Where Hedonism and Nirvana collude

Heart-stopping action at 6.30 am is not the best way to kick-start a day. So I discover on my flight from Kolkata to the last standing Himalayan kingdom menacing peaks that we seemed to barely skim over, sheer cliffs just a hand-span away and a thick cloud cover to boot. Then there was the panic over me landing in Bhutan sans a passport.

Lesson number one folks: the Bhutan embassy can keep insisting that Indian nationals do not need a passport to enter but if you have one just carry it.

Alternatively, carry your voting card or driving licence. I, unfortunately, had none of the above. Thankfully, we stumbled upon the magic word to gain entry into the Land of the Thunder Dragon: Aman Resorts.

There is a reason the hotel chain we chose commands such clout in these parts. It is the only international group owning five lodges across the kingdom. And seeing Bhutan through the eyes of Aman is an unparalleled experience; they know how to treat their guests real well.

Most hotels do, and charge for it, but this is different. Lesson number two: There is no such thing as budget travel in Bhutan given that independent travel is not allowed and there is a minimum per-day fee of $200, not for Indians though.

Our first destination is Thimphu, a two-hour journey away from Paro. The guide books will tell you a zillion things-to-do but I suggest focussing on the revered Memorial Chorten, the Folk Heritage Museum and the School for Traditional Arts. I know what you are thinking: isn't Bhutan supposed to be all about monasteries and treks and communicating with nature? There is all that too, in the very next valley

Punakha. As we make our way to the sub-tropical paradise, farmhouses stage a reappearance, with bright red chilli peppers strewn on the roofs to dry. This is as good a time as any to deliver lesson number three: this nation is obsessed with chillies.

Apart from the fact that most dishes are red-hot, Bhutanese food ranks high among the world's worst cuisines. And the butter tea is vile. You have been warned.

Also hard to miss is the nation's obsession with the phallus. Many of the houses are adorned with colourful drawings of penises, not only as a fertility symbol but also to ward off the evil eye. And in keeping with this theme, one of their most revered saints, the Divine Madman, is also the patron saint of babies. The Kunley shrine in Punakha is highly revered as a fertility temple.

As we stand there, gawking at wall paintings, a couple walks into the shrine, a baby in hand. Nidup, our guide, tells us that they are there to ask the lama to name the child. With unimaginable nonchalance, the lama picks up a huge wooden phallus from the altar, and tapping the baby's head with the latter, names him Chhimi.

After that, the Punakha Dzong, once the national headquarters, was not fascinating enough, but it is a must-visit. Both for its lavish wall paintings and the chance to see how monks live. There are a number of other shrines and monasteries that can be visited while here, each offering excellent trekking possibilities.

And after a hard day walking given our aversion to the very act Nidup gave up referring to "treks" and would speak of "easy strolls" there was always the cosy Aman suite to retire to.

Just for the record, these rooms cost around $1,000 a night, and initially, the spacious rooms do seem grossly overpriced. I mean, why should I shell out that much moolah for a room where the bathtub faces a floor-to-ceiling window on one end the ethereal view notwithstanding and the beds on the other side (yes, no doors, but, hey, some might insist this is romantic)?

The answer lies in the packaging. It lies in the personalised attention given. It lies in the care taken to make your itinerary exactly what you want more hiking, check; doing the kingdom on horseback, check; lots of pampering at the in-house spas, check; Aman is the best way to "do" Bhutan.

The end of our journey brought us back to Paro. Nidup wanted to save the best for last, and Bhutan's best treasure is definitely the Taktshang Goemba, popularly known as the Tiger's Nest. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche, the man who brought about Buddhist revival in Bhutan, visited this place on a flying tiger to meditate.

Halfway there, you'll wish there were flying tigers to transport you too because getting there is not easy. Mules are available from those who aren't into masochism but the last 45-minute stretch "" a steep descent and subsequent ascent "" has to be done on your own two legs. No pain, no gain.

What did we gain? Nirvana. After all that walking, nirvana was only a catnap away ...