Bowled over by Nepal...
Wendy Gomersall revels in the kingdom’s mystical beauty – and enjoys a very unusual spa therapy
ATALL ,dark stranger wasbeating the metal bowlresting on my buttockwithal um p of wood , anditwa sn’ tan unpleasantsensation .Each strikeproducedaloud , echoing toll and incrediblevibration st hat shimmied through my body from top to toe . It was quite extraordinary.
TheSinging Bowl Therapy, so I’d beeninformed,is an ancient practice uniquetotheHimalayanregion.Humanorgansvibrate at specific frequencies whenhealthyand disturbed frequencies whensick, apparently. The bowlis said to havethe ability to bringthese frequencies in tobalance, thus restoringhealth.
During my 60- minutesession , thetherapistgot through a stack of bowlsofas sorted sizes , and was uncannilyaccuratein pin pointingvarioustroublespots , including a dodgy back .
Didit cure anything ? Who knows . Icertainlyslept very soundly that night , butthat might have been down to the location .TheSinging Bowl Therapy is one of thetreatmentsavailableat possibly the bests pare sort on Earth.
Sit almostanywhere in the forested 14- acre site of the Dwarika’s Resort Dhulik he lin Nepal and , po kingout of thecloudsready for your inspection , you’ ll seethe jagged , iced peak soft he world’ s mostspectacularmountains .They even giveyoua map of the Himalayas identifyingeachpeak you can see , weather permitting ,from 26,289 ft Shishapangma to the left ,to23,559ft Melungtse on the right . You can’ t see Eve rest though.Designed to echoa traditional Nepalese village,accommodation is in separatevillasscattered around the gardens , which a repacked with plants such as rhododendrons , chrysanthemums and orchids . Bird sand butterflies galore flit around.
The best rooms come with ahugeroofterrace–the perfect placeo n which to curl up and read a book.Publicareasare equally gorgeous,withthe most amazinginfinity poolI’ve ever seen, the blue watermelding seamlessly with the sky.
Most spectacular for mountain-watchingthough, positionedin splendid isolation as if on theedgeoftheworld,istheZeroZone Lounge and its roof terrace.
There are two restaurants –Nature’s Flavoursserves deliciousNepalesemeals and internationalfare, and there’s a Japanese, Mako’sZen. To nourish the soul, thereare gentle activities on offer–pottery,farming, yoga, gardening ormeditation.You can also do nothingbutliearound with your head in the clouds on one of anumber ofcomfydaybeds. Oh, and there’s that amazing spa.The Pancha Kosha HimalayanSpahassound andcolour therapy booths, a Himalayan salt house,open-air massage areas, yoga hall and steam rooms, and, tuckedawayinaquietcorner,the SingingBowl Therapy Room.
There’s also an outdoorMeditationMaze–youshake offyourshoes to feel the dew-kissedgrass wrap around your toes asyouslowly wander around. There’s
nothing like fresh mountain air and a bit of pampering to calm the soul. And, frankly, you’ll need to be in good spirit to tackle Kathmandu.
Nepal’s noisy, busy, dusty, bustling, heavily populated capital is about an hour’s drive and a world away from Dhulikhel. It’s a shock to the system for the novice traveller, even if it is culturally fascinating.
It is taking time for the country to recover from the earthquake of April 2015 and for damaged buildings to be repaired. Head to Durbar Square, in the heart of the old city, which has about 50 temples, palaces and other monuments, Hindu and Buddhist, all with exotic names and looks. And close by is the Temple Of The Living Goddess.
The other must-sees include Swayambhunath, which is one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites. The monkeys like it, too.
When you need to retreat from the sensory overload, there’s the divine Dwarika’s Kathmandu, sister to the Dhulikhel property. This beautiful boutique hotel is richly furbished with many examples of Nepalese craftsmanship – the wood carvings are especially beautiful.
The founder, the late Dwarika Das Shrestha, described his hotel as ‘an asylum and hospital for the care of wounded masterpieces in wood where they are restored to their original natural beauty’.
He had been spurred into saving as many of them as possible after he came across chilly workmen fuelling their street fire with a number of fine carvings.
Mercifully, Dwarika’s Kathmandu required only minor work after the earthquake, while Dwarika’s Dhulikhel suffered no damage at all.
So Nepal still has wonderful places to stay and plenty to see, and those who depend on tourists for an income would be very pleased to see you, too.
‘There’s nothing like fresh mountain air and a bit of pampering to calm the soul’