Himalaya Journey 2012

We invite you to join us to a tour into the breathtaking Himalayan Mountains! Yashendu Goswami will personally guide this specially designed journey, starting from Vrindavan up into the mountains. Apart from the beautiful nature and the towns and sights along the way, the group will enjoy relaxing Yoga and Meditation sessions with Yashendu as well as musical evenings with the Sitar player Thomas Meisenheimer. It is your chance to explore and discover the Indian culture of the mountains, the lifestyle of people living in the heights and the power and majesty of nature.

The Tour – Where we will go

Our tour will be focused on experiencing the beautiful nature of the mountains without any stress. This is why we will not rush from one sight to the other with a fixed schedule, trying to fit as many sights into our trip as possible. We will have an outline for the trip and follow it according to the mood of the moment, the weather conditions and other factors that may play a role in deciding to leave a place earlier or stay there longer. The group will travel together in a small bus.

We will start by bus from the Ashram on 2nd April towards Haridwar. Haridwar and Rishikesh will be our first stations and you will get a chance to experience these cities known in the west for their many offers for yoga and meditation. Here we will meet the river Ganges and we will follow it up its stream.

In this way we will stop shortly before its source in Harsil, in the Gangotri National Park. This national park stretches over more than 1500 square kilometers and displays the unique beauty of mountains, forests and glaciers. Of course we will go on to visit the source town of the Ganges, Gangotri.

Gangotri is about 3400 metres above sea level and the place where according to Hindu mythology the Goddess Ganga became a river. Apart from the fact that it is thus a popular pilgrimage place, it is also a place with breathtaking nature and we will have the possibility to walk some way further up the mountain to enjoy the view even better.

Coming down from the heights of Gangotri we will go on to visit Asia’s largest man-made lake, the Tehri Dam. When the dam was built, the old city had to be evacuated and moved to build New Tehri, our next destination. Here we will do our yoga with the magnificent view onto this huge lake.

We will then continue our journey via Joshimath to a place where the water is warmer than in Gangotri: we will visit the hot springs of Tapovan before moving on to Auli. In Auli you will find Asia’s longest cable car which we will use to get the amazing 270 degree view to the surrounding mountains. Being at this height of the mountain reminds you of the magnitude of the creation of this world.

Our journey will then take us to the hill station Gwaldam from where we will be able to admire the second highest mountain of India, Nanda Devi. Especially mornings and evenings are beautiful in this atmosphere.

Our last stop will be the Jim Corbett National Park, India’s oldest national park. It is a tiger resort and also home to a lot of other animals and birds who have found a safe home there. In an open jeep we will take a wildlife tour through the park and see deer, elephants and maybe even bears and tigers! Once more we will experience the overwhelming richness of plants and animals in the area before returning to the Ashram on 11th April.

You will come back home relaxed and full of memories of the magnitude of the Himalayan Mountains.

Daily Yoga and Meditation Classes

Every morning Yashendu will lead a relaxing Yoga and meditation class. Wherever possible, these classes will take place out in the amazing nature of the Himalayas, with view on mountains and rivers. Moving your body in the fresh air of the mountains and meditating in the majestic atmosphere of the mountain area is an experience that you will never forget!

Daily Musical Evenings

We will spend the evenings together and enjoy them in the group, be that by listening to the sounds of Thomas Meisenheimer’s Sitar or chanting Kirtans or other popular songs together.

Individual Sound Massage Sessions

During the trip Thomas Meisenheimer additionally offers individual sound massage sessions that calm the mind and relax the body.

Food and Accommodation

You will receive nutritious vegetarian food throughout the complete journey.

We will stay in 3 to 4 star hotels wherever possible. High up in the Himalayas in towns like Gangotri this may not be possible but in those cases we will stay in the best lodges and guest houses available. We value the comfort and benefits of a good night’s sleep and thus will take care to always rest as well as possible.

Dates, Prices and Booking Process

Dates:

2nd to 13th April 2012

The first and last night will be at the Ashram in Vrindavan.

Cost:

1500 Euro (accommodation in double room)
2000 Euro (accommodation in single room)

This includes all food, accommodation, yoga, meditation, musical evenings and the transfer from and to the Delhi airport.

In order to confirm your booking, you need to make an advance deposit of 50% until the 15th January 2012. Please also fill this form to let us know you will join us.

The journey will only take place with a minimum amount of 8 confirmed participants. We will inform you on 16th January whether we have reached the number of 8 participants and whether the journey will take place. If not, you will of course be refunded your advance deposit.

If it takes place, and we hope and assume that it will, the remaining amount has to be paid by 31st January 2012.

Important Note: Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed that the journey will take place. We do not take responsibility for your flight costs if we do not reach the minimum amount of participants and cancel the journey.

Which clothes to pack, what to bring and which temperatures you can expect

We will start from Vrindavan where it can already be quite warm in April. Temperatures of 30 to 35 degrees centigrade are not rare in daytime. As soon as we will reach the mountain region though, we will come into a cooler climate. While the days will be sunny and pleasant, the evenings and nights can be chilly. When we will reach Gangotri we will get close to the area where snow will still be falling.

So you need to pack some light clothes for warmer days but some extra jackets, pullovers and socks to pack yourself in the mountain nights.
It will be a relaxing trip full of fun and joy but of course, there will be some walking included, even though we will not go for long treks in the mountains.

So please pack solid footwear.

You do not need to bring sleeping bags but you should bring your own towel with you.

We are looking forward to go on this special journey with you!

Click here to see photos of previous Himalaya journeys