Gap Year Expeditions, Global Volunteering & Conservation Projects – Greenforce

Highlights

•Explore Southern India and learn about Indian culture and customs

•Explore the Mysore District, a popular tourist destination, offering several attractions ranging from the royal splendor of Mysore City and its fabulous Dasara Festival to exquisite temples, pilgrimage centres

and scenic spots.

•Make your contribution to a local community where you will work closely with underprivileged children

•Wildlife spotting in the Mudumalai National Park

•Take a morning elephant ride through the forest

•Explore the Edukall Caves and go trekking to some breathtaking waterfalls

•Enjoy the slower pace of life and relax on a beautiful beach in Goa

Essentials

What will I be doing?

Once you have arrived at Bangalore Airport, you will be transferred to Mysore for your Introduction week, after which you will move on to your community project.

Introduction Week:

Monday (Intro/ Welcome Day)

After a delicious Southern Indian breakfast, there will be an introduction on our Active In Asia Program followed by a calm walk through the town, where we will have lunch. After that, we will have our afternoon session back at the centre. You will learn about the cultural adn social do's and don'ts. The day will end with a warm traditional welcome party, followed by dinner.

 

Tuesday (Yoga/ Projects/ Cooking/ Language)

An early morning wake-up call for a rejuvenating and relaxing Yoga lesson, followed by a healthy local breakfast. In the morning we will have a discussion regarding our volunteer projects. The next step will be a cooking lesson where you will learn to cook your first “own Indian meal”, which you can cook back home and guaranteed to wow your family and friends! We will begin the afternoon with a Kannada Lesson, after which you can relax until dinner time.

 

Wednesday (Yoga/ Sessions/ Indian History/ Language)

An early morning wake-up call for a rejuvenating and relaxing Yoga lesson, followed by a healthy local breakfast. The morning session will be about the theme ‘Women Traveler’. And the afternoon session will start with an Indian history session, followed by a Kannada lesson. We will end the day with a tasty Indian dinner.

 

Thursday (Yoga/ Mysore City Tour)

The day will start with a rejuvenating Yoga lesson. After breakfast, there will be time to explore the Mysore Palace, which was the home of the Wodeyars (local Kings), followed by a visit to the museum. After lunch, we will head towards the Jaganmohan Art Gallery and dinner back at the center.

 

Friday (Day Visit-Shravanabelagola)

After an early breakfast, we will take the bus to the cultural heritage site called Shravanabelogola, where you can see the tallest monolithic statue in the world! This site is one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centres in India. We will have the entire day to explore the area before we take the bus back to Mysore later in the evening.

 

Saturday (Day Visit-Chamundi Hills)

Another day, another exciting trip! This time we will visit the Chamundi hills where there is a temple and the statue of a bull that is worshipped! Here you will get time to enjoy the amazing surroundings and have dinner, before returning to the center.

 

Sunday (Free Time & Shopping Day)

We kept our Sundays free to do some local shopping and to relax and have sometime on your own, after a busy week.

 

*** Note: Southern India has a tropical climate with occasional violent storms, heavy rains and floods. During such times, the above schedule may be subject to change.

Community Work:

Spend a week teaching or working in an orphanage, making your contribution to those who are in most need.

- See individual program description for further details.

Trekking Week:

Monday (Elephant Camp & Night Safari)

We will take the bus to Mudumalai National Park, which is a 3-hour bus ride from the centre. After lunch, we will visit the Elephant Camp, where you can see the animals being fed. Before dinner, we will go for a night safari in the jeeps, before we retire for the day.

 

Tuesday (Elephant Ride & Trek)

We will rise early in the morning to take an elephant ride and then will go for breakfast. Take the jeep and visit the nearby waterfalls. Take a bus safari in the evening. We will come back just before dinner and rest for the night.

 

Wednesday (Visit Sultanbathery)

After an early breakfast, visit Sultanbathery and we will take a relaxing stroll through the town and we will also visit some traditional spice and herb shops. 

