Indian Explorer (10 days)

Departs anytime (2021-2022)

Please note: This itinerary can be modified in any way to best suit your school’s aims, learning objectives and budget.

Travellers in India learn quickly that their time here is an experience as much as a trip. With its extravagant mix of traditions, festivals, architecture and landscapes, your memories of India will blaze bright long after you've left its shores.

This 10-day trip is for students wishing to see the best of the subcontinent on this fast-paced and activity- rich trip. The journey will take students through Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Varanasi, and Kolkata. While confronting, this ‘best of India’ experience is specifically intended to foster an understanding of India’s modern urban environment and developmental issues.

Accordingly, the program will feature extensive interaction with our local contemporaries, a meaningful service-learning activity based on solidarity objectives, as well as programs to facilitate an understanding of India’s cast system and all its complexities.

Most importantly, this trip is designed to be highly enjoyable and provide young enquiring minds with a memorable introduction to India's diverse cultures, an array of sacred sites and the rituals that made the Indian civilization unique.

Billy Penfold Director

www.studenteducationaladventures.com Indian Explorer (10 days) 1

Day 1 � Arrive India (Delhi)

On arrival in Delhi, we will be greeted by our tour leader and board our bus to begin our exploration of this incredibly diverse nation. En route, our leader will give us a rundown on all things Indian and provide us with all the essential information that will make our time in India safe and enjoyable. Our first stop will acquaint us with the charming (and congested!) Old Delhi famed for its bustling markets, narrow laneways and rustic architecture. We also explore the city’s 16th century Red Fort. Founded by Emperor Shah Jahan and surrounded by a magnificent 18metre high wall, this fort took 10 years to construct and is alleged to have had the decapitated bodies of prisoners built into the foundations for luck! Our tour guide, a young man who once lived and worked on these very streets, will regale us with stories of his childhood. Our guide and tour leader will also introduce us to some of the local street children who we may get to know during this time. After a tasty local lunch, we will explore Khari Baoli, Asia’s (not just India’s) largest wholesale spice market. Get ready for a feast of the senses! This street is home to hordes of tiny shops, laden with piles of dry red chillies, beads and baubles, wedding decorations and every imaginable trinket making this precinct once of the most vibrant to be found anywhere in India. We will take a further orientation walk in the comparative cool of the early evening before dinner. (meals: lunch, dinner) Flight details to be advised

Day 2 Delhi (city cycling activity)

We will set out early this morning for a leisurely cycling tour around parts of New Delhi. Departing from the bustling neighbourhood of Nizamuddin, our program will entail a very grassroots activity designed to afford us an insight into the daily lives of India’s ever industrious inhabitants who start work very early to avoid the heat. While intense and sometimes overwhelming, our experience will showcase the unique mix of colours, smells, sounds and unforgettable images that make Delhi what it is. En route we will stop by Dilli Haat – a unique crafts and food market and a great place for the more adventurous among us to sample a mixture of Indian cuisines from across the country. No tour to India would be complete without visiting the National Gandhi Museum where we will learn of India’s iconic leader who struggled for decades to develop human rights and gain independence before his assassination in 1948. Time permitting, we will also visit Hauz Khas village, famous for its narrow lanes full of art stores, young designer boutiques and cafes. This neighbourhood also hosts a range of vintage Bollywood posters, textile labels and other charming memorabilia. Dinner will be at a regional restaurant or one of the many other eateries on our list! (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 3 Delhi Agra (Taj Mahal)

This morning we will travel by private coach to visit Fatehpur Sikri. This magnificently fortified city was once the capital of the Mughal Empire until it was abandoned in 1585 before continuing our journey to the city of Agra. Agra is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River and was once the capital of India and is the best place in the world to view iconic Mughal architecture. In the late morning, we will visit the exquisite Taj Mahal - the world's ultimate testament to love, built by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 as a memorial to his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal. This elegant monument took www.studenteducationaladventures.com Indian Explorer (10 days) 2

