May 1 - 23, 2016
HIMALAYAN DREAMS
A Pilgrimage to Northern India with Hali & YuMee
As much as we adore the charms of southern India, the spiritual depth and
sheer natural beauty of India’s majestic North captures our imaginations like
no place else. If, like us, the prospect of meditating in the Himalayas,
meeting the sadhus of Rishikesh, and taking teachings in Dharamsala makes
your heart go pitter pat, then allow us to share the details of our 2016 India
journey with you.
Experience the sights
and sounds of the
Himalayas. Visit
breathtaking temples
and flourishing
spiritual communities
Ours is a pilgrimage of likeminded practitioners that will bring you to the
birthplace of yoga for an unforgettable firsthand experience of India’s
omnipresent sights and sounds. You will be expertly guided by yoga teachers
1
May 1 - 23, 2016
and lovers of all things India, Hali Schwartz
and YuMee Chung. We will begin in New Delhi, a fascinating
historic city with much to see and do. From
the mesmerizing colours of its many
shopping bazaars to the sumptuous flavours
of its restaurants, Delhi is a city that has to be
seen to be believed. Then onto Rishikesh, the
reputed yoga capital of the world. Here you
will visit ashrams, temples and monuments
perched on the banks of the holy River
Ganges. Mussoorie, “The Queen of Hill
Stations,” oﬀers a perfect counterpoint to the
activity of Rishikesh. This serene mountain
village oﬀers world class hiking, stunning
views and an opportunity to appreciate
nature’s abundance. Further north is
Dharamshala, the seat of the Tibetan
government in exile and home to His
Holiness the Dalai Lama. This Himalayan gem
is a hotbed for yoga schools and dharma
centres. Our journey ends in Kashmir, India's
northernmost province home to her most
dramatic landscapes. Here, you will visit
Jammu City, the 'The City of Temples' and
Srinagar, where you will stay in a luxury
houseboat on Dal lake. It has been said that
once you reach Kashmir you have reached
the closest you will ever get to paradise on
earth.
Our small group will stay in chic, boutique
accommodations chosen for their comfort
and sense of place. If you like your travel
experiences served up with authenticity and
attentive service, then this may just be the
trip for you.
Stay in a luxury houseboat on Dal Lake, India’s most famous
lake. See for yourself why Kashmir has the reputation of being
India’s most pristine province.
2
May 1 - 23, 2016
ITINERARY
Our journey will begin on May 1,
2015 and end on May 23, 2015: May 1: Depart from Toronto’s
Pearson International Airport. May 2-4: Arrive at Indira Gandhi
international Airport in Delhi. A comfy
bed will be waiting for you—talk
about a soft landing. Take the next
couple of days to explore the delights
of Delhi at your own pace.
May 5: Fly to Rishikesh. Spend the
night at a hotel located right on the
bank of the Ganges.
May 6-9: Short drive to Mussoorie, a
lush hill station with a fairyland
atmosphere. Retreat into nature and
into the heart of your own
contemplative practice.
May 10-14: Scenic drive to
Dharamshala. Explore Dharamshala,
a.k.a Little Tibet. The charming town
of McLeod Ganj is rich with Buddhist
centres and yoga schools. It is also
chock full of vegetarian restaurants,
cafes, cute shops and museums.
May 15-18: Scenic drive to Jammu
City in Kashmir. Visit breathtaking
temples. See for yourself why
Jammu is known as heaven on earth. Above: mountain views in Dharamshala. Below: Chonor House, our
authentic Tibetan-style home away from home
May 19-21: Fly to Srinagar. Stay in a houseboat on Lake Dal.
May 22: Fly to Delhi
May 23: Goodbyes and flight home
3
May 1 - 23, 2016
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Our intention is to support each and every step of your
journey, while still oﬀering you a chance to explore India’s
north your own way. This is not an all-inclusive, one-sizefits-all kind of trip, even though we’ll certainly take care of
all the big stuﬀ. Our trip includes:
• Roundtrip international flight to and from Toronto,
arranged by our travel agent (your price may vary if you
fly from elsewhere)
• All domestic flights, arranged by our travel agent
• All ground transport in India
• All shared hotel accommodations and single
accommodation in Jammu City
• Yoga and meditation instruction. We will oﬀer at least ten
led practices over the course of the trip.
Shiva on the bank of the Ganges in Rishikesh
• Breakfast throughout. Dinners while in Srinagar
• Five or six expertly guided tours by local professionals
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
• Travel visas
• Travel insurance
• Ground transport to and from Pearson International Airport or your local airport
• Lunches throughout. Dinners throughout, except while in Srinagar
• Gratuities
• While our hotels oﬀer free Wi-Fi, you may wish to pay for Wi-Fi at airports or on the road
• Shopping and miscellaneous daily activities beyond the scheduled day trips
We recommend you budget an additional $600-800 CAD to cover the above.
