Delek Children's Foundation

Charity Trip To Nepal & India

CHARITY TRIP TO NEPAL

(August 28 – September 10, 2022)

DHARAMSALA TRIP

(September 10 - 17, 2022)

                                        NOTICE : REGISTRATION IS CLOSED AFTER JULY 15, 2022 

Dear Friends,

I have very exciting news to share. Recently, through our monastery in Dharamsala, India I requested a private audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on behalf of the members travelling with me to Nepal. Now I just received confirmation from Gyuto Monastery saying that His Holiness will be going to Ladakh for the month of August. Once His Holiness returns to Dharamsala, His Holiness's office will accept a private audience with our group. HHDL is also giving a two-day teaching to the public on September 15-16, 2022.

Now we are extending our trip to include a visit to Dharamsala, India and have updated our itinerary. Please disregard the previous email we sent out.

Therefore, we will plan to make a trip to Dharamsala in order to receive this private audience as well as the teachings from HHDL. The arrangement is tentative at this time, but I have been in communication with the Office of His Holiness and am trying my best to arrange this private audience for our members. We have to be flexible with our itinerary. With His Holiness the Dalai Lama's age, it is more and more difficult to arrange private audiences with HHDL. Recently his office did accept our request to have a possible audience, but the date has yet to be confirmed. Those members who are interested in joining me on the Charity Trip to Nepal can join me for both the Nepal Trip and the Dharamsala Trip, or for the Nepal Trip or the Dharamsala Trip. The following are the cost of the trips with options.

Charity Trip to Nepal only.
August 28 - September 9, 2022
Cost is: $2,800

Dharamsala Trip only.
September 10 - 17, 2022
Cost is $1,500

Nepal and Dharamsala Trip both.
August 28 - September 18, 2022
Cost is: $4,300

The accommodations during the trip will be a standard twin bed. If one chooses to have a single room, then there will be additional $500 for both trips, $400 for Nepal Trip only, and $300 for the India trip to cover the expense of the single room.

The cost of the above includes all meals and board as well as transportation within Nepal and India including domestic air flights. For those who are interested in joining both the Nepal and Dharamsala trips, the trip will include a flight from Kathmandu to Delhi. This cost does not include personal expenses, visa fees and international tickets, except Kathmandu to Delhi airfare. Since this is a high season and very short notice it might be difficult to get rooms in the remote areas. Therefore, we will be accepting limited members for these trips. If anyone chooses to arrive in Kathmandu or Delhi one or two days earlier or to stay behind, they will be responsible for the additional expenses, which are not included in the itineraries.

I'll be traveling ahead of time to Nepal to shop for shoes and school supplies and I'll meet the Nepal group in Kathmandu on August 28 and the Dharamsala group on September 10 in New Delhi. On September 11, the group will fly to Dharamsala from Delhi; we will leave Delhi on either September 17 or September 18, 2022, depending on your return flights. The Trip will end on September 18, 2022, and then Donyo will continue travel to South India to meet his nursing students in four different cities with some gifts.

During Nepal Trip we will spend one week in the mountain areas of Solukhumbu, the foot hills of Mt. Everest, to distribute the shoes; one week in Kathmandu to visit some historical Buddhist sights, do pilgrimage around the Kathmandu valley, and continue to distribute shoes to the children. Then some members may either return home from Kathmandu to the US or continue to travel to Dharamsala, India for HHDL's teaching and possibly a private audience with HHDL and then return home to the US, departing New Delhi on September 17 or 18.

Please note that the audience with HHDL has been requested but that the date hasn't been confirmed. So we must have a full five days in Dharamsala. During our trip to Dharamsala we'll visit Dalai Lama's monastery / Tibetan library archives / Norbulingka Institute of Tibetan Culture / Dolma Ling Nunnery / Gyuto monastery / Tibetan Children Village and possibly TIPA Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts and the Tibetan Government in Exile.

