HOME-COMING RETREATS
Immerse in a meaningful journey - a home-coming. 4 nights, 5 days. Blend with yoga, meditation, nature, art expression and the magic of Indian culture. Come in touch with the 5 elements: air, fire, earth, water, space. Amongst the Indian mountains, forests and community, you will find your home. Mostly, this is a home-coming to your own powerful self. This retreat is for everyone interested in exploring the love & peace that we are. You don’t need to have experience. In fact, we don’t have to do or become anything else than we are - we are naturally complete - and we will confirm this in our practices together. You receive yoga & breathwork, guided meditations, art workshops, a nature & forest temple hike and a cacao ceremony. All powerful tools to use in your daily life and path. An unforgettable experience.
20% DISCOUNT ON OUR RETREATS
HIGHLIGHTS
• Yoga and breathwork
• Calming meditations
• Earth pigment painting
• Fireside gathering
• Hike to a native forest with forest temple and picnic
• Cacao ceremony
• 4 nights / 5 days accommodation with Ayurvedic vegetarian meals
Your retreat supports Adara's community programs. A part of the profits will be used to impact and empower India's women, children, and environment.
-
What is the best time to visit Adara Farmstay?Personally, we feel all seasons have their charm and are worth a visit, depending on your wishes. Pauri is on 1700m altitude with generally moderate temperature, many sun hours and cooler evenings. We will describe the seasons briefly to you: September, October: comfortable temperatures 20-25°C. Just after the rainy season - the landscape is lush green and there's great chances of impressive Himalayan mountain views. November, December: getting cooler, around 18-20°C, but very pleasant and the bright sun makes days fun. Here, too, Himalayas can great you happily. January, February, March: winter season, 15-18°C during days and 8-15°C at nights. Cosy charm inside the house, a fire every now and then, slow days, cooking warm dishes and drinks, views can be awesome, less sun hours, good for experiencing a unique basic life. April, May, June: getting pleasantly warmer, 20-30°C, with cooler nights. Springtime, veggies are growing on the farm. Even on hotter days Pauri still offers a great escape from the heat in the rest of India. Bright longer days. Far-reaching views possible in March, but later rare due to haze. A good time of summer-feel picnics and cooler forest visits. July, August: rainfall, clouds dancing in the valley creating a special atmosphere, crickets tjirping, around 25°C. Outdoor activities are still possible between rains.
-
How do I pay for my stay?Internationals: Wise, cash. Indians: Google Pay, UPI, cash. You can also book through booking.com or Airbnb. Be mindful of the extra charges. When to pay? Payments can be done during your stay. In some cases, we may ask a payment in advance to confirm your booking. In the case of cancelling your booking within 1 day (24 hours) before arrival, we charge the first night.
-
What to do at Adara Farmstay? What to do in Pauri?Apart from slowing down, coming to rest and joining simple community life you can: Take a walk on the quiet upper forest road Visit different temples (in the forest) or an old church (in the valley) Enjoy picnics amongst the pine trees. we can organise these for you. Join an organised silent walking Read a book from our mini-library in the living room Visit the market of Pauri with its typical shops, cows and culture Receive a Henna treatment for your hands Treat yourself on tasty food in the Woodfire cafe Draw, paint, write, do yoga, play music, badminton Workshops: yoga, healing art, natural painting, Indian cooking
-
What food do you serve? What if I have special diet wishes?We offer home-cooked, nutritious vegetarian dishes. Our beloved local chef Krishna is a Nepalese woman who knows her ways. Lentils, rice, fresh salad, yoghurt dips, vegetables and roti's.. Much of it is vegan. Many have been pleasantly surprised by her soul food. We can make spicy food on request. We serve percolator coffee, chai and herbal teas. Let us know in advance if there are any special wishes.
-
How are the surroundings?Adara Farmstay is placed at the edge of the town Pauri, community houses surrounding us. Hikes to the upper forest and temples start from our house, shops on the street below, and Pauri center is a 20 minute-walk away. The cosy Woodfire cafe is a 10 minute walk. For foreigners not yet exposed to the Indian culture, it is good to know that not everything is 'perfect'. This means that you can find - apart from what we usually consider beauty - things like electricity posts, louder sounds, waste... Whether you can embrace all of this particular life, is up to you :).