22 years to build by a total of 20,000 labourers. It is a blend of Hindu, Islamic, Mogul and Muslim architectural styles. We will enjoy a tasty local lunch before continuing our way across the Yamuna River. Here, we pay a visit to one of India’s most significant architectural monuments, the Agra Fort. This world heritage site was built by Emperor Akbar in 1565 and stands like a crescent on the bank of Yamuna River. There will be ample time to explore the fort's massive walls and wander through the maze of buildings that forms this city within a city. The fort today is a silent witness to the rise and fall of the imperial Mughal Empire and the golden era of art, literature and architecture in India. We will spend the night in Agra. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 4 Agra & surrounds (School renovation project)

After breakfast we will visit Korai, a hamlet nestled in Agra’s Fatehpur Sikri district and home to the Kalandhar tribe. This small village shares an intriguing history, as its inhabitants were once the keepers of bears. Their days once comprised of staging various bear dances to visitors, a tradition that has since been banned. The village now struggles for survival and the residents have converted their simple village into an attraction and source of livelihood. Our visit here will be eye-opening as we get an opportunity to see for ourselves the lives of rural Indians. We will dine in the homes of local people and enjoy a meal with our hosts. In this land of festivals, we may be fortunate enough to catch the village during a celebration or festival or preparing a hearty feast for the entire village. After lunch, we embark on a half-day school renovation project to help benefit a rural school. Working alongside local people, our tasks today will include repairing walls and floors, painting, nailing, establishing self-sufficient gardening or setting up a library. It is also here that we will learn about the Indian education system. There will be a small thank you ceremony and speeches held after the project. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 5 Agra Jaipur

This morning we will begin our half-day journey deeper into India’s western provinces of Rajasthan. This region of India is particularly famous for its magnificent sand dunes, sublime sunset, and exquisite arts and crafts that typify a village bazaar. In the afternoon we will arrive in Jaipur city, where the traffic dodges ambling camels and leisurely cycle-rickshaws compete with swarms of motorbikes. We set out to visit the Jantar Mantar observatory, an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. This is the most significant, most comprehensive, and the best preserved of India's historic observatories. In the afternoon we will escape to the Chulgiri Hills (southeast of the city centre) and partake in some light trekking through forests and the surrounding ranges. This important geographical plateau is a barrier against the hot sands of the Thar desert with some rivers originating from its source. For dinner, we will dine at an iconic local eatery followed by a heritage walk through the bylanes of the old city of Jaipur. Here, we will be observing local artisans, jewellery makers and silversmiths at the fascinating Johari bazaar. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

www.studenteducationaladventures.com Indian Explorer (10 days) 3

Day 6 Jaipur (student-initiated activities)

Prior to travelling, a Student Educational Adventures staff member will talk to teachers and students about specific activities that you might like to add to your travel experience. These activities can be included based on students’ knowledge of the country or their interests or passions for any aspect of a country's culture. The activities we can include are many and varied. These may involve an introduction to a country's creative or performing arts scene, visiting local schools, an ‘Amazing Race’ style activity, youth culture venues or a plethora of cultural programs. Please contact us for further ideas.

Activity 1 Camel Safari: Camels were once the best mode of transport in the desert and have now become a mode of adventure. This camel safari experience in Pushkar is the authentic experience of seeing the desert and witnessing a beautiful view of the Aravali range. Today we will enjoy a ride on these magnificent ‘ships of the desert’ through sand dunes, with the pure Rajasthani culture unfolding throughout the experience. Depending on the time of day of our trip, we will also get to witness an amazing sunrise/sunset. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Activity 2 Cricket with the locals: Indians are in a word – ‘crazy’ about all things cricket. Playing a game of 20/20 cricket is a great way to interact with students from a local school spending the morning or afternoon there. Teams can be combined or in an us-versus-them scenario. Of course, the outcome of the game is not important. What is important is that we play with contemporaries and enjoy our time here. This game makes for a great opportunity to break boundaries and make friends. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Activity 3 Culture & Arts: Chokhi Dhani ethnic village is the place to go to see Rajasthani traditional culture. There are various arts and craft centres here that include puppet shows, folklore performances, acrobatics and safe boating activities. Here we can also enjoy wall decorations and mural paintings showcasing the culture of this province as we mix in with the locals and gain a real feeling for all things Rajasthani. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Activity 4 Elephant experience: For students interested in this most iconic of all Indian animals, there will be time to visit Elefantastic for some fun and love with these gentle giants. Here we will have the opportunity to wash and feed the elephants as well as partake in a painting class to learn about elephant- decorations as well as elephant medicines and treatments. This afternoon we make our way to Raj Mandir Cinema to watch a blockbuster Bollywood movie and take in all the dance and glamour of the most recently released films. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

