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India: Himalayan Rafting Adventure 2018

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Located at the foothills of the Himalayan mountain ranges, Uttrakhand is largely a hilly state, having international boundaries with China (Tibet) in the north and Nepal in the east. On its north-west lies Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, while on the south is Uttar Pradesh. It is rich in natural resources with many glaciers, rivers, dense forests and snow-clad mountain peaks. This adventure experience will give you an opportunity to explore the rich bio-diversity of the region. Snow Leopard Adventures School Trips aim to introduce students to the natural and cultural heritage of India. Our programmes include a wide array of soft adventure activities such as easy rafting, trekking, nature walk, bird watching as also environment sensitization and interaction with local children. Tremendous emphasis on safety, meticulous planning, “Eco sense” and of course, fun form the foundation of all our school trips. Add to that efficient staff, state of the art equipment and excellent cuisine and you have a typical Snow Leopard Adventures Eco tour. Duration : 11 Days & 10 Nights Place : Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) Grade : Easy to Moderate Trip Date : March 30, 2018 (Friday) to April 9, 2018 (Monday)

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Suggested Itinerary

DAY 1 ARRIVE DELHI BY FLIGHT (9W 17, Dep. 1940 hrs/ Arr. 2255 hrs) MARCH 30, 2018/ FRIDAY

Arrive in Delhi by late night flight. Meet and greet by Snow Leopard Adventures team at the arrival lounge and transfer to the transit gate for the onward flight to Dehradun in the morning. Accommodation : None Meals : None

DAY 2 FLY TO DEHRADUN BY FLIGHT (9W 2841, Dep. 0605 hrs/ Arr. 0715 hrs) March 31, 2018/ SATURDAY SHIVPURI DRIVE (1½ hrs)

Early morning, board the flight to Dehradun. Meet and greet by Snow Leopard Adventures camp team at Dehradun - Jolly Grant airport and drive for an hour and a half to the Camp at Shivpuri village, about 16 kms from the holy town of Rishikesh, often referred to - as the Yoga capital of the world. At Shivpuri, we zip across the River Ganga from Snow Leopard Adventures Camp Panther to Leopard Heights (First zip line across the River Ganges with a length of 400 meters and 65 meters above the river). Upon arrival at the camp, welcome and orientation by camp manager. Settle down in the tents. Post breakfast at leisure. Post lunch, we participate in outdoor education like tent pitching, rope knots etc. In the evening after freshening up, students will be introduced to the basics of Indian cooking by our camp chef. This will be a fun experience for the students wherein they will learn about Indian cooking and the use of spices in Indian food. The students will cook their own meal and will also wash their own dishes. Later in the evening, after a quick wash and change, we gather around a campfire followed by dinner. Accommodation : Snow Leopard Adventures Camp (Leopard Heights). Meals : Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner Note: All activities will be conducted under the supervision of our qualified outdoor instructors.

DAY 3 & DAY 4 IN SHIVPURI YOGA / WARM UP EXERCISE & APRIL 1 2018/ SUNDAY & APRIL 2, 2018/ MONDAY RAFT ORIENTEERING TECHNIQUES

Wake up in the morning followed by a yoga session/ warm up exercise. Post breakfast, we drive to the put in point for rafting session. After a thorough safety briefing, we gear up with helmets, life jackets and paddles to

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commence our rafting on the Ganga. This is a gentle stretch to learn raft orienteering techniques and would cover raft maneuvering, flips, body surfing, river rescue etc. We conclude our paddling at take out point and drive back to our base for a much awaited hot lunch or evening tea with snacks. While at the camp, the students can play games such as volleyball, Frisbee and cricket etc. Later in the evening, after a quick wash and change, we gather around a campfire followed by dinner. Accommodation : Snow Leopard Adventures Camp (Leopard Heights). Meals : Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner

