Downloadable trip summary!

Shamans & Buddhists

The people are Tantric Buddhists who also have a Shamanistic background called Bon – and a fantastic history filled with legends and mythology. In fact, one of the highlights of our spiritual journey is hiking to Tiger’s Nest where Guru Rinpoche flew to on the back of a flaming tigress! Indeed, the monasteries are magical and beautiful in ways that I cannot begin to describe.

Finding the Buddha Within

Everyone who visits is touched in the most astonishing ways, by the landscape, the heart of the people, and their philosophies. By the time we leave, the experience will have opened your heart in a manner that that is totally unexpected. Through meditation, chanting, prayer and ceremony – we will expand our consciousness and cultivate the compassion of Buddha within us.

Compassion & Blessings

Thankfully we’ll have the opportunity to spend a day at Tongsa Tsechu, one of the annual religious dance festivals to immerse ourselves in ancient tradition where elaborate, spellbinding masked dances at the festival are performed by specially trained monks. We’ll also spend time visiting the very rare and endangered Black Necked Cranes in Phobjikha. And as a special gift, a Lama will be preparing a prayer and blessing ceremony for us. As service is an important part of our spiritual experience, we’ll be giving of ourselves and helping the Bhutanese people during our visit.

Inner Peace & Contentment

On our last two nights we’ll be staying at the incredible Hotel Zhiwaling which is beautiful and restful – a proper end to our journey. You can have spa services here to relax from our journey and prepare for the long trip home. This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime journeys, and you will not come back the same person you were when you arrived. If there is any way that you can get way for this mystical journey, I encourage you to come! And don’t leave without watching the video on the right –>

Want to join us?

If you’re interested in knowing more about the trip pricing, itinerary, inclusions and more – please use the navigation under “TELL ME MORE!” on the left side of the page. Questions? Give us a ring at 727-421-0849 – we can’t wait to hear from you!

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”
~ Martin Buber

Join Lore Raymond and 15 very special women “spiritual sojourners” for this VisionQuest to Bali. Our intent for this blessed spiritual retreat is to open hearts and inspire action as we “journey within” and discover the real Bali and ourselves. Through intimate experiences with the native people, special cultural interactions, and volunteerism – you will notice a change within that will forever change your life.  Bali has a way of creeping into your heart and merging with your soul.

Spirit in Action

Through specially crafted experiences and adventures, you will find yourself falling in love with the Balinese way of life. Centered around a group of temples, every community is cohesive and cooperative – illustrating what our world could be like if we all worked together. Music, art, theater, work and religious practice is all one in the same and every action is taken as an offering to Spirit. They believe that the physical world is permeated by the spiritual world – sekala niskala – and this is a great source of inspiration.

Blessings of Bali

• Enjoy an exclusive visit with mountain villagers
• Sunset and Full Moon Ceremony at Bali’s highest temple
• Water ritual purification ceremony at a Balinese pilgrimage site
• Experience the classical Lejong Dance
• Create your own ceremonial mask and process the meaning
• Enjoy the Munduk Waterfall, temples, markets & beaches!
• Boutique hotels and luxury suite accommodations
• See the Kecak dance at the Uluwatu Temple at sunset
• Bath in the Indian Ocean
• Soul Cafe meetings to bring it all together

Goddesses in Service

On this journey of the heart, VisionQuest women will be lovingly asked to bring 50 pounds of donated goods to gift local Balinese non-profits: Panti Asuhan Salam, a children’s orphange and the Bali Crisis Care Foundation. (We have wish lists for both organizations.) And to honor Lore’s great-grandmother, Magdalene Watt Esplin – a Scottish healer in the 1880’s – 7% of all VisionQuests’ net proceeds will be donated to the international humanitarian work of Nurses with a Mission.

Want to join us?

If you’re interested in knowing more about the trip pricing, itinerary, inclusions and more – please use the navigation under “TELL ME MORE!” on the left side of the page. Questions? Give Sheri a ring at 727-421-0849 – or if you have specific itinerary questions ring Lore at 727-254-0342. We can’t wait to hear from you! This is a profound and heartfelt trip – meant to connect you with your inner divine consciousness. Our intention is for you to become the highest expression of Spirit and light that you can be!

“Goodness shouts. Evil whispers.”
~Balinese saying

Turkey possesses one of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes of Middle East/Asia with a multitude of cultural influences criss-crossing the country creating a truly unusual and rich history. On this spiritual journey we’ll explore the incredible architecture – from the Byzantine Haghia Sofia (Church of the Divine Wisdom), to the phantasmagoric rock formations of Capadoccia. And we’ll experience the powerful spiritual traditions from the Whirling Dervishes and the Sufis in Konya, to the Goddess site of Artemis at Ephesus.