 

Thursday (Trek)

We will visit the Edukall Caves and trek to the waterfalls. 

 

Friday (Trek & Tea Gardens)

We will continue trekking and we will visit the Pookot lake or Kuruva Island depending on the weather. 

 

Saturday

After breakfast we will return to Mysore. We will stay in Mysore for the night at the center.

 

Sunday

We will leave to Bangalore after breakfast .We have lunch and then it free time till we take the bus ride to Goa, which is an overnight journey.

Beach Week:

Monday (Arrival)

We will arrive at the location on one of the most beautiful beaches in Goa. We will have breakfast by the beach, and then its free time to relax and enjoy the surroundings. You can stroll on the streets, rent a bicycle and explore the landscape or check out the shops or simply just relax on the beach which is an idyllic location surrounded by palm trees.

 

Tuesday (Local Cuisine)

After breakfast we will take a cool walk around the beach and spend time near the beach. We will have all our meals near the beach and will try some local Cuisine, so that we can continue to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

 

Wednesday (Dolphin Ride)

We will get up early in the morning and take the boat out to sea for a view of dolphins and, if we are lucky, we can see other kinds of fishes, which can be found in this part of the sea.

 

Thursday (Free day)

Free time to relax and sunbathe on the beach.

 

Friday (Free Day)

Free during the day, and we will leave after an early dinner to the bus station, where we will take a sleeper evening bus to Bangalore.

 

Saturday

Back to the Airport

 

Where will I live?

Introduction and Community Week:

Accommodation will vary depending on the project, but will be in shared bedrooms. The food is generally traditional Indian, which at times can be spicy. The breakfast varies from rice to Indian breads. For lunch and dinner you will have a variety of dishes, made of rice with Indian sauces and some vegetables.

The doors and windows are not mosquito-proofed; so don’t forget to bring mosquito nets or repellents.

There are no laundry facilities so get ready to go back to basics and wash your own clothes by hand!

Trekking Week:

During the Trek week accommodation will be at various Guest Houses along the route. Rooms will be dorm style, basic and clean. There are no mosquito nets on the rooms.

Beach Week:

The volunteers will be staying together in comfortable beach huts situated on the beach and will partake all three meals together. The food is generally continental and Indian food. So you can decide from the menu of the day, which the team leader would have. The doors and windows are not mosquito-proofed; so don’t forget to bring mosquito nets or repellents.

 

Money

• The currency is Rupees. The best way to carry your money is to split it between separate payment methods, e.g. cash, card and traveller’s cheques. Never carry a lot of cash as you can always get more out at a cash point or exchange money in all the major banks and hotels and large towns.
• Most credit cards are accepted in India.
• Your money will be spent covering your ground costs e.g. food and accommodation. Any money left over will be put back into Greenforce Projects.

• ATM's are widely available near the major cities

 

Country Facts

• Population/Area – 1.3 Billion / 3.2 Million Square Kilometres.
• India is home to several hundred languages, of which 17 are official with Hindi and English being most widely spoken.
• India is the largest democracy in the world.
• ‘Hello’ in Hindi is Namaste

Eligibility

• The trip is open to all nationalities.
• The minimum age for this trip is 17; there is no maximum. Expedition teams consist of individuals from a diverse range of ages, backgrounds, and experiences. Everyone is welcome!

What's included?

• A Meet Your Team briefing day and BBQ in central London.
• Being met at the airport by a Greenforce staff member then dropped off to your hotel.
• Comprehensive orientation period, including guest speakers and presentations by trained professionals, covering India’s culture, history, and language.
• All transfers/ transport to project locations and overnight journeys.
• All accommodation and meals.
• On site assistance and all materials for the activities.

Itinerary

Day 1         - Arrival in Bangalore and transfer to Mysore District
Day 2-8      - Introduction week
Day 9-13    - Community Project
Day 14-20  - Trek Week

Day 21-27  - Beach Week

Day 28       - Transfers back to airport

This project can be extended for £280 per week

Maps

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