Meeting Paro

Paro in spring is an emerald green valley, lush with paddy fields, willow trees and fruit orchards. A sparkling river winds through the town. Rinpung Dzong, a fairytale castle, dominates the valley floor, while monasteries and meditation huts are perched on high ridges and cliffs all around. Conspicuous amidst the picturesque local houses with their painted and carved windows stands a row of mud-coloured barracks with corrugated tin roofs. It could have been the Paro Prison but was, in fact, the new ultra-deluxe Aman Resorts, an international chain with a clientele of the seriously rich and jaded who've been there, done it all, and are now flocking in their private jets to this relatively undiscovered corner of the globe.

The Aman in Paro is one of several new resorts that the Aman group has opened in Bhutan. They all sport the less-is-more style that its clients favour, with spartan decor and tiny meals. "And for this," remarked a bemused local, "they pay $1,000 a night." The rich are indeed different.