TRIP ITINERARY
THE BUDDHIST CARAVAN
Follow the paths of ancient trade routes through a former Buddhist kingdom
 
 A special note about travel to India:
Students traveling to India and another Asian destination will be departing the USA on Tuesdays to allow for more efficient program connections.  Students only traveling on India programs will be departing the USA on Wednesdays.  All students will be arriving to Delhi on Thursdays.  Please visit rusticpathways.com/traveldesk for more information.

Day 1
Relax and prepare yourself for your adventure in India.  A Rustic Pathways flight leader will accompany our escorted group flights making sure that your journey is easy and enjoyable.
 Welcome to India! Upon arriving to Delhi meet your program leaders who have eagerly been awaiting your arrival.  We’ll settle in for the night in a very comfortable hotel in a quiet corner of New Delhi due to the late night arrival. 
 
Day 2
A short domestic flight from Delhi to Leh brings you north to the Himalaya.  Gazing out of the airplane window you will quickly realize that Ladakh is like no other place on earth.  Shut off from the outside world many months of the year due to snowfall, Ladakh has many similarities to Tibet in terms of geography and culture. 
 
Day 3
Leh is situated at 11,500 feet of elevation, so the first 2 days here will be spent acclimatizing and refraining from physical activity.  You will tour the impressive Leh Palace which is perched above the city below and meander through the riveting markets where people come from long distances to trade and sell their products.
 
Day 4
Enjoy a day learning about local conservation efforts and assisting in a small sustainable living project in a village near Leh.  You’ll spend the day here helping to develop an organic garden, and helping with construction of local irrigation.  It will give you a great insight into the challenges faced by the Ladakhi people in this harsh environment. 
 
Day 5
Today, you visit some of the local monasteries and get your first taste of the central role that Buddhism plays in this region of the Himalaya.  After a lunch of momos and thookpa, meet with an organization that encourages sustainable tourism and teaches about alternative energy methods that are effective in this high-altitude ecosystem.  Tonight, watch a documentary about the many challenges that Ladakh faces in its pursuit of sustainable development. 
 
Day 6
This morning wake up to a lovely breakfast served by the family who runs the guest house you are staying at.  Ladakhi people are known for their friendly dispositions and positive attitudes towards visitors and life in general.  After breakfast, jump in a private jeep and to head towards an outlying monastery that is holding a Buddhist festival consisting of mesmerizing dance, music, and prayers.  This time of the year each monastery hosts world-renowned festivals.
 
Day 7
Having acclimatized to the elevation, embark on a four day trek that provides you with a true taste of remote village life.  This extreme expedition will take you through a stunning landscape that is a cross between desert and mountains, and is often referred to as moonscape.  At the end of each day you will arrive to a lush green village in the Indus Valley.  With other Rustic participants you have the opportunity to do homestays with locals and learn about their simple, yet fulfilling lifestyle.
 
Day 8
Continue this village-based trekking experience and drink tea with some friendly monks.
 
Day 9
 Continue trekking and learn about local flora and fauna.  Also, keep your eyes out for the elusive snow leopard, which calls these mountains home!
 
Day 10
 Learn how to prepare some traditional Ladakhi meals before you complete this rugged trekking experience.  At the end of the trek, jump in a jeep to continue your adventure through this Buddhist region.  Visit the monastery in Lamayuru and sleep in the guest house connected to this 10th century monastery.  Get a good night of rest because tomorrow more adventure awaits.
 
Day 11
 You’ve seen this magnificent landscape from jeep, airplane, and foot.  Now take in this awe-inspiring region by boat as you go white water rafting through the Indus Valley.  Around lunch, pull your boat up on a bank in the sun and enjoy a beautiful, peaceful picnic in this hidden paradise!  After rafting, return to your guest house in Leh and play some Tibetan games with the locals. 
 
Day 12
 This morning head North to the gorgeous Nubra Valley, which has always been well-cultivated and one of the most fertile areas in Ladakh.  Along the way, stop at an area of sand dunes that will amaze even the most experienced traveler with its snow-capped mountain backdrop.  This evening go for a stroll through the village of Hunder where the only remnant of the once vital salt trade are a few wild camels grazing in the horizon.
 
Day 13
 This morning climb aboard one of the villagers’ camels and make your way to the next village via a two-humped Bactrian camel.  Upon arrival, meet one of the community elders who discusses his traditional lifestyle with your group and gives you a tour of an ancient monastery.  Tonight, sleep in the local guest house and experience the gentle hospitality that makes Ladakh quite special.
 
