Nepal

Where you will be staying for five nights

The Happy House

At an altitude of 2,500m above sea level, The Happy House is surrounded by pine trees, wild rhododendron forests and the ancient yak trade routes. The house, belonging to Ang Tshering Lama and his family, includes 10 suites, a large living room with several fireplaces, an outstanding library filled with the most enlightening books, a meditation and yoga room, and a beautiful traditional kitchen. There is also an exquisite treatment room and a sauna, as well as an in-house yoga teacher and two massage therapists who will be available throughout your stay. The Everest climber Sir Edmund Hillary, who frequently stayed here during his annual visits to Nepal between 1974 and 2001, referred to it as his ‘happy place’, hence its name: The Happy House. However, it was built and decorated under the patronage of another explorer: Count Guido Monzino from Lake Como, Italy. Monzino led the most extravagant Everest expedition to date, with up to 6,000 porters carrying leather sofas, gambling tables, fine wines and enough pasta to wrap around Everest. Most of the furniture that made it to Everest Basecamp is now at The Happy House.

14th March

Day 4

Hike to Chiwong Monastery

After breakfast, you will set off on a hike to Chiwong Monastery with Ang as your guide. The team at The Happy House is large, so we can cater to all levels of fitness and ability. Built in 1918 by Sange Lama, this Buddhist monastery lies on a cliff overlooking the entire Phaplu Valley and beyond. It hosts the annual Mani Rimdu festival, one of the oldest and most important festivals of Tibet. There are around 40 monks residing here, including young students who start their monastic studies at an early age. It is a fascinating place to visit.

A simple lunch will be served at the monastery and afterwards you will participate in afternoon prayers, taking time to meditate with the monks, which is a truly uplifting experience. You will have the choice as to whether to walk, cycle or be driven back to The Happy House, where you can enjoy some downtime – either having a private yoga lesson in the yoga room, an Ayurvedic treatment or just sitting back with a book in the library or by the roaring fire and enjoying the stunning views until dinner.

15th March

Day 5

Visit the Thupten Chöling Monastery + the village of Junbesi

After breakfast, you will be taken on a scenic drive to Thupten Chöling Monastery, which is regarded as one of the most sacred and important monastaries of Tibetan Buddhism outside of Tibet. It was the seat of the late Trulshik Rinpoche, the 31st reincarnated master of the oldest Buddhist school of Tibet. Trulshik Rinpoche was one of the teachers of the Dalai Lama. The monastery once served as the largest monastery in Nepal, housing some 900 monks and nuns, and at one point, it was also the largest Tibetan resettlement camp in Nepal for Tibetans fleeing the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Ang knows the monks here well and will introduce you to them. He has arranged access to the main prayer hall and those interested can take part in the daily prayers and morning meditation session with the monks. Others can enjoy the amazing architecture and artworks all around the monastery.

Ang will then accompany you on foot to the village of Junbesi. According to Buddhist texts, the village is known as ‘Moon Valley’, where the moon, impressed by its beauty, came down to kiss the Earth. It is also considered to be the cradle of Sherpa culture. When the first Tibetans migrated from over the Himalayas, in the 1600s, to escape the Mongol invasion of their homeland, they settled in this village and made it their home. In Junbesi, you will also find Nepal’s first Sherpa monastery, built in 1635 and completely restored after the earthquake.

After lunch, you can either walk, mountain-bike or be driven back to The Happy House for a relaxing evening. We recommend mountain-biking, as it is a fantastic way to see the verdant valleys and you can go as slowly or fast as you like.

16th March

Day 6

Trek to Ratnange Ridge + camp in the wilderness

You will begin your day with a guided meditation and yoga class, followed by breakfast in the lovely garden. Afterwards, for those who wish, Ang can take you on a walk around the local village, stopping by the Sangey Lama house, which was the first house in Phaplu, built in 1920. Afterwards, you will continue to Sir Edmund Hillary Hospital, built by Sir Edmund Hillary in the early seventies, with which The Happy House works very closely. It is extremely inspiring to talk to the doctors and nurses and learn more about their amazing health services here in Phaplu and all over Nepal. The trip price includes a £250 donation per person to the hospital’s maternity ward – the only one of its kind in the region – and where your contribution will make a big difference. Next, you will go to the only English school in Phaplu, which provides free education to the children of the village.

