The Spectacular Kerala Backwaters

Spectacular Kerala Backwaters

Day 1 (Wednesday) - Depart USA
Meet up with your group in Newark and board a comfortable nonstop escorted flight to New Delhi, India and start getting to know your fellow travelers. 

Day 2 (Thursday) - Arrive to Delhi
Welcome to India! You will land in Delhi in the evening, and your trip leaders will be at the airport eagerly awaiting your arrival.  Once everyone has cleared customs and collected their baggage, you will head to the hotel for a relaxing evening and the chance to recover from jet lag.

Day 3 (Friday) - Fly to Cochin
After a quick orientation with your trip leaders and a delicious Indian breakfast, you’ll board a plane to Cochin to begin your days of meaningful service, while living on a traditional Ketuvallam houseboat.  Life on the boat is comfortable, with spacious bedrooms, a great lounge area, bathrooms, and delicious, healthy meals prepared by local chefs to make each day a real treat!  Your first half day of service you’ll spend preparing your reaching for a local school by developing lessons, games, and ways to interact with the children with your fellow groupmates.

After the work is done, enjoy a friendly canoe race among your group, learn to safely climb coconut trees, or take a stroll through the paddy fields. You’ll then enjoy the evening aboard the boat and be slowly rocked to sleep by the gentle waves of the Kerala Backwaters!

Day 4 (Saturday) - Service continues!
Spend the day working at a nearby school where you will split your time teaching and working on a light construction project. Your teaching will be based on the lessons that your prepared the night before, and after teaching to a large group of 20 students with another Rustic Pathways student, you will split into small groups for more one-on-one attention with the students.
In the afternoon you’ll help on small revitalization projects for the school that would include helping to build a playground, repainting the building, or constructing retention walls to prevent flooding on the school grounds.
In the evening take a dip in the peaceful Kerala backwaters and go for a swim right off the deck of your mobile boat home!

Day 5 (Sunday) - Tsunami-effected villages
After a tsunami recently devastated part of the Kerala coastal areas, we’ll get the time to travel to one, visit, and assist in maintenance projects that will help them get back on their feet.  While visiting and providing service, you can also learn the local style of fishing, and also begin to understand about sea wall protection that has been introduced to the area, making for a very well rounded day!  Who knows, you may even be able to catch your dinner!  Tonight you and your group will get together and design your lesson plan for your next day’s art project, a very fun exercise!

Day 6 (Monday) - Service through Art
Today you get to help in distributing art supplies to local youth, then watching your group’s lesson plan come to life!  You’ll assist in educating the children in art and bringing a bit of color to their life!  In the evening, hop in traditional country boats and paddle through the secluded waterways of Backwater country. You never know what small village you might find – but rest assured you will see plenty of local children waving excitedly to you as you pass by!

Day 7 (Tuesday) -  Village life
Cruise past verdant areas of Kerala as you eat your breakfast this morning, then hop off to assist with a local irrigation project that will greatly benefit their village’s food production and you will also be able to better understand the life of the people that live there and the challenges they face in day-to-day life. 

You’ll then get to experience a mock Anum Festival that welcomes the Gods to Kerala. Create beautiful patterns from freshly picked flowers on the deck of your boat, get dressed to the nines Indian-style in traditional clothing, and have a huge feast off of banana leaves.

You’ll also have the chance to get a massage in the birthplace of the ayuravedic massage before enjoying your last sunset cruise through some of Kerala’s 900 kilometers of backwaters canals, lakes, and rivers.

Day 8:  Return to Delhi
After your final night’s rest, you’ll return to life on land and say goodbye to the waterways and houseboat that you called your home that past several nights.  You’ll return by air to Delhi, reminisce over your group’s incredible adventure and service work over your final meal together, then students departing to the USA will catch their nonstop flight back and many students will be connecting to their other programs in India or Asia. 

Day 9:  Return to USA
Students returning to the USA will arrive to Newark on this day filled with great new stories and experiences to share with their family and friends! 

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)

• Make sure everything you pack in your carry-on complies with the new carry on regulations of the TSA: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

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:

• Travel Pillow *a pillowcase can be a great dirty laundry bag or a comfortable pillow if you stuff it with a sweatshirt. So you could bring two pillowcases, one for each purpose

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?
This trip travels to the famous Kerala backwaters and is considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful and must-see places! We’ll take this a step further and venture beyond the typical tourist places and provide service to some of these remote villages nestled into the lakes and canals of this immense area.

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. This program also connects easily through Delhi to our other international destinations, making connecting programs a cinch!

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?
Students have the opportunity to earn up to 40 hours of community service through service projects that our staff have worked with the local communities to identify. These projects may include painting, cleaning and doing basic maintenance on schools and community buildings, distributing basic health supplies and educating locals on their proper use, teaching English, art, or other much needed service work! Students should be ready to work hard on their service projects, as this is not a stand on the sidelines trip
.
11 – How physically strenuous is this program?
This program is not very strenuous, but students should be able to walk short distances, and be in fairly good physical shape. Students should also be able to be on their feet for most of the day and do some lifting. It is imperative that students are willing and ready to participate in the group work! 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 aside from their normal allowance expenses above.

14 - What kind of food will we be eating? Where?
Students will be enjoying most of their meals onboard their beautiful houseboat! We’ll have a kitchen staff that will be preparing delicious local meals using fresh produce and rich spices! During the days we’ll eat packed lunches, or sometimes enjoy a meal at a restaurant when it is possible.

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 stay in a hotel on their first night in Delhi, then living aboard a luxurious houseboat fitted with western bathrooms, warm water, a kitchen, and living area. These are modeled after old rice barges, but fitted with great accommodations!

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! Onboard the boat, you’ll have a western style toilet and bathroom to be shared with your roommates.

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. Additionally, we have access to speed boats that can bring students to a hospital in the event of an emergency while we are in more remote areas of the backwaters.

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 should not plan on having access to laundry services. They will be able to hand wash clothing, but should plan on having enough clothing for the week. A service outfit and a relaxing outfit should suffice for the trip and an extra set of each. Students are reminded to pack light, as it makes your travels much easier! You’ll see many of our staff carrying just a small pack with all of their gear for the trip!

23 - How often will they have access to phone and internet?
Students will have limited access to phone and internet during this trip. Staff will be equipped with phones that students will be able use for a nominal charge that can be withdrawn from their allowance accounts. Internet will not be very accessible. Parents will receive safe arrival emails from Rustic Pathways staff members at the beginning of their program, and should be reminded that they shouldn’t expect to hear from their student during their week in the Kerala backwaters and should rest assured that ‘no news is good news!’ If Rustic needs to reach parents for any reason, we will have your phone number for this purpose on medical hot sheets carried by your child’s program leader