DAY 5 TREK TO GHATTU GHAT YOGA / WARM UP EXERCISE & FULL DAY TREK APRIL 3, 2018/ TUESDAY

Wake up in the morning followed by a yoga session/ warm up exercise. Post breakfast, the students pack their knapsacks with their night gear and set out for a full day trek to another Snow Leopard Adventures camp (Himalayan Bear Steam Camp). We drive for a short distance to Gullar Bridge and disembark the coach. Thereafter, we follow the trail uphill for a short distance to Sirasu village. From the village, you then follow the path towards the right through the terrace fields. As we continue, the trail gradually ascent uphill toward the ridge till we reach Kota village. From the village we then steeply decent on to the other side of the valley passing through the forest trail to reach the stream below. We walk through the shallow stream and follow it upstream for less than 1km to our campsite for the day at Ghattu Ghat. We arrive at our campsite for the day well on time for the evening tea with snacks and set up our camp for the night (Student’s will pitch their tents for the night). Accommodation : Dome Tents at Himalayan Bear Steam Camp. Meals : Breakfast + Picnic lunch + Dinner

DAY 6 BACK TO SHIVPURI PATNA VILLAGE HIKE WITH LOCAL SCHOOL VISIT & APRIL 4, 2018/ WEDNESDAY RISHIKESH SIGHTSEEING WITH EVENING AARTI

Wake up early in the morning followed by breakfast. Post breakfast, we divide the students into two teams and stagger the departure. The first half of the trek is an uphill climb. After about 30 minutes of hiking we take a short detour to a nearby waterfall, to see some stalactites formations. It is a good spot to take photographs. After a short break at the waterfall, we get back to the trail and continue our gradual ascent to Patna village where we pass by fields of seasonal crops. At the village, the visiting students will have an opportunity to

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interact with local primary school students. This is sure to make the visiting students sensitive to children of a different culture and of a different section of society and will assuredly make them true global citizens. After a meaningful interaction, we get back on our trail and walk down to the road head to meet with our waiting coach. We board the coach drive down to Rishikesh and commence our walking tour of the fascinating town. Rishikesh, located in the lap of lower Himalayas is surrounded by scenic beauty of the hills on three sides with a Holy Ganga flowing through it. The town is sacred to Hindu pilgrims and is often referred to as the `Yoga Capital of the World'. Back in the 1960s, Rishikesh gained instant fame as the place where the Beatles came to stay with their guru, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. After crossing Laxman Jhulla, a suspended bridge across the Ganges, we walk past several temples, ashrams, and yoga centres to Ram Jhulla - bridges are named after the two legendary brothers Ram and Laxman from the Hindu Epic “Ramayana”. At Ram Jhoola we walk down to the ghat for an evening “Aarti”. In Hindu homes and temples, “Aarti” ceremony performed at twilight, is one of the most important part of the day. The lighting of lamp, as the sun is setting, is supposed to ensure the presence of god of light and fire in the house. Amid singing and chanting of devotional songs and hymns, the devotees line up along the bank of the river and float lit “diyas” in the Holy Ganga. The sight of the flickering flames of thousands of “diyas” on the river is awesome. After the “Aarti” we walk across the Ram Jhoola to board our waiting vehicle and drive to Snow Leopard Adventures Camp at Shivpuri. Accommodation : Snow Leopard Adventures Camp (Camp Panther). Meals : Breakfast + Picnic lunch + Dinner

DAY 7 DRIVE TO DEVPRAYAG RAFTING EXPEDITION APRIL 5, 2018/ THURSDAY

Wake up early in the morning followed by breakfast. Post breakfast, we drive for about 2 hrs to commence our rafting session from Devprayag. Devprayag is a holy town dotted with few temples. It is here the two sacred rivers from the Himalayas- the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda merge together to form the Holy Ganges. After a holy dip at the confluence (According to popular belief a dip at this spot is said to wash away sins of a life time!), we gear up with helmets, life jackets and paddles. This is followed by a thorough safety briefing by our experienced river guides. Thereafter, we get on to the river and commence our rafting session for a few

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kilometers. We set up our camp for the night on an isolated beach by the River Ganga. If time permits, we will get the chance to play Indian games such as Kabaddi and Pithoo by the beach. Accommodation : In tents by the Ganga River. Meals : Breakfast + Picnic lunch + Dinner

DAY 8 ON THE RIVER RAFTING EXPEDITION APRIL 6, 2018/ FRIDAY

Today, after breakfast we paddle on a beautiful section of the Ganga till Mahadev Chatti. It is a short and relaxed day. Lunch at Mahadev Chatti. Post lunch, we take a walk around the area and visit some of the temples. Optional: Post lunch, we go for a hike to Chandpur-a quiet and quaint Himalayan village by the river (about 2 hours- each way) Accommodation : In tents by the Ganga River. Meals : Breakfast + Picnic lunch + Dinner

