2 years ago, when we moved from our campsite atop the ridge in Fagu to our our little slice of apple orchard 4 km away, we were making a move not only from one space to another but from one vision to another. We were moving away from the heart of tourist humdrum, with all its noise and drunkenness, and building a space that felt quiet, connected to the earth and the forest and the slower rhythms of village life — a place where you can hear the birds sing, where you can hear your own thoughts. We were moving towards a vision of slower travel, more creativity, and deeper communities and conversations.
Which is why we are beyond excited to host not one, not two, but five creative retreats this summer! Running through May, June, and July, each one is designed around a different way of paying attention — to language, to story, to silence, to the earth, to the particular quality of thought that only seems to arrive when you’re somewhere quiet and a little bit wild.
They are all small retreats, led by people who care deeply about what they do, people we trust to bring something new and refreshing into your hearts and minds. If any of them call to you, we’d love to have you with us.
All the Things You Can Become: A Writing Retreat about Voice 27 – 31 May, 2026 — ONE SPOT LEFT!
Aditi Rao designed this retreat around a question she has been sitting with for a long time: what does it mean to have a voice? Not to find one — she doesn’t believe voice is a thing you dig for — but to recognise the one you already have, in all its registers and contradictions. Over four days, participants write, listen, and pay attention to their silences. The work draws from narrative therapy and from craft. The goal, simply, is to leave feeling more at home in the way you sound when you’re most yourself.Learn more →
Bibliotherapy in the Wild 10 – 14 June, 2026
A reading retreat, in collaboration with Project Bibliotherapy. Five days of mindful reading, guided conversations, curated texts, and the kind of quiet that makes you remember why you loved books in the first place. There are silent walks through the orchard, evenings around the fire, and a bookish picnic in the woods. It’s for anyone who has been meaning to read more and finding it harder than it should be.
Creativity, Self, and Storytelling: A Theatrical Exploration 17 – 21 June, 2026
This is not a theatre workshop in the conventional sense. Aanand Chabukswar — who has spent decades working in applied theatre, dramatherapy, and arts-based education across India and the UK — uses voice, breath, movement, and memory as ways into personal story. The retreat is particularly useful for artists, arts therapists, and educators, but it is also open to anyone who would like to experiment with their body and their stories. The retreat ends on the summer solstice, which feels right: five days of bringing hidden things into the light, in an intimate group, in the mountains.
Muddy Mountain Retreat: Pottery in the Hills 22 – 27 June, 2026
Anumita’s pottery retreat is back this summer, and it’s designed for complete beginners or anyone who wants to get their hands into clay. Five days of working with clay in the mountains — slow, hands-on, and not at all about getting it right. There are forest walks, Himachali meals, and the particular satisfaction of making something with your hands. If you’ve been meaning to try pottery and never quite found the moment, this is a good one.
Telling It Slant: A Poetry Retreat 28 June – 2 July, 2026
Two award-winning poets and teachers, Aditi Rao and Akhil Katyal, have been running this retreat together for a few years now. They work through the elements of poetic craft — image, metaphor, sound, rhythm, line breaks — and through two forms, the ghazal and the haiku. Each participant also gets a one-on-one session with one of the poets. The title comes from Emily Dickinson, and that’s the spirit of the whole thing: learning to tell your deepest truths by finding the right angle of approach.
If workshops aren’t your thing, you can also simply come stay with us. We’re now live on Booking.com as Nomad Eco-Retreat, or you can simply reply to this email with your dates and we will let you know what is possible!
Either way — we hope this summer gives you something back.
With love,
The Nomad Team