TRIP ITINERARY South India Sea and Safari
Adventure through remote regions, spot wildlife, and relax by the Arabian Sea

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
Wednesday
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.
 
Day 2
Thursday
Welcome to India! Upon arriving to Delhi meet your program leaders who have eagerly been awaiting your arrival.  You’ll turn in for the night and get ready for your departure to the beautiful south of India, one of India’s best kept secrets!
 
Day 3
Friday
 After breakfast, the group receives a cultural orientation about the world’s largest democracy and the areas that this exciting program visits.  You’ll then catch a flight to Cochin, your starting point for your adventure through Kerala.  Watch and learn about traditional Kathakali dance, before enjoying your first dinner of spicy, south Indian curries and dosas while watching the sun set over the Arabian Sea. 
 
Day 4
Saturday
Today we’ll travel by road to Thekkady, which is our base for exploring Periyer Tiger Preserve.  You’ll watch the landscape change as you travel from the coastal town of Cochin up to the lush mountains of this area.  That evening, we’ll take a wildlife spotting cruise through the park keeping our eyes peeled for the rare Bengali tiger, and hopefully watch wild elephants making their way to the shore for an evening bath. 
 
Day 5
Sunday
We’ll take a tour through some of Kerala’s famous spice plantations, learning about how they are cultivated and giving our legs a workout as we hike through the terraced fields.  Kerala’s spices are traded the world over and are what made the area famous for traders centuries ago!  That afternoon we’ll get some close encounters with elephants with a ride through the jungle on the back of one of these friendly pachyderms.
 
Day 6
Monday
Today we’ll travel to Cheruthuruthy for most of the day.  The drive is stunningly beautiful as you meander through mountain roads.  You’ll take a walk through the village and learn about Vllathol, who was a leader in Kerala’s cultural renaissance. 

Day 7
Tuesday
On our day to Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, we’ll visit the Kerala Kala Mandalam, and watch a demonstration from this premier center of Indian performing arts.  After a big spread of local dishes for lunch, we’ll continue to Calicut in the evening. 

Day 8
Wednesday
After our visit to Calicut, we’ll head to Valiyaparamba, an amazing stretch of Kerala’s backwaters.  You’ll visit Bekal Beach that evening to watch the sun set over the crashing waves of the Arabian sea. 

Day 9
Thursday
 As an area filled with about 24 kilometers of oster farming, you’ll learn about typical fishing in the area and try your hand at the local fishing style through the use of nets, strings and even your bare hands!  That evening, you’ll learn about local culture through a variety of performances by locals in the area. 
 
Day 10
Friday
With a lot of travel through Kerala under our belts, we’ll spend some time in Kannur, which is home to beautiful white, sandy beaches perfect for lounging and catching up on everything you’ve seen so far.  You’ll also get the chance to visit local historical sights, such as St. Angelo Fort, to understand the rich history of this Portugese influenced area. 

Day 11
Saturday
After the beaches, we’ll head back to the mountains to Wayanad, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful hill stations in Kerala.  After checking into our hotel, we’ll sepnd the afternoon on Pookot Lake and exploring Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Day 12
Sunday
 Today we’ll head out to Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary where you may be able to spot elephants, bison, leopard, deer, and tiger.  You’ll also spend part of your day at Kuruwa Dweep, which is an area of lush green forests uninhabited by people and off the tourist track. 

Day 13
Monday
Making our way to Guruvayoor, the group will spend the afternoon at the Guruvayur elephant sanctuary, which is one of the largest in the world!  You’ll learn how the elephants are bathed and visit the Guruvayur Temple before enjoying talking about all the elephants you crossed paths with during a day that is sure to be a highlight of any animal lover’s trip!
 
Day 14
Tuesday
Today we’ll return to Cochin, which was our gateway to Kerala, and spend our afternoon in Cochin touring some of its famous sights, including the Chinese fishing nets, which date back to the 15th century, visit St. Francis Church, one of India’s oldest and the site where Vasco da Gama was originally buried, then take in a sunset cruise around the harbor before having your final night’s rest in India. 

Day 15
Wednesday
Flying back to Delhi today, you’ll spend your last day finding last minute souvenirs with your group, getting a traditional Henna painted on your arm, then enjoy a delicious farewell dinner before either connecting to another Rustic Pathways program, or fly back to the USA on our escorted group flight.

Day 16
Thursday
 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.

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
» 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
>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.
» 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 (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 - How long is the flight to this country?
The group flight to India departs from EWR (Newark) to DEL (Delhi) is a 14 hour and 15 minute nonstop flight and the return flight from DEL to EWR is 15 hours and 15 minutes. Students only traveling on India programs will travel on this flight and depart on WEDNESDAY’S. Students traveling on India and other Asia programs will be departing on TUESDAY’S on our Singapore Airlines flights. For more information on flights, please visit www.rusticpathways.com/traveldesk.

