4 Months Wide Open

chicagocharlie · Aug 10th, 2009, 23:58

Ok. I know this is a quite broad post but am looking for some suggestions on good ways to spend a Sep-Dec trip to India.

I am a 24 year old with a fair amount of travel experience. Will be coming from several months in Palestine and am looking to do some bodywork/mindwork and decompress.

Some of the things I have thought was to find a meditation, yoga, or qigong center to spend a big chunk of time at. Not sure about the feasibility of this or regional recommendations. I would prefer more rural.

I am also interested in organic farming and would be interested in working on a farm. Anyone have experience with WWOOFing in India?

I am a divemaster and although I have heard that diving is not so big in India I would be interested in any potential jobs or good dive sites.

I really want to use trains. Is it possible to head to the north via trains even after the roads are closed due to snow?

I don't want to go to backpacker land, but any recommendations on more relaxed or local places would be greatly appreciated.

Last but not least I am POOR! So please no fancy hotels (and by fancy I would cap my nightly budget at around $10USD) or guided trekking etc.

Charlie

vonkla · Aug 13th, 2009, 00:58

I guess that your question is to broad to get much answers.

There is a special thread with suggestions How to get the most out of the Itinerary section.

For information about trains see erail.in

wonderwomanusa · Aug 13th, 2009, 04:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicagocharlie

I really want to use trains. Is it possible to head to the north via trains even after the roads are closed due to snow?

You mean, to the mountains? Depends on where you want to go. I believe you can take trains to Shimla and also to Jammu (Kashmir) but other hill stations require bus travel.

Quote:

I don't want to go to backpacker land, but any recommendations on more relaxed or local places would be greatly appreciated.

Last but not least I am POOR! So please no fancy hotels (and by fancy I would cap my nightly budget at around $10USD) or guided trekking etc.

For $10/night (around Rs450-500) you are pretty much going to be in "backpacker" country -- but that's only if you're on the beaten path. If you go to some of the less-visited destinations, you'll still find hotels in that pricerange, but you may go days and days without seeing another foreigner.

Four months is a good length for a trip; you can do and see a lot in that time... so figure out where you want to go!

Hannah82 · Aug 14th, 2009, 20:10

Hey!

I think you can do organic farming in Auroville, outside Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu. It's a spiritualist community made up largely of Westerners, but if you're sleeping in a pod in the forest and working in the fields that probably won't affect you too much. It's definitely an interesting place.

I'm going to be in India at the same time and am interested in much of the same stuff you've listed (mind/bodywork, trains to the mountains, permaculture etc...). I'll keep an eye on this thread anyway but if you want to keep in touch to swap ideas i'll give you my email.

chicagocharlie · Aug 15th, 2009, 00:34

yea...I know this post was crazy vague, but it is honestly where I am at right now with the trip. Originally was going to be in Ladakh with friends and motorbikes but as I delayed the trip that idea was lost. Appreciate any new directions that you all might be able to give, otherwise I am sure that I will land on my feet.

Hannah - Yea, would be great to exchange ideas. Auroville is not really what I was thinking but can't hurt to bounce ideas around. I can't PM yet but if you can send along your email I will send you mine.

Hannah82 · Aug 15th, 2009, 00:48

I can't PM either... maybe after this post i will be able to?! anyway - yeah, maybe Aurovillian farmers will know of other people doing it? I met a guy out there, forest ecologist, tamil guy named Guna, heads up the AV Farm Group. He might be good for leads.

emmaindarj · Oct 14th, 2009, 13:19

I'm not sure where you are now, but if you are interested, there is a two week course in Permaculture being run at an Organic Small Farmers Co-operative in Darjeeling later this month.

I have nothing to do with the course, but attended it in 2006. I tried to PM you the details but wasn't able to.

If you'd like more info on it, let me know, and I'll try figure out a way to send it to you.

Aug 10th, 2009, 23:58	#1
chicagocharlie Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Dahab, Egypt Posts: 5	4 Months Wide Open Ok. I know this is a quite broad post but am looking for some suggestions on good ways to spend a Sep-Dec trip to India. I am a 24 year old with a fair amount of travel experience. Will be coming from several months in Palestine and am looking to do some bodywork/mindwork and decompress. Some of the things I have thought was to find a meditation, yoga, or qigong center to spend a big chunk of time at. Not sure about the feasibility of this or regional recommendations. I would prefer more rural. I am also interested in organic farming and would be interested in working on a farm. Anyone have experience with WWOOFing in India? I am a divemaster and although I have heard that diving is not so big in India I would be interested in any potential jobs or good dive sites. I really want to use trains. Is it possible to head to the north via trains even after the roads are closed due to snow? I don't want to go to backpacker land, but any recommendations on more relaxed or local places would be greatly appreciated. Last but not least I am POOR! So please no fancy hotels (and by fancy I would cap my nightly budget at around $10USD) or guided trekking etc. Charlie

Aug 13th, 2009, 00:58	#2
vonkla Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Netherlands Posts: 563	I guess that your question is to broad to get much answers. There is a special thread with suggestions How to get the most out of the Itinerary section. For information about trains see erail.in __________________ . See our travel journals Mumbai-Dehli in three months; From Kochi to Delhi

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Aug 14th, 2009, 20:10	#4
Hannah82 Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ireland Posts: 35	Hey! I think you can do organic farming in Auroville, outside Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu. It's a spiritualist community made up largely of Westerners, but if you're sleeping in a pod in the forest and working in the fields that probably won't affect you too much. It's definitely an interesting place. I'm going to be in India at the same time and am interested in much of the same stuff you've listed (mind/bodywork, trains to the mountains, permaculture etc...). I'll keep an eye on this thread anyway but if you want to keep in touch to swap ideas i'll give you my email.

Aug 15th, 2009, 00:34	#5
chicagocharlie Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Dahab, Egypt Posts: 5	yea...I know this post was crazy vague, but it is honestly where I am at right now with the trip. Originally was going to be in Ladakh with friends and motorbikes but as I delayed the trip that idea was lost. Appreciate any new directions that you all might be able to give, otherwise I am sure that I will land on my feet. Hannah - Yea, would be great to exchange ideas. Auroville is not really what I was thinking but can't hurt to bounce ideas around. I can't PM yet but if you can send along your email I will send you mine.

Aug 15th, 2009, 00:48	#6
Hannah82 Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ireland Posts: 35	I can't PM either... maybe after this post i will be able to?! anyway - yeah, maybe Aurovillian farmers will know of other people doing it? I met a guy out there, forest ecologist, tamil guy named Guna, heads up the AV Farm Group. He might be good for leads.

Oct 14th, 2009, 13:19	#7
emmaindarj Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Darjeeling Posts: 30	I'm not sure where you are now, but if you are interested, there is a two week course in Permaculture being run at an Organic Small Farmers Co-operative in Darjeeling later this month. I have nothing to do with the course, but attended it in 2006. I tried to PM you the details but wasn't able to. If you'd like more info on it, let me know, and I'll try figure out a way to send it to you.