One Night at The Tiger's Nest Camp

On a lukewarm January day, I drove to Paro, to stay at the Tiger’s Nest Camp. While I had been there before, this was the first time I was going there on my own, which meant I was driving. The first thing I noticed was how bad the road to the camp had gotten, which Pema, the camp owner also pointed out. Apparently, there’s a new Taj property being developed above the camp where trucks carrying construction materials often use the road. I thought the road could add to the experience of staying at the camp. But don’t hold your breath: Pema shared that there were plans to reconstruct the road in less than a year.

After what felt like a long, boring ride, I entered the lobby followed by another guest, an American, which I took for a sign since I am waiting to hear from colleges in the USA. Shortly after handing me the Wi-Fi voucher, I walked to my tent, Room 103, one of their best rooms, or formerly one of their best rooms since a newly built house now somewhat blocks the tent’s view. Nevertheless, I appreciated their gesture to keep me in one of their best tents. As soon as I got inside the tent, I ordered a ginger honey lemon tea just like the last time. I felt the drink had cured my cold and helped me sleep, but that had been in December and here I was in the middle of winter. At night, the air got even more dry and I didn’t realize one of the heaters had been on in addition to the one I had turned on.

I was informed dinner would start at 7, so I had time to kill. I rang a friend who just happened to be in town that day. After driving to Paro town, we ate at the Take Away Cafe. We then walked around town, and stumbled upon a concert. However, we could only stay there for so long due to the cold, so at around 7:30 I drove back to the camp. This time the drive wasn’t as bad, maybe because I had become familiar with the route.

Before leaving the camp, I let a staff know that I wanted to speak with Pema, the owner. However, she still hadn’t returned when I got back from town. I messaged her to set up an appointment for tomorrow morning. Just as I was talking to a staff member in the camp cafeteria, she walked in. I was under the impression that she wasn’t going to return until tomorrow. Feeling pressured and thinking that she had driven here tonight, just to see me, I immediately got to the point. I had already written down all the details of the camp, including feedback, but instead started with an anecdote.

A conversation brews

The anecdote was about a guest who shared negative remarks regarding their food experience at one of the hotels. I rambled on before I noticed a sharp change in Pema’s face, making me stop. I had felt I could use the story as a segue, a balm to the feedback that I was going to share with her. Instead, it seemed to have the opposite impact. It seemed to rile her up.

Pema then shared her experiences of being a hotelier and in the hospitality industry. She claimed to be a foodie yet there wasn’t a single place in Paro that could satisfy her. The locals, she noted, rarely eat out, unlike in Thimphu, the capital. While tourists in Paro eat at the hotels and as per Pema, the food offered at these hotels were decent. She also shared how she could only get amenities like coffee from Thimphu, a two-hour drive from Paro. We spoke about many other things during our nearly 2-hour long talk. Coming out of our conversation, I felt alive, or as I recently said “like I had spoken to a human.” I thought I was going to review the camp itself, but instead, I ended up getting to know Pema, and in some ways, myself.

The Tiger’s Nest Camp is a quaint, semi-luxury property located minutes from the base of the Tiger’s Nest monastery, perfect for a night’s stay after your hike. They have fifteen tents and most of them are booked during peak season. Pema also shared that she works with several travel agents and that she was happy with that number as her property can only manage so much. She seemed the happiest when talking about the weddings hosted on her property. Another sign?