A Ritz-Carlton resort in Thailand offers meditation walks with a monk, an InterContinental weekend includes a master class with photographer Craig Easton and the Hartstone Inn in Maine has a toboggan-making getaway.

Warsaw, Poland, 23 October 2013 - When His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived at Warsaw airport from New York yesterday, he was received by Tibetan Representative Thubten Samdup and Health Kalon, Dr Tsering Wangchuk who did his medical training here, speaks Polish and is familiar with the city. Received at the hotel by a large number of Tibetans, Mongolians and local well-wishers, he was given a traditional Tibetan welcome. He was then pleased to encounter fellow Nobel Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire in the lobby. 

New York, USA, 20 October 2013 - In the cool quiet of the early morning today, as the sun was just beginning to light the sky, His Holiness the Dalai Lama sat before a mandala structure on the stage of the Beacon Theater to perform the preparatory rituals for the empowerment he was to give. Later, when most of the 3000 seats in the theater were filled he returned to begin to teach.

New York, USA, 19 October 2013 - For the second day, today, Rato Khenpo Nicholas Vreeland, with incense in hand, escorted His Holiness the Dalai Lama onto the stage of the Beacon Theater, New York. Once His Holiness had greeted members of the Sangha, performed prostrations to the Buddha, saluted the audience and taken his seat on the throne, a group of Chinese monastics recited the Heart Sutra in Chinese. He began with the remark that there is a verse at the end of the Heart Sutra that encapsulates the practice of the Dharma:

New York, USA, 18 October 2013 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama flew into Newark from Mexico yesterday afternoon and was received on behalf of his hosts, The Tibet Center and The Gere Foundation, by Khyongla Rato Rinpoche, Rato Khenpo Nicholas Vreeland and Richard Gere, who escorted him into New York. Excited Tibetans thronged the streets around his hotel, while musicians and dancers celebrated his arrival and he was offered a traditional Tibetan welcome.

León, Guanajuato, Mexico   15 October 2013 - This morning as the day began to warm, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s hosts at Hacienda San Cristoboal, former Mexican President Vicente Fox and his wife came to see him. They met privately for a few minutes before walking with him from the main house to the newly established Vicente Fox Center of Studies, Library and Museum. This modern facility which incorporates a library, museum, a centre for the advancement of democracy, and is privately funded will be Mexico’s first US style presidential library. President Fox was pleased to point out how the new buildings blend in with the old ones that have been in his family for more than one hundred years.

Mexico City, Mexico, 14 October 2013 - In letters to both Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed his sadness at the loss of life and devastation of property as a result of Cyclone Phailin that struck Orissa state on Saturday night.

Mexico City, Mexico 13, October 2013 - Immediately after he had arrived at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico this morning His Holiness the Dalai Lama met with representatives of two local Buddhist groups. He was keen to explain to them that performing rituals and saying prayers is fine up to a point, but in the twenty-first century it is important to understand what Buddhism is about, which requires study. He also told them that scientists and others are taking greater interest in Buddhism for what it can tell them about the mind. A project is underway to compile materials from the Kangyur and Tengyur related to Buddhist science, philosophy and religion, which will make them easier to study in an academic way. He encouraged the making of such provisions in Dharma centres too.