TRIP ITINERARY
Himalaya Traveler
Spirit-lifting service in the shadows of the awe-inspiring Himalaya

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 Himalaya in the morning!
 
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.  Then the group boards a train for an adventure into the Himalaya!  What is mostly a travel day, you’ll see the transformation of verdant ricefields into the rugged peaks of the Himalaya!
 
 Day 4
Saturday
After a solid night’s rest in the mountain air, you’ll acclimatize today with a  little bit of touring around the adventure capital of India—Manali.  While you’ll be itching to get into the mountains to play and get your adrenaline pumping, this first day spent visiting markets, and temples, is imperative to the group acclimatizing to the altitude and having a successful trek.  You’ll enjoy a great dinner of rich curries and tandoori treats before turning in for the night. 
 
Day 5
Sunday
Get ready for a day filled with adrenaline!  Jump into a big rubber ball and roll down a grassy slope in a sport called Zorbing, before feeling like a bird with optional paragliding in one of the world’s well-known paragliding sites!  Depending on the time left in the day, your group may even find themselves cruising down the mountain with some mountainboards! 
 
Day 6
Monday
Another great day in Manali will get you vertical on the limestone crags in this beautiful area! You and your group with learn the skills to have you scrambling up the mountain in no time!  All under the watchful eye of great climbing guides there to help you each step of the way!

Day 7
Tuesday
After a day spent climbing, you’ll climb into jeeps and get ready to get out on your seven day trek through the mountains you’ve only been looking at!  You’ll spend your first day trekking through a Pahari village, before making your way to camp in a beautiful alpine meadow that affords views of three different mountain ranges!  The Dhauladhar’s to the west, the Pir Panjals to the northwest, and the Lahul range to the north! 

Day 8
Wednesday
Today you’ll enjoy spectacular views dotted with periods spent trekking through coniferous forests and fields of alpine flowers.  After your solid day of trekking, your group may enjoy a few stories around the campfire about local lore and legend from one of your Rustic Pathways leaders.
 
Day 9
Thursday
 One of your more difficult days of the trek, you’ll have a bit of climbing, as you make your way over a mountain pass that often sees snow into late-May and even into early Junio!  Your group will make its way past cairns made by prior explorers, and prayer flags that flutter in the cool, alpine breeze. 
 
Day 10
Friday
After a big day, you’ll have a relaxing morning, before heading to a nearby peak to enjoy a day hike its summit, which will afford you endless views over the Himalaya!  You’ll make your way back down and into camp just in time to have a cup of chai, then enjoy either a delicious western meal as a treat, or tasty Indian food! 

Day 11
Saturday
 Today you’ll trek into a village, whose government is considered to be the oldest democracy in the world!  You’ll learn about their interesting culture and spend the evening understanding the rich history behind this remote village!

Day 12
Sunday
 After a short hike out of the mountains, you’ll be met by jeeps and whisked away to the beautiful mountain town of Bhunter for the night and celebrate the completion of a successful trek! 

Day 13
Monday
Take in the mountain views over a cup of steaming chai tea, before a day spent rafting the rushing whitewater of the Beas River.  Your group will paddle their way through crashing class III rapids in a thrilling day on the water!

Day 14
Tuesday
Drive to Rewalsar for a day at some incredible Buddhist and maybe if your group is lucky, you’ll find your way to some relaxing hot springs to soak your weary body after an action packed couple weeks of adventure!  Later, you’ll board a comfortable night train back down to Delhi

Day 15
Wednesday
Arriving to Delhi in the morning, 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.

Himalaya Traveler 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 pEdad 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.”
>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 are traveling to Delhi, Manali and Agra on this program.

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 massEdad, 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, then paragliding is approximately US$75 and zorbing is approximately US$25.  Parents must sign a release form allowing their child to paraglide.  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?

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