Teaching in Bodhgaya, Bihar, India: Attending HH Dalai Lama and visiting the sacred Buddhist sites around Bodhgaya: On December 28 and 29, His Holiness will give teachings on Shantideva's A Guide to the Boddhisattva's Way of Life (chodjug). On December 30, His Holiness will confer an Avalokiteshvera Initiation (chenresig wang). On December 31, His Holiness will attend a Long Life offering prayer given to him. on January 2 & 3, 2020, His Holiness will conclude the empowerments on The Wheel of Teachings on Manjushri Empowerments (jamyang choekhor) in the mornings:  December 27, 2019 – January 3, 2020 - US$1950

10% of the proceeds of all our journeys go to social development work and spreading the Dharma in India

Costs are based on twin-sharing and are inclusive of all taxes. The journey price includes: airport transfers and escort services, transportation in Gaya, guides, monument entrance fees, food (all 3 meals), bottled mineral water and lodging arrangements for the duration of the journey.

The price does not cover: airfare to and from Gaya, Indian visas and other international arrangements, any extra days spent in India prior to or beyond the dates of the journey, excess baggage on the flights, phone calls and faxes during the journey, laundry, medical and other insurance coverage.
Tips are not included in the price.

The journeys begin and end in Bodhgaya. If you would like us to make arrangements for your arrival and departure, we are happy to assist.

We have an opportunity to travel in the company of a practiced guide, who will accompany the group.  We will spend 8 days together, maintaining the spirit of attentiveness. We will arrange visits to local sacred Buddhist sites like Nalanad, Rajgir and Bodhgaya.

We are sure it will be a wonderful and fulfilling immersion into the Dharma.

You will be met at Gaya airport and taken to your hotel.

ITINERARY:

HOTELS AND ITINERARY

We meet at The Royal Residency Hotel at 12 noon (12:00hrs) on December 27, 2019

                The Royal Residency Hotel or equivalent                                               7 NIGHTS

DEPARTURE IN THE AFTEROON/EVENING OF JANUARY 3, 2020

NOTES:
A few points to take note of before you arrive for the Bodhgaya Teachings. It may be useful to have this paper with you when you arrive in India:

• You will need a valid passport and visa for India. 

The visa for India should be obtained before travel. The Indian Embassy in the US has outsourced its visa applications at http://www.in.ckgs.us/index.shtml
An Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) as e-Tourist Visa on Arrival (eTVA) is also available for travelers from 166 countries including Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, UK,  Singapore, Germany, Russia, Mexico, Japan, Norway, Finland...  
You can apply for this Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) a minimum of 4 days before your date of travel. This visa is issued for 60 days only. 
https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html
Please ensure that the travel period is covered by the visa you are applying for.
Once you get your India visa, please send us all your visa details: visa number, place of issue, date of issue and date of expiry.

• Translation: His Holiness primarily teaches in Tibetan. Therefore, on most occasions when His Holiness is teaching in India efforts are made to provide official translation into Chinese, English, Hindi, Japanese, Korean & Vietnamese depending on the availability of officially-approved translators. Those interested in listening to the translation need to bring along a small FM radio with headphones. Please note other electronic gadgets will not be allowed.

• It can get cold in Bodhgaya at this time of the year. We would recommend that you get one or two cardigans or jumpersand one coat. It could be warmer during the day so please get some cotton clothes as well. Average temperatures are between 5 and 20 degrees Celsius. It's best to be comfortable yet modestly dressed in keeping with a conservative culture. There is no need to bring any formal clothes. There could also be some rain, so it handy to have an umbrella which could double up as a sunshade if it gets too sunny, or maybe a light raincoat.
• Please get comfortable sneakers or sandals (which you can wear with socks if it gets cold). We may go for a trek or two if you so wish. We also visit places where we are expected to remove our shoes, so it is advisable to bring footwear that we can take off and put on with ease. You may like to wear socks if you prefer not to walk bare-foot or even bring a pair of airline slip-ons that you could wear over your regular socks.
• Laundry facilities are available but if the weather is wet, it may take more than 24 hours. 
• Arrangements are made for seating outside the temple as well and some people prefer to sit here.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR THIS TRIP
You will need a valid passport and visa for India.
The visa for India should be obtained before travel.
The Indian Embassy in the US has outsourced its visa applications at http://www.in.ckgs.us/index.shtml

Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) as e-Tourist Visa (ETV) is also available for travelers from 164 countries including United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Germany, Russia, Mexico, Japan, Norway, Finland...   https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html
You can apply for this Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) a minimum of 4 days before your date of travel.