www.studenteducationaladventures.com Indian Explorer (10 days) 4

Day 7 Jaipur � Varanasi

After a pleasant morning exploring the back streets of Jaipur, we will depart Rajasthan for our flight to Varanasi in India’s Uttar Pradesh State. Nestled between sacred temples and holy ponds, Varanasi is an essential stop for us to learn about the origins of this complex country. Saying that – the city is not for the faint-hearted, with rituals of life, death, smells & sounds permeating throughout this ancient metropolis. After lunch we will visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple, said to hold the first of the jyotirlingas - the sacred shafts of light that self-emanated from the earth. With our tour leader in tow, we will navigate the quaint old bazaar’s crowded alleyways leading to the banks of the holy Ganges River, India’s spiritual home and site of pilgrimage for tens of millions of travelling Indians each year. As the light fades, we will board a boat to observe the evening ‘Ganga Aarti’ at the Ghats (a series of steps leading down to holy water). Rituals include the ringing of brass bells, chanting, aromas of flowers and incense for blessings. People from across the subcontinent and beyond come here to connect with the river and feel the energy of this ancient city. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 8 Varanasi (school visit)

An early start begins at sunrise for us where we will see pilgrims standing waist-deep in the river carrying out their morning prayers. After breakfast, we will visit a village to learn about India’s caste system. It is a form of social stratification with pre-modern origins, and one that serves as the basis of the country social hierarchy. During this time, we will visit a local school to learn of the lives of our local contemporaries and their aspirations for the future. After lunch, we will enjoy a ‘Courtyards & Courtesans’ walk into the alleys of the Ansari weavers – sari makers whose beautiful detailed work is still done by hand in homes and courtyards by traditional artisans. Later, we will take a rickshaw journey through the inner lanes around Dal ki Mandi, a vibrant Muslim bazaar. Tonight, we take part in a hands-on cooking class to learn the secrets of Varanasi’s most famous dishes learning to blend spices, bake bread, and cook curries. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 9 Varanasi � Kolkata

There will be a final time to explore the Bengali Tola district of the city this morning, riddled with distinctive cultural emblems from central India. We also visit Sarnath, the location of the first Buddhist training centre dating back some 2,500 years from where Buddhist taught his followers. After our morning exploration, we will depart on a short flight to Kolkata. Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) was originally a British settlement, established in the 17th century during their trading and colonising expansion along the coast of Bengal. A former capital to British India and now to the West Bengal state, Kolkata is a today an important centre of commerce and home to dozens of ethnically diverse communities. This afternoon, we will take a walk exploring the confluence of various cultures in Kolkata. We will also visit historic Howarth Bridge as well as the city’s flower market with its frenetic buzz of haggling and traders constantly on the move. No trip to Kolkata (or indeed India) would be complete without learning something of the pop-cultural phenomena of ‘Bollywood’. Hip sway...pelvic thrust...shoulder dip...finger wag. It is difficult to overstate how popular Bollywood is in India - the world's largest filmmaking entity, producing roughly double the number of www.studenteducationaladventures.com Indian Explorer (10 days) 5

movies that Hollywood does each year. This afternoon, we will visit a Bollywood dance studio to learn the essential moves, sure to impress family and friend back home. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 10 Depart Kolkata � Home

