If I had any reservations, it was immediately discarded the moment I arrived at the premises. My run down taxi passed the colorful Tibetan gate and I saw for the first time, the splendour of the monastery perched against the back drop of the blue skies. My heart skipped a beat.
The Pema Ts'al Sakya Monastic Institute is situated on a quiet hill top near Nepal's famous Fewa Lake in Pokhara and right in front of the Fishtail mountains with a view of Seti River. It was a dream come true to spend the next 5 weeks living in the monastery and teaching English to the monks and students in this magical Tibetan monastery.
Although it is a monastic institute, it has some rooms designated as guest rooms for rental in the dormitory block to supplement its income that is dependent on donations and sponsorship of the monks. Some tourists choose to make it a base, travelling to the Fewa Lakeside for the activities. Folks come here to enjoy the silence and one can choose to attend the morning puja at 6am and the philosophy classes at 8.30am.
The rates for a room ranges from 700-900 rupees a night and you can contact the monastery directly for bookings. The most beautiful rooms are the riverside rooms whereby you have 3 windows with a view of the mountain range, the Seti River and the plantation. The simple rooms come with attached bathroom with hot water and modern flushing toilet facilities. For more information on how to get to the monastery please read the link on "Practical Tips: Volunteering + Travel Information" on the same blog page.
When I was teaching there in mid-September, we were at the tail end of the monsoon season, but we still get the occasional thunderstorm. Alas, what a glorious sight to see a rainbow arching from the mountain ranges to the Seti River!
Thank you so much for writing about your experiences and posting such beautiful pictures. It is really helpful as I plan my first trip to Nepal this May! I assume the philosophy class is in Tibetan?
ReplyDeleteHi, the classes are conducted by one of the monks in the university classes, and it is in English.
ReplyDeleteHI! Im so glad I found a fellow Singaporean. Im looking at volunteering in nepal end of the year, on my own. Im a female student so security is an issue for me. I also plan to skip the intermediate orgs cause of credibility and cost, but I wonder if I should, because Im going on my own:/
ReplyDeleteHi there, I cannot speak for other organizations, but if you plan to goto Pema Tsal Sakya, the monastery itself is safe for female volunteers. I think the main problem might be in terms of the connecting journey but it isn't difficult.
DeleteAirport at Kathmandu--I recommend you book a car in advance to bring you to your hotel if you are staying the night as it is very chaotic
Kathmandu to Pokhara-- the buses are safe per se, I think the better one is known as the Greeline line, but the road often have accidents, and it seems to be a way of life. If budget is not an issue , take the domestic fight, and you can also have a view of Everest. Having said that Nepal aviation industry is not known for its safety record. If I were honest, if you are looking for the kind of first world travel safety record, this really isn't the country that offers it. But lots of folks visit Nepal and live to tell. When you reach Pokhara (bus station) or airport, you can check with the monastery in advance to see if they can recommend a driver to pick you up. This is highly recommended cos you might feel quite nervous if you are there first time and have to negotiate with the local drivers for rates to bring you to the monastery and not all will be familiar or speak English.
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ReplyDeleteIf you take a bus in the morning from Kathmandu to Pokhara, you should arrive by afternoon, so arriving in daylight is always the best thing to do. However, this is on the presumption there are no delays on the road and it can happen.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I took a bus from Kathmandu to Pokhora, and there was someone to pick me up from the bus station, so I stayed the night in Pokhara Lake side before heading to the monastery cos I wanted to top up on supplies whether it is groceries or stationery for kids before heading here. This is recommended as there aren't many shops in the monastery. But you can also easily go straight to the monastery from the bus station or airport.
But no worries, from monastery to Lakeside is not too far, 20-30 minutes I think, so you can always go there on weekend to buy stuff. I have documented it in my blog on tips.