-
Is Pauri (and India) safe to travel? What if I am a woman alone?We have experienced Pauri very safe and friendly, also for women. People are rather shy and polite. If you stay in Rishikesh (on your way here), The Tapovan area is a tourist zone and considered friendly, open, accessible and safe. Many single travelling women (and men) can be found here. Are you staying in Delhi? Make sure to arrange your pick-up and the hotel with care (many hotels have a pick-up service). Below a photo of Rishikesh
-
How do I reach Adara Farmstay?By aeroplane Take an international flight to Delhi airport (arrival at Terminal 3) At Terminal 3, go through Immigration and collect your luggage Take a flight from Delhi to Dehradun Jollygrant Airport (you can reach Terminal 2 with a pedestrian walkway) Taxi pick-up from Dehradun airport to Rishikesh (1 hour / around 20 euro) or straight to Pauri (5-6 hours / around 80 euro) Rishikesh is on the way to Pauri - a yoga backpacker town along the river Ganga and we personally recommend you to take a rest here for a night. Enjoy the bustling with cafes and culture. Next day, take a taxi from Rishikesh (around 60 euro) to Adara Farmstay - a scenic drive of 4 hours.. Taxi's can be arranged by us (reliable and the correct price). If you have any questions on your travel organisation, please contact us. By bus From Rishikesh, direct busses depart (at New Tehri busstand) to Pauri in the mornings between 8AM-12PM. Costs around 250Rs = 3 euro). It's a scenic 4-5 hours drive along the Ganga and into the mountains. From Pauri busstand, it's a 20 minute walk. We may be able to organise a pick-up if necessary. Taxi Private taxi's are easily available in Rishikesh (4-5 hour drive, around 60 euro) and can bring you to our place in Upper Chopra, Pauri. From Dehradun airport it's a 5-6 hour drive (120km, around 80 euro). Taxi's can be arranged by us (reliable and the correct price).
-
Does Adara Farmstay host volunteers?We enjoy to host volunteers and have had beautiful connections and co-creations so far. They are one of the reasons this place has become so wonderful. There is help required for gardening, carpentry, attending children with education, creative projects.. You can contact us to inform about current volunteering opportunities.
INSTRUCTORS
Karan Juyal
Karan has been teaching and practicing yoga and meditation for 10 years. To formalise his skills, he attends the 200 hrs Teacher Trainer Course end of August. Karan grew up at his ancestral home in Pauri, and later lived in different places across India. He studied engineering and taught himself music, English and yoga. Later he performed as a solo-musician, organised hikes and ran a homestay. In April 2021, Lieke and Karan returned to the ancestral home and started Adara. Karan is a steady force, a hard worker, a relaxed energy, calm, gentle and aware.
Lieke Hulshof
Lieke has 20+ years of painting experience. For the past 7 years she experiments with the power of abstract art and self-expression. She grew up as a Dutch girl with comfort around her. Lieke has lived in different countries, studied Social Geography, worked for NGOs in Kenya and Tanzania, and found herself a more intuitive and spontaneous life in India with meditation and writing. She creates Adara Farmstay (NGO and retreat) with Karan. Her energy is calm, creative, and she loves the adventure to new ways of life.
FAQ
Q – Can someone attend this retreat who has never done art / yoga before?
A – Yes, a complete beginner can join. This retreat will be inspiring for people from different levels.
Q - Can kids join the retreat?
A- No, kids are not allowed.
Q - Can I come a day early or extend my stay after the retreat?
A- Yes, please inform us. Extra charges applicable (single occupancy room – Rs. 1800, double occupancy room Rs. 3200). It is recommended if you want to immerse yourself more in the environment, slow travel, integrate what you learned. Adara has a special energy that many love to soak in.
Q – Do I need to bring anything with me for the paint and yoga workshop?
A – Bring your spirit and your curiosity. We provide the yoga mats and art supplies. Wear comfortable cloths for yoga. You can take your work home if you like.
Q - What to pack?
A - Comfortable clothes for yoga, some warm clothes for the evenings, comfortable shoes to have a walk/hike.
Q– Are you located in a very remote location?
A– We are located at a 20 min walk from Pauri centre, easily reachable by car/taxi. Stairs bring you up to our address. If you come by bus, we can arrange a pick-up from the busstand.
Q - Will I have access to the network?
A -You will have proper network connectivity with major providers like Airtel, Jio, etc. We can arrange a local simcard if needed.