Day 1: Arrival. 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 soak up the atmosphere. Once everyone has arrived, each person will have private one-on-one meeting with John. Afterwards, there will be a brief orientation meeting & group dinner on the fabulous rooftop, before we turn in for the night.
Day 2: Swayambhunath. 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 into the lively Thamel neighborhood for some shopping & some excellent authentic Newar cuisine.
Day 3: Patan. 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: Boudhanath. After 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: Pashupatinath. 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 explore and gather seeds of inspiration from the sounds, sights, tastes & smells swirling around stupa, before returning to to our hotel garden for the morning meeting. The rest of the day will be spent reflecting, writing & capturing images in this rich & colorful neighborhood. This evening we will visit Pashupatinath, one of the most sacred Hindu sites in the Indian subcontinent & home to wandering holy men, cave yogis, and Shiva devotees, along the cremation ghats on the banks of the Bagmati River In the evening you are free to explore the colorful side streets of Boudhanath on your own.
Day 6: Ka-Nying Monastery & Begging Camp The temples and monasteries of Boudhanath offer a living mandala of authentic spiritual teachers in the Buddhist tradition. Today we’ll immerse ourselves in the teachings, visual expressions and rituals that bring this tradition to life. We will also meet with an authentic Buddhist teacher and experience meditation practice in one of the local temples. In the aternoon, 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! Today is a day of exploring all the possibilities of the writer's & photographer’s inner & outer journey.
Day 7: Namo Buddha. Ascending to 1,550 meters above the Kathmadnu Valley, today we journey to our new home for the next 3 days: the Namo Buddha Resort. When the weather is clear, this beautiful resort, with its organic gardens and a relaxing spa, offers stunning views of the snow-peaked Himalayan mountains rising above the green fields & terraces of Nepal. Here in the deep solitude of a mountain retreat we will have uninterrupted space and time to refine our individual writing or to wander with our cameras through the ancient terraces & pine forests, high above the Kathmandu Valley.
Day 8: Namo Buddha. After a hearty breakfast in view of the snow-peaks, we will take a leisurely 45-minute hike to Thrangu Monastery, a large Tibetan Buddhist monastery perched high on a ridge overlooking the valley. This monastery is situated on one of the most important Buddhist sites in Nepal. Later, when we return to the Namo Buddha Resort, we’ll have all afternoon to reflect on the experiences of the week, to write, or have one-on-one meetings with Lavinia & Ted about crafting our own individual writing & photography. After a fabulous dinner from the resort’s own organic garden, we’ll linger around the fire-pit with other travelers, before heading off to bed.
Day 9: Namo Buddha. After breakfast in view of the snow peaks, we can either grab our camera & notebook and take a 2-hour guided hike to a local Tamang village for a glimpse of real Nepal village life -- or we can stay at the resort and enjoy a leisurely day of writing on our own. We will spend our last full day in the mountains reflecting & creating space to draw out key insights & inspiration for the journey home. In the evening, we’ll enjoy sunset cocktails before another inspired home-cooked meal at Namo Buddha Resort.
Day 10: Kathmandu. 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 reading, open to the Kathmandu public, showcasing any work that the HWW participants feel inspired to share!
Day 11: Departure. 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…