Mountains with Gangtey Lodge

Gangtey Lodge

Perched high above the pristine nature reserve of Phobjikha valley, Gangtey Lodge rewards the intrepid traveler with spectacular views over the 17th century monastery, traditional farm houses and dense forested mountains of Himalayan blue pine.

The Lodge, with its stunning design and sweeping views of the valley, offers the weary traveller the perfect blend of luxury through adventure, spiritual enlightenment and deep connections with the culture and community of rural Bhutan.

Gangtey Lodge is the culmination of an adventure that began back in 2003 by owners Khin Omar Win and Brett Melzer. Founders of the iconic Balloons over Bagan and the remote Malikha Lodge in Northern Myanmar, they were invited to Bhutan to explore the possibility of ballooning together with their Bhutanese partner Yeshey Norbu. Instead, when they came across the spectacular and unspoilt Gangtey valley, the seed was planted to create a luxury escape that not only helped to preserve Bhutanese rural life, but followed their philosophy to bring opportunity, training and skills into this remote community

Taking their project management team from Myanmar, they embarked on a three-year journey to build a 12-roomed Bhutanese ‘Farmhouse’ that respectfully blended into its environment and enabled guests to connect with the natural surroundings and spirituality of Bhutan. Mary Lou Thomson took on the role of Architect for Gangtey Lodge, in what was to be her first totally independent hotel project. Together, they shared the same passion to create a unique lodge that reflected Bhutan’s rich cultural heritage.

At Gangtey Lodge they embrace Bhutan’s concept of Gross National Happiness by pursuing a harmonious balance between respecting nature and promoting cultural preservation and sustainable development.

In an in an email interview, Omar talks about her love for the 17th Century Gangtey Monastery and exploring the rich culture of the local community, unchanged for centuries.

To address these problems, via a process driven and led by our local team who live in Gangtey, we were able to identify, design and implement projects and client experiences to support and protect these local institutions and traditions, through continual engagement and collaboration. This not only generates vital income, but also provides opportunities for learning and growth for the community and our guests.

Q1: Could you share with us the philosophy behind Gangtey Lodge Bhutan and how it aligns with conscious luxury travel?

Our philosophy behind Gangtey Lodge is to “to create authentic experiences that have a positive impact on our local communities, which enables travellers to connect physically, spiritually and emotionally with the places they visit”.

When I first visited Bhutan in 2003 with my business partner/husband, Phobjikha (Gangtey) was an isolated valley of local communities practicing subsistence farming and ancient traditions. The spiritual leadership of the 17th Century Gangtey Goenpa was an important part of daily life. Cut off during the winter months, the valley suffered from rural-urban migration, which threatened the long-term viability of these communities and customs passed down from generation to generation.

Q2: Bhutan is known for its commitment to Gross National Happiness (GNH). How does Gangtey Lodge contribute to the happiness and well-being of both guests and the local community?

Happiness means different things to different people. Therefore, we focus on authenticity and acting as a conduit between our clients and their immediate environments. This approach leads our guests to slow down and properly connect with the Valley’s nature, its communities and its traditions. By doing so what we are trying to encourage through our actions is a state of contentment that fosters passive learning and understanding of the value system that underpins GNH in a local context. When we achieve that, guests and community experience a mutual and more meaningful connection.

Q3: Conscious luxury often involves sustainability and eco-friendliness. Can you tell us about the lodge's eco-initiatives and how it enhances the guest experience?

Being eco-friendly for us means working to not harm both our community environment and our natural environment. Our Lodge is designed to blend into the village scape around us, to respect local architectural heritage, and ensure that guests do not feel separate or cosseted from Bhutan.

Our Lodge’s eco-initiatives start from sourcing sustainable firewood, bottling our own water on site, and carefully recycling and disposing of our waste.

Our initiatives then extend outward, where we focus on the specific needs of the farming community and livelihoods in the valley. This entails buying local whatever we can, helping with irrigation and composting for organic fertiliser. Most of all we actively contribute towards the preservation and maintenance of the crane roosting grounds, not only a major drawcard for visitors, but also a important way to maintain watersheds and protect clean water resources for everyone.

In this regard, guests feel rewarded that they are making a real contribution to our own efforts in enhancing sustainability in the valley

Q4: Many travellers seek out conscious luxury experiences to disconnect from the fast pace of modern life. What advice would you give to travellers looking to embark on a conscious luxury journey to Bhutan?

Traditional luxury travel focuses on consumption and materialism. To embark on conscious luxury travel, I recommend taking the time to research a destination, travel off the beaten track and spend your money in local businesses to maximise benefits, stay in local independent hotels, or mix your accommodation. Like all good things in life, less is often more, and slow purposeful travel is the way to go.

In Bhutan, spend at least two nights in each valley and make the effort to be mindful, present and to fully immerse yourself in the daily rhythm of life.

Q5: Lastly, how do you envision the future of conscious luxury travel in Bhutan, and how does Gangtey Lodge plan to contribute to that vision?

I envisage the future of conscious luxury travel in Bhutan to be one where the benefits of welcoming tourists outweigh the negative impacts; where environment, preservation of culture, and profit are considered equally as important as each other.

At Gangtey Lodge we work to contribute to this vision in various ways: By assisting or raising funds for community institutions such as The Royal Society for the Protection of Nature and the Gangtey Goenpa and Shedra; continually training our team; and supporting small local businesses from village suppliers to shop owners, to DMCs and guides. By doing this we contribute towards helping build the local economy, for a future sustainable Bhutan.

How can you participate?

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