Tribal Villages in Maharashtra - The Hidden India

In the three villages of Walvanda, Prushwadi and Henna in Maharashtra, you can spend time according to your convenience, while experiencing the traditional rural life of Maharashtra!

Learn about the culture of tribes such as the Warli and enjoy the exuberant nature in central India. Two of the three villages are so-called "Tribal Villages", as villages where members of tribes live. Besides the maintained and practised daily traditions and knowledge systems, you will find one thing: people who welcome you wholeheartedly!

The villages are part of a community tourism program to promote culture and socio-economic development of the villages. It was planned by experts as to exactly how the village as a whole benefits from the Community Tourism - so you spend time with different families. People of the village were trained to be Guides and speak English. Exciting activities have been developed. Today, the community runs the deals themselves and also manages the placement in Community campgrounds.

Choose the village where you will spend your holidays in India or combine villages - we provide you advice.

Tribal Villages

Warli-Village Walvanda

The Warli is the largest tribe in the Thane district north of Mumbai. The word "Warli" comes from "warla", meaning "piece of land". Some historians believe that the Warli can be traced back to to 2500 BC (Neolithic age). Evidence are artifacts from the 10th century. Originally, the Warli were hunters, based on paintings of the past, that have depictions of hunting. Today, most members of the tribe work in agriculture and maintains an annual income through it, depending on the monsoons.

For the Warli, death is not the end, but a new beginning in an eternal cycle. For this reason, the circle is the symbol of the Warli Goddess and it is often found in the Warli art. Among a variety of Warli paintings today, you see many representations of complex scenes with people in a natural context with animals, trees and landscape.

In the village Walvanda, about 95 km outside Mumbai, you can interact with members of the tribe, eating with them and taking part in their daily activities, playing games and hear stories about their faith, learn their rituals and their world view. You can understand a lot about the Warli art through your interactions. With a craftsman in the village, you can then make yourself Warli art.

Activities in the Village:

Rice cultivation - Rice is a staple food in India. You work in the rice fields and plant seedlings, learn how to harvest the ripe rice and winnow the grains to separate the husk by vigorous shaking. You will learn about the history of rice and understand what hard physical work is needed to get the rice.
Interactions with the Warli, to understand their traditions and culture
Inspect a Warli-House
Warli Art lessons from an artist. Understand Warli painting, that represents the various aspects of their life and the environment of the Warli. You can also make yourself a Warli painting, inspired by experiences from your own life.
Tour of the Village
Watch the quick and energetic Warli Dance, to the sounds of Tarpa, a traditional wind instrument of the Warli, which is made from a dried gourd.
Competition in rice pounding
Cooking class with the local women
Chopping wood
Traditional agricultural activities: Pounding and Winnowing Rice, Chopping wood, Grinding spices, etc.
Sowing rice (June), Weeding (July), Rice transplanting (July-August), Harvesting (October)

Forest Village Dehna

Are you fascinated by the idea of life in the forest? Are you a nature lover? The forest village, Henna is located 130 km from Mumbai, Maharashtra, in the region with the highest rainfall of the state. The endless green of the forest is full of life. There are some creatures like the green praying mantis, colorful butterflies and beetles, many birds like hiking Dendrocitta (Rufus Treepie) and wild orchids. Near the village, there is also a natural river with oodles of large flat rocks and stones, ideal for swimming. Breathing clean air that are produced by the trees of the forest is known to provide energy and clarity of thought.

Activities in the Village:

Traditional agricultural activities: Pounding and Winnowing of rice, Chopping wood, Grinding spices, etc.
Plowing fields (in May), Sowing rice (June), Weeding (July), Rice transplantation (July/August),Harvest (October)
Harvesting Mangoes from the trees, as well as other fruit
Learn about various Trees and Fruit
Hike through the mountain forest
Visit the shrine Samadhi Sthal of the sage Valmiki
Nature trail through the forest
Tree Climbing Competition with the locals
Swim in the river
Bird watching
Scavenger hunt in the forest
Sample traditional natural food in the village
Bake Bhakri flatbreads with housewives
Tour of the village
Hike to the mountain Ajobagad (4-5 hours)
Corn Barbecue at campfire
Playing cricket with people in the village

Tribal Village Purushwadi

Purushwasi is located about 220 km from the Mumbai Nasik direction. In the village, live the members of the tribe "Mahadeo Koli Hindu", who are known as rice growers and cattle herders. They are warm-hearted, simple people who are full of surprises. The village is situated at 1000 m above sea level, between the rivers Mula and Kurkundi. Local folklore says that the goddess Zakobhai threw five Hanuman statues from different villages of the region into the Mula river. Every year, this is repeated ceremoniously by the people from the five villages.

