My friend would like to do a short meditation retreat. She has done a 10 day Goenka retreat about 4 years ago but is looking for something "less intense" and would like to experience a different method or perspective on Vipassana than Goenka style just for a different perspective and insight.

She would prefer a retreat that goes for anything from 2-5 days (as she flies out of Thailand on the 6th November) and she would also like to be able to have discussion with the teachers or monks during the retreat. So far she has narrowed her choices down to Wat Doi Suthep or Wat Suan Dok (if anyone can suggest others please do!).

Can anyone relate differences between the two centers, meditation styles, daily routine and most importantly the opportunity for discussion and discourse with monks? She has zero Thai language so English is necessary.

Thanks in advance for any opinions, advice or suggestions.

Wat Suan Mokkh, (not Dok) is 10 days (no exception) and attendees depart on the morning of the 11th day.

Thanks for the suggestion, I did a retreat there some years ago and it was great. My friend is looking for a shorter duration retreat though as she has limited time.

Wat Suan Dok, like Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, is a temple in Chiang Mai.

Unfortunately I have not done a retreat at either of these places, so can offer no advice except for the tentative thought that I think Wat Prathat Doi Suthep is a rather busy environment due to all the tourism, and unless the meditation is well away from the main temple, that might become a problem.

It looks like Wat Suan Dok has fixed start and end dates whereas at Wat Doi Suthep you can start and finish when suits you, so it depends on whether the former suits her schedule or not.

See http://greenpapayasangha.org/upcoming-retreats/ for options in Chiang Mai, I haven't heard of Wat Suan Dok before but all the others are well known, I think Wat Umong might be a good option.

Thanks for the further suggestions, she already headed off to Wat Doi Suthep today mainly because it allows more flexibility of options. I'm curious to hear of her experience as I know that that wat is very popular as a tourist destination but haven't heard too many experiences of the meditation retreat itself.

Thanks again and that list your provided above is a useful one.

Wat Doi Suthep is one of three teaching the Vipassana techniques of Luang Por Thong who is the main monk at his temple at Chom Thong (near Hot). The other and very popular temple is the well-known Wat Rampoeng near to Wat Umong. All three are well set-up to receive foreign meditators. The usual minimum stay is ten days and the full course is 26 days. The Thais with less time available go for anything from a couple of days up. They might allow her to stay shorter time.

Of course there are always a few drop-outs who intend to do the ten days and then find it too much or not what they expected.

These ARE intensive meditation retreats with no real instruction in Buddhism or Dhamma.

By intensive i mean that all you do is meditate....not that you are forced to do group sessions and carefully watched...as I believe the Goenka retreats are.

We had several people who had had bad experiences at Goenka retreats come to study at our temple and they had been put off meditation by it but found the style we learned at the above temples much more relaxed.

I visited Wat Phra That Doi Suthep two weeks ago, and the meditation centre was locked up, pretty sure it has closed. So Wat Ram Poeng might be a better option, or Wat Phra That Chom Thong in Chom Thong, where Tan Ajahn LP Thong resides.