Bhutan's Secret to Happiness Lies in Spirituality and Stunning Landscapes

"Bhutan is a small garden with many flowers," our travel guide explained on a winding drive through the mountains on the way back to the country's sole international airport.

The analogy is apt - the tiny nation tucked between Tibet and India is blooming with beauty. And, like a garden, Bhutan is good for the spirit and soul. My husband and I recently spent a rejuvenating week there, exploring many Buddhist temples, hiking the challenging trails at breathtaking elevations, and indulging in wellness and longevity treatments.

We stayed at the five-star Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, the world's only all-inclusive luxury resort with a wellness program rooted in traditional Bhutanese medicine, known as gSo-ba Rig-pa. "Wellness" is a diffuse term these days, but Bhutan leans into the various defining aspects. On the way to the Sanctuary, as the locals call it, we talked with our guide about how Bhutan de-emphasizes metrics like gross domestic product in favor of a gross national happiness index, which measures residents' satisfaction and spiritual well-being. The GNH is why Bhutan is considered one of the happiest countries in the world.

Upon passing through Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary's fortress-like wooden doors, I felt an immediate sense of tranquility. In the expansive courtyard, we were greeted by staff dressed in traditional attire; the women wore ankle-length woven skirts with matching short silk jackets called kira, and the men wore knee-length robes called gho. They performed a welcoming ritual and then we walked through another set of doors into a foyer with a two-story wall of windows that drowned the room in light and showcased the majestic Neyphu Valley. We were jet-lagged from back-to-back overnight flights, first to London, then Delhi, and finally to Paro, so we welcomed the serene setting of our terrace suite.

After sunset we walked down the hall to the wellness facility. The seating area was filled with jars of Bhutanese herbs, many grown onsite, that are used in the sanctuary's treatments. We met with the resort's drungtsho (traditional Bhutanese medicine doctor) for a consultation designed to select the wellness activities for our stay. He asked about our diets, fitness routines and pain points, as well as asked for my astrological sign, checked my pulse and examined my tongue. We booked a sound healing session before ending the day by savoring the fresh and bold flavors of Bhutanese cuisine rich with spicy green chiles and creamy yak cheese.

The next morning, I attended a yoga session and then went for a traditional Tibetan massage with essential oils designed to balance internal energy flow. I've experienced many massages and different techniques all around the world - from Bali to Turkey - but never anything as remarkable as the ku nye massage in Bhutan. My petite masseuse had a surprisingly powerful touch, and when she climbed onto the backs of my legs for better pressure, I audibly gasped. It was intense but incredible. My husband, meanwhile, was in another room receiving a moxibustion treatment in which the therapist passed burning herbs over his skin.

We spent the rest of the day preparing for the next morning's hike to one of Bhutan's greatest tourist attractions -Tiger's Nest monastery, also called Paro Taktsang, a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site. I was anxious ahead of the seven-hour high-altitude hike, but it ended up being incredible. It pushed me to my fitness limit, gave me a profound sense of accomplishment, and made the hot-stone bath we'd scheduled afterward essential.

I traveled halfway around the world to experience what makes Bhutan such a happy place to be, and once I got there I was able to center myself and slow down. Truly, a visit to Bhutan was good for my spirit and my soul.