COMO Uma, Paro, Bhutan

Bhutan – one of the most incredible destinations I’ve experienced. Remote, spiritual, full of nature and empty of people. Its hard to find words to describe the uniqueness of being immersed in this country, and the photos barely do justice. We had planned this trip a year in advance, and I’m glad we did, because as empty as the landscape was, everything was “sold out.” Bhutan focuses on high-value tourists, meaning it’s an expensive country to visit and they purposefully limit the amount of people who can come.

You should go there, and please plan in advance!

On our last night, we decided to take a massive hike over and above the Tiger’s Nest, above the clouds even… and we loved it. 14 miles, conquering elevations from 8k to nearly 13k feet – absolutely incredible and absolutely exhausting.

We were both feeling blissful and knackered when we got back to the hotel, and Rachel wanted a massage while I opted to enjoy a club sandwich… both were comfort inducing experiences.

The Uma Como in Paro was our 5th hotel in 8 nights, and while it can be tiring to change properties so often, it’s also really fun to experience hospitality at these different locations, comparing and contrasting what high touch luxury meant to each of them. I laid down in bed, my legs absolutely shot, while I awaited my club sandwich to arrive.

Bacon was more like a pork belly steak than a rasher – absolutely fantastic. Juicy, meaty, and packed with flavor. Some of the best “bacon” I’ve ever had in a club sandwich. Fun fact: the pork all comes locally too, as its import from India is banned due to toxins.

Tomato lovely as was the lettuce. Loved the toasted bread, there was just too much of it, but I see what they were trying to do. Egg melted to the overly thick layer of cheese, detracted a little from what was a lovely meal, but hey, I was hungry and didn’t mind the extra unnecessary calories.

In a country that specializes in dishes made with potatoes, I was a little disappointed with these French fries. So many potatoes dishes in Bhutan, yet the Uma Como couldn’t pull off delicious French fries.

I literally wolfed down my club sandwich and relaxed in our lovely hotel room, while Rachel spa’d it up.

Amazing trip, and looking forward to the next day where we would explore Kathmandu and stay at our 6th hotel…