Please note: Those who are interested to visit Dharamsala, you need to apply for an Indian visas. If those members already obtained their visas previously then please check your visa validity and expiration. If your visa is not current, please apply for your Indian visas right away. When you apply for an Indian visa, you'll need two references. For your reference in India, please put Dhondup Tsering, Gyuto House No 2 Majnu Ka-Tilla Delhi. Tel: (91) 7018519381 if needed. For your reference in the US, put Thupten Donyo, 6401 Bernhard Ave. Richmond, CA 94805. My Tel: (510) 6746000.

Nepal visas can be obtained on arrival in Kathmandu, but make sure to bring two or three passport photos and copies of your passports. Those who are going to Dharamsala are required to submit a copy of their passport and a passport photo in order to receive a teaching pass and a pass for the private audience. I need to submit our passport copies in advance to HHDL's office.

Trip History: When I was in Nepal in 2019 with some members, we distributed over 300 shoes, jackets and backpacks to the Himalayan children. During that time, I realized that we needed to buy more shoes, so I promised to return to the region and bring one thousand shoes to the poor children before the upcoming winter. So if anyone is interested in joining me in meeting these children with a gift of new shoes, you are welcome to join me in Nepal or join me in Delhi to visit Dharamsala. I will be travelling to Nepal ahead of time for goods shopping and I’ll meet the group then we will fly together or travel by road to Phaplu airport in Solukhumbu, the land of Sherpa. If you are doctors or nurses, you can also help the villagers during the trip. The duration of the trip to Nepal will be two weeks and the India trip will be eight days.

Climates: The weather in Solukhumbu area in September will be very pleasant, but the weather in Kathmandu will be warm, so you don't need to take heavy warm clothes. Weather in Dharamsala is also very pleasant during September. If you wish to join me, then you must be fit to walk up and down hills about 20-30 minutes per day. When we reach the foothills of Mount Everest, you’ll enjoy the scenery of the Himalaya with fresh air and blue sky. You will also have the opportunity to see Mt. Everest very closely. It will be a very interesting experience in your life. Let’s go and spread happiness.

Registration: If anyone is interested to join my Charity Trip or Trip to Dharamsala, please register by email at: office@delekcf.org or call Donyo at (510) 674-6000. Once you register, you will need to send full payment by July 15, 2022 along with a photocopy of your valid passport, separate registration forms for either both trips or one or the other of the trips. Please clearly write a note indicating that you are GROUP ONE for Nepal, or GROUP TWO for Dharamsala or BOTH along with signed registration/consent forms and passport copies and your full payment. For payment, please send a check payable to Delek Children's Foundation and mail it to: 5600 Sutter Ave. Richmond, CA 94804. Please mention the Nepal or India trip in the memo. Registration will end on July 15, 2022. Please note that without payment the registration will not be confirmed. There will be limited people accepted to join the Nepal charity trip.

 

 

Important: During the tour we will be staying in standard hotels and guest houses. We will make the greatest effort to make you as comfortable as possible. However, traveling in the Himalaya can be a little rough. All participants are advised to check with their health insurance carrier as to coverage abroad and for precautionary medical treatment for travel in Nepal and India. Emergency medical facilities may not be readily available at all times in Nepal and India.

(IMPORTANT): We are recommending all members to book their tickets through Third Eye Travels and Tours and to contact Sonam at: (510) 487 9010 ext 101 or email: sonam@thirdeyetravel.com. If you are joining both the Nepal and Dharamsala Trips, please make sure you book your return ticket from New Delhi, India NOT from Kathmandu. Ask Sonam and find the best tickets possible. It would be good if all group members travelled to Kathmandu or Delhi together. Once you register, we'll be sharing your flight information with all group members so that you'll know who is in our group. If one chooses to fly with a different airline using one's own mileage points or to fly from a different city, please make sure to arrive in Kathmandu or in Delhi on the same days as the others. If one arrives behind schedule, they may not be able to join the trip.

I look forward to seeing you in Kathmandu or in Delhi.

For more information about the trip, please contact me directly at (510) 674-6000, but I'll be leaving for Dharamsala on August 3rd. After this please send us an email at: office@delekcf.org and we will respond to your email.

Thank you,
Thupten Donyo