COMO Shambhala Retreat at Uma Paro 4.1 3 reviews

The premises are excellent! Of particular surprise and beauty is the yoga studio. The spa was extraordinarily pleasant and I couldn't get enough treatments.

Bhutan is a magical country, and Uma Paro definitely makes your stay even more enjoyable. The spa is absolutely fantastic with very friendly and professional staff. They offer a variety of many wonderful treatments, as well as daily yoga sessions, and they have a beautiful pool with an outdoor area overlooking the Himalayas - Absolute Bliss !

Ok, so its a bit far away and its not exactly cheap but this has to be one of the best spa experiences I have ever had. First, there is the country, Bhutan is a beautiful, inspiring place that has been remarkably untouched by the outside world. Then there is the setting -- a beautiful traditional Bhutanese building that has been converted into a luxurious, modern hotel without losing any of its traditional charm. Finally, there are the treatments... Wow! I am tempted to go back to Bhutan just for these! We were lucky enough to have been upgraded to a room with its own private treatment room which is such a treat. The thai massage was the best I have ever had anywhere (including thailand). I also had a deep tissue massage in which I had a particular area of my back that I wanted to work on and the therapist completely amazed my the way they were able to work through the knots, release the tension and generally relax me. Just thinking about it again now makes me want to go back.


The signature bhutanese hot bath and massage was not quite as good as my other treatments. I think the therapists were not as experienced as the others and while the bath was certainly relaxing I am not sure it wouldn't be better done as a single treatment.

The therapists are outstanding but it would have been nice to have more Bhutanese therapists but without a tradition in spas the hotel has had to fly most of the staff in from their other brilliant resorts. The hotel is being careful to build a local team of therapists which I think will be a great improvement.

Finally, the spa and hotel (never mind getting there) are not cheap but I have to say it was worth every penny. Go if you ever get a chance.