Food: All the food served during the pilgrimage will be vegetarian, and consist mainly of Indian food. At some locations eggs may be available for breakfast. Please note: We cannot accommodate personal food preferences. So you are requested to make do with the simple vegetarian meals provided. We are unable to cater to vegan or special diets. So if your diet is very restrictive, you may have to manage with plain white rice and dhal (lentil soup) or boiled vegetables.
Climate: The temperatures during
- Oct/Nov noon time will be (31°C / 88°F) and (12°C / 54°F) in the mornings and evenings.
- Jan/Feb noon time will be (23°C / 73°F) and (5°C / 41°F) in the mornings and evenings.
- Feb/March noon time will be (31°C / 88°F) and (12°C / 54°F) in the mornings and evenings.
***Please review the packing list below for recommendations.
Air quality: Expect dusty, smoky, and moist air in many locations. Dust masks are helpful and suggested below in the packing list.
Transportation: Exclusive use of a private comfortable air conditioned bus for the entire trip. At times short excursions may require the use of taxis. While traveling long distances you will usually need to attend to calls to nature outdoors due to lack of public facilities.
Accommodations: Consists of monasteries and their guesthouses. These vary in comfort level, style, and amenities. Rooms include twin sharing with attached bathrooms and private rooms with attached bathrooms. Couples can stay together at some monastery guesthouses. Hot water is not always available, and power outages are common.
Laundry: At about 3 locations we have laundry service and the rest of the places where we stay do not offer laundry (dhobi) services. So it is good to to carry your own detergent, clothes pins and plan to wash your clothes in buckets
Wi-Fi: Wi-fi internet access will be available at the accommodation; however, we cannot guarantee fast, good-quality connectivity. Internet cafes will be available at various locations along the route, but accessing the internet with your own computer / device may not be possible. Internet data sticks and SIM cards are available in India, but you will need to plan ahead to obtain one. We recommend obtaining an eSIM card.
Resources supplied by Pariyatti
Inspirational
- Along the Path: eBook and print versions. Once your booking is confirmed you will receive a coupon code to obtain these books for free. You will need to cover shipping costs for the print version.
- An inspirational photo essay from a participant on our inaugural 2013 pilgrimage. Download here.
- Digital audio & video materials:
Items Pariyatti will bring on the bus
- First aid kit
- Flashlights (for emergency use only - not enough for everyone)
- Powdered electrolyte mix
- Drinking water
Suggested list of items for pilgrims to bring
To bring from home
- Personal medications: Please bring enough for the entire pilgrimage as it will be difficult to acquire them locally. We also encourage you to bring your preferred brands of motion sickness pills, cough drops, and pain medication since the ones we have in our first-aid kit may not meet your preferences.
- Personal food supplements
- Dust masks to help manage the low air quality in many locations (i.e. dirt, dust, smoke). We highly recommend you purchase a couple of 3M respirator 9211 N95 masks. These may be available in pharmacies, hardware stores, and office supply stores.
- Antibacterial hand sanitizer
- A sleeping bag is not required as the bedding provided at various locations is usually clean, and sufficiently warm. Also, additional blankets can be arranged if needed. If you are concerned about hygiene, please consider packing a sleeping bag liner instead of a full sleeping bag.
- Ear plugs and eye mask
- Cold weather clothes
- For Oct/Nov:: a fleece or woollen sweater will do for chilly nights.
- For Jan/Feb: Thermal underwear (wool is better than cotton) and warm clothes: long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, down jacket, wool hat, and warm socks. One set is enough. There may not be a need for a down jacket, depending on personal preference. Please note: Northern India and Nepal will be cold in the mornings and evenings (5°C / 41°F) at this time of year.
- For Feb/March a fleece or woollen sweater will do for chilly nights.
- Warm socks for walking on the cold floors of various sites..
- Mosquito net for sleeping can be purchased locally if needed. If you are going to bring your own, please make sure it is one that is very compact to save space in your luggage.
- Meditation cushion (Various options are listed here. The inflatable ones are the easiest to travel with.)
- Meditation tent: We also have a limited number of meditation tents that you may borrow during the pilgrimage. This tent should be returned at the end of the pilgrimage.
- Durable water bottle
- Travel alarm clock
- Small sewing kit
- Travel towel (quick dry ones made for camping / travelling are ideal)
- Hair brush, elastic, barrettes
- Combination padlock (push buttons are useful especially in low light conditions)
- Secure money belt
- Sun protection: umbrella, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
- Footwear: 2 pairs can be useful
- Good walking shoes
- Flip flops
- Portable travel power strip for charging your electronic devices. It should accept a power input of 100V- 240V and the plug should be European style.
- Clothes pins for drying hand washed clothing
- There are laundry facilities available every few days, so you do NOT need to bring too many clothes. Additionally, light clothes and dresses can be bought in Bodhgaya at reasonable prices.
- Please limit the weight of your luggage so that you are able to carry it yourself. At times you may have to carry it up stairs to the second floor.