This morning there will be time for a memorable tram journey along the only surviving tram network in India. This activity will enable us to glimpse into the daily lives of the locals as we journey through residential neighbours and view its eclectic mix of Islamic, Baroque, and Victorian architecture. For our final afternoon in India, we will explore Science City. An unlikely tourist attraction, this expansive science precinct is home to millions of science and engineering graduates who produce some of the world’s most bleeding-edge software and IT technologies. The centre is made up of various sections with endless interactive hands-on exhibits and includes a space planetarium, a time machine concept simulator and human evolution technology galleries. There is also a natural sciences section looking at plant life and how flora and fauna can survive with the recent onset of climate change. This afternoon we will transfer to Kolkata airport for our journey home. Our tour leader will take care of all our onward travel arrangements and wave us farewell. (meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner) Flight details to be advised

www.studenteducationaladventures.com Indian Explorer (10 days) 6

Summary Indian Explorer (10 days)

Grading # Please contact Student Educational Adventures Moderate; Students will be required to be in good health for a competitive flight quote for flights to India from to get the most out of this trip while anyone of reasonable your country. fitness will be able to take part. There are no real physical difficulties however students will be expected to walk every day. You will also be expected to be able to ride a Inclusions bike and take part in hiking for a few hours. It will be • All accommodation, transport, activities, necessary for you to carry your own luggage throughout entrance costs and other programs as described the trip but only for short distances. in the itinerary • 2 additional internal flight Jaipur – Varanasi, Varanasi - Kolkata Group Size • Professional Student Educational Adventures

Minimum group size 20 students & 2 staff members tour leader throughout trip & additional specialist travelling free of charge. guides ▲ Smaller group sizes can be quoted upon application • Community project sourcing and arrangements • Extensive destination-specific risk management Specific Trip Activities and assessments • Meals (and drinking water) as listed in the daily DELHI itinerary • • Hidden Delhi rickshaw & laneway tour 24 hours IN COUNTRY support from Student • Spice Market excursion Educational Adventures staff • • Red Fort Pre-departure support, briefings and planning • New Delhi bicycle activity meetings for students and parents • • National Gandhi Museum visit All equipment • • Hauz Khas complex exploration Parents information evening presentation • Parental & student advice for vaccinations & AGRA equipment etc. • • Taj Mahal & Agra Fort Tips for local guides & drivers • • School renovation project (Please see below: 7 Community project costs things to check before choosing a student travel company # 5. How authentic are your service- Exclusions learning programs? • International flight to/from India # • Meals not listed in the itinerary JAIPUR • India Visa (if required) • Rickshaw city exploration • Jantar Mantar observatory • Chulgiri Hills trek Accommodation • Heritage walking tour • Bazaar exploration Student accommodation is on a twin/triple share basis. • Hawa Mahal Palace Teacher accommodation is on a single room basis. Hotels • Student-initiated activities (options): hold a 3-star equivalent rating. - Camel Safari - Cricket with the locals Transport - Culture & Arts - Elephant experience Modern air-conditioned bus, train, rickshaw

VARANASI • Kashi Vishwanath Temple • Ganges River cruise • Heritage walking tour • Indian cooking-class • ‘Ghat’ ritual fire ceremony • Local school visit • Sarnath ancient Buddhist site

KOLKATA • Walking tour of old town and colonial buildings • Bollywood style dance class • Howarth Bridge and bustling flower market • Kolkata tram excursion • Victoria Memorial & museum visit • Science City activity www.studenteducationaladventures.com Indian Explorer (10 days) 7

7 things to check before choosing a student travel company

Choosing the right travel company is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your students. As you compare different school travel providers, you’ll need to weigh up everything from staffing arrangements to overall trip cost – and, of course, educational value. To help you choose with confidence, we’ve created a checklist of seven essential factors to consider when you’re assessing travel companies. You’ll be pleased to know that these factors are a feature of every trip we run.

1. Does your travel provider have a truly local presence?

You might not know it, but many school travel companies have no local presence in the countries they send your students to. Behind the façade, these providers are marketing companies who outsource their trips to in-country operators – often importing a foreign manager at your schools’ expense. Value for money aside, running trips in this way has far-reaching consequences in an emergency, when access to language skills and local knowledge are vital. To make sure you’re getting a genuinely local experience, it’s important to choose a bonafide in-country travel company who has a real local presence in the country you’re travelling to. For example, we use our own in-country supervisors and tour leaders to manage the school trips we run. As local experts, they travel with you and your students throughout your entire trip and are responsible for every aspect of your students’ wellbeing.

