NEPAL VEGAN TOUR

Namaste, and welcome to Kathmandu! Steeped in legends, folklore, myths, and mysteries, Kathmandu is a microcosm of the country on the whole. Cradled in “the valley” at roughly 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) above sea level, it is the largest city in Nepal with ancient roots dating back well over 2 millennia with its narrow winding lanes, alleys, markets, temples, and bazaars. Kathmandu is the center of modern Nepal’s history, culture, social, economics, and politics. Located along the ancient trading routes, the architecture, faiths, and cultures in the valley are a beautiful fusion of both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Kathmandu is also the capital of a country, which unlike its neighbor to the south, was never colonized. Not ironically, like another country in Asia that was never colonized – Thailand, Nepal leads the way on women rights and political representation compared to its neighbors in South Asia, as well as being the most progressive country on LGBT rights in South Asia. To understand the story of Nepal, you must first understand the story of Kathmandu, a microcosm of the country as a whole. Today we’ll head out with our local friends and delve into the heart and soul of the Kathmandu Valley exploring its ancient streets, temples and local cuisines experiencing firsthand why the valley is known as a cradle of civilizations and is home to the Himalayas most ethnically diverse population.

Highlights of the Day:

• Detailed Orientation Meeting where you will get to know your fellow travelers and adventure leaders better, discuss the adventure ahead and have our Introduction to Nepal’s History, Cultures and Diversity Presentation.
• Visit the oldest temple in the valley, Changu Narayan Temple where we’ll learn about Nepal’s architecture from a Hindu point of view and the science behind Vastu Shastra.
• Explore the Ancient City of Bhaktapur’s back alleys and bazaars and witness the best example of living Newar architecture and urban life.
• Join a local family at their home for a delicious home-cooked Newari meal all specially veganized just for us!

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner & Drinks

The Kathmandu Valley is actually home to three ancient city-states – Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur, and its population is made of people representing all of the countries 125 plus communities. In Nepal there’s not one group that represents “the ethnic group” of the nation. Nepali people are a conglomeration of many ethnic groups who settled and called this area of the Himalayas their home not just for generations, but for centuries and in many cases, for well over a thousand years. The fact is that literally wave after wave of people fleeing invasions, difficult climates, famine and war from both the north, south, east and west have arrived and took shelter in the hills, foothills, plains and shadows of the mountain peaks of the majestic Himalayas. After a hearty vegan breakfast, we’ll begin our second day in the Kathmandu Valley  and delve into the heart and soul of the Himalayas from the ancient streets and bustling lanes and alleys of the colorful capital to a sacred stupa, monastery and a great grassroots music preservation center. Make sure you bring your appetite as you’ll enjoy an eclectic feast of different Himalayan fusion flavors – all 100% veganized specially for us, and all influenced by the different cultural blends coming together – from colorful curries, tangy pickles, delicious dhals, tasty thukpa (noodles) and marvelous momos (dumplings)!

Highlights of the Day:

• Introduction to the different Ethnic Groups of Nepal through their traditional and distinct music.
• Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site – Boudhanath Stupa. Learn about the history of the stupa, and what stupas and prayer flags are all about and represent.
• Introduction to Tibetan Monastery and the Tibetan School of Buddhism from a vegan Buddhist Monk.
• Taste our way through the mouthwatering cuisines of the Kathmandu valley.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

After two days in the valley, we’ll set out by air, bus, and foot as we traverse one of the area’s most scenic (albeit work in progress) roads – home to epic vistas, roaring rapids, lush mountainsides, and small villages and make our way well-off-the-beaten-path to Baglung Bazaar. Keep in mind as we traverse the back-roads and “highways” of the Himalayas that these epic peaks and mountains are home to the third-largest deposits of ice and snow in the world after the Antarctica and Arctic, including over 15,000 glaciers! This means the Himalayas provide a major source of the world’s fresh water (and now power) feeding major water networks including the Indus, Yangtze and the Ganga-Brahmaputra, which feed the major rivers and lifelines of Asia. After visiting one of the country’s biggest suspension bridge and learning about the vital role these bridges play in Nepal, we’ll arrive in Baglung Bazaar. Overlooking the Kaligandaki River – which is a tributary of the Ganges – Asia’s most sacred river, Baglung has been a trading outpost since the 16th century (and some say earlier) for pilgrims from India and traders seeking to barter grains from the southern areas of the region with salt from Tibet. As the sun sets over Baglung, we’ll be guests of the town’s most sacred temple for their evening ceremony before settling down at a local family’s home for a delicious vegan dinner of local delights.

