ETHICAL TRAVEL + AUTHENTIC CULTURAL IMMERSION
The Mountain Kingdom Experience
Join Emory Hall and immerse yourself in the cultural landscape and spiritual traditions of Nepal. A ten day off-the-beaten path experience in the Mountain Kingdom will allow us to deeply connect with local cultures, explore ancient temples, stay in Himalayan Villages, talk with local masters, visit an NGO, and so much more. Come embark with us on the journey of a lifetime as we learn from local perspectives, engage in meaningful cross-cultural communication and inspire positive impact.
I believe that, through travel, we can change our world for the better.
Curated with love,
“a life altering experience in all the best ways …”
What’s Included
✔️ 9 Night’s Accommodation (Twin Share)
✔️ Daily Organic Breakfast Spread
✔️6 Meals at Chhahari Retreat
✔️ Roundtrip Flights Kathmandu - Pokhara
✔️ Guided Tour of the Ancient Town of Patan with Acclaimed Nepali Scholar
✔️ 2 Night/3 Day Authentic Village Experience + All Meals & Accommodation
✔️ Guided Day Hike with Stunning Views of the Annapurna Range with Local Nepali Guides
✔️ Dharma Talks with Local Buddhist and Hindu Masters
✔️ Airport Transfer (to and from)
✔️ Bus Transport
✔️ Local Nepali Guide
✔️ All Necessary Permits & Heritage Site Entrance Fees
✔️ Final Cultural Dinner (Excl. Alcohol)
What’s Not Included
✖️ Flights To & From Nepal
✖️ Some Lunches and Dinners during outings (we’ll provide options)*
✖️ Mandatory Medical Insurance
✖️ Transport outside of guided itinerary
*An opportunity to experience local cuisine on your own or as a group. Average meal in Nepal costs approx. $5 - $15 USD.
Estimated flight cost: $1200
➕ EXPLORE LOCAL TEMPLES, INCLUDING PASHUPATINATH AND BOUDHANATH
➕ LEARN FROM LOCAL MASTERS ABOUT NEPAL’S UNIQUE SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS AND HISTORY
➕ SIT FOR A DHARMA TALK WITH A KHENPO (HIGH MONK) AT A LOCAL MONASTERY
➕ EXPLORE THE BEAUTIFUL LAKESIDE TOWN OF POKHARA
➕ 2 NIGHT VILLAGE HOMESTAY
➕ TRADITIONAL NEWARI CULTURAL DINNER
Retreat
Where You’ll Stay
Nestled on a hill on the northern side of the Kathmamdu Valley sits the beautiful Chhahari Retreat. Tucked away in the Shivapuri National Forest, Chhahari offers a more authentic getaway where you can stay in traditionally designed rooms, taste food grown from Chhahari’s organic garden, sip Chhahari’s locally grown and roasted coffee, enjoy hiking up to Buddhist shrines while taking in views of the entire valley, and much more. Chhahari is run off of 80% solar power, paving the way and setting the standard for Nepal’s greener future.
Local // preserving nepali artistry + Locally Run
RETREAT // Meditation + Yoga + Reading rooms
SUSTAINABILITY // ORGANIC GARDENS + SOLAR POWER
adventure
Village Homestay
For two nights we will say goodbye to the bustling city of Kathmandu and head to a much quieter and simpler way of life. Just a 30 minute flight will take us to the lakeside town of Pokhara where we will be surrounded by some of the tallest peaks in the world. From there, we will journey together into local villages and get a glimpse into a way of life far removed from the modern world.
Disconnect // leave wifi behind for a slower pace
connect // with locals as we traverse villages + do homestays
TRAVERSE // the STUNNING LANDSCAPE OF the himalayan foothills
Explore
The Intersection of the Modern & the Ancient
While in Kathmandu we will explore many of the ancient temples and cultural heritage sites. We will sit with sadhus (yogis) at Pashupatinath, learn from a Rinpoche (high monk) at a local monastery and wander the alleyways of Patan with a local scholar. Kathmandu is a city rich with history and the intersection of the ancient and the modern paints a vibrant, complex and fascinating picture of life in Nepal today.
VISIT // ANCIENT SHRINES + TEMPLES
STUDY // with locals MASTERS + SCHOLARS
EXPERIENCE // tHE SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS OF NEPAL
Your Team
Emory Hall
Emory Hall is a Colorado based photographer, writer and visual journalist who has spent the last decade working and traveling throughout the country of Nepal. She has learned to speak the language and has spent the last ten years cultivating close relationships with local communities and organizations. It’s because of the depth of her experiences that we are able to curate such an authentic experience of Nepal.
Emory's work documents the complex realities, vibrant cultures and ancient wisdom of communities from all around the world. She was recently featured in TIME Magazine for her work with Greenpeace on the Sargasso Sea. Using her photographs and writing as creative outlets, Emory has attempted with her work to bring awareness to important global issues, to inspire others, teach ethical tourism, and to offer a voice to those whose circumstances inhibit that.
