SINGING WITH ELEPHANTS

A Singing Journey into the soul of Nepal

SINGING WITH ELEPHANTS

Small Group Travel : Max 12 – 15 Pax
Dates : 22 March to 5 April, 2026

SINGING WITH ELEPHANTS is a musical journey that touches all aspects of Nepalese culture. 

We travel with Maestro Anub Ghatak and a fusion band of three wonderful Nepalese folk musicians. Over the first five days in Patan [Kathmandu] we build a repertoire of Nepalese folk, popular songs and sacred chants to share as we travel. Our voices become a connective tissue that touches sacred Hindu and Buddhist spaces as well as Nepalese people in NGO schools and remote villages. 

We sing as the sun rises & sets overlooking Mt Annapurna in Pokhara, with Tharu and Chepan villagers and Newari communities. We sing on safari, with one eye open for one-horned buffaloes and tigers in Chitwan National Park. We perform on the last day to invited guests just once in Patan [Kathmandu].

There is another once only performance – something you will remember for the rest of your life. It is a session singing to assembled rescued elephants in Sapana. We create a bridge across the species between humans and elephants, and explore that possibility for just a special, precious moment in time. 

Re-adjust your bucket list and put Singing with Elephants on it immediately!
 

Singing with Elephants is an ambitious and heartfelt musical 'tour de force' that experiences Nepal in a unique and fascinating way

You Are The Dancer. These Are Your Moves!

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YOUR PLACES

Singing with Elephants picks the jewels out of the Nepalese cultural treasure trove. Beautiful inns & hotels supplement an amazing journey.

  • Patan [Kathmandu]:
    One of the three ancient cities of Kathmandu, Patan is an astoundingly beautiful cultural & architectural wonderland. 

  • Sarangkot [Pokhara]:
    Sarangkot, just outside the city of Pokhara, affords the most perfect view of the Annapurna Range and easy access to the city. 
     
  • Chitwan:
    Sapana Village Lodge in the Chitwan Nature Reserve is dedicated to creating social capital projects in the community and providing refuge for retired elephants. 
     
  • Patan {Kathmandu]:
    The journey ends back in Patan with a concert to share our music with local people. 
     

Four of Nepal’s most Incredible Destinations!

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YOUR PROCESS

  • The Rehearsal: The mornings of our first five days in Patan [Kathmandu] are spent creating a song list with Maestro Anub and our three Nepalese folk musicians. We explore Kathmandu late mornings and afternoons.
  • Repertoire: The music is selected to reinforce the theme of the journey – to connect with Nepal and Nepalese people. There will be simple Nepali folk songs that people will love to hear; meditative chants for sacred spaces; Western & Nepali fusions that can extend into jams. 
  • Arrangements: Anub will create musical arrangements that fuse western harmonies with Nepalese folk music. Interestingly, the huge influence of the hippy movement in Kathmandu established a genre of Nepali/Western fusion music. 
  • The Nepalese Musicians: We are accompanied by 3 superb Nepalese musicians who have been chosen for their beautiful and adaptive playing. They are great guys as well. 
  • Singing Level: Nepalese people will love our attempts to sing their songs in their language. They will appreciate the generosity of spirit that underlies that attempt. Musical perfection is not our aim and reading music is not required. It probably helps to have had some experience singing in a choir. Having said that, we will seek to honour the moment with beautiful and heartfelt singing. 
  • Performance: We sing as we go, in pop-up performance with children in an NGO, an improv piece as the sun rises over Annapurna, impersonating buskers in Durbar Square, sessions with Nepalese people in villages. There will be a joyous final recital with people we have met on the last night in Patan to celebrate our journey.  
  • Singing with Elephants: We have daily interactions with the elephants occurs during our stay at the Sapana Village Lodge in Chitwan. We will spend time getting to know these rescue elephants, while Anub will create a piece – Song for Elephants – to sing to them on our final day.
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YOUR PROGRAM

A 15 day journey through Kathmandu, Pokhara and Sapana Village in Chitwan, interacting with local tribal people, nature, animals and the architecture of Nepal. through the connective power of music. EXTRAORDINARY!

  • The Adventure Begins: Arrive at The Inna in Patan and enter the beautiful world of Newar architecture and history. The adventure begins.
  • Immerse In The Fable: Whether it’s the light or the depth of the architecture, Kathmandu and Nepal in general is a like entering a fable. 
  • The NGO: The disadvantaged children at Dr Rashmi’s school are encouraged to be boisterous, confident, creative and kind. Coming from difficult backgrounds they find love and security in this place. We will all sing together and have a blast. 
  • The Artisans: Visits to master Tunka artists and wood and stone carvers will blow your mind. The tradition of devotional art, both Buddhist and Hindu, is alive and thriving in Nepal.
  • Sarangkot:  The accommodation is perched on a ridge overlooking the Annapurna Range. Nearby Pukhara is fascinating, but just being in this beautiful place, singing each day, will be sublime.
  • Tribal people: We actively engage with Chepan, Musahar, Newar, Rai and Tharu people. In each location we create interactions with local people to chat about their lives and culture. We will do our best to sing songs they love. 
  • Chitwan: The National Park safari is amazing. The day in the jungle is a brilliant change of pace with the chance of seeing one-horned rhinos, birds. deer, wild boar, monkeys, sloth bears and if we are extremely blessed, a Royal Bengal Tiger.
  • Elephants: Over the four days and nights in Sapana Village Lodge we will interact with the five rescue elephants and their handlers that live there, getting to know them as they get to know us.
  • Singing with Elephants: On the final morning we will sing a composition by Anub to our friends. 
  • Back in Kathmandu: will feel like coming home. 
  • The final night includes a feast, celebration, and performance for the Nepalese people we have met.”
  • Part of you leaves today and part of you never will.
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YOUR GURUS

Our knowledgeable and passionate guides bring deep cultural insights and unique perspectives, enriching your travel experience. They unlock hidden gems, share fascinating stories, and provide meaningful interactions, making your journey immersive and unforgettable.