2 - Will there be a flight leader to this country?
A flight leader escorts all Rustic Pathways group flights between the USA and India. You will receive more detailed information about where to meet your flight leader closer to your departure date, along with your flight information.

3 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
YES! All students traveling to India are responsible for obtaining their own visa for India. You must obtain a minimum 6-month, multiple entry tourist visa. The information for obtaining the visa can be found at: https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/

You will need a reference for your visa, which is provided to you or you can email india@rusticpathways.com for this information as well.

4 – What areas does this program travel to?
The South India Sea and Safari program will fly into Delhi, then the following day fly to Kerala. For more information on the day-to-day locations, please see the itinerary on the program page.

5 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
Rustic Pathways does not make recommendations regarding immunizations. We strongly suggest that you consult with a travel doctor or your family physician for medical recommendations based on the area where the student will be traveling (as listed above). You can also check the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov for more information. Rustic Pathways only requires an up-to-date tetanus shot for its participants.

6 - How does this program connect to other programs?
This program connects seamlessly with our other India programs. Students traveling in different regions of India will use Delhi as their hub, while students connecting between Kerala programs will remain in Kerala at the conclusion of their trip with a Rustic Pathways staff member and other students connecting to other Kerala programs. Contact us for more information on this.

8 – What is the climate in the region where this program takes place?
The climate during this time of year generally is hot and sometimes humid. During much of the year, temperatures in India can be in excess of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. As a coastal region, there can also be sporadic rains, but they generally pass quickly during this time of year.

10- What service projects will I work on and how are the projects identified?
This program will contain up to 16 hours of community service that may include working with elephant conservation programs in Kerala’s north, and providing service to hilltribe villages in the region as well through English education, or working with an orphanage near Cochin. This depends on the departure date a student is a participant on.

11 – How physically strenuous is this program?
This program is not very strenuous, but students should be able to hike short distances, and be in fairly good physical shape. Students with health concerns should contact our India staff at: india@rusticpathways.com

12- What costs are not included on this trip?
The majority of costs associated with the program are included on this trip. Students should have extra allowance money if they wish to buy souvenirs. Students should also bring extra money if they wish to purchase additional snacks or soda from the local grocery store, phone calls home, and internet access along the way. We generally recommend approximately $150 per week of travel to cover these costs, but ultimately it depends on a student’s spending habits.

13 – What are the optional activities available at an additional cost on this program?
This program does not have optional activities that will require a student to spend extra money.

14 - What kind of food will we be eating? Where?
Most of the meals on this program will be in restaurants. We will also have packed lunches on many days of the trip.

15 - Can we cater to specific diets?
India is extremely vegetarian friendly, however some special diets may be more difficult to cater to during parts of the trip. If a student has questions, they should contact india@rusticpathways.com or contact our administrative offices for more information.

16 - Will the kids be drinking bottled water?
Yes, students will be provided safe drinking water throughout their trip, as the water in India is not safe to drink.

17 - What will the accommodations on this trip be like?
Students will be staying in a mixture of comfortable guest houses and hotels.

18. What are the bathroom facilities?
Public bathrooms in India are quite limited and often times, require students to use primitive bathroom facilities. Students should be prepared to use squat toilets throughout India that may not be up to the same levels of cleanliness as bathrooms at home. Sometimes this can be as simple as a hole in the ground. Don’t worry though, you’ll get used to it quickly! It is also recommended to carry some toilet paper with you during your travels. You can buy it here too! In most of our guest houses and hotels, students will have western style bathrooms with hot showers. Sometimes the hot water is limited.

19 - How many girls and boys are usually on this trip?
Our programs generally are between equal and sometimes leaning a little bit more to the female side of group balance at about 60% female and 40% male.

20- What is the ratio of guides to students?
Depending on the program, we sometimes have a lower staff to student ratio, but with safety as our top priority, we maintain at least a 4 or 5 to 1 student to staff ratio.

21-Is your staff qualified in First Aid?
Because safety is our number one priority, all of our programs have guides that are certified with First Aid and CPR training. Many of our guides are also qualified Wilderness First Responders, EMTs, Wilderness EMTs, or Life Guards.

22 - How often (if at all) will students be able to do laundry on this program and what will it cost?
During this program, students will be moving around a bit, so laundry will only be able to be done one or two times on the program. Students should keep in mind that they don’t need new outfits for each day and ‘rewearing’ clothing is perfectly fine! In fact, the less you pack, the happier of a traveler you’ll be. Many of your guides will be carrying just a small pack to travel with, you’d be amazed at how little you need! Laundry will be the equivalent of about US$10 per load generally.

23 - How often will they have access to phone and internet?
Students will have access to phones and internet throughout their travels and have the time to use them about every 2-3 days, but this can vary through the trip. Parents will receive safe arrival emails upon their student’s arrival and should also remember that many students get to India and to fully immerse themselves in their trip and new opportunities stay away from things like phone and internet which connect them back to their lives at home. This is completely normal and parents should remember that ‘no news is good news’ if they don’t hear from their child during the course of their trip.