Preparing
LoadingPreparing
LoadingA flagship Bhutanese lodge
Amankora Paro opened in 2004 as the first of what would become the five-lodge Amankora circuit. Twenty-four suites set in a pine forest at the southern end of the Paro valley, designed by Kerry Hill — the principal arrival and departure lodge for the Amankora journey.
Aman · Southern Paro valley (pine forest, ~30 minutes from PBH) · Paro · 24 rooms
Amankora Paro sits in a pine forest at the valley's southern end. The lodge buildings — a main building with the dining, lounge, and reception facilities, and separate suite blocks distributed across the property — follow the principal Aman architectural style (Kerry Hill's Bhutanese-vernacular-meets-modernist-restraint). The Paro valley is broad and open further north (the agricultural terraced paddies); the Amankora property is at the forested southern end where the valley narrows and the pine forest covers the slopes. The atmospheric tradition is quiet, contemplative, sheltered.
The lodge's geographic position is convenient for [[paro-taktsang|Paro Taktsang]] — the Tiger's Nest monastery, the country's principal pilgrimage site and the most-photographed single image of Bhutan. The trailhead for the Taktsang walk is approximately thirty minutes' drive from the lodge; the walk itself is four to five hours round trip including the time at the monastery. A typical Amankora Paro programme: Day 1 arrival and afternoon ease-in, Day 2 the Tiger's Nest hike with an early-morning departure to avoid the midday heat and lunch at the cafeteria roughly halfway up the trail, Day 3 the Paro valley exploration (Rinpung Dzong, Ta Dzong the watchtower-now-museum, the upper-valley Drukgyel Dzong ruins).
Twenty-four suites arranged in linear blocks across the forested property. Generous in scale (approximately 85 square metres and up, varying by category) and built to the principal Aman pattern — a king bed, a separate sitting area, a covered patio or terrace, a generous bathroom with a traditional Bhutanese hot-stone bath as a signature feature. The bukhari (traditional Bhutanese wood-burning stove) heats some suites; the hot-stone bath uses river stones heated in a fire and plunged into the bathtub to produce a particular mineral and smoke. Natural-material palette; subtle Bhutanese reference rather than maximalist decoration.
Dining at Amankora Paro follows the principal Aman pattern. Bhutanese cuisine is featured prominently — ema datshi (the national dish), kewa datshi, phaksha paa, red rice, suja (butter tea) are available in lodge-quality preparations. An international menu is also available for those who prefer. Single dining room; communal tables sometimes used for smaller groups. The bar offers Bhutanese spirits including ara (the traditional rice-based spirit) and a curated international list.
Practical
Common questions
Five questions. A bespoke draft back within a day or two.