Please ensure that the visa covers the travel period for which you are applying.
If you need a reference in India, you can give: 

Mr. Shantum Seth
309-B, Sector 15A, Noida 201 301,
District Gautam Buddha Nagar
India
Telephone: +91-120-2511633.
You may need to submit the following information about the tour company:
Company Name: Seth Consultants Pvt. Ltd. (Government-Approved Tour Operators)
Registered Address: 50/8 First Floor, Tolstoy Lane, Janpath, New Delhi 110001, INDIA
Tel: +91-120-2511633, +91-120-4334284; +91-120-2512162
Email:info@buddhapath.com

IMPORTANT DEADLINES
Each participant must provide the following details in order to reserve hotels: Name, gender, date of birth, passport number, date of issue of passport, date of expiry of passport, place of issue of passport, and emergency contact information.  In addition, registrants must provide the visa number, date of issue, date of expiry and place of issue as soon as the visa for travel to India has been issued.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE, ACCEPTANCE OF CREDIT CARDS & TIPPING
As stated above, hotels, food, transportation in India and guide service are all covered by the tour fees.  It is suggested that travelers carry cash for expenses like gifts or souvenirs, as it is difficult to change money at the sites we visit during the Teachings.  Travelers will also need money if they are planning to extend their stay in India before or after the Teachings.  Credit cards such as VISA or American Express are accepted in some of the hotels and large shops in Delhi, but may not be accepted in Bodhgaya.  There are ATM machines in most places where one can access cash, but their presence is not universal as it is in the U.S.  As of January 2019, one U.S. dollar approximates 70 Indian Rupees.  We recommend that you convert some cash at the airport when you arrive in New Delhi.  There is no need to exchange it in your country — it is best to do so in India.  There are a couple of banks with a standard exchange rate at the airport both before and after you clear customs.  ATM machines can also be used, but there could be issues with this method.  Please keep your bank receipts carefully in case you need to change the money into dollars before you return home. 

Travelers often have questions about tipping. We estimate tips come to about $5 per person per day.

If you arrive before the start of the Teachings or stay after it concludes, the general rule is as follows: tipping someone who has carried your luggage is common and we would suggest Rs.50 or Rs.100. Depending on how heavy your luggage is and how many pieces there are, Rs.100 is a reasonable amount for three pieces of baggage.  In restaurants, one normally leaves a tip of 10% of the entire bill, unless a service charge has already been levied.  It is not necessary to tip taxi drivers; however if you have hired a car for the day and you are happy with the driver, a tip of Rs.300 to Rs.500 or so is fine.

TO REGISTER
A non-refundable deposit of US$500 per person is required at the time of booking.  The remainder of the cost of the Teachings is due eight weeks before the journey date 

CANCELLATION
For cancellations received up to eight weeks before the commencement of the journey only the deposit will be forfeited.  The cancellation fee within eight weeks of the beginning of the journey will be 100% of the total cost.

Travel Insurance: The range of coverage can vary significantly from policy to policy, and travelers are encouraged to speak with a travel agency to identify a policy that suits their needs.  Things to consider are travel delays, trip cancellation or interruption, medical coverage, and baggage loss or delay.  Before purchasing insurance, you may wish to check with your health insurance carrier to see if your policy includes medical care overseas.  Please note that many insurance carriers require that insurance be purchased at the time a deposit or final payment is made; check with your carrier for details. 

HOTELS/HOUSING
We choose accommodations in the vicinity of the teachings based on shared, twin-bedded rooms with a private bath or shower and toilet.  The accommodations are clean and comfortable. If you prefer a single room (where available, as Bodhgaya can get very full during the teachings, there is a price supplement of US$ 700 per person.

ELECTRICITY
220 volts, 50 cycles AC. Plugs/sockets are usually an issue, so please make sure you travel with a universal plug adaptor. The plug sockets have round holes, so ensure your adaptor plug has round stems.

