Ladakhi Homestay Program
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 www.rusticpathways.com/traveldesk for more information.

Day 1-Depart the USA
After meeting and greeting your flight leader and settling in for a comfortable international flight, you’ll have a chance to get to know your new friends, maybe catch a movie in your in-flight entertainment center, or grab a bit of shut-eye.

Day 2-Welcome to Incredible India!
Your senses will be overwhelmed upon first stepping out into India, the sights, the sounds, and the people will all be welcoming you to this amazing place! Here you’ll meet your staff members and head directly to the hotel for a shower and a solid nights rest before spending your first full day in India.

Day 3-Off to Ladakh
Today we’ll head to Ladakh, the “Land of High Mountain Passes,” and its surrounding peaks that reach to the roof of the world. On our first day, we’ll wander around town, learn a little bit about sustainable development and its history in Ladakh, and acclimatize to your new high altitude environment at about 11,500 feet!

Day 4-Introduction to development
Today we’re off to tour some local areas where sustainable development practices are in place and also have the opportunity to learn first hand about some of the environmental and developmental organizations that work in this area.

Day 5-Development and food production
With the multitude of organizations here we will learn about some of the different projects that are in progress in Ladakh, about food production and maybe help with food processing, or have the opportunity to see some of the area’s famous Buddhist temples.

Day 6-Over the top of the world!
Setting out in the morning, we’ll head over the world’s highest motorable pass, Khardung-La! In the comfort of our private Jeep’s, we’ll arrive to our temporary home in the Nubra Valley. Nestled into this incredible valley, this village’s beauty will captivate you. Upon our arrival, we’ll get a chance to meet your welcoming homestay family and immerse ourselves in this fascinating local culture.

Days 7-14-Settling into service
In the midst of this beautiful valley, you’ll have the opportunity to do several different service projects ranging from teaching English and math in the local monastery, or working in the local elementary or high schools. You might also help lead a computer skills class for groups of Ladakhis trying to develop their skills in this growing region. After a tasty lunch, the group will split up and head out in the fields with their homestay families to help in food production and maybe even enjoy a feast made with the crops you’ve helped harvest. You might also help them process food to sell in nearby markets, or aid in other beneficial maintenance projects in the area. In the evenings, you will share dinners and laughs with your homestay families, take a sunset camel ride through the nearby sand dunes, or learn about Buddhism at the nearby temple.

Day 14-Back to Leh
This morning we’ll have to say our goodbyes to our homestay families and make our way back to Leh. If you want, you can give a gift of a book about your hometown, a t-shirt from your school, or something else easy to pack. We’ll return over Khardung-La, sharing our laughs and memories of our homestay families as we drive back, then enjoy our last afternoon in Ladakh shopping in the traditional shops and markets of Leh.

Day 15-Delhi
We’ll catch an early morning flight back down to Delhi, where we’ll be able to find any last minute souvenirs, maybe catch a Bollywood film, then enjoy a delicious celebratory dinner.

Day 16-Arrival back in the US
If you are flying back to the US, you’ll arrive back in the states on this day, as you’ll have time zone changes in the middle.

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.

Ladakhi Homestay Packing List
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 or “Ancient Futures” by Helena Norberg-Hodge
>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

Don’t leave home without your sense of adventure!!  Incredible India awaits! 
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.

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 traveling to Delhi, Agra, and the Ladakh region on their journey. 

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?

When students arrive in Delhi, they will find themselves dreaming their first Indian nights away in a comfortable 3+star hotel in a quiet area of Karol Bagh away from much of Delhi’s chaos.  They will also be in a hotel in Agra for the Taj Mahal and a guesthouse for their days in Leh.  They will then be in homestays for the remainder of the trip.  Students are paired up by gender, if parents and students prefer, we can also arrange an individual homestay, but for student comfort being paired up is preferred.  The homestays range from shared bathrooms among 2 or 3 families with bucket showers and squat toilets to western toilets and consistent warm shower.  Students are not allowed to request these items in their homestay.  We pair students with families based on student’s ages and genders, then also the family’s gender.  Families have been screened for safety by our staff members.

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, 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, and basic souvenirs.  This 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.  In their homestays, they will typically be eating fresh seasonal vegetables with sauces and rice due to the community’s sustainable farming practices.

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

This program generally breaks down to about a 60% female and 40% male mix.