Activities in the Village:

Traditional agricultural activities: Pounding and Winnowing of rice, Chopping wood, Grinding spices, etc.
Crab catching (June-September), Plowing field (May and December), Rice sowing (June), Weeding (July), Rice transplantation (July and August), Harvest (October, January, February)
Tour of the Village
Corn Barbecue at campfire
Cooking with the women
Chopping wood
Play traditional games of the tribe
Hiking

About Tribes in India

About 60 million people in India are tribals (approximately 8.6% of the population), of which 94% live in rural areas. These are the indigenous people of India. About 40% of the members of tribes have tribal languages as their mother tongue, which are not among the 22 official languages of India.

In the past, members of tribes were disadvantaged by caste system and legislation. Even today, the members of the tribes have a low socio-economic and participatory status in India, and much poorer living conditions when it comes to access to health care, drinking water, electricity, etc. 645 different tribes, however, were recognized in 1976 by the Indian government as "Scheduled Tribes" and have today, political representation and affirmative action programs for access to higher education and promotion to the labor market.

Community Tourism initiatives promote socio-economic development of the members of tribes. Through community tourism activities, more than 50% of the households in the 3 participating villages was able to achieve a growth rate of 25-35% of their household income. The migration from the villages was reduced by 25%, as well as their culture, traditions and environmental awareness promoted.

Tribal Village in Maharasthra - The Hidden India

Minimum Duration: 3 Days
Maximum Duration: 6 Months
Language Requirements: English
Location: 3 villages in Maharashtra, India. You get to Mumbai and then, we provide transportation to the villages
Accommodation: Recently built camp site. You can see pictures of the accommodation in the photo galleries of each village on this page.

Price: In Tab "Rate" on this page

Rate

One night costs 55 EUR for adults and 35 EUR for children

Price includes:

* Overnight in tent at a campsite run by the village community

* Vegetarian food in private houses in the village with a different family every day
* English speaking guide from the village
* 2-3 Activities per night, as listed in the description
* Bottled drinking water

Additional costs:

A trip (Mumbai to one of the villages and back OR between the villages) always costs EUR 80 (transport by car)

Please note:

Not all activities are always available and may vary. Some activities require a minimum number of participants. With your booking, a schedule is created with your activities. Please contact us and we will confirm it with the village.

If you want to combine villages, we recommend that you go in the order Purushwadi-Henna-Walvanda, as this saves travel time.

Extras

Other Projects That Might Interest You:

These projects are suggestions for alternatives that may interest you or those that could be chosen as COMBINATIONS. The combination of projects in different organizations is often possible and usually cheaper than two individual bookings. Please contact us to know more! Check out our other listings in the areas of "World Learner" and "Active Travel" at your travel destination to make your stay even more interesting.

Travel Health Insurance

We recommend the following travel insurance that is meant specifically for participants of internships, volunteering, language study, working holiday, and courses abroad. It is available for travelers of all nationalities and usable for all countries, except your home country. You can also add a journey liability insurance.

Just click on the link, fill in the form and you will get a confirmation email.

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World Adventure - 14 Days in the Himalayas

This program takes place in the Kangra Valley in the Himalayas, in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The fresh valley is uniquely situated between the high snowy peaks of the Himalayas. The air here in the mountains is refreshing and invigorating, and it maintains comfortable year-round daytime temperatures. In this climate, the best tea grows in the Himalayas.

In the first week, you do volunteering at a kindergarten in Palampur and visit a tea plantation. In the second week, we walk for 3 days in the Dhauladhar Mountains and sleep in rural villages along the way. Then, you spend 2 nights and one full day in Kayakalp center where you can participate in yoga and get Ayurvedic massages. We then drive for 3 nights to Dharamshala, the retreat of the Dalai Lama to visit the McLeod Ganj Temple and the Norbulingka Institute. We stay in the beautifully situated Chrysalid camp.

World Adventure Itinerary

Day 1
Reach Dharamshala Airport (Gaggal Airport, DHM) and transfer to Palampur; accommodation in Guest House with full boarding.

Day 2
In the morning, you will be taken to the site of your volunteering assignment, a kindergarten in Palampur. In the afternoon, you get a city orientation in Palampur.

Day 3
Volunteering at the Kindergarten.

Day 4
In the morning, volunteering in kindergarten. In the afternoon, visit a tea plantation and tea factory . The tea plantation produces good quality black and green teas. Between March and November, between 2000 and 3000 kg tea leaves are picked daily; July and August is the peak harvest season. During the other months, the plants must be maintained, and numerous tropical fruits are grown.

