On the Road in India

Recently we spent three wonderful months in India, dividing our time between leading our tours and personal travels.

There were too many highlights of our trip to mention them all: visiting the sacred sites of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, and Jews, exploring beautiful ancient temples, palaces and Nature Reserves, patronizing dance performances and concerts and last but not least sampling the delicious veggie cuisine.

We particularly treasure the memories of the close contact and interaction we had with some extraordinary open-hearted and hospitable people:

In Tamil Nadu, we met many of the most marginalized sectors of the population through the marvelous development work of our hosts from SCAD who introduced us to a good number of their projects that in turn benefitted directly from our stay at their campus near Tirunelveli. Several intercultural meetings were organized and we were quizzed by the students of the technical college about career opportunities in sustainable tourism.

In Udaipur, in Rajasthan, we spent several days volunteering with Animal Aid Unlimited and were very moved by the overwhelming care & commitment of the staff and volunteers combining forces to alleviate the suffering of rescued cows, donkeys, dogs and cats, many of them badly abused and with horrible injuries from accidents and diseases.

In Rishikesh, I was blessed to walk the shores of Mother Ganga to the derelict Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram (also known as the ‘Beatles Ashram’) in the company of my friend and teacher Swami Atma. Time seemed to stand still when listening to the wise words of our friend talking about the great Himalayan Masters of Yoga…

At the artists’ colony of Kalakar in the outskirts of Jaisalmer, I was welcomed into the home of the iconic Manganiyar master musicians of ‘Rajasthan Josh’. This magnificent band was founded by the charismatic Khan brothers, Chugge, Khete, and Salim. Their musical repertoire boasts qawwalis, bhajans, gypsy songs, Rajasthani folk songs, many of their own compositions, and also some ancient songs that still remember the arrival of Alexander the Great in India. The moments of sharing their home-cooked food, their hypnotizing music, and their joyful laughter were truly precious.

If you would like to book an unconventional India adventure we invite you to browse our website for our 2019 & 2020 group offers. Early bird discounts are also available. Click here.