Day 14
In the morning listen to monks recite mantras in the local monastery and spin prayer wheels for good merit before crusing back over Khardung-La.  You will return to Leh where you venture into the market for some last minute shopping and souvenir hunting.  At dusk hike up to the Shanti Stupa to tie some prayer flags and watch an unbelievable sunset from high above the city.
 
Day 15
 Take a direct flight to Delhi today and prepare to say your goodbyes to the amazing country of India.  Remember the sights, sounds, and smells of this powerful landscape and share some stories with the rest of your group over a delicious farewell dinner of Indian cuisine.
 
Day 16
 Return to the USA or connect to another exciting Rustic Pathways destination.

An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.

Packing Lists for Buddhist Caravan
When packing, please be mindful of the conservative Indian culture and please leave skimpy clothing, sleeveless shirts, short shorts, and other revealing clothing behind.  Remember that part of being a good traveler is fitting in with your surroundings and clothing that is normal at home can be extremely suggestive and often times offensive in the areas we will travel to.  Most people in India rarely wear shorts, almost always wear pants or dresses, and keep their shoulders covered despite the sometimes high temperatures.  If you do not pack conservative clothing, our staff will request that you to purchase appropriate clothing upon arriving to India.
» Passport WITH MINIMUM 6-Month Multiple Entry India visa
» Airline Tickets
» Wallet with about $100
» 2 Photocopies of the front 2 pages of your passport
» 2 Photocopies of your Indian Visa
» T-shirt
» Comfortable pants or pajama bottoms
» Sunglasses (important in this high altitude environment, the sun is strong)
» Toothpaste (less than 3 oz tube though!)
» Toothbrush
» Journal and Pen
» Water Bottle (stay well hydrated on your flight, it helps with jet lag!)
» Snacks
» Deck of Cards
» Suggested reading:  Dalai Lama’s autobiography “Freedom in Exile” or Hermann Hesse’s classic “Siddhartha,” for Leh/Ladakh programs “A Journey in Ladakh” by Andrew Harvey
>Camera and film (bring all of your film in your carry on and have it hand checked instead of putting it through the x-ray machines)

Checked Luggage: A medium sized duffel bag or large back pack work best - wheeled bags are OK as long as they are medium sized and can easily be carried like a duffle over rough terrain.  It is important that you try to keep your total luggage to one piece of checked luggage.  Often you will have to carry it through streets, so it should be easily manageable!
For all programs pack the following items in your checked luggage:
» Sleeping sack (can be purchased from www.rei.com item #627251 – cocoon cotton
  mummy liner)
» Lightweight long pants (3 pairs).  Ex Officio, REI, and Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) all make nice ones.  You will wear pants most of the time in India, as showing your knees is considered inappropriate and even men rarely wear shorts!  Women dress VERY conservatively in India, so please respect the local culture, dresses or pants please!
» Underwear (7 pairs)  (sink washable underwear like Patagonia and Ex Officio travelers underwear are recommended and you can bring only 3-4 if you wash in the sink.
» Socks (2 pairs)
» Swimsuit
» T-shirts with sleeves, tank tops are not appropriate as shoulders should be covered (5 t-shirts)
» Long sleeve t-shirts (2 long sleeves, it can get chilly at night)
» Lightweight rain jacket (this rain jacket should be waterproof, the rains can be heavy at times in northern India)
» One pair of shorts (modesty is important in Indian culture)
» Tennis shoes (something you can work in)
» Sandals that are strapped (Tevas or Chacos are recommended)
» Soap in a plastic dish (Versatile liquid soaps like “Camp Suds” or “Dr. Bronners” can be more convenient for travel and biodegradable.  These can be used to wash your own laundry and yourself!)
» Biodegradable shampoo (pack in a zip-lock bag)
» Personal First Aid Kit (optional, we carry first aid kids on all of our trips, but personal Tylenol, medications, band-aids, etc… can be convenient)
» Small bag for day trips (this can double as your carry-on bag)
» Sunscreen (pack in a zip-lock bag)
» Chapstick
» Aloe Vera (optional)
» Insect repellant (one heavy in DEET and one natural citronella- pack in a zip-lock bag)
» Hand sanitizer (1 small bottles packed in a zip-lock bag)
» Handiwipes or towlettes
» Small packs of Kleenex tissues for public toilets in India, toilet paper can be hard to find sometimes
» Sweatshirt
» Hat for sun
» Flashlight or headlamp with an extra battery
» One towel (not white, a travel towel works great and can be found at any outdoor store like REI)
» Laundry bag or pillowcase
» Medications.  Bring with you whatever medications you will need during your trip, and you must disclose to your staff during orientation all of the medications that you are carrying.
» Contacts and solution if necessary (packed in a zip-lock bag)
» Small photo album of your family and friends to show the locals
» Musical instruments are always appreciated if they can be easily carried
» Frisbee, hackysack, or other fun, easy-to-carry items

