Rural Tours

SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE FOR PHOTOS AND DETAILED ITINERARY OF TOUR

After much consideration, research and encouragement from customers, we are very proud to announce this new venture. We are extremely excited by these tours and believe that they can potentially have as much impact as the Dharavi Slum Tours.

Purpose of tour
The idea behind the tour is to give an understanding of life in the Indian villages. We visit three separate communities (including a tribal community) and you see the way in which they live. Krishna, one of the co-founders of the company acting as tour guide, will explain to you their beliefs, their customs including the role of women, their superstitions, their religion and the problems that they face, and you will be able to ask questions through him.

It is also a great way to get out of Mumbai and enjoy the simple life, with fresh air in beautiful surroundings.

Activities
You won't just observe and learn about life in the village but we encourage you to actively take part. For example you can milk the cows, plough the field, wash clothes, learn to carry water on your head. And there are other activities which you can take part in, such as fishing, swimming and playing cricket.

Stay night in village
You will spend at least one night in one of the villages that we visit, with your hosts being an incredibly friendly and hospitable Indian family. Besides talking to them, they will provide you with typical village food and a place to sleep.

Your living arrangements are not meant to be 5 star, but we do believe that we cater to people requiring different levels of comfort, and most importantly where you stay is CLEAN. You can sleep on the floor or on a bed, you can take a shower by the well or in a bathroom. You can go to the toilet in the open or inside. It's up to you!

Food
The food is an essential part of the trip. Lunch and dinner on the first day, and breakfast and lunch on the second day are included in the price. Wherever possible, we try and eat in the villages that we visit, the food being typically what the villagers themselves eat, although for our trip to Raigad Fort on the second day we have to eat at a restaurant. For some of the meals there is a vegetarian/ non-vegetarian option. Beware that you will be encouraged to eat with your hands! Cleanliness is very important to us and we ensure that the food and the cooking facilities are clean and hygienic if fairly basic. We also take plenty of mineral water. If you have any dietary issues, then please let us know

Travel by boat and car
When getting to the villages, which are all located near a small town called Indapur in South Maharashtra, or when travelling at other times by car, you will experience some stunning countryside, as well as observing country life with additional interesting information given by the tour guide. The tour starts (and ends) with a 50 minute boat ride between the Gateway of India in Colaba (the main tourist area) and the mainland, and then you go by car- it is a 2.5 hour drive.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO BOAT SERVICE DURING THE MONSOON- FROM 15 JUNE 2008. To get to the village we go directly by car from Mumbai, which takes about 3.5 to 4 hours.

Raigad Fort
On the second day we go to Raigad Fort. This was built in 1674 by the great Marathi King Shivaji, who made the fort his capital. It is accessible by a 1,400 step walkway or by cable car, both offering great views as you ascend the hill.

Catch train to Goa
Do you want to carry onwards on your travels without having to return to Mumbai? You can catch a train on the morning of the second day (once you've milked the cows of course!) to Goa, and you can continue to enjoy the beautiful countryside again. We will book this ticket for you if you wish.

If you are coming from Goa, the only suitable train arrives at 17.25. To get the most from the tour, you would need to stay two nights in the village, although just one night is possible as well.

If you wish to go elsewhere in India besides Goa, then please give us your requirements and we will try to organise something.

Flexible Itinerary
The itinerary is completely flexible to your requirements. If you wish to spend more or less time in the village, then let us know and we will give you an itinerary and price for you then to make a decision.

Tour timings/dates
The standard tour lasts two full days and one night in the village. You need to meet at 8am at the boat ticket offices in front of the Gateway of India in Colaba. See meeting points and map page for a clear details of this meeting point including a photo.

You will return by boat, arriving at the Gateway of India at 8.30pm the following day.

If you wish to do a private tour (up to five people) then please give us the dates most suitable for you, and we will do our utmost to book you in.

We realise that some people travel as individuals or in very small groups and will want to go on a trip with others who they don't know. For these people we have suggested some dates (see box on right), so please get in touch if you wish to book a place. If you would rather do the tour on another date, then let us know and we will put this date up as well. But please note that we need a minimum of four people to do a tour.

Price
For all tours, the cost quoted includes boat trips, mineral water and food (lunch and dinner on first day, breakfast and lunch on second day)

For a group of up to 5 people, the cost is Rs 12,000 plus Rs 1,000 per person- e.g. for a couple, total price would be Rs 14,000

For a shared tour, cost per person is Rs 4,000.

Contribution to villages
We think that it is natural and proper that people are going to wonder how the tour fee will be spent. For every tour these are the following approximate costs:

• Rs 5,000 on use of car and petrol
• Rs 200 per person for return boat fare
• Rs 300 on additional staff expenses
• Rs 1,500 on Outside food, water, road tolls and misc expenditure

We then give the following amounts:

• Rs 500 plus Rs 200 per person to host family
• Rs 500 to each of the three villages

We are considering options to ensure greater accountability to both our customers and the villagers that the money is being given and spent appropriately. One of these is keeping a book of income and expenditure which would be available for all to view.

For a private group of two people, this leaves us with a profit of Rs 4,400 approximately for the two days. Given that this is over two days, that we have invested in a bathroom in the village where you stay, as well as having taken three trips and many hours on the internet researching the tour, we think that the price set is very fair. Also the monies given to the host family and the villages are not tax deductible expenses.