Highlights of the Day:

• Mountain flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara.
• Visit Kusma Suspension Bridge (tallest spanning suspension bridge in Nepal – over 384 feet high, spanning over 1,128 feet long).
• Cultural Culinary Experience, introduction to the Eating Etiquette of Nepal where we’ll learn how to eat a meal properly following local eating customs and etiquette.
• Special guests of local community for their evening ceremony at the town’s ancient Hindu temple.
• Join our family at their home for tasty vegan dinner, local drinks and discussion on the way of life in Baglung Bazaar and how it has changed over the years.
• Explore the town streets and narrow lanes of Baglung Bazaar.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner & Drinks

We’ll continue off-the-beaten-track in the Himalayas as we board our jeeps and head out on the local jeep & tractor trail up into the mountains to the village of Bhakunde. With breathtaking Himalayan peak views, small farms, and traditional houses, we’ll be guests of the village as the local community shares with us their way of life in the Himalayan mountainsides.  Stunning is putting it lightly, serene majestic views everywhere you look, small fields of farm-fresh organic veggies, trickling streams of mountain spring water, fresh mountain air, and forests, this will be our home for the next two days.  Bhakunde village is a mixture of different ethnic groups, but its sparse population is primarily made up of people from the Magar tribe – an indigenous community and one of the oldest known tribes in Nepal. Their traditional homeland is here in the western and southern fringes of the Dhaulagiri Himalayas along the Gandaki River Basin. There are both Hindu and Buddhist Magars, and even though they follow these religions, many of their traditional pre-Hindu and pre-Buddhist indigenous beliefs influence their daily life rituals, ceremonies and celebrations. Magars are also known for their enjoyment of folk music, songs, and dance.  Over the next 2 days as guests of the village you’ll learn firsthand about their way of life as they share their culture, history, customs, agriculture, music, dance & of course – cuisines with us.

Highlights of the Day:

• Vipassana Meditation Session.
• Guests of the town’s Mother’s Association for a tasty vegan mountain meal.
• Morning heritage walk in town and along the foothills of the mountain.
• Traditional Magar greeting and music procession to Bhakunde.
• Lunch with the village community in Bhakunde.
• Traditional Homestay.
• Sunset Hike to the mountain peak with epic views of the surrounding Himalayas.
• Interactive program with music and dance hosted by the village Women (Mother’s) Association.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner & Drinks

Waking up in the shadow of the upper Himalayas to fresh mountain air and beautiful mountaintop views, we will have breakfast at our friend’s home before we join the local community in learning about their way of life in the Nepal countryside. Our first stop after breakfast will be to assist at a local education development project in the village. From the school, we’ll have a delicious lunch of organic dishes before heading out into the local farms and fields where we’ll help harvest fresh greens, gourds, corn, chilies, herbs, bamboo shoots and other ingredients for tonight’s community dinner. Meeting back up at our friend’s house, we’ll all help prep the veggies before heading back to our homes to freshen up from a day in the fields. As the moon rises over the mighty Himalayas, we’ll make our way back to Moonaji’s home for a delicious farm fresh dinner, refreshing drinks and a colorful evening in the Himalayas – mountain Magar style!