Days 5-6
Volunteering at the Kindergarten.

Days 7-9
Hike in the Dhauladhar Mountains for 3 days/2 nights. First, we drive to a scenic hill (about 2000 meters above sea level). From there we walk with a local chef, a guide and porters for about 5-6 hours uphill. On the way, there is a break while we prepare food with local dishes such as rice with Lungdu, Malsa and chapati.

We finally reach a "Tribal Village", which we explore and sleep in simple houses in the village. Catering is always provided. The people belong to the tribe Gaddi, and have their own language. Many live a semi-nomadic life as shepherds. In the summer, they go with their flocks to higher altitudes and during winters, they spend in the villages in the valley.

On the second day, we walk for about 5-6 hours uphill and stay at another mountain village. On the third day, we reach a summit of the mountain range about 3500 to 4000 meters above sea level and then go back down to about 2000 meters, where we will be picked up and driven back to Palampur.

The walk can be done by anyone with average physical fitness. It is not strenuous mountain climbing, but a normal mountain hike. Depending on the wishes of the group, different routes and peaks of different levels can be selected.

In Palampur, we check-in in the afternoon at Kayakalp Centre. The Kayakalp Centre is a spa and wellness center, located just outside of Palampur, surrounded by a large park-like grounds.

Day 10
At Kayakalp Centre, the next day early in the morning you participate in Yoga and get an Ayurvedic Massage in the day (included in price). Ayurvedic vegetarian meals are included. You can do Yoga again in the afternoon.

Day 11

In the morning, we leave the Kayakalp Centre and go to Dharamshala . There we first visit McLeod Ganj , the district in which a large number of exiled Tibetans have settled. Attractions in addition to several temples, are the St. George church and the market with Tibetan souvenirs. In the late afternoon, we reach the Chrysalid camp where we stay in spacious tents with full boarding.

Day 12
Throughout the day we spend in the neighborhood of Chrysalid Camps . It is beautifully situated on a hill opposite Dharamshala, overlooking the town and the valley. Outdoor sports activities can be conducted at an additional cost: rock climbing, paragliding, rappelling, Tyrolean traverse or mountain bike tour (activities will be notified a week in advance). Those who prefer to relax can simply make a small guided walk (no additional cost) in the vicinity of the camp, from where you can get beautiful views of the valley. All meals are provided at the camp.

Day 13
From Chrysalid camp, we visit the Tibetan Cultural Center "Norbulingka Institute".

Full boarding is provided at the Camp.

Day 14
Return from Dharamshala to the airport.

Prices

1 Person: 1249 EUR

2 Persons: 949 EUR per head

3 or more Persons: 889 EUR per head

Convert to USD, GBP, CAD, AUD and other currencies

Details about the accommodation which is included you find here.

Prices include:

* Accommodation

* Full boarding
* Activities and excursions as described

* On mountain hikes, porter, guide, cook

* Participation in Yoga in Kayakalp Centre, and ayurvedic massage

* Admission fees of attractions listed
* Local contact

* Donation to your work site $ 50
* Transfers from/to Dharamshala Airport during arrival/departure.

* Indian Service Tax (3.09%)

* We plant 10 trees for you on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania!

Prices DO NOT Include:

* International flights and getting to Dharamshala

* Sports activities in Chrysalid-Camp

* Other treatments/services in Kayakalp Centre
* Food, activities, services, etc., which are not mentioned in the program
* Personal expenses, souvenirs, etc.
* Travel Health Insurance
* Gratuities, other donations, etc.

* Visa Costs

You can start at any time during the year. However, please note that the itinerary might change if your start date would cause the volunteering assignment to fall on weekends or holidays.

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Tea Program in Munnar, Kerala

3-Days of learning all you need to know about tea in Munnar!

Munnar is located in the southwest of India in Kerala, approx. 130 km from the coastal city of Cochin. Munnar is a popular attraction for travellers who want to relax away from daily traffic, city life and turmoil, due to its picturesque mountain scenery and the surrounding environment. But above all, the sleepy little city is dominated by tea farming: it produces the famous black and green teas which are being consumed around the entire world every day.

Some of the tea fields are located at an altitude of 2200 metres. above sea level. Hence Munnar belongs to the world’s highest located tea cultivation regions. Due to the altitude and climatic conditions, the tea of Munnar is of highest quality.

Munnar does not only offer excellent tea; it is surrounded by exciting tourist attractions, such as the Blossom International Park, the Chinnar game reserve, Anamudi, the highest peak in India south of the Himalaya mountains; and lots of other attractions. But above all, Munnar offers tranquility, relaxation and space. The tiny, picturesque town is surrounded by serpentine-like streets, tropical vegetation and most of all tea plantations as far as the eye can reach.

