Accompany Geographer-at-Large Eames Demetrios on a journey to view several exisiting Kcymaerxthaere monument sites in Western Bhutan and in the Solukhumbu region of Nepal (near Mt Everest). The group will travel with local Nepali Sherpa and Bhutanese guides to beautiful natural environments, experience the local culture and cuisine, and learn how traditional cultural elements (e.g. the practice of Tibetan Buddhism, traditional art, weaving, paper making, agriculture) and new (e.g. the internet & modern tech culture and conveniences) coexist in this part of the world.

This 19 night tour will be a wonderfully unique opportunity to travel and spend time with a unique artist whose Kcymaerxthaere artwork is epic in concept, story timeline, geographic scale, international scope, and sheer ambition. In addition to this part of Kcymaerxthaere, participants will experience the sites / highlights of Kathamandu, the opportunity to see Mt Everest, and the sites / highlights of Western Bhutan such as the Tigers Nest Monastery (Taktsang) and stay in comfortable hotel accommodations with our congenial group. The rural-area food is local, grown without pesticides, and harvested and deliciously prepared by people you’ll meet in the monasteries, lodges, and homes where they live and work.

Much of the time we’ll spend between 8,000 and 10,000 feet above sea level, with a gradual ascent that enables acclimatization. Participants should be able to walk or hike at least a few miles per day, sometimes on uneven ground.

Tour Highlights

The opportunity to explore Nepali and Bhutanese Kcymaerxthaere sites with creator and geographer-at-large, Eames Demetrios.
Unforgettable landscapes and historic architecture in Nepal and Bhutan (e.g. Temples, Stupas, Monasteries, Monuments, Bridges, etc.)
Two nights at a luxury jungle lodge at Chitwan National Park : the chance to view Nepali rhinos, elephants, and other wildlife in their natural habitats
Authentic Cultural Encounters
Culinary Adventures (featuring locally sourced organic ingredients)
Optional hiking experiences (both Bhutan & Nepal)
Visit the most famous monastery in Bhutan – Taktsang – “The Tiger’s Nest”
Helicopter Rides in the Mt Everest Region (e.g. Hotel Everest View, Kala Pattar)
Flights between Kathmandu and Chitwan National Park

This 19 night tour includes 13 nights in Nepal (May 11 - 24), and 6 nights in Bhutan (May 5- 10). Per person cost: $11,000 (double occupancy). If you require a solo (private) room please inquire about availability and additional cost.

Max number of participants: 14

Registration subject to availability.

(exact Itinerary subject to change according to unforeseen circumstances / opportunities)

Other than the included one-way Paro, Bhutan to Kathmandu, Nepal flight, guests are otherwise responsible for their own international airfare. All domestic flights in Nepal, including a charter helicopter day, are included.

Note: If you wish to participate in the Bhutan-only or Nepal-only portion of this tour, it may be possible, however we highly recommend experiencing the fascinating similarities and differences between these two Himalayan realms.

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Itinerary

(NOTE #1: this draft is subject to change depending on changing conditions & opportunities)

(NOTE #2: All meals are included unless otherwise noted.)

Day 1: May 5, Paro

Tiny World Tours will advise you on your international flights. Your flights to/from Paro, Bhutan, will be exclusively on Drukyul Airlines (at additional cost). We recommend the following Paro gateway cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangkok, and Kathmandu.

Once you clear custom and immigration, you will be met by our wonderful guide Dorji and taken to the charming Gangtey Palace, Paro (a former palace mentioned in National Geographic Magazine in 1914!) and the site of a Kcymaerxthaere monument. Eames and Dorji will give us a tour of the hotel property and give us an introduction/orientation.

Day 2: May 6, Paro

After breakfast we’ll visit the National Museum (Ta-Dzong). Once the watchtower for the Rinpung Dzong (Fortress), it was converted into the national Museum in 1968. The museum stands on a promontory overlooking the Paro valley in all its glory. Next we visit the Dzong ‘Fortress on a heap of jewels’. This impressive fortress currently serves as a residence for the monastic body, district government offices and local judicial court. Optional visit to downtown Paro shopping district for traditional handicrafts.

Enjoy dinner and a second night at the Gangtey Palace, Paro.

Day 3: May 7, Paro - Happiness Farm

Drive into the mountains south of Thimpu to the “Happiness Farm,” a mountainside fruit and vegetable farm with a great view. Eames Demetrios will tell stories about this new star site to join the Kcymaerxthaere global art constellation.

Overnight at the Happiness Farm.

Day 4: may 8, Punakha

After breakfast, visit the Punakha Dzong, “Palace of Great Happiness”. This Dzong is the former winter capital and at present day hosts the administrative seat of the district. It lies between two rivers, the Pochu and Mochu, Male and Female River. After lunch, a visit to Chimi Lhakhang would be arranged to visit the temple of the Bhutan’s foremost saint, Lama Drukpa Kunley, also known as the “Divine Madman”. This temple is called the Temple of Fertility, as it is believed that childless couples who come here to pray for a child is usually blessed with a child.

In the evening, easy rafting trip for 2-3 hours down the Female river.

Overnight at Drubchhu Resort, Punakha.

Day 5: may 9, Paro

After breakfast, drive through the mountains with a tea break to enjoy the spectacular views at Dochula pass (10,000 feet). We will break for tea to enjoy a stunning 360 degree panoramic view of Eastern Himalayan mountain range forming a majestic backdrop to the tranquility of the 108 chortens that grace this mountain pass. Then continue on to Thimpu, about 1 hour away.

We will have lunch in Thimpu, and then stop at a tailor shop. Consider bringing one of your favorite shirts to have copied using traditional Bhutanese material. Tiny World Tours will have it shipped to you when it is ready. Visit the Royal Textile Museum and then continue driving (about one hour) to Paro.

