One step closer to the sky
Himalaya, India
The Himalaya is vast, ancient, alive – and makes every other mountain look like a hill with ambition. Its immense skyline stretches across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and Pakistan, holding ten of the world’s fourteen highest peaks above 8,000 metres. In the Indian Himalaya, Shakti has pioneered a gentle way to journey: tailor-made village hikes, private chefs, cooking lessons, restored luxury homes, and the rare privilege of living mountain life up close.
There’s something about being this high up that brings you back down to earth.
Not just high, but holy
“Shakti” means divine feminine power in Sanskrit – a name that suits journeys designed to restore. Here, paths older than memory lead to cliffside temples and forgotten trade routes. Peaks are not just stone, they are guardians and storytellers. Walk them slowly, and you begin to feel the Himalaya not just high, but holy.
Stories between the peaks
Every trail carries a story. One morning leads you to a hidden viewpoint above the Ramganga river; another through forests where old trade routes whisper of salt and wool. Your private guide shares stories of spirits. Ajendhi-bubu, the forest god who guides lost travellers back home. Every trail moves with your rhythm. A child waves from a doorway, an old woman lays a warm chapati into your hand. Shakti’s journeys are mindful by design: the luxury is time, the gift is perspective.
Community at the core
Community at the core
What makes Shakti special is not just comfort, but connection. Each house is leased from local families, helping sustain village life. Vegetables come from the terraces you pass each morning, milk from a neighbour’s cows, spices from gardens that scent the air. Those who welcome, cook, and guide you are from these mountains. To stay in a Shakti house is to step into the heart of village life.
Mountains that move you
Mountains that move you
People speak of the Himalaya in superlatives: the highest, the hardest, the holiest – yet its truth is more intimate. You feel it when breath meets step, when silence becomes a companion, when your inner world mirrors the mountains: clear, wide, alive. The Himalaya asks for no conquest, only attention. And it leaves you with peace, not peaks.
By: Nadia Angelucci on November 2025
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