Founder

Louk Lennaerts - Founder & Visionary

If a fortuneteller had told me: ”In the year 2018 you will live in Bhutan, in your own resort, fully submerged in the cultural legacy of Zhabdrung”, I would have said: “Why in Bhutan?”.

It all began in Da Nang, Vietnam about 7 years ago; when an extraordinary individual by the name of Thomas, who had just visited Bhutan, came to stay at a resort (Fusion Maia Danang) that I had developed. His fascinating stories about what he had seen and experienced in Bhutan made me curious.

A few months later, he and I traveled to Bhutan with the plan to explore Bhutan and make up our minds whether building a new 5-star resort in Bhutan could become a reality or would just have to remain an unfulfilled dream. I have always worked hard, which gave me joy but also stress. After this first visit to Bhutan, for the first time I really experienced what a restful mind feels like. Only then did I realize that I needed to change my own life, but I did not know yet how. A few months after Thomas had planted the seed of Bhutan in my head, I met a Bhutanese Rinpoche who gave me a copy of his book called ‘The Restful Mind’. It turned out, that I could integrate my own inner journey with the project in Bhutan. Karma.

Deep inside I felt an urge to develop a new kind of hospitality project, not the usual luxury resort. Today’s travelers want to be involved, they want to experience the essence of a destination, grasp the culture and its values. I wanted to develop a place, where guests could feel like a part of Bhutan and not like a tourist. A place where travelers can find the peace to let go of the daily craziness and find their own well-being, body, mind and spirit.

Now, 3 years later, I see the Rinpoche and his inspirational book as the spiritual guides of Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary. The result is a heartfelt place, that evolved step-by-step, inspired by the Bhutanese culture, the compassionate people of Bhutan and the Buddhist path to enlightenment. I now see Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary as my home, with our team as my Zatsang (the Bhutanese word for family). We share our home with our guests and do our best to make them feel like members of our family.

Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary is more than just ‘great food’ and ‘all services included’. We aim to create a lasting positive change in our guests’ daily lives. I would like to invite you to become part of our story, and in doing so write a new chapter in your own life.