A Mindful and Cultural Journey

Kathmandu, Nepal

Overview

Arrive in the Himalayas

Arrive in the Himalaya. After settling into your suite, join your fellow guests and expedition leader for a cocktail reception followed by dinner. Start the Aman Jet Expedition in spectacular style the following day with a helicopter excursion around Mount Everest. If weather conditions permit, stop for a high-altitude champagne breakfast at Kalapathar. Explore Kathmandu with visits to Unesco-listed Boudhanath Temple, Bhasmeshvar Ghats, or Pashupatinath Temple. Encounter enigmatic sadhus and have the option of a mindfulness session in the evening with Shantum.

If you wish, begin the next day with a morning session on mindfulness, which can include meditation, guided walks, circle discussions. With your private car, driver, and guide explore Kathmandu and its surroundings, home to a smorgasbord of historical sites including seven Unesco sites. Visit Durbar Square, explore the Old Quarter, or venture to Patan City. Discover Kumari Palace, Khokana Village, and Bungamati Village. Conclude your day with cocktails and dinner with your expedition group.

Thimphu, Bhutan

Overview

Mindfulness in Bhutan

Arrive in Paro, Bhutan, via private jet and transfer to Amankora Thimphu. Relax at your leisure, or explore Thimphu town with your private car, driver, and guide. Enjoy optional mindfulness sessions in the evening and gather for welcome cocktails and dinner with your expedition group.

The following day there is an optional morning mindfulness session with the spiritual leader. Explore Thimphu with your private car, driver, and guide. Suggested experiences include the Astrology School at Pangri Zampa Lhakhang, home to around 100 Buddhist monks, the National Library of Thimphu, which contains more than 10,000 volumes of ancient Dzongkha and Tibetan texts, and the National Textile Museum, where you can delve into the art of weaving, a vital Bhutanese craft. Other highlights include the Motithang Takin Preserve, home to Bhutan’s unusual national animal, the Handmade Paper Factory, where you have the opportunity to create custom-made stamps as a memento, and a rewarding hike to the hidden monastery of Dodedrak. Conclude your day with optional mindfulness sessions at Amankora.

Paro, Bhutan

Overview

Hiking and Temples in Thimphu

After a leisurely morning in Thimphu hiking or exploring places of interest such as the Folk Heritage Museum or the 12th century monastery-fortress of Changangkha Lhakhang, transfer to the zen-like Amankora Paro. Explore Paro with your private car, driver, and guide. Visit Paro Dzong, which houses important temples and a state-sponsored monastic community. Explore the National Museum of Bhutan, home to extensive collections of cultural and religious artifacts, including thangkas. Visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest and most sacred temples. Attend a blessing ceremony conducted by a tulku, a reincarnated lama, back at Amankora.

Meet with your spiritual leader for a morning session on mindfulness, then embark on an unforgettable half-day hike to the cliffside Tiger’s Nest, one of Bhutan’s most revered monuments – and one of the world’s most breathtaking temples. Enjoy optional mindfulness sessions in the evening and gather for farewell cocktails and dinner featuring seasonal Bhutanese cuisine and a dance performance.

Alwar or Ranthambore, India

Overview

Visit the Iconic Taj Mahal

Transfer to India by private jet and explore the historic Rajasthani city of Jaipur with your private car, driver and guide. Spend your three nights in India at Amanbagh in Alwar if you wish. Alternatively, you will have the option (pending availability) to stay in Ranthambore at Aman-i-Khás.
AMANBAGH

Option one: Stay at Amanbagh, a palatial and tranquil base from which to explore Rajasthan’s rich heritage. Suggested experiences include a jeep ride through the archaeologically-rich ancient ruined city of Bhangarh, and the Cowdust Tour — hop in an open Jeep to explore fascinating rural villages surrounding Amanbagh. History enthusiasts may also be interested in seeing the Neelkanth Temples, and remote Ajabgarh Fort. Back at Amanbagh, you are invited to a fire meditation ceremony. This meditation is based on the concept that fire is the purest of the five elements. Participants sit around a fire called a hawan, composed of natural herbs and fragrant wood from the Himalayas. The session includes chanting the Gayatri mantra, a powerful Hindu mantra intended to energize the body’s 24 chakras or centers of spiritual power.
AMAN-I-KHAS

Option two: Stay at the Aman-i-Khás, a tented wilderness camp, situated in Ranthambore National Park, one of the world's best places to observe wild tigers. Spend your days on expert-guided game drives here. The park is home to approximately 75 tigers, hundreds of crocodiles, and over 350 species of birds — it's a paradise for ornithologists. The park also hosts leopards, sloth bears, hyenas, and much more. You'll travel in a shared open-top vehicle, offering the best opportunities to the wildlife. Other highlights include a horse safari astride a rare Marwari steed, and explore Rajasthan's romantic ruined forts.

Galle, Sri Lanka

Overview

Explore the Galle Fort

Arrive in Galle in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day at your leisure. Join a mindfulness session in the evening or following morning, if you wish, and enjoy a complimentary 60-minute spa treat at the Amangalla spa.

The following day explore the wonderfully charismatic Galle Fort on foot, guided by your private butler while learning the history of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore Galle Fort's narrow streets, admire Dutch and English colonial homes, browse the shops and boutiques, and visit well-preserved architectural gems such as the Dutch Church and Dutch Government House. Investigate several excellent museums, and browse the local gem shops, before returning to Amangalla for an optional mindfulness session and cocktails.

Tangalle, Sri Lanka

Overview

Sri Lanka’s southern coast

Depart for Tangalle, farther along Sri Lanka’s southern coast, at your leisure. Along the way, we recommend stopping at the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery, where you can learn about local turtle conservation efforts. After arriving at Amanwella, enjoy some relaxation time: stroll the surrounding forests, unwind on the golden beach, enjoy a spa treatment or a mindfulness session led by the spiritual leader in the evening.

The next day, explore Tangalle and its surroundings with your private car, and driver/guide. Visit the vibrant Tangalle Market in the morning or consider a half-day excursion to Mulgirigala Rock to explore an ancient monastery. Visit the Wewurukannala Buddhist Temple and Kudawella "blowhole" on the way back. Outdoor enthusiasts may appreciate the two word-class safari parks within a 90-minute drive of Amanwella (additional cost), home to elephants, migratory birds, and even leopards.In the evening, join a final circle talk and meditation session with the spiritual leader before enjoying farewell cocktails and dinner on the beach with a cultural show to conclude your expedition.

The following day, enjoy a complimentary yoga session on the beach if you wish, before departing for Colombo and your international return flight, at your leisure.