Wellness, luxury and culture in Nepal

I have traveled several times to Nepal, a country that I love due to the spectacular mountains and the mildness of its population, dedicating myself to intense days of trekking amidst natural scenery still carved out as my most cherished memories. This time, however, I needed to rest and detox myself from the small anxieties of every day life without renouncing to satisfy my cultural interests. 

After a brief reflection I found the solution. Pamper myself in a 5-star resort with a mix of rejuvenating treatments for body and mind, choosing some excursions to explore the fascinating Nepalese culture, very centered on spirituality. A week in the Dwarika resorts of Kathmandu and Dhulikhel offer a fantastic program to meet all these needs.

Affiliated to Virtuoso for the high level of hospitality il can guarantee, the resort bear the name of its founder Dwarika Das Shrestha. Born into a wealthy family, Dwarika founded the first hotel in Nepal in the 1950s, used mainly by pilgrims. Then he bought the property where the current resort is located and started building it using old wooden windows that he was collecting (still visible). For him it was a tribute to the country's tradition of working with wood, for his detractors a sign of poverty. Instead he strengthened his vision of giving value to the traditions of his country, without giving up modernity. Therefore the Dwarika resort took shape with the contribution of good local artisans, working with both wood and terracotta, and now, still managed by the founder's family, can boast the world's largest collection of wooden objects! Staying at the Dwarika in Katmandu is like living in a museum.

So in the capital of Nepal I take this opportunity to do cultural excursions. I suggest visiting Pashupatinath, the oldest and holiest temple in Nepal. It is located on the bank of the Bagmati river and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Pashupatinath is an important site for sacred rituals of bathing and cremation, since the water flows into the Ganges. From there you can move to admire the Boudhnath, a Buddhist stupa, which is considered one of the largest in the world. This stupa attracts Tibetans, many of whom are pilgrims who come to Nepal to visit only the Boudhnath. Also don’t miss visiting the monasteries, which are located around the stupa.

Another day I dedicate it to visit Patan, the "city of fine arts". I am struck by the Durbar square, the Krishna temple, which holds a dominant position in the Patan palace complex, and is the only one in Nepal that has 21 spiers and is made entirely of stone, and the Hiranya Varna Mahavihar - temple of gold of Buddha.

In Dhulikel, the real wellness part of the program awaits me. The resort that welcomes me is in a splendid position for the views. Here too I find a luxurious environment that knows how to integrate itself with the heritage of the country, still managing to express the Nepalese soul.

The spaces of the resort for relaxing experiences, in addition to the swimming pool and the fitness center, take seductive names only in terms of pronunciation: meditation labyrinth, chamber of therapy of the chakra sound, hall of hymalaian rock salt, garden of the nine planets. And if meditation is not enough, yoga classes and courses in painting and ceramics are a more active way to rediscover a sense of self that we tend to overlook in the everyday  life.

What can I say about food ?... I omit to describe the tastes that will satisfy your palate and I limit myself only to focus on  the freshness of the ingredients. Indeed, you will be able to go to a nearby farm, choose them and leave the chef to prepare delicious dishes with them.
In short, if you really need to pull the plug for a while and detox to regain your physical and mental wellbeing, this is the place for you.