TRIBAL NAGALAND AND COLONIAL KOLKATA(A tour to India’s Far East)December 2 - 13, 2017 (12 days and 11 nights)Registration begins on Monday, 15 MayPrice: $4,000Click here to register: Tour Leaders: Rashmi Panchal and Lynn Baker

We start out tour with the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland where all the 16 tribes attend in their traditional attire. We shall witness the world’s hottest chilli competition and have the opportunity to see and purchase many unique tribal handicrafts. We shall then fly on to Kolkata where we will visit Shantiniketan the hub of literature and art and Bishnupur. In Bishnapur we will visit terracotta temples from the early 17th and 18th c. and the Baluchari weavers - famous for depicting entire stories in their weaving. Next comes an exciting cruise for 3 nights down the mighty river Ganges where we will see flora and fora typical of a mangrove forest and if lucky a Royal Bengal Tiger!

We arrive late in the evening into Kolkata on a Singapore Airlines/Silk Air direct flight from Singapore on 1st Dec. The next day morning we board our flight to Dimapur and reach our hotel in Kohima, a 70km drive from from Dimapur airport. We will spend two nights here and will visit the Hornbill Festival that showcases the cultural traditions of the 16 different tribes that live in Nagaland. The festival showcases Naga music, dance, art, food, handlooms and handicrafts. Besides these one can witness various exciting activities like the Chilli eating Competition! Naga chilliest are one of the hottest in the world! While in Kohima we will also visit a World War II Cemetery and the Museum. Shopaholics will get ample opportunity to pick up tribal beads, baskets, knives, traditional shawls and bamboo souvenirs.

On Day 4 we board a flight from Dimapur to go back to Kolkata. As we arrive in Kolkata, we drive 160kms to Shantiniketan, the site of the world renowned Viswa Bharati University established by India’s first Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore in 1921.Shantiniketan is considered a hub of learning for Literature and Arts. The university has produced diverse personalities like Indira Gandhi( India’s ex Prime Minister) and Amartya Sen ( Nobel Laureate for Economics). Here we will visit Tagore’s house, museum and the handicrafts shop that sells products made by the people living in and around the university.

Next day an early morning drive of about 140kms takes us to Bishnupur. A small town known for its beautiful Terracotta temples from the early 17th & 18th Century. It's also known for it Baluchari weavers who specialise in weaving stories of the Ramayana into their fabrics.

The same day we drive back about 130kms to the “City of Joy” , Kolkata. Established as British East India Company’s first trading post, Kolkata today is an amazing mix of the Colonial and the Indian culture. It's known for its architecture, food, festivals, for its Victoria Memorial Hall and Howrah Bridge and of course for the mighty Ganges.

On Day 9, we board the Paramhamsa ( Vivada Cruises) for an exciting 3 night cruise down the Ganges into the Sunderbans. These are one of the world’s largest mangrove forests and can only only be reached by boats. We will get an opportunity to get up close and personal with the unique flora, fauna and wildlife of this UNESCO world Heritage site and if we are lucky we might even sight the Royal Bengal Tiger!

On Day 12 we arrive back in Kolkata and we will have time for some last minute shopping and later in the

evening we board our flight back to Singapore, arriving next day early morning. The date of this trip has been planned around the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland which takes place during the 1st week in December.

The approximate cost of this tour is SGD $4,000 per person,which includes all international and domestic airfares, train fare, double-sharing accommodation in the best hotels available (single room supplements are an extra $600), all meals, bottled water, transport, entrance fees, guides, tips, travel insurance and a contribution to the FOM general fund. It does not include visa fees and personal expenses such as alcoholic drinks, laundry or phone calls.

Deposit Payment:   $1,500 per person

NOTES: Information on further payments will be sent out later with a detailed itinerary to registered participants. This study tour is limited to 16 participants including the tour leaders. All travellers must have updated membership status with FOM.Overseas FOM members will be added to the list of participants after an initial registration period of one week, giving local members priority.First pre-trip meeting: TBA