Munnar

You will stay for three nights at Greenview Inn in Munnar where you will spend the days with a knowledgable guide who can explain to you everything about tea cultivation and processing. On the first day you will hike through a tea plantation and get explanations. On the second day you will visit a tea factory, where you can follow the several steps of the process or producing black, green and white tea. On the following day, you will meet plantation workers who will explain you their work on the plantation and will talk about their everyday life. You can ask questions and the guide will translate.

After these three days, you can extend your time in Munnar by staying at Greenwood Cottages, in the middle of a plantation outside of town. You are free to decide how to spend your time, such as hiking through the plantations on your own, or just relax in the middle of the refreshing green vegetation and tea trees, where almost every day the same change of weather takes place, which makes the tea flourish so very well in the area - sun in the morning and mist with high humidity in the late afternoon.

Tea Program in Munnar

Minimum Duration: 3 Days
Maximum Duration: 1 Month
Language Requirements: English
Location: Munnar, Kerala
Accommodation: Greenwood Cottages
Price: In Tab "Rate"

About Tea

In China and Japan one believes that tea is the elixir for immortality and the nectar of gods. Different myths exist about the origin of tea. According to one, in 2737 BC the Chinese emperor Shen Nung accidentally discovered the miraculous plant when some leaves of a nearby tree fell into his kettle. Shen Nung noticed the encouraging and therapeutic values of those miraculous leaves and started to propagate the drink from that moment on. The Chinese actually believe that most of their botanical and agricultural knowledge comes from Shen Nung. According to another Chinese myth, a herbal medicine man started documenting his entire knowledge about 84,000 plants. Unfortunately he died before he was able to finish it and just reported 62,000 plants. But then the miracle happened: a plant grew upon his grave, which was found to possess in itself the virtues of all the lost 22,000 plants – and that was tea.

Commercial tea farming in India started around 1778 with the East India Company, directed by the English botanist Sir Joseph Banks. In the "Kanan Devan Hills“ around Munnar, tea farming started in 1880. 89% of the world tea production, which are 3376 million kg (2005), comes from Asia; India is the biggest tea producer worldwide with a share of 28%. Within India, 23% of the tea production is from Kerala.

The tea plant is actually a species of tree, which can live and being fruitful for around 100 years. When left to grow, it will reach a height of 12–15 metres; that it is why the plants are being pruned to 1 or 1.5 metres height and shaped like a bush to obtain a manageable height for effective plucking. Due to permanent plucking, the bushes are permanently kept in the vegetative phase, ensuring sustainable harvesting. Depending on the season, every 9–13 days, the new-grown leaves and buds are usually plucked by women, based on the rule: "two leaves and a bud“, which means to pluck the two youngest leaves and one bud to ensure the best quality of tea. An experienced tea harvester plucks approximately 30 kg of tea leaves per day. To produce 1 kg of tea, 4 kg of tea leaves are needed. A single tea plant can produce 70 kg tea per year. Due to the climatic conditions of Munnar, approximately 60% of the entire annual harvest is made during the high cropping periods from middle of April to June and from September to November.

Besides plucking tea leaves and buds other field operations include pruning, tipping (to ensure a uniform plucking surface after pruning) and manuring and shading (regulating shade which most of the time is done with shade trees such as silver oaks to improve temperature, humidity and soil quality on the tea plantation).

Teas are divided into three main classes: green tea is not oxidized, Oolong tea is partly oxidized and black tea is fully oxidized. Special teas include white tea and instant tea (which is water soluble).

For the production of green tea, it is necessary to stop the oxidation by exposing the fresh-picked leaves to high temperature. That can be done with steam or by roasting the leaves in a hot pan. After the heat related inactivation of the oxidation enzymes, the leaves need to be rolled and dried until there is a residual moisture of 2.5 – 3%.

For traditional production of black tea (which accounts for 75 % of the world tea production), the tea leaves go through 5 stages: first of all they need to wither to become flaccid and pliable. They are being spread on drying tables and being dried for approx. 12–16 hours by blowing air for the gradual loss of moisture. The next step is called "maceration“ which has the purpose of breaking the leave's cells in order to make the cell sap get in contact with oxygen. For 45 minutes, the leaves are being rolled in several tandem rotary or reciprocating sifters. The next step is the fermentation for which the macerated leaves are spread in layers for 2 – 3 hours at a temperature of 25 – 30 degrees and moisture of 90%. During this process, the leave's colour changes from green to copper and develops the characteristic tea flavour. Afterwards, the tea leaves need to be dried again, which takes 10 – 25 minutes in modern drying machines. Finally, the tea particles need to be sorted into different categories of sizes and fibers and flakes need to be removed. That results in three grades of tea: complete leaves, broken leaves, and dust. Within these levels, experts make further differences. The levels do not define the quality of the tea.