We will check in again at the Gangtey Palace, Paro.

Day 6: may 10, Excursion to Tiger’s Nest

Start early to spend the morning hiking up the forested path to Taktsang Monastery, also known as Tiger’s Nest, Bhutan’s most famous and scenic icon. The climb is steep and takes about 4-5 hours round trip. An abbreviated hike or horse ride to a midway lunch spot is an option. The Taktsang Monastery has been an important place of pilgrimage and refuge for more than 1200 years. The monastery clings to sheer cliffs two-thousand feet above Paro valley..

This sacred place got its name when Guru Rinpoche rode there on the back of a flying tigress and meditated in a cave behind the present-day monastery. Special permit will be arranged for you to enter the Tiger’s Nest monastery but you will not be allowed to take pictures inside the shrines. The shrines are places where great saints meditated in the past, and are ideal places for your own silent contemplation & meditation.

We will spend our last night at the Gangtey Palace, Paro.

Day 7: may 11, Kathmandu

Welcome to Kathmandu and check in to our wonderful home in Kathmandu, Baber Mahal Vilas.

After a break / nap, we’ll gather for a tour welcome dinner at the Mul Chowk Restaurant within our Baber Mahal compound - Eames will set the stage with Kycmaerxthere stories and prepare you for the rest of the tour.

Day 8: may 12, Kathmandu

Today is a day for visiting some of Kathamandu’s most spectacular highlights and UNESCO World Monuments such as the Swayambhunath Temple Complex, the Boudhanath Stupa and nearby Taragaon museum, and the Thamel Shopping District.

Day 9: may 13, Kathmandu - Phaplu

After breakfast, fly via airplane from Kathmandu to the bustling frontier and market town of Phaplu in the Solukhumbu region near Mt Everest. Meet your Sherpa hosts. Afternoon orientation talks, walks, and relaxation. Learn about Tibetan Buddhism.

Dinner and overnight at Kyrimu Lodge Phaplu also the site of a Kcymaerxthaere monument!

Day 10: may 14, Phaplu, Ratnange

Sunrise walk (or optional drive on logging road) ending at Ratnange, a hilltop lookout point and Kcymaerxthaere monument entitled “Wu/drōciell’s Bench”. Enjoy breakfast on the bench (or back at our Lodge)! Lunch in Phaplu with a Tibetan Buddhist scholar.

Explore the town and/or rest.

Dinner and 2nd night stay at Kyrimu Lodge Phaplu.

Day 11: may 15, Chiwong Monastery, Phera, Najing

After breakfast drive to the stunning mountainside Chiwong monastery and meet some of the resident monks. Eames will guide us to the site of a future Kcymaerxthaere monument. Optional ~1 hour downhill hike to the valley below. Late morning drive to the former Phera monastery and now kiwi-farm, sites of a future Kcymaerxthaere monument. Then on to Najing, the site of Kcymaerxthaere monument entitled “Strands of Thought”

Drive to Najing for lunch, relaxation, possible nature walk, and dinner.

Dinner and overnight at Kyrimu Lodge Najing where Eames and our guides will share stories.

Day 12: may 16, Najing & Junbesi

After breakfast, drive (or walk) to nearby Junbesi and check in to Kyrimu Lodge Junbesi. Explore corners of this picturesque and magical “storybook” village.

Optional walk to visit “Pleasures of the Yaarayehyay” Kcymaerxthaere monument, and dinner at the Kyrimu Lodge Junebesi.

Day 13: may 17, Junbesi to Mt Everest Region (inside Sagarmatha National Park)

Early morning charter helicopter flight to Kalar Pattar viewpoint of Mt Everest, followed by breakfast at the aptly-named Hotel Everest View and exploration of the surrounding area including the Sagarmatha NEXT ecological contemporary art museum project.

Settle in and explore this unique alpine area. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Everest View. Prepare for following day Chair Camp program with local children.

Dinner and overnight at Hotel Everest View.

Day 14: may 18, “Chair Camp” with school children in local village(s)

Breakfast on the terrace at the Hotel Everest View. Hike to one or two local villages and help Carla Hartman conduct Chair Camp program with local children.

Dinner and overnight at Hotel Everest View.

Day 15: may 19, From Mt Everest Region to Chitwan National Park & Barahi Jungle Lodge

Dramatic helicopter flight from this area, home to the world’s highest mountain, to Kathmandu and board a flight to the lowland jungle at Chitwan National Park (about 150 miles). Both alpine high altitude and jungle low altitude are within the borders of this small Himalayan country!

Dinner and overnight at Barahi Jungle Lodge (5-star luxury resort)

Day 16: may 20, Safari in Chitwan National Park

Relax at the luxury resort, dip in the pool, and/or enjoy one of the resort’s optional safaris, such as a wildlife viewing morning boat ride. Conversations with the resort’s naturalists and local people.

Dinner and enjoy a 2nd night at Barahi Jungle Lodge (luxury resort)

Day 17: may 21, return to kathmandu

After breakfast and hotel check-out, take scheduled flight to Kathmandu and check in again at Baber Mahal Vilas

Visit Kathmandu sights you may have missed, shopping, and/or meeting interesting people.

Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 18: may 22, Kathmandu(Lumbini option - at Addtional cost TBD)

Visit Kathmandu sights, shopping, and/or meeting interesting people.

Optional day trip (at addtional cost TBD) to Lumbini and Mayadevi Temple, a site traditionally considered to be the birthplace of the Buddha. Explore the monastic zone occupied by monasteries housing Buddhist monks from all around the world. The overall site master plan is by noted Japanese architect Kenzo Tange.

Overnight at the Baber Mahal Vilas

Day 19: may 23, Kathmandu(FINAL DAY)