Additional items for the Indian Himalaya Traveler and Buddhist Caravan Trips:
» Sleeping pad or Thermarest (optional – sleeping pads will be provided when necessary)
» Hiking boots
» Long underwear top and bottom (one pair)
» Warm fleece jacket
» Gloves
» Warm cap
» Wind-proof and water proof jacket (gore-tex jacket recommended)

Notes:
» Quality sleeping bags will be provided by a professional outfitter when necessary. 
» While trekking, porters will carry the heavy equipment, so a big, fancy backpack is not
   necessary.  A daypack such as a schoolbag will be more than sufficient.
Remember don’t be that person with way too much stuff.  Part of embracing Indian culture requires us to cut down on our material possessions. 
Optional Items:

1 - Will the kids be drinking bottled water?

Students will be provided with safe drinking water on their program, since the Indian water is not safe to drink.  During the trek, they will be using iodine tablets to safely purify their drinking water, in addition to using properly boiled water from mountain streams.

2 - Do we need to get visas for this program?

Yes, students are required to obtain a minimum 6-month, multiple entry Tourist visa. Please note that obtaining an Indian visa will be different this year than prior years.  The Indian Embassy for America has begun outsourcing their visa services to the following link:  http://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com

You will need one reference in India, which can be obtained by emailing rustic@rusticpathways.com or Scott Poniewaz at:  scott@rusticpathways.com after you have registered for your program.  On visa applications, students can list that they will be visiting Delhi and the Ladakh region. 

Also please note that you will need to apply for a minimum 6-month multiple entry tourist visa for your time in India.  Students holding passports from other countries will need to check with their nearest Indian Embassy for how to obtain a visa for your trip.

3 - What will the accommodation on this trip be like?

Students on this trip will find themselves staying in a mix of 3 star hotel accommodations, comfortable and clean guest houses, then also during their trekking segment will be camping in tents.  Students are provided with quality tents, warm sleeping bags, and nice sleeping pads when required. 

4 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?

Rustic Pathways only requires an up-to-date Tetanus shot, however the Center for Disease Control often has recommendations that are kept updated regarding India.  Since we do not know your child’s medical history, we recommend you reference the CDC website at:  www.cdc.gov or the World Health Organization website at:  www.who.org for more information.  We also suggest consulting with your local travel doctor prior to your travels for further information.  

5 - What costs are not included on this trip?

This trip includes all of the student’s accommodations, in addition to three meals a day, drinking water, transportation, entrance fees and other related group entertainment costs.  Optional activities, such as massages, paragliding, extra zorbing, internet use, phone calls home, snacks, souvenirs, etc… are extra costs.  For this program, we typically recommend between US$100-200 per week for allowance depending on the student’s spending habits.  Student spending can vary greatly, however, as some students may spend very little and others may spend much more if they plan on making a big purchase.

6 - Will there be a flight leader to this country?

All flights departing from and returning to the United States will have flight leaders.  In the event a student is connecting from another country, they may or may not have a flight leader.  In such instances, we generally have coordinated with the airlines to escort the students from check-in through customs, and delivered to a verified Rustic Pathways staff member in Delhi airport.

7 - How does this program connect to other programs?

This program connects seamlessly to programs within India and is highly recommended to reduce the effects of jetlag and make their trips more cost efficient, while also giving them opportunities to see other parts of India or participate in different activities.  Students can also easily connect to programs in other countries that Rustic Pathways travels to, however there may be a day or two lost if connecting with a Costa Rica program, or other trip.

8 - How long is the flight to this country?

Students travel on a very comfortable nonstop flight from Newark Airport in New Jersey (EWR) to Indira Gandhi Airport in Delhi, India.  It is approximately 14 hours each way.

9 - What kind of food will we be eating?

Students will be eating a mix of Indian, Tibetan, Chinese and maybe even a little western food.  Dietary restrictions are typically accommodated quite easily and vegetarians are in paradise here with the extensive options of vegetarian dishes.  Indian foods can be easily sampled at a local Indian restaurant, but they consist of rice, lentils (dals), curries, and flatbreads (naan, roti, parantha).  Tibetan food is made up of momo’s (steamed or fried dumplings stuffed with veggies or meats), Thukpa (noodle soup with vegetables, or meat), and chowmein (fried noodles) dishes. 

10 - How many girls and boys are usually on this trip?