This is COMO Hotels and Resorts’ second outpost in Bhutan (it has a bigger sibling in Paro), and Bali-based architect Cheong Yew Kuan has created an intimate hilltop lodge rooted in local culture and elegantly built of native timber and stone.

Why you’ll want to go: The views alone are worth the three-hour drive from Paro: a jaw-dropping panorama of the Mo Chu river as it winds past forested hills and rice fields.

Rooms: The rooms in the eight-bedroom two-villa property are comfortably stylish with an earthy palette and brimming with design details reminiscent of the country’s fortresses. Traditional Bhutanese art, hand-knotted rugs from Nepal and Indian bed cotton linens complete the authentic aesthetic. All of the rooms share sweeping views of the forests, mountains, and the surrounding valleys.

Things you can do: Punakha offers guests exceptional access to some of Bhutan’s most popular landmarks and historic sites, including the famous Temple of the Divine Madman and Punakha Dzong, one of Bhutan’s most beautiful fortress-monastery. In your downtime, meals at the lodge (try the slow-cooked Wagyu short ribs with salsa verde) and spa treatments are equally sublime.

For more information, visit Como Hotels.