Following a revitalising lunch in The Happy House’s garden, you will begin your walk with Ang to Ratnange Ridge (3,200m), passing through Chinakpu (‘the Magic Forest’). This is a spine-tingling experience in itself, as you really feel its energy as you walk. Once you reach the top, you will be awestruck by the majestic vistas of the eastern Himalayas, including Mount Everest, bathed in the golden light of dusk. On arrival, you will be provided with a basin of warm water, hot towels and biodegradable body wipes to wash. Afterwards, sip a glass of red wine and enjoy a delicious dinner in a traditional Mongolian ger, put up just for you, followed by an evening around an open fire under Hermès cashmere blankets (made in Nepal). You will sleep under the stars in cosy expedition tents fully equipped with mattresses and hot-water bottles. Camping in this remote spot, on completely private land, is an incredibly memorable experience and undoubtedly a highlight of the trip.

17th March

Day 7

Enjoy a village walk to Chyalsa

You will wake up to the sounds of nature and watch the sun rise over the eastern Himalayas, an experience that will stay with you forever. A delicious cooked breakfast of omelette, toast, yogurt – the works – will be served on a beautifully laid table under the gaze of Everest. The views from Ratnange Ridge are truly breathtaking. After breakfast, you will walk along the Ratnange Ridge to the village of Chyalsa and explore the monastery there with Ang. He will also show you the once-buzzing Tibetan resettlement camp and handicraft centres, an intriguing experience.

Lunch will be a delicious picnic in the village, after which you will return to The Happy House on foot, which takes about two-and-a-half hours, or by car if you prefer. The rest of the afternoon will be spent at the house, so you can have a massage, do some yoga, use the sauna or just put your feet up and enjoy your awe-inspiring surroundings. In the evening, everyone will come together for a special farewell dinner in an intricately hand-painted room lit by gently flickering butter lamps.

18th March

Day 8

Fly by helicopter up to Everest

This morning, you will be free to enjoy a tranquil morning and delicious lunch before your helicopter transfer to Dhulikel. Or for those who are interested, and depending on the weather, we can arrange for an extra private helicopter charter to fly you up to a very special spot near the Basecamp, with jaw-dropping views of Everest and its surrounding mountains, before breakfast at Yeti Mountain Home at Kongde or the slightly lower Everest View Hotel. Afterwards, you will touch down at The Happy House to load your luggage into the helicopter and then fly onwards to Dwarika’s Resort Dhulikhel, where you will spend your next two days relaxing in the hills and enjoying the numerous fantastic wellness experiences on offer here.

Where you will be staying for two nights

Dwarika’s Resort Dhulikhel

Set on more than 20 acres and offering panoramic views of the Himalayas, this owner-run hotel is designed in the spirit of a traditional Nepali village, with trails, glades and terraced farms interspersed within verdant woodland. Its spa treatments and meditation rooms help maintain harmony between the body, mind, spirit and earth.

19th March

Day 9

Relax + rejuvenate at Dwarika’s

For those who wish, we can arrange a morning at Bhaktapur, the Dhulikhel region’s most medieval city, as well as local hikes, but we suggest making the most of this idyllic mountain retreat’s fantastic wellness offering. This wonderful place is all about health, happiness and wellbeing. Here, you can spend your time relaxing by the gorgeous infinity pool or enjoying chakra sound therapy, crystal healing, daily yoga and meditation sessions, private ayurvedic consultations or massage treatments. We also love the pottery and art classes here, which are as fun as they are therapeutic.

On your last evening, we have arranged a very special six-course dinner at Mako’s Zen, the hotel’s ‘Japanese Zen Buddhist’ restaurant, taken exclusively for us. The dishes here are creative, light, delicious and nutritious, based on the diet originally followed by monks in training. They play on the five tastes (hot, sour, sweet, bitter and salty), five colours (red, white, black, green and yellow) and five ways of cooking (raw, boiling, roasting, steaming and frying).

20th March

Day 10

Fly to Kathmandu + travel home

Today, you will travel in a private vehicle to Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport in time for your onward flight home.