Mysticism & Power

We’ll reconnect with the Mother Goddess worshiped from around 9000 BC to 2000 BC and explore early Christian Mysticism in the steps of St. Paul and St. John. From there we’ll deepen our understanding of the Sufi tradition and the mystical heritage of the Whirling Dervishes. Watching these dancers enter spiritual bliss is an amazing experience. In addition we’ll visit an *Alevite Moslem Temple where a man and woman perform a ritual round dance in the name of God, and also experience Turkish Music Therapy through a Bakshi Dance. (Central Asian shamans “Bakshi,” used music and dance to cure patients.) It will be possible for us to speak to these dancers and learn about their powerful traditions! *(Alevism, a liberal sect of Islam, has distinct differences to the practices of Turkey’s Sunni majority. The Alevi house of worship is called a cemevi, while Sunnis worship in a mosque.)

Ancient Ruins

Some of the other wonderful sacred sites we will be visiting are the famous Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, and the ancient cities of Konya and Pamukkale. By boat we’ll explore some of the lesser known sites of Lydae, Caunos, Loryma and Knidos.

Our land journey is (coming soon) and the Gulet extension along the Turquoise Coast is (coming soon).

Sailing into the Past

In addition to a wonderful exploration by land, we’ll also explore the quiet coves and isolated ruins along the Turquoise coast by gulet – our private sailing boat. Here we will relax and slow our pace and connect with the energy of this beautiful land. We will look forward to morning strolls amongst the ruins of past civilizations while back on board the crew prepares our lunch. The table, under the shade of an awning, is laden with Turkish specialties; tempting vegetable dishes, colorful salads and freshly caught fish. The bread, baked in a stone oven, arrives by row boat from a village ashore. Then while we rest in the sun, our boat will set sail for our next harbor.

Want to join us?

If you’re interested in knowing more about the trip pricing, itinerary, inclusions and more – please use the navigation under “TELL ME MORE!” on the left side of the page. Questions? Give us a ring at 727-421-0849 – we can’t wait to hear from you!

“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.”
~ Moorish proverb

Blue Mango in The Himalayas is the highest spiritual retreat in the world – its location carefully chosen to provide seclusion, peace and solitude – right in the heart of the Trans Himalayan Range bordering Tibet. The retreat is an opportunity to deepen your awareness of yourself, of other people, and the world around you. It is a challenging, life changing experience. An expedition into your inner self – into your soul.

The Last Shangri-La

The retreat center is located in Spiti, India. Also known as “the roof of the world” it lies isolated in a deep valley, where its unique culture has developed undisturbed. Home to some unimaginable topography – enthralling peaks, gorges, rivers & lakes, Spiti has a serene atmosphere that remains cut off from the rest of the world for almost 8 months in a year. It is sparsely populated, and yet it is an overflowing melting pot of Buddhist culture. Spiti remains one of the last bastions of true peace and tranquility – a little world of its own. A true Shangri-La.

Deep in the Himalayas

Blue Mango rests at a height of 12,500 ft above sea level, on the beautiful pebble beach of the Spiti River. It has breathtaking vistas of the Himalayan range, clusters of juniper trees, warm sunshine and a crystal clear, bright blue sky. Here, in the midst of God’s exquisite creation, is where your spiritual journey takes flight.

Rejuvenation of your Body-Mind-Spirit

Every single day of the retreat has been carefully planned to enhance your spiritual, inner work and healing experience, and to rejuvenate your body, mind and soul. Spread over a period of 11 days, you will experience a combination of different meditative techniques, soul therapies, yoga, NLP, Life Coaching and experiential learning.

Want to Join Us?

If you’re interested in knowing more about the trip pricing, itinerary, inclusions and more – please use the navigation under “TELL ME MORE!” on the left side of the page. Questions? Give us a ring at 727-421-0849 – we can’t wait to hear from you!

“Life is a journey and we don’t always pick the people with whom we travel that journey. The path always begins beneath our feet, with the first step we take. Where we stand right now is where our journey begins”.
~ Buddha

Mystic Lands, Sacred Ruins

From a lovely rowboat ride along a narrow but extremely poetic stream to the Perfume Pagoda, to the phenomenal Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the mystery and mystical nature of this glorious expanse of paradise, with its stunning array of fascinating history, will encourage you to delve deeper into the recesses of your own inner beauty. You will be motivated and inspired to shift from a life, complex and involved, to the simplicity and enchantment of living as play.

Divine Inspiration

On this hallowed journey, you’ll experience a sacred balance between the wonder of the temples and pagodas, and the astonishing splendor of nature. Fall in love with the Lover of all Lovers, as you woo and court yourself among the most holy and heavenly perfection – that of Yourself and of our Mother Nature. Allow the flawless mercy of The Extraordinary to cushion you, as you begin to accept yourself as an expression of Sacred Creation.

Details Coming Soon!

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.”
~ Robert Louis Stevenson