Highlights of the Day:

• Bhakunde Village Walk and Introduction.
• Traditional Farming Introduction and pick up veggies from the field for our dinner tonight.
• Visit a local blacksmith home.
• Guests of an ex-Gurkha soldier and his family (the Gurkha have formed part of the British army since 1815. They are known as fearsome fighters).
• Participate in a local education program where we’ll join teachers and students in helping them with their projects.
• Join in the community for a Traditional Music and Dance.
• Magar feast with the local community all specially veganized for us.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner & Drinks

After a hearty local breakfast of traditional tasty treats we’ll say goodbye to our friends in Bhakunde and descend the mountain. Arriving in Baglung Bazaar we’ll continue back to the banks of the Kali Gandaki to the Dhaulagiri Deaf School, an extraordinary center of education where we will be guests of the students and teachers for a special program they have planned for us. This unique educational institution, started with 24 deaf children in 2007 and currently, there are over 225 deaf students including 17 hearing children who study in Nepali Sign Language based on the school’s concept of inclusive nature. These children have been enrolled from 40 different districts of Nepal. From the school, we’ll head to our hilltop retreat just outside of Nagdada village. Located at an altitude of 1,600 meters above sea level, the retreat is made complete with a breathtaking view of the Himalaya’s famous Fishtail, or Machhapuchere Mountain, which is revered by locals as particularly sacred to the god Shiva and is off-limits to climbing. Tonight, under the starlit sky, campfire, and silhouette of the Himalayas, we will have a Cultural Q & A accompanied by tasty local snacks and drinks before  settling down for dinner.

Highlights of the Day:

• Guests of local community for special mountain view breakfast and farewell ceremony.
• Guests of the teachers and students at the Baglung Deaf School, where’ll participate in an interactive Nepalese sign language lesson.
• Campfire Cultural Q&A overlooking the Machhapuchere Mountain peak.
• Momo tasting experience (oh how we love momos!).
• Special Gurung dishes themed dinner – all veganized specially for us.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner & Drinks

Waking up to the smell of the fresh mountain air in Nagdada, we’ll begin the day with a mentally refreshing Vipassana Meditation and Yoga Sessions with Sureshji overlooking the mighty Himalaya Annapurna Range off on the horizon. Taught by The Buddha over two and half millennia ago, this form of meditation is believed to have helped the Buddha on his path to enlightenment, and it plays an important role in the practice of Buddhism, especially Theravada Buddhism. “Buddha” literally means “one who is awake, enlightened one, awakened one, a knower”, and Vipassana Meditation helps to help awaken our minds, and today it is practiced the world over by both Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. During our Sessions with Sureshji we’ll also learn some simple ancient Yoga techniques – as it has been practiced in the Himalayas, which are a perfect compliment with morning mediation. After meditation and a tasty vegan mountain meal, we’ll make our way through the lower Himalayas along deep gorges, rushing river valleys, and lush hillsides to the charming Newar trading settlement of Bandipur, our home for the next two days.

Highlights of the Day:

• Vipassana Meditation overlooking the mighty Himalaya’s Annapurna Range.
• Newar Cooking Class – meet up with our friend, a local community leader whose family are 8th generation residents of Bandipur, for our cooking class where we’ll learn firsthand how to cook a full course Newar Samay Baji feast!
• Newari eating etiquette class with local family.
• Newari language lessons.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner & Drinks

One of the focuses of the community in Bandipur is to keep alive, preserve, and in some cases like the Newari language – to bring back, the culture, customs, traditions, and way of life that has historically held the community together here over generations. With all the outside influences from the internet, from abroad, and particularly from the west, the local community here has set out to help the younger generation to be proud of who they are and where they come from, and in the values of their traditionally community-based living. This morning and into the early afternoon, we’ll join our friend Ashutosh in some community-based programs as he shares with us Newari way of life, culture, traditions, language, and of course, delicious Newar cuisine in the Himalayan foothills.

Highlights of the Day:

• Vipassana Meditation overlooking the mighty Himalaya’s.
• Heritage walk around Bandipur’s town streets, narrow lanes and bazaar with our friend where we’ll learn about the steps being made to help preserve Newari traditions and culture here.
• Join in and learn how to play a traditional Newar game.
• Join local family at their home for a traditional Newar lunch.
• Newari language lessons.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast and Lunch