  • Anub Ghatak: Maestro and Travelling Minstrel
    Anub is one of India’s most diverse and accomplished musicians playing violin, viola, guitar and flute. He traverses the Western and Eastern traditions with equal expertise. Anub is a conductor and holds an international degree with distinction at the Royal School of Music, London. He has performed in Berlin, Munich and all over India as leader/concert master/assistant conductor. He’s a great guy to be around. 
  • Bharat Nepali – legendary sarangi musician
    Prodigy on the Sarangi and Madal since childhood. Maestro of Nepali traditional, classical and folk music. Bharat has toured extensively across Japan, Hongkong, Singapore and France with Nepali ensembles as well as jazz fusion groups. He’s a prolific composer with several instrumental albums released. His piece, Prayer for Japan, a lament on sarangi in the wake of the massive Tsunami attack has been performed several times internationally.
  • Ajay Nepali – guitar, vocals and music fusion
    The hippies left a great music tradition in Nepal of which musicians like Ajay is a beneficiary. The fusion of Nepali folk and Western music is everywhere. Musicians like Ajay and our percussionist Naresh Prajapati, allows for the western voices to merge seamlessly.
Itinerary Pdf
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YOUR INNS & LODGES

The Inn

Patan, Kathmandu, Nepal

Sarangkot Mountain Lodge

Sarangkot, Pokhara, Nepal

Sapana Village Lodge 

Chitwan, Nepal

The Inn

Patan, Kathmandu, Nepal

Exceptional & Unique Accommodation Spaces!

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YOUR INSPIRATION

Heaven is a myth – Nepal is real.
– Anonymous –
 
In the Land of Everest and ancient temples, the spirit of adventure and serenity live side by side.
– Anonymous –
 
If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha.
– Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw –
 
Namaste – It was a Nepalese greeting. It meant: The light within me bows to the light within you.
– Jennifer Donnelly –
 
Nepali outlook, pace and philosophy had prevented us from being swamped by our problems. In Nepal, it was easier to take life day by day.
– Jane Wilson-Howarth –

DETAILS

DATES & GROUP SIZE

March 22 to April 5 – 2026
15 Days
12 – 15 pax

Singing with Elephants is a moderately active program with some walking required in Varanasi and Jaisalmer.

Apart form that, some conversations with different Indian people need guidance from participants to avoid culturally inappropriate questions. As a general rule, questions will be asked at the conclusion of sessions and at the discretion of the facilitator.

The tour commences in Kathmandu on Sunday at The Inn at 2 pm on March 22 – 2026.

The tour concludes after breakfast on Sunday April 5 – 2026.

The tour starts in Kathmandu.

If you wish to add extra tours or flights to Nepal you can contact Dinesh Adhikari at ehtours@explorehimalayatravel.com

VISAS, HEALTH, CLIMATE, CURRENCY.

TOUR PRICE

$6,950 USD Per Person [Twin Share]
Deposit $1,500 USD Per Person [Payable upon booking]
Single Room Supplement $1,500 USD Per Person. [Payable upon booking]
Balance payable 3 months before departure.

Tour deposit is non-refundable.

– Programs accompanied by Tour Facilitator, Tour Director plus one other translator/cultural guide plus local specialist guides and cultural interactions in Jaisalmer and Varanasi.

– Accommodation on Double/Twin occupancy for 14 nights on bed & breakfast basis.
– Meals mentioned in Itinerary. 13 Lunches (Hotels / Local Restaurants) and 14 Dinners at Hotels.
– All transfers, excursion & sightseeing by using AC Deluxe Coach.
– Fully curated event that integrates tour theme into the daily itinerary.
– Conversations with Bhopa Gypsies. Maganiyar Muslim communities, selected personalities, Sufi priests, Sadhu & Akhara community, tour to Tibetan university, and all other interactions mentioned on itinerary.
– Visit to NGO in Jodhpur.
– Monuments Entrance Fees.
– House boat ride in Varanasi including musicians.
– 4 x Domestic Airfares.
– Services of agents representatives at airports.
– All currently applicable taxes including Government Service Tax.

– Alcohol.
– Laundry bills, telephone – calls, Tips, table drinks etc.
– Travel insurance, visa etc.
– Camera fees – still & video.
– Flights to and from India.
– Any other expense which is not mentioned in inclusions.

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FAQs

How will the rehearsal process work?

Do I have to be a professional musician?

Are the people paid?

Will Nepal people enjoy the music?

Will the elephants enjoy the music?

Do we do other things as well on the Singing with Elephants event?

It must get quite emotional singing with people from a different culture?

Can we film the events?

Can you arrange flights to India or Nepal?

Should I arrive early for the trip to acclimatise?

Dr. Vishakha Sharma

Gallery

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Partner Network Accreditations

Our Story

VANISHING INDIA is an imprint of Fabulous Limited, part of the market-leading Fabulous Media Private Limited group, one of the leading marketing networks. It works in association with India Personal Tours [IPT Travel Private Limited] and Explore Himalaya Travel Pvt. Ltd {Explore Himalaya Tours}, two long-standing travel companies. Bookings are made through Stripe, one of the world’s most secure payment gateway.

Legacy travel companies are working with one of India’s leading entrepreneurial entities to deliver on VANISHING INDIA’s simple objective – to revolutionise the way travel is experienced on the subcontinent.