This was our second day in a row with a pre-dawn wake up call – today for our 7 AM train from Amritsar to Hardiwar – the idea being that this was easier than flying back to Delhi and changing planes to get to our next destination. It was cold and dark in the station and I longed for a
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Our first full day here began with a 9:00 a.m. yoga practice with William. It took place in a “palapa” atop the spa with huge open windows and was situated high enough to catch the sea breezes. We began benignly enough with meditation and before we knew it, we were being pushed to our edge with Warrior 1, 2, and
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An early morning workout in the well-equipped gym definitely assuages the guilt of attacking the breakfast buffet with gusto. It’s the first time I’ve seen a smoothie station where you pick what goes into it! The gym overlooks several immaculate grass tennis courts and the good-looking British pro is happy to provide lessons. After being dangerously tempted by an array
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We awoke early with great anticipation of our last full day in Bhutan and in some ways had saved the best for last — the five hour climb to see Bhutan’s most revered monument, the “Taktshang Goemba,” more commonly known as Tiger’s Nest. This is not to be undertaken lightly—Tigers Nest is perched impossibly at 3,200 meters, 900 meters above
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Another magical morning of watching the Indian countryside roll by; the landscape was eerily dotted by the tall chimneys of brick makers and the smoke was hanging suspended in the valleys. We rolled into Varanasi’s Rail Station and reconnected with urban India as the platforms teemed with life. Clusters of people doing everything imaginable from eating, bathing, sleeping, minding stray
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We got off to a bad start today with the 6:45 a.m. wake up call arriving 45 minutes early… This was all in preparation for a 7 a.m. private yoga session with “Dharmendra,” Tree of Life’s resident yogi, who frankly was a bit intimidating. We were to meet in an outdoor meditation area, which was very attractive with niches built
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Monday brought a delicious start to the day with mint tea, fresh squeezed orange juice and toast with homemade lemon butter. We joined our guide, Sitaram, for a walk to the local village. He was a font of information on everything from Mughal history to the many species of birds we saw. The villagers welcomed us with open arms and
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