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Cultural Tour of South India
Join us for a four-week tour in south India involving volunteering,
visits to cultural sites, and immersion in Indian culture. See the
detailed Itinerary below.
This tour takes you to some of the most important cities and cultural
sites in south India. Participants arrive in Bangalore, then travel
to Hampi, Mamallapuram, Pondicherry, Chennai, Mysore, then back
to Bangalore -- all in 28 days!
You will have the chance to contribute to each of the local communities
you visit by volunteering in conservation projects, with school
students, orphanage children, and women's groups. One special project
will be volunteering in tsunami areas in Mamallapuram and surrounding
fishing villages.
You will also be able to try your hand at local arts or crafts
and try rock climbing if you are feeling a little more adventurous
during the tour.
Your volunteering will be for short periods of time, so it will
be your chance to get the most out of each session and a taste of
each type of volunteer work. Your role will be to get as involved
as possible.
In addition to your volunteer work, you will have many opportunities
to visit important cultural sites such as the famous ruins at the
village of Vijayanagar, the French Tamil quarter in Pondicherry,
the world-famous Auroville International Community, and the Jain
pilgrimage center in Sravanabelagola.
There are no specific skills you need for the trip. However, make
sure you are mentally prepared for the extensive overland travel
in India.
This is a small group tour with a minimum of 5 and maximum of 15
participants for each 28-day tour.
Participants must arrive in Bangalore on one of the start dates
below.
If you wish to stay in India after the 28-day program, we will
be happy to assist you with arranging additional travel plans for
other parts of India.
| Program Details |
| Locations |
Bangalore, Hampi, Mamallapuram,
Pondicherry, Chennai, Mysore |
| Minimum Length |
4 Weeks |
| Maximum Length |
4 Weeks |
| Program Dates |
Start Dates in 2008: February 2, March 2, September 2, October 2, November 2 |
| Requirements |
No specific requirements |
| Schedule |
Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4pm
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| Accommodations |
Shared accommodations with
fellow participants and host families |
| Meals |
All meals provided by program,
at host families and restaurants |
| Itinerary |
| Day 1 |
Arrive in Bangalore. You will
be met at the airport by your Program Coordinator, then taken
to our volunteer group home for the first night. |
| Day 2 |
Introduction to India. This usually takes
place at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in Bangalore. Overview
of Hindi language. |
| Days 3-4 |
Conservation work in the village of Kengeri.
You will ride each day (20-minutes) from you accommodations
to the village. You will help plant trees in some of the barren
landscapes and public spaces around Kengeri. |
| Days 5-7 |
You will change your focus in Kengeri to
working with local school children in workshops and fun sessions
such as arts and crafts or games for the kids. |
| Days 8-9 |
Travel to Hampi. Visit the
ruins at the village of Vijayanagar. Once the capital of one
of the largest Hindu empires in Indian history, the ruins are
set among boulders and remain one of the top tourist attractions
in Southern India. You will have a couple of days to visit the
ruins and even try your hand at rock climbing if you’re
feeling adventurous. |
| Day 10 |
Return to Bangalore. This
is a free day to do some shopping and local sightseeing. |
| Days 11-13 |
Travel to Mamallapuram (near
Madras). The town is well-known for its shore temple. Mamallapuram
and its fishing villages were also affected by the tsunami at
the end of 2004. You will get the chance to work with and talk
to the families affected. |
| Days 14-15 |
Try your hand at local handicrafts.
You will be working with village co-operatives to help the local
women make a living and assisting them in their work. |
| Days 16-17 |
The next couple of days will
be spent around Mamallapuram visiting the shore temple, sculptures
and rock carvings around the town. There are is also a good
beach, handicraft shops and other temples to explore. |
| Days 18-19 |
Travel to Pondicherry. This
is a charming coastal town that was formerly a French colony
and still has a few touches of French culture. You will visit
the French Tamil quarter and the world famous Sri Aurobindo
Ashram a spiritual center founded on modern science and yoga.
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| Days 20-22 |
Visit the world-famous Auroville
International Community. This is an experiment in international
living where people live in peace and progressive harmony above
all creeds, politics and nationalities. |
| Days 23-24 |
Travel to Madras (Chennai).
Visit the Madras Crocodile Bank, followed by games and a barbeque
on the beach, then an optional visit to a nightclub. |
| Day 25 |
Return to Bangalore. Rest
for the remainder of the day. |
| Days 26-27 |
Travel to Mysore. Volunteer
at an orphanage, working to entertain and play with the children
either in sports, games or crafts. On the last day in Mysore,
visit the town of Sravanabelagola, home to world's tallest monolithic
statue, Lord Bahubali (17 meters high). |
| Day 28 |
Return to Bangalore. Program
wrap-up in the evening, with dinner and farewells. |
| Day 29 |
Departure from Bangalore. |
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