Updated: 10 Feb 2012

Some Things to Keep In Mind

This is not an ordinary holiday; the basic idea of the tour is to give oneself a chance to grow, and... growth is the result of some effort. At the same time we would like to get a broad impression of this ancient land.

This page was originally written for the Winter India Tour which is more intense but many aspects will apply to this tour as well.

It is like a pilgrimage, travelling together, and helping each other to reach our goal. The programme is quite full, and we need to adjust to many things that are different from what we are used to, so it can get quite intense at times.

You'll get a lot of new impressions, and will be confronted with things internally or externally; all of this may require some effort to overcome. Travelling in a group may be a challenge as well. If you prepare your mind, you'll be able to take these things as tests, see the obstacles as challenges, and besides having a great time, gain a lot of life's wisdom. All of us will have to face different challenges, and we are there to help each other. Don't hesitate to talk about it. We'll try to have some space everyday to share these experiences. You have to let your guides know your needs in this regard.

Previous groups had a great time, and really enjoyed themselves, but they said the beginning would have been easier, if their minds had been better prepared. So I am writing these things not to scare you, but to prepare your mind.

We'll try to pre-book hotels, but India is India, all of these things are changeable, and we may have to improvise. It's therefore good to see the itinerary as a guide, not as set in stone. Some minor (and who knows, major?) adjustments may need to be made.

Not sure if it was mentioned already, but we'll cook ourselves during our time in Leh. We'll need someone to coordinate, but whoever it is, we should all still be ready to help him/her. We'll share the cooking, cleaning, and shopping duties. It's not to save money but to ensure us sentient food and to avoid getting sick, though it also helps to keep the cost of the tour down. During the trek we have cook(s). We do have to set up our tents. One Dada will see that the food will be properly prepared. It's good if you can be flexible with food. As tastes may differ and facilities are simple, you may not get exactly what you'd like. We will try to accommodate special diets but don't have too high expectations. If one person follows a vegan diet we can't expect everyone to become vegan. Of course the food will be sentient/Satvik.

On the trek we'll have porters/ponies to help to carry our kitchen gear, tents and 12-15 kg of personal things. But please only bring what you need. In this way everyone can travel lighter, and enjoy themselves more!