DAY 9 ARRIVE SHIVPURI END OF RAFTING EXPEDITION APRIL 7, 2018/ SATURDAY

Today, after breakfast, we once again get on to the river and paddle to Kaudiyala. At the take out point, we board the waiting coach and drive for 30 minutes to Marine Drive. At Marine Drive after lunch, we continue to paddle with some more Grade II III rapids viz ‘Investment’, ‘Black money’, ‘Three Blind Mice’, ‘Crossfire’, ‘Little Annie’ and ‘Body surfing’ etc to arrive at our base camp for evening tea/ coffee and snacks. Later in the evening, after a quick wash and change, we gather around a campfire followed by celebration barbecue dinner. Those who are weary after the long day can have an early dinner and can settle into their comfortable beds in the tent. Accommodation : Snow Leopard Adventures Camp Meals : Breakfast + Picnic lunch + Dinner

DAY 10 FLY TO DELHI BY FLIGHT (9W 2837, Dep. 1040 hrs/ Arr. 1135 hrs) APRIL 8, 2018/ SUNDAY DELHI SIGHTSEEING

Morning after breakfast, transfer to Dehradun - Jolly grant airport for return flight to Delhi. On arrival in Delhi, meet with Snow Leopard Adventures Delhi Team Member and transfer to the hotel.

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Delhi is a bustling metropolis, which successfully combines the ancient with the modern. Along with the fast spiraling skyscrapers, the city is dotted with many historical monuments that stand as silent reminders of the region’s ancient legacy. The first impression for any visitor traveling in from the airport is of a spacious, garden city with roads lined by trees. Post lunch, we visit the Gandhi Smriti (Mahatma Gandhi museum) followed by a short drive around India Gate and Dilli Haat for shopping. Gandhi Smriti (memorial) Museum is the house where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last 4 months of his life before he was assassinated in 1948. The museum has some of his personal belongings along with some rare photographs and relics. India Gate has buildings like Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s Palace) and Parliament House designed by an English architect, Edwin Lutyen’s when India was part of the British Empire. Dilli Haat, a craft bazaar located in the heart of Delhi, has food and handicraft stalls representing each state of India. Products offered may include rosewood/ sandalwood carvings, embellished camel hide footwear, sophisticated fabric and drapery, gems, beads, brassware, metal craft, and silk and wool fabrics. Accommodation : Delhi hotel (Four Points by Sheraton) Meals : Breakfast + Lunch + Celebration dinner

DAY 11 FLY TO SINGAPORE BY FLIGHT (9W 18, Dep. 0945 hrs/ Arr. 1810 hrs) APRIL 9, 2018/ MON

Wake up early in the morning followed by breakfast. Post breakfast, transfer to the airport in time to board the flight back home. Accommodation : None Meals : Breakfast

***ADVENTURE ENDS*** (IN INDIA, REPORTING TIME AT THE AIRPORT FOR DOMESTIC FLIGHT IS 1½ HRS BEFORE FLIGHT DEPARTURE AND FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT IT IS 3 HRS BEFORE FLIGHT DEPARTURE )

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LIST OF THINGS TO CARRY:

T-shirts/ sweat shirts

Light weight long trousers (no shorts during trek)

Lockable Duffel Bags.

Light jacket especially for mornings & evening during trek – layering system works best.

A knapsack to carry your water bottle, camera, pack-lunch etc.

A pair of sports shoes & a pair of rubber soled ankle length shoes for trekking/ hiking.

Beach sandals for rafting.

Sun glasses with U/V protection, cap, sun block (30% and above SPF)

Retainers for spectacles/ sun glasses

Binoculars & Camera with extra batteries/ memory card

Flashlight with extra batteries (Best suitable – LED head lamp).

Reading & writing material

Personal Toiletries & medical kit

Pocket- knife (Swiss Knife) if you have one.

YOUR SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE & SENSE OF HUMOUR! Rafting Outfit:

Shorts/ tights.

Easy dry t – shirt

Cap.

Beach sandals Adventure Gear we will provide:

For Rafting: Rafts, life jackets, paddles and helmets

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