INDIA RAKlife experience - january 9- 19, 2016
10 day trip to the incredible country of India. This will be the trip of a lifetime for anyone who wants to be totally immersed in the experience of traveling off the grid and giving back in India. We will be both experiencing culture and also making a difference by performing Random Acts of Kindness both large and small.
Trip overview:
This journey begins in Kolkata where volunteers are to arrive by January 9th. We will spend the night in Kolkata before flying out the next morning to head to Jalpaiguri.
Jalpaiguri is where we will be spending the most of our time. This city is located on the banks of the Teesta River at the foothills of the Himalayas. In Jalpaiguri are working with an orphanage/shelter there called Nijuloy to build a playground and garden for the children. It will be so rewarding to spend time with these beautiful children who love the fact that foreigners will take time for them.
After 6 days of RAKing in Jalpaiguri we head to the beautiful town of Darjeeling.
Darjeeling is well known for its tea industry and also the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will spend time there exploring the area while taking photos and experiencing local culture. All along the way we will look for spontaneous Random Acts of Kindness that we can do for locals we meet.
After 3 days in Darjeeling we travel back to Kolkata where RAKlife will provide one more nights stay for volunteers before heading home or off to your next destination. If you think that you would like to plan extra days in India either on the front or back end of this trip then we are happy to help you with suggestions of places we would put on the top of our list to visit.
Throughout this entire journey our goal is to make a positive impact on all the people we come across all while getting off the grid and experiencing local culture. There will often be free time as well to spend doing whatever you’d like.
This project will be lead by Jim Kennedy, RAKlife's Director of Hosted Trips. Jim is also full-time professional photographer who owns a successful Southern California based photography studio. Jim has traveled all over the world while getting off the grid and is excited to work with anyone interested in improving their photography skills. Whether you are shooting a small point and shoot camera, a cell phone, or a SLR camera- it will be fun to come home with some beautiful images that you would be proud to hang on your wall. Take a look at some of Jim’s travel images here:
http://jimkennedyphotographer.com/portfoliosets/travel/
This India trip is for anyone interested in not just vacationing, but traveling with a true purpose. Watch the video toward the bottom of this page to hear testimony about how voluntourism can make a difference in the lives of those in need, while tremendously impacting your own life as well.
A portion of trip cost is tax deductible.
Trip pricing includes:
- Transport to/from Kolkata International Airport
- Nightly accommodations- basic but clean and pleasant
- Most meals included
- Transportation during trip- ground transport and in-country flights
- Volunteering project at shelter
- Spontaneous RAK's
- Professional guidance and teaching from expert photographers
- Local translator
What’s not included:
- International flights (can help research if needed)
- Visa (can direct to an excellent Visa company)
- Travel Insurance (not required but recommended)
- Food and Drinks outside of included meals
- Extra curricular activities and entertainment outside of what is included
Travel Details: Fly in and out of Kolkata (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport– CCU airport code)
- Arrive: Fly into Kolkuta Saturday, January 9
- Depart: Fly out of Kolkuta Thursday, January 19
Pricing:
10 days - $1595
- 50% non-refundable deposit due upon booking
- Balance of any remaining funds due no later than 30 days before scheduled arrival date.
- Waiver must be signed and emailed to mfoster@raklife.org no later than 30 days before scheduled arrival date
*This is a special introductory rate, as this is our first official hosted volunteer trip in Myanmar. Our future 10 day trips in Myanmar are anticipated to be $1995.
Questions: If you have any questions about RAKlife or this incredible experience, please email us at: info@raklife.org and we will respond to you quickly!
Please see below for images and volunteer experiences from our PAST HOSTED TRIPS!
Volunteers talk about their experiences traveling with RAKlife...
See images from our 2015 Vietnam Hosted volunteer trip...
