Day 1: When you arrive in Kathmandu our drivers will be there to pick you up from the airport. You’ll be transferred to the Hotel Vajra, where you can unwind from your journey, rest, enjoy the garden and a meal, and soak up the atmosphere. Once everyone has arrived, each person will have private one-on-one meeting with Laurie & Jeff. Afterwards, there will be a brief orientation meeting & group dinner on the fabulous rooftop, before we turn in for the night.
Day 2: After morning meditation & an early breakfast at the Hotel Vajra, we’ll gather in the library for a brief opening meeting and then head out on our first adventure. We’ll walk up to the nearby Swaymbunath stupa (also known as “The Monkey Temple”) for a spectacular view out across the entire Kathmandu Valley. We’ll also learn a bit about the local architecture and about Nepal’s rich Buddhist & Hindu religious traditions. After lunch, we'll spend the afternoon writing, or relaxing before heading out for a stroll through Asan Tol (the old market district), and then to Thamel for a night on the town & a chance to enjoy some excellent authentic local cuisine.
Day 3: After morning meditation & an early breakfast at the Hotel Vajra, we’ll meet in the library for a morning of workshops & discussions before journeying to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Patan. For centuries, Patan been a town of artisans and we today will have the chance to meet some of the people who give this city its unique beauty. After a patio lunch, we’ll return to our hotel where you’ll have some time on your own to reflect & write before joining the rest of the group for a typical Tibetan meal at the beautiful rooftop restaurant of the Vajra.
Day 4: After meditation and breakfast at the Hotel Vajra we’ll again gather in the library for a morning of individual writing & discussion before journeying across town to Boudhanath, the Tibetan Buddhist heart of Kathmandu. For centuries, this vibrant place of spiritual power has been the destination of pilgrims from around the world. For the next three days this will be our home as we explore and gather seeds of inspiration from the sounds, sights, tastes & smells swirling around the Great Stupa at Boudhanath. This evening we will have the opportunity to meet with & receive a teaching from a world-renowned Buddhist teacher at Ka-Nying Shedrup Ling, one of the oldest monasteries in Boudhanath.
Day 5: Today our morning meditation will be to join the 6am crowd that circumambulates the Great Stupa at Boudhanath, as one of the most vibrant spiritual communities in the world begins to awaken. We’ll gather inspiration from the sounds, sights and smells around the stupa, before returning to to our hotel garden for the morning meeting. The rest of the day will be spent reflecting & capturing images in this colorful neighborhood. This evening we will visit Pashupatinath, one of the most sacred Hindu sites in the Indian subcontinent & home to wandering holy men and cave yogis along the cremation ghats on the banks of the Bagmati River In the evening you are free to explore streets of Boudhanath on your own.
Day 6: Today, for our morning meditation, we will sit in with the monks as they do their morning chanting at Jamchen Lhakang, the oldest Tibetan monastery on the kora. Once again we’ll immerse ourselves in the teachings, visual expressions and rituals that bring this vibrant neighborhood to life. In the afternoon we’re free to spend our time reflecting, writing, or just wandering the streets of Boudhanath. This evening, we’ll have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have tea with a “hidden” community of street beggars & economically-challenged Indians who have created a project to provide jobs for women & to send at-risk girls to school. This is always one of the favorite stops on our journey!
Day 7: Ascending to 1,550 meters feet above the Kathmadnu Valley, today we journey to our new home for the next 3 days: the Namo Buddha Resort. This beautiful hotel offers both beautifully landscaped gardens and, when the weather is clear, stunning views of the snow-peaked Himalayan mountains. It is a short 30-minute walk to one of the most sacred "power places" for spiritual practice and retreat in the Kathmandu Valley. We'll arrive at the resort in the late afternoon, settle into our cottages, and soak up the scenery. Here in the deep solitude of a mountain retreat we will have uninterrupted space and time to refine our individual writing, and to get inspiration & ideas from others.
Day 8: After a hearty breakfast in view of the snow-peaks, we will take a short walk nearby Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery, perched on a steep ridge overlooking the valley. The beautiful and sprawling Thrangu Monastery was built on the hillside where, in a previous life, the Buddha is said to have offered his own body to a starving tigress in order that she could feed her cubs. The site is a principal pilgrimage place for Tibetan Buddhists Later, when we return to the Namo Buddha Resort, we will have all afternoon to reflect on the day. In the evening we’ll enjoy a tasty & creative dinner prepared from vegetables grown in Namo Buddha Resort’s own organic gardens.
Day 9: We will spend our last full day in the mountains, reflecting on the time we’ve spent together and creating space to draw out key insights & inspiration for the journey home. It will be a leisurely day, spent at your own pace, with an optional 2-hour guided hike to a local Tamang village for a glimpse of real Nepal village life. After reconvening for sunset cocktails, under the guidance of Laurie & Jeff, we’ll have a casual evening of sharing our own work, or the work of others, before enjoying another fabulous dinner prepared by the Namo Buddha Resort staff. Afterwards, if we feel inspired, we can gather around the bonfire for after-dinner glass of wine, take a relaxing sauna at the spa… or maybe just head off to bed.
Day 10: After a final breakfast in the mountains, we will return to Kathmandu for a celebratory day at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Hotel. Here you will have an opportunity to take advantage of the hotel’s gardens, swimming pool, spa & shops, or wander back into Boudhnath for some last-minute shopping. In the evening we’ll head over to Babar Mahal Revisited for a private dinner, prepared by one of Kathmandu’s premier chefs, Dolma Chudon. After dinner, we will conclude the Himalayan Writers Workshop with a photography & spoken word performance, open to the Kathmandu public, showcasing any work that the HWW participants feel inspired to share!
Day 11: After luxurious breakfast at the Hyatt Regency we’ll have one last group meeting and then it's time to say goodbye and head back home. Our staff will be ready to help with airport transportation & anything you need for your onward journey…