Nepal's Happy Place
5 – 12 December 2026 (7 nights, 8 days)
From USD 5,580 per person
This is the house Sir Edmund Hillary returned to, year after year, long after Everest made him famous.
Eighteen miles south of Everest, in the pine-shaded village of Phaplu, a ten-room Sherpa house has spent half a century as sanctuary to mountaineers, monks, and travellers — Sir Edmund Hillary among them, who returned to it for years after his historic summit and called it, simply, his happy place.
This is a small-group journey built around that house: candlelit rooms painted floor to ceiling in Buddhist thangka, monastery visits with resident monks, and a night camped on a ridge at 3,200 metres with the entire eastern Himalaya spread out at sunrise.
And running through all of it, stillness; the kind that’s increasingly hard to find, and impossible to manufacture.
Itinerary & Accommodation
Arrive into Kathmandu and transfer to The Dwarika’s, a hotel built by hand from rescued fragments of the old city — carved doorways and pillars saved from demolition, reassembled into one of Nepal’s most storied properties. Settle in and rest ahead of the days ahead.
Overnight at The Dwarika’s, Junior Suite
Visit Kathmandu Durbar Square and the Kumari Ghar, home to Nepal’s Living Goddess, before a rickshaw ride through the spice markets of Thamel. In the evening, walk to Boudhanath Stupa to watch pilgrims circle the monument at dusk.
Overnight at The Dwarika’s, Junior Suite
A short mountain flight brings you to Phaplu, followed by a walk through the bazaar to The Happy House — Sir Edmund Hillary’s former residence. Settle in with a garden lunch and a short acclimatisation walk through the village.
Overnight at The Happy House, Full Board
Morning yoga precedes a hike up to Chiwong Monastery, built in 1923 on a rock face above the valley. Lunch with the resident monks is followed by a guided meditation in the prayer hall, before walking or biking back down to the House.
Overnight at The Happy House, Full Board
An easy morning at the House gives way to an uphill walk through pine forest to Ratnange Ridge, arriving in time for sunset over the Himalaya. Expedition-style tents await, and dinner is served in a Mongolian yurt beneath an open sky.
Overnight at Ratnange Ridge Camp, Expedition Tent
Wake for sunrise over Everest and the eastern Himalaya from the ridge, before walking down to Chyalsa, once a Tibetan refugee settlement. Return to The Happy House for an afternoon of woodblock printing and prayer-bead making with local artisans, followed by a farewell dinner.
Overnight at The Happy House, Full Board
Bid farewell to the mountains and fly back to Kathmandu.
The afternoon is at leisure to do some shopping or exploring.
Overnight at Hyatt Regency Kathmandu
- Dec 5–7: 2 nights at The Dwarika’s, Kathmandu — Junior Suite, with breakfast
- Dec 7–11: 4 nights at The Happy House, Phaplu — Full Board, including 1 night camping at Ratnange Ridge
- Dec 11–12: 1 night at Hyatt Regency Kathmandu — with breakfast
- Private charter flight, Kathmandu – Phaplu – Kathmandu
- All excursions as per itinerary, including monastery visits, guided treks, camping equipment, and wellness activities
- All airport transfers, transportation, and a private driver throughout
- International flights to and from Kathmandu
- Travel and health insurance
- Nepal visa fees
- Tips and gratuities for your guide and driver
- Personal expenses (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone calls, and other items of a personal nature)
- Expenses arising from voluntary or involuntary re-routing of your itinerary due to situations beyond our control
What to Know About Amala's Happy House Journey
A Shared Experience
This is a small-group journey built around connection as much as place — shared meals at The Happy House, a night together on the ridge, and the kind of conversation that happens naturally around an open fire.
Pace & Style of Travel
Days move at a considered pace, balancing guided excursions — monastery visits, village walks, a night of camping — with unstructured time at the House for yoga, reading, or simply sitting by the fire.
Group Dynamics
You’ll travel together for flights, treks, and key excursions, with plenty of room for solitude — whether that’s a quiet morning in the library or a walk through the pine forest alone.
Accommodation
From Kathmandu’s Dwarika’s Hotel to the ten-room Happy House and a night in an expedition-style tent on Ratnange Ridge, accommodation moves from heritage luxury to genuine wilderness — each one chosen for its story as much as its comfort.
Physical Requirements
No technical trekking experience is required. The walks to Chiwong Monastery and Ratnange Ridge are moderate, at elevations between 2,500m and 3,200m, with two nights in Kathmandu beforehand to help with acclimatisation.
Mindset
This is a journey for travellers drawn to history as much as landscape — those happy to spend an afternoon in a monastery prayer hall, or an evening in the sort of unhurried conversation the House has hosted for half a century.
Amala Travel
+65 6734 0370 info@amaladestinations.com
IATA : 96601131
TA License: TA02145
Proud Members of Serandipians