Black tea is often additionally flavoured. In Munnar, natural flavours are used, such as lemon, ginger, cardamom, Masala, mint, orange, apple, rose, jasmine and peach.

Rate

1 Person: 130 EUR
2 Persons: 90 EUR per person

Price includes:

* 3 Days Program as described with an expert

* Entrance Fees
* Accommodation for 3 nights without boarding in a single room in Greenview Inn (if two people, double room)

Optional:

* Extra nights in Greenwood Cottages at € 15 per night in a single room without meals; transfers from Greenview Inn to the Green Wood Cottages is included (the duration of your stay in the Greenwood Cottages, you can decide for yourself); Double rooms € 10 per person

* Transport by car from Cochin (Kochi) International Airport or Ernakulam Junction railway station to Munnar - € 60 per car (1-4 passengers) one way.

Extras

Other Projects That Might Interest You:

Malayalam-Learning:

Malayalam is the language of Kerala. Although there are many people with good knowledge of English (much more than Hindi), it is always helpful to have a basic knowledge of Malayalam. You can take lessons (5 times a week for 2 hours each) with a single teacher. Classes are held in Fort Cochin, on the terrace of your property. Just mark in the registration form, "Language Training Required", and let us know your desired number of hours.

The price for 10 hours of lessons: 50 EUR.

Travel Health Insurance

Just click on the link, fill in the form and you will get a confirmation email.

Cochin

Check out our video on Cochin!

In this video, you see our volunteers, Sophie and Claudia in Cochin and our coordinator, Antonio. Also featured are some activities that you can do in and around Cochin.

Kerala - the Land of the Coconut Palms:

In Malayalam, Kerala means "Land of the coconut palms". This tropical state in the south west of India is strong in traditions and culture. Ayurveda, the Kathakali, and Kalarippayat (probably the oldest martial art of the world), all come from Kerala. The society of Kerala however, has also been shaped by the trade and cultural exchange facilitated by sailing vessels on the Indian Ocean. As early as in the 4th century, traders brought Christianity and Islam to Kerala and therefore, these two religions have far more followers in Kerala than in other parts of India: around 55% of Kerala's population are Hindu, 25% Muslims and 20% Christians.

Kerala is very attractive and interesting for travelling, offering tropical beaches and islands, house boat tours on the "backwaters", impressive mountains (such as the tea plantation area of Munnar) and National Parks, as well as a rich cultural heritage.

Cochin - Historic Port Town

The coastal city of Cochin, with around 600,000 inhabitants, spreads over several islands and peninsulas which are all connected via bridges. Ferries can easily bring you to the other parts of the city. An important island is Fort Kochi, the historic old town, where you will be accommodated. In the past, Fort Kochi was an important Indian Ocean port. The Chinese in the 13th century, the Portuguese in the 15th century and the Dutch in the 17th century left their remains. The town of Fort Kochi with its old courtyards, walls, churches and palaces, has a compelling flair which attracts cultural and wellness tourists; therefore there are many restaurants, hotels and guest houses, handcrafts and esoteric shops, as well as events. At night, it is particularly safe in Fort Kochi, as the Indian police operates its own "tourism police station" with a quirky police uniform museum. The modern and big city part of Cochin is Ernakulam, which is situated on the mainland and has a railroad station, many offices and large shops. Vypin Island is popular for beaches.

Our Coordinator in Cochin

Our coordinator in Cochin is Antonio.

Recreational Activities in Cochin

As a tourist destination, Cochin offers many ways to spend your spare time. These include the famous boat trips with houseboats on the "backwaters", which is available as day trips or as a multi-day offers, in which case you sleep on the boat. A beautiful multi-day trip and a welcome climate change, is also a visit to the tea plantations in the mountains of Munnar. There are several beaches in the area of Cochin, where you can swim.

In Cochin itself, there are many places for Ayurvedic massages, demonstrations of the traditional theater "Kathakali", the martial arts "Kalaripayattu" and folk dances and music performances (as "World Learner", you can even learn these), as well as take yoga or cooking lessons. In Ernakulam, there are large shopping malls and many shops with great deals; Fort Cochin has many tourist shops and a large number of restaurants and cafes. In the late afternoons, locals, Indian tourists and foreign tourists gather on the beach promenade of Fort Cochin to see the sunset.