Ethical holidays: Villages Way launches new Indian Temples walking tour

News Release from Village Ways:

Village Ways, specialists in responsible tourism in India, has unveiled a new holiday – Temples and Tiffin – offering a combination of walking, village stays and visits to temples and pilgrim shrines, staying at the heart of the rural communities who will benefit directly from the holiday...

As with all Village Ways tours, the programme in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary is led and managed by hill villagers who take great delight in expounding local legends, pointing out village shrines and inviting guests to take part in their blessing ceremonies. The income generated from each trip goes directly to the rural communities where guests stay, and has enabled many villagers to remain living locally in the Himalayan foothills with their families rather than being forced to seek employment elsewhere.

The gentle itinerary just south of the Tibetan border starts from the historic Khali Estate, a former colonial house once visited by Gandhi and Nehru, and now a fine mountain hotel, where guests acclimatise to the mountain air. Over the next six days, guests walk against a backdrop of the Indian Himalayan peaks in the company of hill villagers, who share their enthusiasm for the landscape, traditions and culture of the region. The walking, from one hill village to another at about 6,000’, is moderately paced to allow enough time to stop and explore temples and shrines, and learn more about ancient rural traditions while progressing across the wonderful landscape. The walking would suit anyone who enjoys long weekend walks in the Lake District.

Throughout the week, visitors stay in specially created village guest houses in four local villages, where the hosts show them their own particular temples and shrines, and offer stories of local legends and an invitation to take part in local puja ceremonies (blessings). One special walk takes you down to the wonderful village of Jageshwar with its 124 ancient temples, while other days are devoted to travelling further afield to the Baijnath Temple on the Gomti River, and to visiting the tea plantations and the Ghandi ashram at Kausani.

A gastronomic highlight of the walking and cultural tour is the opportunity to enjoy a traditional village tiffin - so much more than a picnic - savoured amid forest scenery overlooking the Himalayan peaks. Most walking days include the ritual of taking tiffin – originally a meal for those working away from home – which includes all manner of tempting ingredients such as savoury rice, vegetable curry dishes, dhal, roti bread and a local sweet.

Arriving guests are welcomed at Delhi airport and transferred to the train station for an overnight journey on the Raniket Express to Kathgodam, before being transferred to the Khlai Estate (4 hours). Alternatively guests may choose to travel from Delhi entirely by road which takes 9 hours.

Sample price: The 9-day Temples and Tiffin tour costs from £682 - £757 per person including rail and private transfers, full board, and guiding. Holiday available October – June; booking now.

For further information and bookings visit www.villageways.com or Tel 01223 750049 (new UK number).

Previously on GreenTraveller:
Ethical holiday: Village Ways, India