Hello all!
As I know many of you joined this email list in response to some earlier stories I put up regarding talks of a group trip to Nepal - I am very excited to let you know that it is now very much real! The itinerary has been created, the dates are set, the cost has been broken down, and I’m ready to share it with you all.
As you’ll know if you’ve followed me for a while, Nepal was one of the highlights of my entire journey. I spent three months exploring this beautiful country (would probably still be there if visas didn’t exist!), and it gave me some of the most meaningful, and of course breath taking, experiences of my entire year of travelling.
This group trip is essentially the highlights of those three months — the places, people and experiences that stayed with me the most — packed into one immersive group experience.
This will not be a perfectly polished luxury holiday. It will be an ADVENTURE! It’s for those of you who are genuinely curious, open-minded, keen to get out of their regular day-to-day life, and willing to experience a different way of life by actually living it.
The general itinerary is as follows…
Day 1 we’ll meet in Pokhara, which is around a 7 hour bus ride from Kathmandu (or can fly direct). I’ll help organise the bus for anyone who needs it, and that first night we’ll have a welcome dinner/ drinks, meet the group, get acquainted, and go through the plan properly together.
On day two, you’ll have time to shop for any gear you might need for the trek. If you don’t already have it back home, trust me, just get it in Nepal. It’ll cost you a fraction of the price, and i’ll be there to run you through what you’ll actually need and what can be left behind!
From there, we’ll make our way to our first home of the journey: a farmstay where I personally spent a month living with a local Nepali family, helping out at the primary school and around the farm.
This was one of the most authentic ways I experienced Nepali life. Simple living, local food straight from the land, village rhythm and of course, the incredible people! The family we will stay with are so, so beautiful, and accomodation wise you will have your own bed in a shared room (2 or possibly 3 per room) inside their home.
After the farmstay, we’ll begin the Mardi Himal trek. This will take us six days, walking through the Annapurna region towards one of the most sacred and dramatic mountains in Nepal, Machhapuchhre. The highest point we will reach Mardi Himal Viewpoint, at around 4,200 metres, for a spectacular sunrise.
The trek itself is not technical or overly difficult, but it is still a real Himalayan trek. Distances and physical challenge should be relatively fine for most but any uncertainties or questions feel free to ask! What I can guarantee is that the views, the people, the tea houses, and the feeling of being up there will be very, very worth it. You will have to carry very little weight as all meals and accomodation will be provided.
Finally, after the trek, we’ll make our way to an incredible Buddhist monastery, home to roughly 130 Buddhist monks.
We’ll live inside the walls of the monastery for the final few days, slowing down, joining the rhythm of monastery life, and experiencing a completely different pace of existence before we have our final dinner, drinks, goodbyes, and reflections on what I’m sure will have been a pretty unforgettable experience. (Monastery we will stay in pictured below!)
The simple overview
Dates: 1 Nov - 15 Nov & 22 Nov - 6 Dec 2026
Duration: 15 days, 14 nights
Group size: 8 people!
Cost: 2300AUD which includes…
14 nights accommodation, ALL meals, all internal transport, Annapurna region trekking permit/ local trekking guide, farmstay, Monastery stay and of course yours truly, all organised, guide and soon to be good mate! ;)
Doesn't include flights or accommodation.
HERE IS THE APPLICATION LINK
Filling it out is not a lock-in, so even if your a maybe fill it out so i’ll have your contact and keep you in the loop! It also doesn’t guarantee a spot on the trip. It’s the first step in helping me understand who you are, why you want to come, and whether this feels like the right fit. The group dynamic will be a big part of this, so I really want to make sure the right people come together! :)
Any questions at all, just reply to this email!
I’m genuinely very excited for this.
The whole idea of Thumbprints was always community, real connection, and taking travel beyond just something people watch through a screen. Now I want to make that real.
I want to take one of the most meaningful chapters of my journey and bring some of you with me.
Come back to Nepal with me.
Cheers,
Lewis.