The Location

Our location is a comfortable countryside retreat center in the Poconos near Stroudsburg, PA. You should not expect 5-star luxury accommodations, but clean and friendly lodgings in a serene country setting. There are no private bathrooms, but some rooms have their own faucets and the number of available showers and restrooms is adequate for our size group. The scenery is magnificent with forests, mountain ridges, swimming ponds and hiking trails.

Meals

Meals will be served three times a day and will be home-cooked and healthy. There will be vegetarian or vegan options for those who request it and some meat or fish dishes at most meals. No red meats will be served. Coffee and tea will be available throughout the day. If you have other dietary needs, please let us know when registering.

What to Bring

Be prepared for any kind of weather and dress in layers. We will be in a country setting so you want to be sure that you have shoes that will not be ruined if it gets wet outside. There are hiking trails around for those who want to go hiking. Be sure to bring appropriate wear for the yoga sessions and a yoga mat if you have one. We also recommend bringing a flashlight as it can get very dark at night. Do not bring unnecessary valuables as there are no safes or ways of locking up your valuables while you are at the retreat center. We will take no responsibility for lost or stolen items. DON'T FORGET TO BRING ALL YOUR MEDS!

Travel Information

From New York City you can take a bus which is about a 2-hour ride from The Port Authority Bus Terminal. There are also buses from Philadelphia. Driving directions will be sent to all registered participants as well. You can also fly into Lehigh Valley International Airpot (formerly ABE), which is about 45 minutes away, and is the closest airport. Taxi fare to Kirkridge from ABE is about $60. We may be organizing some car pools or group tickets for the bus. Information about this will be sent out prior to the retreat. You can search for the best available airfare or car rental deal from your location on our Travel Resources page.

Please Note Before Making Final Travel Plans:

~ We are planning a kick-off event in New York City on the evening before the retreat, which you will not want to miss so try to include that in your travel plans if possible. This will be your opportunity to arrange car pool rides, etc.
~ Do not book your return flight earlier than 7 PM on the last day of the retreat in order to not miss any part of the retreat.
~ If you want to be paired up with a local host in New York for the days before the retreat, please let us know when registering.
~ The retreat center will not be able to handle early arrivals or late deprtures unless arrangements have been made in advance.

Lodging in New York

If you are travelling from another area and want to join us for the kick-off event in New York, but prefer having your own hotel room, you can search for rooms as well as airfares on the Travel Resources page.

 

UPDATE: U.S. HIV Travel Ban is being Lifted!

The HIV Travel Ban will finally be lifted in January 2010. This means that being HIV-positive will no longer be a barrier for entry into the U.S.!

More detailed information is available at http://www.plwha.org.