Shivapuri Eco Tour with Yoga and Meditation

Early morning Yoga / Meditation class at the Thamel Eco Resort followed by breakfast. After we set out for an extensive guided sightseeing tour of Kathmandu valleys cultural, historical, religious (world heritage) sites. During the course, we visit the famous Pashupatinath temple of Lord Shiva situated at the holy bank of River Bagmati where we will also observe the Hindu cremation ritual. We then proceed to the Boudhanath Stupa, a major pilgrimage centre for the Buddhist faith which also is the largest of its kind in the world. We then have a short break for lunch followed by a visit to Swoyambhunath stupa also known as the Monkey Temple from where we can have a bird’s eye view of the whole of Kathmandu valley.

Following this, we then proceed for a visit to Kathmandu Durbar Square, the oldest royal palace of Kathmandu and a UNESCO world heritage site.  The whole area of Kathmandu Durbar Square is dotted with numerous fascinating Nepalese architect dating back many centuries. The site is also the home to Nepal’s living Goddess – Kumari, where we will also have the opportunity to experience firsthand this unique Nepali tradition.  In the evening we will attend the welcome dinner hosted by Makalu Adventure with live Nepalese culture show. 

Early morning Yoga / Meditation class at the Thamel Eco Resort followed by breakfast and we start a day long sightseeing tour of Patan and Bhaktapur cities.

Today, we will have a lunch break either in Patan or Bhaktapur itself and return to the hotel in the early evening. After some rest, we will then assemble in a special hall for meditation discourse from Dr Chintamani Gautam, our Yoga teacher. And after dinner, we will assemble again for classic meditation practice as taught by Dr Gautam, for an hour before retiring to the bed

After an early morning Yoga / Meditation session followed by breakfast we then drive to the Shivapuri Village Eco-Tourism and Conservation Farm. Situated approx. 25 km to the north of Kathmandu city center and at an altitude of 2000m above sea level in the northern slopes of the park, the Eco-Farm (Resort)  has breathtaking views of the majestic Himalayas, the lush greenery of the park forest and a sense of remoteness; even while being so close to the capital. The majestic view of the Himalayas, the golden sunsets and breathtaking tours conducted to the local ethnic village nearby, within the buffer zone and the Park itself are seldom equalled.

The food available at Shivapuri Village has Nepalese home cooking essence, which is served in a typical village atmosphere with a genuine Nepalese hospitality. Continental cuisines are also served with light snacks around the fireplace. Upon reaching the resort we will be allocated our rooms and served lunch shortly. After lunch, there will be plenty of time for rest and relax before assembling in the open for a briefing of our schedule there. In the evening Dr Chintamani Gautam will teach us Buddhist meditation for an hour followed by dinner in the evening. 

After an early morning Yoga / Meditation session in the lush green Eco Farm lawn flanked by breathtaking scenery in the foreground, we will have our breakfast around 8 am followed by an hours’ rest before we proceed for today’s tour in its surrounding area. Today we have a number of options to make our stay here as pleasant as possible. As the best option, today we will go for a very enjoyable hike around the surrounding area. The hike takes us through the natural forest that is preserved as a buffer zone to the Shivapuri National Park. Along the route, one might encounter numerous birds, pheasants and on rare occasions wild boars and barking deer. Shivapuri Village and Shivapuri National Park hold numerous bird species. We can easily be mesmerized by the varieties of birds coming into sights.  The hike is even more ideal for anyone interested in ornithology and birdwatching. Today, we will have pack lunch in a very scenic spot during our hike.

We return to the Resort in the late afternoon just in time for us to have enough time for some rest refreshment before assembly in the lawn for Relaxation meditation so skillfully taught by Dr Chintamani Gautam.

Following an early morning Yoga / Meditation session, today we will go for the culture tours to the nearby Tamang village where we get to see Nepalese village life in its purest form. We get to witness, terraced agriculture, farm life as well as the opportunity to meet and converse with the locals who always seem delighted to see the visitors in their village and are ever ready to ask questions and share their experiences.  We will have a break sometime in the mid-noon enjoying our packed lunch in this ethnic village while savoring its beauty.

We return to the Farm (Eco Resort) sometime in the late afternoon followed by some refreshment and rest.  Later we assemble in the Meditation Hall for the evening session of Meditation. Today Dr. Chintamani Gautam will teach us inner power meditation for an hour and half before breaking off for the dinner in the evening. After dinner, we will gather around the fireplace for exchanging our experience of our stay in the Eco-Farm before retiring to bed.

Today, we start quite early; about 5:00 AM in the morning for our Yoga and Meditation practice as it is the last day of our adventure. In today’s session, Dr Chintamani Gautam will combine all elements of the four types of meditation that have been offered so far and personally appraise individual progress made during the last few days since we started. After assessing the individual progress Dr Gautam will now offer his advice on a personal basis for the advancement of his teaching to participants who wish to continue their practice in the future. After the session, we will then have our breakfast followed by some rest before driving back to Kathmandu where the rest of the day is kept at leisure or self-exploration and shopping follower by farewell dinner in the evening hosted by Makalu Adventure. Overnight at Thamel Eco Resort.