What to Expect on Your First Buddhist Temple Stay - A Tax Guru's Experience

So, my friend’s idea of a wellness getaway?

“I'm off to a Buddhist monastery. Already got my bus ticket,” she casually announced over the phone.

Wait, what?

I knew Svetlana had been living a nomadic life in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for several months but this was something entirely new. When we finally caught each other on a call (15 hours apart—she was literally halfway around the world!), she shared that she was about to head into a 10-day stay at a Buddhist monastery in Northern Thailand, where she would leave behind the comforts of her life to meditate, chant, and explore a simpler way of being.

Now, let’s just say she’s one of the smartest people I know—a self-made tax advisory powerhouse with her own firm, who’s built a life that lets her work remotely, travel, and see the world—like really experience it.

Svetlana has been to over 140 countries—actually, 141 now, as I just heard she safely landed in one of the most dangerous airports in the world, in the Kingdom of Bhutan. And although she could comfortably retire in her 30s, she keeps pushing forward, driven by something deeper than just career goals.

What follows is her story: a firsthand look at what it’s really like to stay at a Buddhist monastery in Thailand—to meditate, chant, eat, and pray alongside the monks.

Here’s everything you might want to know—from how to visit and what to expect to challenges of temple life and why more people are drawn to monastery stays in Thailand.

Finding Her Temple

Q: Which Buddhist temple did you stay at, and for how long?

I spent 10 days at Wat Tam Wua Forest Monastery in Northern Thailand, about 4 hours from Chiang Mai.

Q: Did you have to pay for your stay, or was it donation-based? 

It was donation-based, no reservations needed. Lots of capacity. I left about $20/day, which is about the cost of a decent hotel with breakfast in Northern Thailand during non-busy season.

Q: How did you get there, and can you just show up, or do you need a reservation?

You just show up at the monastery before 4pm on any day of the week. I took a public minivan bus from Chiang Mai, which stops on the main road, and I had to walk about 20 minutes to the monastery from there.

Q: Were mobile phones allowed?

Yes. No restrictions at all. You are just asked to follow the schedule of the temple and help with errands like sweeping leaves, cleaning common areas, etc.

Q: What rules did you have to follow at the temple?

Wear white clothes that the temple provides, clean your room, help with errands, follow the scheduled activities.

Q: Did you break any rules?

A few nights I didn’t show up for the group chanting as my throat was hurting and I felt like reading books was more beneficial to me.

Q: Do you have to be a Buddhist to stay there?

Not at all. Anyone is welcome.

Preparation and Inspiration

Q: What was it that made you say, “I need to go on this journey”? 

Thailand is known for these types of retreats, when I first got to Northern Thailand in August I briefly thought that it’d be nice to do a meditation retreat while I was there, but I didn’t know where to start and wasn’t ready for a commitment as I was still working and was busy with social life.

But about a month later when I was dating someone we both agreed to go on this retreat, I felt comfortable and ready to commit. I ended up going on my own.

The first few days were hard due to the food options and timing of meals, uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, withdrawal from social life and city routine, but then it became peaceful, and towards the end of my 10-day stay I didn’t want to leave.

Q: How did you prepare yourself mentally or physically for 10 days of temple life? Any tips for beginners?

This isn’t like Goenka’s Vipassana retreat that is super strict and difficult, where you don’t even know what’s going on outside of your retreat, and where you have to diligently meditate for 10 hours a day.

Not much preparation is needed for this retreat other than having an open mind and free time. You do have an option to be silent and put a tag on your clothes to indicate that, so people won’t talk to you or expect you to communicate. But many people were socializing throughout the day, lounging with books, and writing in their journals. It almost felt like a resort.

Daily Life and Routines

Q: What was a typical day like at the monastery? 
The daily schedule pretty much revolved around meditation. Days started around 5 am with meditation, followed by breakfast at 7, a Dharma talk and a meditation class.

We would have some quiet time after lunch, followed by more meditation, Dharma talks, and some light chores. The day wrapped up with evening chanting and meditation around 6 pm, with a bit of time afterward to relax. And, as you'll notice, there's no dinner on the timetable.

Q: Was there gender separation at the temple, or could both men and women stay?

Living quarters were, of course, separated for men and women. The front of the Dharma hall was reserved for men, and women were supposed to seat behind them.

Q: What was the food like at the temple?

Plant based, pretty bland, but a little bit of Thai flavor. Last meal of the day was lunch at 11 am. But a few evenings I’d go to a shop on the monastery’s territory and eat instant noodles or have hot chocolate around dinner time. Food wasn’t really a concern there.

