AFAR – September 2019

what if they don’t, in the end, change the story of who you are?

The monk was ready. He had my answers. “In this life,” he told me, “you

will have some problems with your senses. But you will travel. And although

you will travel very far in this life... you are not looking for anything.”

It took me a moment to realize how true this is. As a blind man, I literally

wander the globe and, like it or not, look for nothing. But in doing it, I am

at my best. I am well. We think of being well as a thing to pursue, as a state

of being to reach, like a destination. Like a country or a beautiful hotel. But

it’s really more like water through your hands. A pleasure to have tried and

fumbled. We can cry or we can laugh about it.

I wanted to say something about this to the monk. I wanted to take him

outside and have a philosophical dialogue with him under a tree, or under a

dog sleeping in a tree. I had questions about my happiness. I wanted to tell

him something funny that happened along the way.

But his phone was vibrating on the desk. Its custom ring tone was a

Buddhist chant. He was busy. He ushered us out, bowed a polite goodbye,

and shut the door to answer his calling.

Writer Ryan Knighton wrote about going on safari in Zimbabwe in the

July/August 2017 issue of AFAR. Photographer Frédéric Lagrange shot a

feature story about Iceland for the same issue.

A

fter a week of considering my body and soul, and how to
find wellness therein, it felt good to come back to Paro,
where our journey had begun. Tucked in a forest at the end
of a winding, rough mountain road, the Six Senses Paro re-
sort is a series of stone buildings that complement their
neighboring monastic ruins and sit atop a subterranean warren of mas-
sage and prayer rooms. One evening I sat outside and drank ara, a kind
of sweet moonshine, and took a very temporary vow of silence as I lis-
tened to the stray dogs under the stars. They howled for something. We
all do. Maybe soon they would try to sleep in their trees.
On our last day we stopped to visit a monk at an astrology school. He
would tell Tracy and me about our past incarnations, our present selves,
and our future paths. We met him in a room that felt like it belonged to a
community college professor. It was small and dark and pack-ratted with
books and shelves. A yak hide covered the couch. I sat on it and waited as
the monk took my birthday information from Yountin, who translated
between us. When he was ready, the monk consulted several serious tomes
and made some notations, calculating my past to find my fate. My thoughts
turned to the past week. All this wellness, the stone baths and yoga and
doctors and holy water, but what if the question of well-being is, in the end,
a fixed proposition? Sure, less gluten and more mindfulness feel good, but

106 AFAR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Visas
American visitors
need a visa to enter
Bhutan. In order to
get a visa, you must
book a tour with a
licensed guide or
program operator.

Nestled in the Himalayas between China and India, Bhutan is a
tiny kingdom known for its dramatic landscapes, sacred sites, and
holistic approach to happiness and wellness. To protect its natural
resources and ensure that travelers don’t overwhelm the country,
tourism is tightly controlled. Inbound flights are limited, and trav-
elers must pay special fees to obtain visas—a multistep process made
easier with the help of a travel advisor or an outfitter. (You can find
members of AFAR’s Travel Advisory Council at afar.com/tac.) Travel
companies such as GeoEx, MT Sobek, and Kensington Tours offer
package and custom itineraries and help with some of the hassle.

A visa costs $40

and visa clearance

must be obtained in

advance.

Spending minimum

Bhutan mandates

that tourists spend

approximately

$200–$300 per

person per day. The

Flights

Only two airlines—

currently Drukair and

Bhutan Airlines—fly

into Paro Airport,

Bhutan’s only

international airport.

Flights are routed

through hubs includ-

ing Bangkok, New

Delhi, Singapore,

and Kathmandu.

Weather can delay

flights for days at a

time—it’s important

to have your itinerary

designed with a few

days in your stopover

city and to fly on an

unrestricted ticket.

Other helpful

information

Medical care in

rural areas can be

limited; supplemen-

tary medical evacu-

ation and travel

health insurance

are encouraged.

Some outfitters offer

coverage through

third-party travel

insurance compa-

nies. Credit cards

may be accepted in

certain hotels and

shops in larger cities,

but ATMs are unreli-

able, so it’s best to

exchange dollars for

Bhutanese ngul-

trums, the national

currency, before you

leave home. Though

not mandatory,

updated vaccina-

tions are strongly

recommended.

Check cdc.gov and

travel.state.gov for a

list of recommended

vaccinations.

Wellness

retreats

Wellness retreats

are a popular way

to unwind and

experience the local

culture; much like

tour companies,

they offer assistance

throughout the plan-

ning process. Some

luxury resorts have

multiple locations,

and most guests stay

at several lodges

during their trip. Six

Senses Bhutan puts

T

H

E

D E T A I L S

you at the center of

the country’s natural

beauty and allows

you to personalize

your experience with

treatments inspired

by the area, which

include hot stone

baths and Bhutanese

herbal scrubs. Six

Senses currently

has three locations,

with the fourth

opening in Gangtey

in October and the

fifth in Bumthang in

early 2020. Aman-

kora, a circuit of five

luxury lodges, offers

adventurous and

wellness-centered

itineraries accom-

panied by a private

guide, starting from

three nights.

amount depends on

the time of year and

the number of people

you’re traveling with,

and includes accom-

modations, meals,

transportation, and

other activities.