WEATHER & CLOTHING NEEDS
It can get cold in Bodhgaya at this time of the year. We would recommend that you get one or two cardigans or jumpers and one coat. It could be warm during the day so please get some cotton clothes as well. Average temperatures are between 7 and 20 degrees Celsius. It's best to be comfortable yet modestly dressed in keeping with a conservative culture. There is no need to bring any formal clothes. There could also be some rain, so it handy to have an umbrella which could double up as a sunshade if it gets sunny.
Please bring comfortable sneakers or sandals (which you can wear with socks if it gets cold).  We also visit places where you will need to remove your shoes, so it is helpful to bring a pair of socks (the airline slip-ons are very convenient).  It is always useful to have a hat or cap to protect you from the sun.  We are allowed 15 kgs checked in baggage and 7 kilos as cabin baggage on Indian airplanes, so we recommend that you travel light. 
Laundry facilities are available at the place we stay, and laundry is usually returned within 24 hours.

HEALTH CONCERNS
We stay in clean, safe places, and the food in the places we stay will be clean, fresh and prepared to suit a delicate digestive system.  You will be provided bottled mineral water for drinking.
If you are coming from Africa or some parts of Latin America, a certificate of yellow fever inoculation is required by the Indian authorities.  There is no other medical restriction upon your entry into India.  We normally recommend a Hepatitis-A shot and a Tetanus shot.  If you prefer to be more careful, then please speak to your physician.  Please bring your own regular medication, if you are taking them and some emergency medicines.  We would recommend you get an insect/mosquito repellent and also a stomach medicine for both diarrhea and constipation as one’s stomach has its own way of adjusting to different foods.

ADDITIONAL TRAVEL SERVICES (e.g. shuttle buses, taxis)
We provide airport transfers both ways and all the transport services during the Teachings, including having you met on arrival in Gaya airport.  There is no extra charge for meeting people at the airport.  For those who want to make your own arrangements, most airports have cabs lined up and you can register with them.  You need not pay anything extra.  Depending on the time you arrive the cab fare will be in the range of Rs.500-700.  It is easy to get a cab at the hotel for the airport when one leaves for the same price.

Arrival and departure are to and from Bodhgaya (Gaya), India.  Participants are responsible for making their own round-trip flight arrangements from their point of origin to Gaya India and back.  For international flights, tickets should be booked as early as possible.  Most international flights arrive at night or early morning.  You may check with us before you confirm your flight bookings.
We will arrange a complimentary airport transfer on arrival.

DEPARTURE
We will do a complimentary airport transfer for your departure.

EXTRA NIGHTS
For those wishing an extra day or two to recover from air travel before the Teachings begins, or who wish to stay longer after the Teachings ends, we would be happy to provide a list of hotels in Delhi and Gaya.  Please make your hotel bookings well in advance.
SINGLE ROOM
Single rooms are available and there is a single room supplement ($700).
For single travelers who do NOT want to opt for a single room, we will undertake to room them with someone suitable.

DISCLAIMER AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY
Shantum Seth and Seth Consultants Pvt. Ltd. while undertaking tours, transportation, hotel accommodation and other services only act on the clear understanding that they shall not be in any way responsible or liable for any accident, damage, loss, delay or inconvenience caused in connection with travel and other facilities arranged by the company, their employees or agents. All bookings are accepted and executed with utmost care, yet no responsibility is taken for any change or deviation on account of factors beyond their control.

By making a deposit for the tour, participants acknowledge that they have read and understood this document in its entirety, and have consented to all conditions herein, including the Disclaimer and Release of Liability.  For participants under age 18, their parent or legal guardian shall sign on their behalf and the same Disclaimer and Release shall apply.

Each guest must complete this form in full, and send (email is fine) with a non-refundabledeposit of $500 per pilgrim to:

Ms Bina Aranha
Buddhapath/Eleven Directions
309-B, Sector 15A, Noida 201 301, India
Tel: +91-120-4334284; 2511633; 2512162; 2512162  
info@buddhapath.com       info@elevendirections.com
www.buddhapath.com      www.elevendirections.com

NOTES:
A few points to take note of before you arrive for the Dharamshala Retreat. It may be useful to have this paper with you when you arrive in India:

*Forced single room supplement (in case we are not able to room you with anyone else) will be 50% of the single supplement)

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