Located the lowland fertile plains that stretch from southern Nepal into northern India known as the Terai, here the mountains and foothills of the Himalayas give way to Sal tree forests, grasslands, savannah and swamps. The Terai is also famous for being home of the country’s first officially protected and designated national park (since 1973) – the incredible Chitwan National Park! As of 1984 a UNESCO World Heritage Designated Site, this fantastic protected reserve spans over 367 square miles and is home to over 544 species of birds, 56 species of amphibians and reptiles including the endangered Gharial Crocodiles, 126 species of fish, and 68 species of mammals – including Bengal Tigers, sloth bears, leopards, elephants, wild boars, deer, and of course, our personal favorites here – the incredible one-horned rhinos!  Arriving at our jungle lodge home for the two days, we’ll enjoy a tasty fusion meal of Tharu and Bhojpuri (Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who settled over parts of Bihar & Uttar Pradesh in India, and the Terai belt in Nepal) dishes, before settling into our lodge and then heading out into the jungles of Chitwan by foot.  Returning to our “jungle camp”, we’ll settle down for an introduction to the fabulous flora and fauna of the Terai and a delicious dinner of local delicacies – all veganized specially for us.

Highlights of the Day:

• Surya Namaskar Yoga and Vipassana Meditation overlooking the Himalaya’s.
• Introduction to Tharu and Bhojpuri cuisines – made 100% vegan specially for us.
• Jungle hike into the surrounding riverside plains and forests as we learn about the flora and fauna of the Chitwan National Park with 2 excellent naturalists – and are on the lookout for rhinos!
• Conservation and Protection Presentation and Introduction to the animals of the Chitwan National Park.
• Refreshing sundowners (drinks) and fresh fruit overlooking sunset on the horizon over the Rapti River and jungle.
• Vegan meet-up with local animal rights and vegan activists of Chitwan.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner & Drinks

The Terai occupies 17% of the land area of Nepal and lies at elevations between 60 to 610 meters above sea level.  Because of the fertile soil of this region due to its geography of plains filled with river washes and runoffs, once it was “open” for settlement in the 1950-60’s, massive amounts of land became used for agriculture.  The setting up of a protected area – which would be known as the Chitwan National Park in 1973, couldn’t have come too soon and sadly, by the 1960’s there were less than 100 Rhinos. Today thankfully, due to effective conservation actions, the Rhinoceros population in Nepal is estimated at 645 plus. This is still a very delicate number, but it is a positive sign that conservation and protection efforts when done as a collaborative effort between local communities and the government enforcing anti-poaching efforts can work. The Greater One Horned Rhino is the second largest inhabitant residing here. The largest inhabitant in the national park is the Asian Elephant, which like the Bengal Tiger are difficult to see, as the elephant resident numbers are a lot smaller than the rhinos. Speaking of tigers, there are an estimated 235+ tigers remaining in Nepal, with 93 of them believed to be living in Chitwan. Today, we’ll explore the Chitwan by jeep and boat before settling down in the evening for traditional Tharu music, dance, and dinner.

Highlights of the Day:

• Early morning jeep safari into the plains, grasslands and forests of the Chitwan jungle!
• Explore the Rapti River by boats where we’ll learn about the impressive variety of birds that call its shores home along with the Critically Endangered Gharial Crocodiles. Also be on the lookout for the Marsh Mugger Crocodiles.
• Afternoon 4-hour jeep safari into the inner realms of the Chitwan National Park with two of the best naturalists in the Terai.
• Introduction to Tharu music and folk dances, and tasty Tharu and Bhojpuri dishes from the region specially veganized for us.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner & Drinks

Today we journey across the Terai to the Buddhist pilgrimage town of Lumbini where over 2½ millennia ago, Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha). In these sacred lands, we’ll be staying at a serene retreat within the peaceful grounds and protected gardens of Lumbini, just a short distance from Buddha’s birthplace. Anthropologists and theologists look at the 6th-5th centuries BC as an important period in the history of world religions. It was during this time religious teachings seemed to transition, albeit for a relatively brief period, from religious rituals and ceremonies to teachings of codes of morality and ways of living amongst each other. It was, strangely, as if a wave of new thought transitioned more or less concurrently. Examples of this include the teachings of Confucius and Lao Tzu, which would form the basis of Confucianism and Taoism, the teachings of Mahavira, which set much of the principles of Jainism, the teachings of Jeremiah that are said to have “proclaimed the doctrine of individual responsibility to the nation of the Jews”, the teachings of the Persian prophet Zarathustra – who is credited for setting the foundations of Zoroastrian principles that include the famous Threefold Path of Asha’s motto: “Good thoughts, good words, good deeds.”, and around 528 BCE, the teachings of The Buddha.

