Amankora Gangtey

Amankora Gangtey has the best views of any of the Aman lodges in Bhutan, positioned on a ridge overlooking the valley below. The Gangtey Goenpa Monastery perched above it to the left. If you like to get out and about, then Gangtey will be up your street. The Black Neck Cranes arrive from Tibet to make the glacial valley home from October to March, and a walk around the valley will bring you face to face with these fantastic birds.

Other superb experiences include the longer four-hour Shasila trek, which takes you through remote villages and bamboo forests. Aman can arrange the most fabulous private dinner too. You walk up 10 minutes to an authentic potato shed (not so glamorous, we know), and what you will find is the whole place lit by flickering candles, a wood-burning Bukhari simmering away and a dining table set for two. Start with a glass of rice wine, and tuck into a feast of epic proportions.

The rooms reflect the Aman style in the lodge, using lots of wood panelling with an uncluttered, minimalist feel with muted colours. From your freestanding bathtub, or a picture window and adjoining day bed where you can read a book, the suites give you everything you would want.

At the centre, you find the communal areas housing cosy sofas, a library and communal dining tables where they rustle up either western or Bhutanese menus. You can even be brave and try yak steak for the first time! The staff are lovely, both looking after you in the lodge (they even clean your walking boots each night after a trek) or guides who allow you to explore the valley. We suggest that the more active get on the mountain bikes and venture out into the local villages under your own steam. Then, head back to the lodge and rejuvenate those achy muscles in one of their two spa treatment rooms. Gangtey is a destination that has much to offer, even outside of the Black-Neck Crane season, and the Amankora Gangtey is a beautiful home from which to experience it all.