Q: Did you have your own room, or did you share one?

It wasn’t busy, and I had my own kuti (a little hut with a private bathroom). 

Meditation and Personal Insights

Q: What was it like meditating among the Thai forest monks?

Each meditation wasn’t long, maybe 20 minutes, I felt like I was more disturbed by the monks in my meditation practice. I enjoyed walking meditation the most.

Q: Haha, that’s the total opposite of what I’d imagine! Isn’t meditating with monks supposed to be super peaceful? What were they doing that made it distracting?

The meditations were short—I’d just start to get deeper into it, and they’d start talking and end the session. They also led a guided Vipassana meditation (body scan) in a monotonous voice, which was really distracting.

Q: Right, to that end, compared with Goenka-based meditation courses—where each session lasts for an hour—20 minutes might seem short. Also, there are long stretches of silence in Vipassana courses as taught by Goenka, so I can see how, for more experienced meditators, too much talking could be distracting. It sounds like the temple might have been offering a more guided experience to support a range of meditation levels. Were there any specific meditation techniques or teachings that resonated with you?

Their way of describing Vipassana meditation technique was very confusing, if I didn’t have prior practice, I’d be lost. Their English was pretty limited and repetitive, so I was just concentrating on reading books they provided in their library.

Q: What did you learn about yourself or your mind during meditation?
I don’t think it was during meditation, it was mainly during the time alone in my hut when I was reading. Osho’s books especially resonated with me, and I was reading them very fast as I wasn’t distracted with regular life there.

Q: What was the hardest part? And the most pleasant part?

The hardest part was to sleep without a mattress and having rodents running in the attic of my hut all night long.

The pleasant part was having free time and reading a book in the monastery’s beautiful mountain setting.

Reflections and Connections

Q: What surprised you most about the temple stay experience?

It wasn’t difficult like the Goenka’s retreat

Q: How did you deal with discomfort, both physically and mentally, during the retreat?

It wasn’t too difficult, I just kept on reading, journaling, and embracing the reality of the situation.

Q: Did you make any new friends during your stay?

I made a couple of friends, yes. And I sent a few people there after I returned, they all loved the experience.

Q: What’s your favorite piece of wisdom or conversation you had with a monk or another guest?

To accept things and life for what it is.

Q: How has this experience changed you?

I’m not sure if the retreat changed me necessarily, but it helped me to stay consistent with my meditation practice and perhaps be more mindful of the fact that not everything is within my control.

Q: Any lessons you’ve brought home?

Can’t say for sure about the lasting impact. The main lesson is to continue practicing meditation and live by the Buddhist principles.

Q: From what you observed, who comes to stay at the temple? Why do you think they come, and what do they find?

Since it is not a very strict retreat with a large time commitment (minimum 2 nights, max 10 nights) and really easily accessible, many people who come are young adults just trying meditation for the first time.

There are a few people who create strict settings for themselves and do diligent practice. Some people come out of curiosity and for the experience, others come to find clarity, peace, answers to their current life situations, or to heal from traumas.

Q: Would you recommend a temple stay to others considering it? Any advice?

Sure. It’s an overall good experience, very customizable and not difficult.

Q: What else do we need to know about visiting a Buddhist temple that I didn’t ask?

It is still a Buddhist monastery, meditation is just a part of what you do. In Theravada traditions there’s a lot of chanting, which I found difficult to do along with other religious rituals and bowing to Buddha statues.

Q: Favorite Osho quotes?

Happiness and unhappiness are two sides of the same coin.

Everything you reject in yourself, you project onto others.

When Svetlana returned, I asked if she felt changed. Her answer was honest: “I’m doing a lot of transformational work these days, so it’s hard to pinpoint the exact impact.”

But finding more consistency and purpose in her meditation practice, increasing her capacity to let go and trust—those sound like pretty profound changes to me.

If you are considering a retreat like this, know that it doesn’t require any special preparation or fluency in the Buddhist teachings—only an open mind and a willingness to embrace simplicity.

Live like a monk or nun for a few days, and see what you discover. The temple is open 365 days a year, and you're welcome to come and stay any time. 

[POV: me, clicking on the keyboard, researching cheap flights to Thailand]

About Svetlana

Svetlana helps individuals and businesses navigate financial and tax matters with expertise and care. She has a wealth of advice on achieving financial independence through great service, entrepreneurship and smart investing. Outside of work, she is passionate about world travel and animal welfare. To connect with Svetlana, visit her website at taxlana.com.