Highlights of the Day:

• Morning Meditation & Yoga Sessions with Sureshji overlooking the jungle.
• First introduction to the history, heritage and evolving cultures of Buddhism.
• Visit the wetlands of the Lumbini Crane Bird Sanctuary – a great spot for bird watching a short walk from our retreat.
• Visit the World Peace Pagoda at sunset.
• Themed vegan dinner reflecting Buddhism’s cultural impact throughout Asia.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

What a better way to start the day near the birthplace of the Buddha than with Vipassana Meditation.  After meditation, we’ll be guests of local monks who represent the most prominent schools of Buddhism, including the oldest school of Buddhism practiced today – Theravada. They will introduce us firsthand to the sacred lands of Buddha and what they mean to them personally and to Buddhists around the world. We’ll also be introduced to the history and cultural heritage of Buddhism from the birth of the Buddha, to the development of Buddhism over time, including the different schools and branches that formed over the centuries, to the way of life of Buddhist monks here, and of course – to the site of the Buddha’s birth. Today we’ll step over 2,500 years back in time from the present, learning about Buddhist history, heritage and the many cultural influences that it has influenced not only for its 520 million followers, but for the many countries and people its teachings and cultural traditions have affected throughout the world to this day.

Highlights of the Day:

• Morning Vipassana Meditation with Sureshji.
• Visit monasteries and archaeological remains associated with the birth of Buddha.
• Guests of our friend, a senior Theravada Buddhist Monk in Lumbini, who will introduce us to Buddhism and Meditation at the temple grounds.
• Introduction by Buddhist Monks to the different schools of Buddhism – Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism at their respective “monastery embassies” among the sacred grounds of The Buddha’s birthplace.
• Visit the sacred site of Maya Devi Temple and Ashok Pillar Birthplace marker.
• Vegan lunch prepared by Theravada Monastery.
• Participate in a Traditional Blessing Ceremony by local monks.
• Themed vegan dinner reflecting Buddhism’s cultural impact throughout Asia.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

After meditation and yoga followed by a hearty breakfast, we will make our way to the airport and catch our flight back to Kathmandu. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you’ll have free time in the afternoon to explore the lively streets of this ancient Himalayan capital on your own, catch up on your souvenir list, relax with a traditional massage, grab a drink at a local café and just chill out in Kathmandu taking in its historical charm. In the early evening, we’ll meet up for our farewell dinner party where we will enjoy a colorful evening of live music, refreshing drinks and a fantastic fusion vegan farewell feast for our last dinner in Nepal together!

Highlights of the Day:

• Morning Vipassana Meditation and Yoga with Sureshji.
• Flight from Lumbini to Kathmandu.
• Festive farewell dinner party complete with live music and a variety of Nepali vegan fusion dishes – make sure to bring a hearty appetite and thirst, your party shirt and, don’t forget your dancing shoes!

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner & Drinks

After two weeks traveling together from the backstreets, ancient temples and stupas of Kathmandu, to the epic mountaintop views of Nagdada and the serene historical, spiritual heartland of the birthplace of the Buddha. From the laid-back pace, sleepy lanes and home-cooked meals of Baglung Bazaar and lost-in-time streets of ol’ town Bandipur, to the welcoming traditional Himalayan countryside way of life in Bhakunde where Nepali tradition and hospitality is still as it has been for centuries, and the flora, fauna, forests and fields of the Terai and the wilds of the Chitwan. From being guests of local families, friends, students, teachers, chefs, fellow vegans and animal rights activists, to monks, monastics, folk music masters, and community activists. As morning rises over Kathmandu – we’ll meet up for our last morning meditation together, followed by a vegan fusion breakfast before we say our final farewells. Check out time from the hotel is at 11:00 am, before and/or after check out time, any time you are ready to head out to the airport to catch your flight back home, our team will be there to assist you and bring you to the airport

Highlights of the Day:

• Morning Vipassana Meditation and Yoga with Sureshji.
• Special Vegan Farewell Breakfast.
• Airport transfer.

Vegan Meals Included Today:  Breakfast