On the hour’s ride, when I was willing to unclutch the steering wheel long enough to wave at an occasional wild turkey, pheasant or deer (I was disappointed we didn’t see any of the Black Bears who sometimes show up on the tour) or look out over the magnificent countryside, I was reminded once again to take it easy on the turns. Though not for the faint of heart or heavy of foot as we bounced over rocks, dipped into ruts, careened around hairpin turns and stormed through muddy ravines, the adrenaline surge was thrilling. I had to keep reminding myself to relax my body, none of whose internal organs were where they started out before the ride. Okay, so yes, a tad nerve-wracking – but oh so much fun!

Even once I was in a real car on a real road, the driving still felt treacherous. Windy, hilly, curvy roads surveying mammoth, stunning overlooks cover the 12,000-acre campus – Primland is just shy of the size of Bermuda – and the shuttle drivers carry Dramamine with them to assuage those prone to motion sickness. Not your usual hotel amenity. And a lot of driving is involved. Once you arrive at Primland, you haven’t actually arrived. It’s six miles from the North Gate to the Lodge; another 7 miles to the South Gate. Shuttles to the different activities felt like activities in themselves.

So it was not surprising to be happily on our own two feet again when hiking with naturalist Tim, who enhanced our walk over varied terrain with knowledgeable explanations of flora and fauna and an even more interesting worldview.

And then it was time for archery, of course. And air rifle shooting. And tomahawk throwing. Doesn’t every hotel have that? Channeling my inner Native American, I raised my bow and arrow and shot at the target, choosing to spare the ersatz bear, wolf and wild turkey statuettes who all seemed like less appealing options. Turns out I was a natural, hitting the target every time. Not so much with the air rifle. Seems I’d make a much better Indian than Cowboy! Although admittedly, my tomahawk throwing was a little rusty. To assuage my diminishing self-esteem, I reverted back to my trusty bow and arrow.

And the list of things we didn’t do is longer than those we did.  Fly fishing, clay shooting, disc golf, horseback riding, hunting, watersports, outdoor fitness track, and oh yes, of course golf and tennis.

But still, I felt I had definitely earned my Signature Massage at the spa, continuing the Native American experience which is more than just a theme, it’s a philosophy. Artifacts from the local Saura tribe abound and are considered sacred. In the signature massage, tribal elements of fire, water, air and earth are incorporated through hot stones, oils, scents and touch. And afterwards, you come full circle by sipping tea from the Native American Tea Company.

Prior to the massage, I was taken to a “relaxation space,” past hallways all decked out in shades of turquoise and brown – the color representing a “drop of heaven” and the stones, anti-aging. I was already well-relaxed before I even got to the Relaxation Room, where a wide span of windows looking out over the countryside, reinforced the sense of ennui. At this point, I didn’t even need the massage.

But that was before I met my spirit animal. Heather, my masseuse, led me into the massage room where, of course, there were animal feathers to clear the energetic pathways around me. I was told to ask myself a question I was seeking an answer to and to pick a card that spoke to me from the eight laying face down in front of me. Cynic that I am, I had no question and heard no card. The one I picked was the rabbit which apparently represented an internalized fear I needed to let go of. I didn’t relate at all – I didn’t like being a rabbit – but somehow felt the need to apologize that my rejection was nothing personal. I asked about the other cards – eagle, deer, wolf, skunk, turkey, squirrel, raccoon, each representing some personal exploration. Skunk? Turkey? Squirrel? The rabbit was beginning not to look so bad. We both thoroughly enjoyed our massage.

That night we went to the observatory for some star-gazing, of course. Foggy as it had been driving in, the sky overhead was crystal-clear, with a very sophisticated telescope projecting the stars onto a video in front of us. The full moon provided even more clarity. All of Primland emphasizes a return to nature and you can’t get much closer than this. We were surrounded by stars, planets, constellations, galaxies – including the Orion Nebula, a star-forming nebula approximately 1300 light years from Earth, the Pleiades Open Star Cluster (also known as the “Seven Sisters”) and the show-stopping Andromeda Galaxy (the closest and largest galaxy to the Milky Way roughly 2.5 million light years away). We saw over 1000 stars on the screen, including the mere 150 that the naked eye can see. So much that was impossible to fathom – in 4-6 billion years, the Milky Way may collide with Andromeda. Not to worry.

To mention once again that this is not your usual hotel amenity seems ridiculously redundant. For more information, visit the Primland site.

The post Virginia’s Primland Resort: Where the Out-of-the-Ordinary Happens Everyday appeared first on Traveling Archive.

1. Question: What are some of the “things” or activities that the people of Bhutan do for fun?

Answer:

One of the many wonderful things about Bhutan is that the government has made it a priority to protect the natural environment. This provides ample opportunities for getting out into the landscape. Locals and visitors alike enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and even rafting on one of the many rivers. In fact, many important Buddhist temples can only be accessed via a hike, including the famous and most holy Tiger’s Nest temple complex. In addition, two of Bhutan’s favorite pastimes are snooker and archery. Snooker, similar to pool, is hugely popular, and there are several snooker halls in every town. Archery is the national sport of Bhutan and an important social activity, especially in rural communities. Competitions are held throughout the country and during public holidays and festivals as part of the celebrations.

2. Question: What’s one thing the public probably does NOT know about Bhutan?

Answer:

As a completely Buddhist country, every part of daily life revolves around Buddhist rituals. Before any major life and even government events and decisions, the Bhutanese consult astrologers. Dates for festivals or starting a journey must fall on a favorable day, and people also go to astrologers to check on things like the success of a future business and to have their baby’s horoscope mapped out with details about their previous life, characteristics, difficulties, and even good and bad colors.

3. Share some aspect of what Bhutan has contributed to the world.

Answer:

While Bhutan may be a tiny kingdom tucked in the foothills of the Himalayas, it is leading the way on two fronts. First, Bhutan is a carbon negative country — the only one in the world. This means that it absorbs more CO2 than it emits thanks to the government’s goal to keep a minimum of 60% of the country forested and the fact that its electrical grid is powered by hydroelectric dams and newly-added wind turbines. Plus, there are also plans to increase the infrastructure for electric cars. Bhutan is also focused on citizen happiness. Instead of measuring Gross Domestic Product, the government measures Gross Domestic Happiness. Centered around several key areas that include spiritual, physical, social, and environmental health of the population, the government uses the information to help determine public policy. This novel concept of how to look at the success of a country has inspired similar analysis in Thailand, the Philippines, and the Americas.

For further information about travel to Bhutan, visit Boundless Journeys.

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