4
May 1 - 23, 2016
INVESTMENT AND DEPOST STRUCTURE
$5800 CAD (including tax) payable in seven instalments:
1. $500 non-refundable deposit payable to Hali upon booking to reserve your spot
2. $500 payable to our travel agent on or before June 1
3. $500 payable to our travel agent on or before July 1
4. $1,500 payable to our travel agent on or before September 1
5. $1,000 payable to our travel agent on or before November 1
6. $500 payable to our travel agent on or before January 2
7. $1300 payable to our travel agent on or before March 1
Experience big sky mind on the deck of our hotel in Mussoorie.
5
May 1 - 23, 2016
YOUR TEACHERS
HALI SCHWARTZ has been fully immersed in
the world of yoga since she was a young child. When she was just 5 years old her mother would
bring her to 'satsang' - the gathering of people
coming together to discuss yoga, ancient scripture,
and practice meditation. It was at the age of 20 that
she decided to go to the Himalayas, to begin her
studies in earnest, at the International Meditation
Institute (I.M.I). From 1988 to 1998 she returned
many times to India to continue these studies, and in
1999 started oﬀering yogic teachings to the Toronto
yoga community. Since then she has been involved
in teaching yoga history and philosophy in dozens of
teacher training programs in the city, as well as
oﬀering classical hatha yoga and restorative yoga to
the students of Toronto community. Each year she goes back to India to keep her studies vibrant
and alive, as well as hosting and facilitating yoga and travel retreats for groups of seekers wishing to
explore that awesome country with a reliable and experienced guide. She has traveled to India
nearly 20 times and considers it her second home. She is passionately committed to sharing her
love of India with all who wish to know and experience it.
YUMEE CHUNG YuMee Chung, E-RYT-500 is a
former securities lawyer who left a busy practice to
engage more deeply with life. More than a decade
later, she is an Advance Certified Jivamukti Yoga
teacher who also oﬀers classes in the therapeutic
Yoga Tune Up method. Known for her uplifting,
breath-driven classes and intelligent, organic
sequencing, she is a popular teacher who speaks
deftly to body, mind and spirit, and communicates
about the most subtle and nuanced parts of the yogic
journey with grace and earthy charm. Students can
expect an impeccable practice that strikes a perfect
balance between spirit and sweat. Lauded in Yoga
Journal as one of the teachers to watch in the
Jivamukti Yoga lineage, YuMee is on the faculty of a
number of yoga teacher training programs and she
leads international workshops and retreats. Though her work and teaching take her around the
globe, she is happiest at home with her cat and musician husband.
6
May 1 - 23, 2016
HOW DO I LEARN MORE?
Contact Hali at [email protected] with your
questions.
HOW DO I REGISTER?
Contact Hali at [email protected] or YuMee at
[email protected] to express your intention to
join us and to arrange for your deposit. We will put
you in contact with our travel agent who is
coordinating all payments.
THE SMALL PRINT
We require a non-refundable deposit of $500 CAD
to hold your spot. Beyond September 1, we
cannot oﬀer any refunds unless we find someone
else to take your spot. We require you to purchase
and provide proof of trip cancellation and
interruption insurance. We strongly recommend
you purchase travel medical insurance. Our travel
agent will be happy to assist you with both. We
reserve the right to make small changes to our
itinerary if the need arises. You will be informed of
all material changes.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How large will our group be?
We are accepting a maximum of 16 travellers. Is this trip open to the general public?
No, we are only promoting this trip to our network of
likeminded practitioners. You can expect to be in
good company. Do I have to fly from Toronto?
Our travel agent can arrange flights from any
departure city however this may impact your price.
Can I extend my trip?
We can help you extend your trip if you choose to
stay on in India.
Can I fly on points?
We can oﬀer you a price without international flight
if you choose to fly on points. Ideally, you will
choose the same outbound flight as the rest of our
group. Our agent will work closely with you (for a
nominal fee) to ensure a smooth journey. What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, personal cheques and interac
email money transfers to [email protected] for the
initial deposit. Our travel agent can also accept
credit card payments however there is a 3.75%
surcharge applied to credit card payments (this
is from the credit card company, and not the retreat
organizers or the travel agency).
Can I have a room to myself?
Due to the size of our group and the boutique hotels
we have chosen, we have an extremely limited
number of single rooms available. Please contact us
immediately if you would like to discuss the
possibility of a single supplement.
Can I decide to attend at the last minute?
Sadly, no. We expect to fill this retreat before May 1.
Almost half the available spots are already spoken
for.
7