COMO Uma Punakha

Sculpted into the landscape of rice fields and orchards, perched on a stone terrace and overlooking the meandering Mo Chu River, COMO Uma Punakha employs a sleek contemporary design to capture the essence of the breathtaking Punakha Valley.

Located in a less-traveled area of Bhutan, this eleven-room lodge is an exclusive and intimate retreat, ideally placed to explore nature and historic sights of the Himalayan Punakha region.

Proximity to Bhutan’s magical culture is but one dimension of Uma Punakha. The attraction on their own is the stylish interiors of the lodge, which, coupled with the signature spa indulgence and refined service from COMO ,promise a truly mind-clearing experience.

Sublime interiors, serene spa

The designer Cheong Yew Kwan flooded the interiors with natural light and used neutral color schemes as a backdrop to exquisite décor that includes oversized beds, wood-burning stoves, and traditional hand-painted Bhutanese murals.

Another kind of creature comforts can be found at the lodge’s Shambhala Spa Retreat, which offers hot stone baths and traditional Bhutanese spa treatments. Following spa therapy, the lodge proposes a menu of healthy juices, devised by nutritionists to give a healthy shot of energy.

For something more substantial, there is the Bukhari restaurant, which sources fresh ingredients from the plentiful valley below. Its seasonal menu of authentic Bhutan cuisine has a contemporary twist of a range of international dishes.

in our opinion

Unassuming, luxurious and peaceful, COMO Uma Punakha combines a sensory experience of the world-class COMO spa with a sleek design and the stunning location overlooking a Himalayan valley.

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What we love

• An exquisite fusion of traditional Bhutanese design with contemporary style;
• The lodge is tranquil and exclusive, with just nine rooms and two villas. Guest rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, providing magnificent views;
• Staff-to-guest ratio: two-to-one;
• Complimentary WiFi;
• Wellbeing spa with holistic massages, facials, and body treatments, under the world-class COMO Shambhala brand;
• The lodge offers access to some of the country’s most celebrated landscapes and historic sites, including the famous Temple of the Divine Madman (Chimi Lhakhang) and the seventeenth-century Punakha Dzong fortress.

What you should know

• Activities include hiking, cycling, and white water rafting;
• The hotel is about five-hour by car from Bhutan’s only international airport. For this reason, a good idea is to combine stay at Punakha with Uma by COMO Paro;
• On the other hand, the Punakha Dzong fortress is just a 30-minute drive away;
• We advise booking well in advance!