking aches and pains as well as a small fitness centre featuring a steam room, sauna and gym.

The guest rooms are dotted around the grounds in eight separate two-storey cottages, linked to the main building by an attractive pathway. Each room is fitted with huge beds, underfloor heating, wooden (sometimes creaky) floorboards, hand-knotted carpets, TVs, ensuite bathroom, an inside sitting area and a private balcony.

Zhiwa Ling is proudly one of National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World.