Amrit Ale
Amrit grew up in the foot hills of the Nepali Himalayas in a small village to the West of Pokhara. He has lead trips for the National Leadership School (NOLS) and instructs courses in the Indian, Ladakh and Nepal Himalayas for Where There Be Dragons. Each January, he works as an ice climbing instructor for the Khumbu Climbing Centre in the Everest region.
Emory first met Amrit in 2010 during her semester with Where There Be Dragons and they have since spent the last decade trekking in the Himalayas and leading humanitarian relief efforts together.
Amrit is an avid climber, mountaineer, rafter and outdoor educator and is Wilderness First Responder qualified.
Krista Ripma
Krista Ripma has been working closely with Emory since January 2018. Krista runs a marketing agency in San Francisco called Authentic Audience and has helped lead retreats all over the world for the past 6 years. Her mission is to help inspire people to spread their message and grow their brands authentically. She first visited Nepal with Emory in September 2018 and fell in love with the country and the people. Krista will be working hard behind the scenes to help facilitate the most seamless and transformative trip for our future attendees.
Testimonials
“This trip was more than I could ever ask for. I came into the trip just beginning my spiritual path and feeling a little bit lost with where life was taking me. I came out with so much guidance, knowledge, lifelong friendships, and unconditional love that will last a lifetime. From sitting with the monk and the gurus to cooking with my aama in the village to waking up to the most beautiful sunrise in Pokhara with dud chiya (spelled wrong maybee), I truly couldn’t have asked for more. There is still so much to process and think about, but I am forever grateful to have seen Nepal through Emory’s eyes and I would recommend this trip to anyone who needs soul searching. I would likely not have come here if it wasn’t for Emory and I am beyond grateful for her storytelling power which pushed me to apply for this trip. I also can’t wait to come back and do a trek as soon as I can.”
“From exploring life’s existential questions with Buddhist monks and Hindu sadhus, to being captivated by Nepal’s beauty, both raw and artisanal, and history, to the intimate personal connections formed staying with its villagers, culture shock was certainly the norm, but always a welcome experience. And the more you challenge yourself, the more Nepal seems to reward you. Thankfully, Emory, Krista, and Amrit make a great team and fostered a genuinely compassionate mindset among the group, making those challenges fun to tackle and leaving everyone feeling empowered. It was a life altering experience in all the best ways and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough!”
“Where to begin! Words can barely describe the amazing trip I had in Nepal with Mountain Kingdom Journeys. Of course Nepal is stunning (you’re in the Himalayas!), but this trip helps you go deeper into understanding the people, culture, and spirituality. We learned, saw, and experienced so much in a short amount of time — and aspects of Nepal that most travelers would not have opened to them. As someone who is not usually into group travel packages or planned itineraries, you can trust me when I say that Mountain Kingdom Journey is unique and very worth it. I believe each one of us left with a love for Nepal that we’ll carry with us always.”
Our Mission
ETHICAL TRAVEL: THE TRAVELER vs. the tourist
We believe that, through travel, we can change our world for the better. That is why we’ve curated this 10-day journey in Nepal, one of the most unique areas of our world where history, tradition, spirituality, politics and identity all weave themselves into a giant, mystical puzzle. During this trip, we will foster meaningful cross-cultural connections with local masters and activists, learn about a rich and ancient culture, experience the many different ways of life that exists in the Himalayan Kingdom, and, most importantly, come home to tell a more informed story.
Our passport is not simply a form of identification, but a gateway to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world that we live in. As travelers, we carry our backpacks and we also carry the ideas, values and perspectives born of our own culture and experiences. In that way, we serve as windows into a place which people both learn and gain perspective. Perhaps more importantly, however, when we travel we are given the opportunity to step into the role of the student and learn from a diversity of perspectives and ways of life. We are asked to leave our preconceptions at the door and to open ourselves, our hearts and our minds, to the unknown.
Rather than build walls, travel breaks walls down. Rather than teaching us to reject the so-called strange, travel welcomes us to embrace it. Rather than perpetuating the rhetoric of differences, travel teaches us a universal language. Rather than telling us who we should be, travel reveals who we truly are. This is the philosophy behind this journey and we can’t wait to learn and grow together.
GIVING BACK
A major mission behind leading these trips is creating opportunity to make a lasting, sustainable and positive impact on Nepal. We donate a percentage of every trip back to locally-led NGO’s.
Nepal is Calling …
NOV 1st - 10th, 2020
If you have any questions regarding the trip or reserving your space, please feel free to contact us at info@emoryhall.com
ॐ
We can’t wait for you to join us in the Mountain Kingdom.
Namaste!