2. Is your school trip really of value to your students?

A trip abroad with friends will appeal to any young person, and many will relish the chance to explore a world away from home. But to be of real and enduring educational value, a school trip should challenge students beyond the kinds of basic touristic experiences they might just as easily have on a family holiday. To this end, your school travel provider should provide a customised itinerary that shows quality and depth of engagement. We tailor each of our itineraries to push students beyond a surface-level exchange and maximise their time in-country so they’re learning the whole time they’re travelling. Our activity-rich programs are big on cross-cultural interaction, team-building and authentic local experiences. We also include community service projects wherever possible, which make our trips not only highly educational, but life-changing, too.

3. Is the person leading your students up to the task?

The best people to lead you through a country are the folk who live there. But on top of having expert local knowledge, the people leading your students should also be expertly trained to deal with young student travellers. A tour leader who’s up to the task can teach across the full range of personalities, interests and abilities found among every student group.

For this reason, we make sure our tour leaders have at least three years’ experience leading student groups before they go in-field with yours. And they’re more than just guides – they’re also teachers, translators and troubleshooters. Our tour leaders will welcome you warmly when your group arrive, manage all of your trip logistics, and work responsibly to make sure you and your students always stay healthy and safe.

4. How safe is your travel provider, really?

While some travel companies offer a 24-hour call centre, there’s no substitute for having local people by your side and looking after you where you are. Local staff know the lay of the land, how to access the best medical attention in times of crisis and which dialect or language to speak when you need it most. This is especially important outside of major cities, where major providers’ services can be limited. Our in-country staff and tour leaders not only access the best international providers (such as SOS, Global Rescue and Columbia Asia), but also complement these with expert knowledge of the nearest and most appropriate medical attention within every local area. So, if a worst-case scenario happens – when you need to communicate with non-English speaking doctors; when a comprehensive first aid kit won’t do the job; or when the phone number of an international medical provider just isn’t sufficient – you can be sure your student group is in the best of hands, no matter where they are. www.studenteducationaladventures.com Indian Explorer (10 days) 8

5. How authentic are your service-learning programs?

Today, having students raise money for their overseas trip is a common way for schools to give back to the places they visit. However, exchanging skills – and smiles – with local communities can leave a positive legacy that’s even more powerful. Fundraising, while well-intentioned, can be in vain if it’s not done in consultation with local communities. To make sure your impact isn’t simply an add-on, choose a school travel company that facilitates projects that solve real community problems and which help build local capacity. Take our community service projects, for instance. We develop them through extensive cooperation with local people’s committees, NGOs and women’s organisations to ensure your students’ altruism has a lasting impact. All our service components are meticulously planned, designed to be meaningful and transparent, and, most importantly, provide tangible long-term benefits for communities.

6. Does the program you’re being offered match your students’ learning needs?

No two school groups are the same, which is why no two school trips should follow the same itinerary. Check that the travel company you choose offers a customised program that’s flexibly designed to match your students’ unique interests. In our experience, nothing inhibits a successful trip more than ‘off the shelf’ programs with generic activities. For this reason, each trip we run is tailored to your school’s curriculum and your students’ distinct learning needs. We also like to involve students in co-designing their itinerary. Prior to their trip, we run a series of student-initiated activities to promote agency and collaboration, setting them up for success once they’re overseas.

7. Is the tour priced competitively?

A foreign travel experience for your students needn’t cost the earth. And while variations in destinations, flights and trip durations add complexity to the task of pricing your trip, the school travel company you choose should offer you that transparency, without question. Alongside integrity in pricing sit sound educational outcomes. If your trip provider can’t quantify how your students will benefit from the trip, then you might ask whether they’re the right fit for you and your school. Because we operate entirely in-country, with exclusively local staff, our overheads are significantly lower compared to those of other travel companies. With us, your money goes directly toward creating your tour, rather than to overseas administration costs or third-party suppliers.

www.studenteducationaladventures.com Indian Explorer (10 days) 9