Taj Tashi Thimphu…

This evening, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge enjoyed a glittering reception with the King and Queen of Bhutan at the Taj Tashi Hotel in Thimphu as part of their Royal Tour of India and Bhutan. The hotel is one of my favorite places to stay in Bhutan.

Last fall, I stayed in a lovely suite at the Taj Tashi Thimphu after I had the honor of speaking with His Majesty, the Dragon King of Bhutan, while at the Royal Palace to give a talk on disability before an audience of scholars, activists, monks, and students at the International Conference on the Gross National Happiness Index. Since the global press this evening has been focusing on the Duchess’ floral gown at the reception (inspired by Bhutan’s national flower — the poppy), I thought I’d share some photos from my relaxing stay at Taj Tashi Thimphu to give a more complete picture of the hotel.

I took the photo above while exploring every angle of the spacious living room in my chic and comfortable suite there. This luxury suite has two inviting sitting areas, and funky neo-Buddhist art hung on the wall (not to mention an amazing mountain view). I tried to stay up as late as I could to take full advantage of my stay there.

I arrived at the hotel (and was greeted with a blessing from a Buddhist monk) just after finishing the intensive climb up to Tiger’s Nest — my favorite Buddhist monastery in Bhutan. A massage in the hotel’s spa followed by a long soak in the tub was just what the doctor ordered — to help me recover from a long day of adventuring in nature. I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to stay at Taj Tashi Thimphu, and I’m really looking forward to returning there again one day soon!