What is the main focus of the India
program?
Lifeworks India is based in the northern town of Dharamsala.
This settlement, literally translated as Rest House, was established in 1959,
when His Holiness the Dalai Lama, fled Tibet and was allotted Mcleod Ganj as
his new home of refuge. The town remains the capital of the Tibetan government
in exile and is led by Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Here
we work with two local organizations,The Rogpa Charitable Trust and theLha
Social Work Organization. Both are dedicated to providing essential resources
to the displaced Tibetan community living in exile in Dharamsala. During our
time in Dharamsala, we also embark on short excursions including a visit to
the Golden Temple in Amritsar and trek a portion of the Dhauladhar Himalayan
Range in Truind. At the conclusion of the trip, we return to Delhi and visit
the Taj Mahal and Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque.
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How many people go on this program?
The India program is one of our smaller programs with
a maximum of 16 students.
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What is our accommodation like?
When in Delhi and Amritsar, we'll be staying in hotels.
In the Dharamsala, we'll be living in a guesthouse.
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Two or three staff members travel with you full-time
and others may come and go for specific portions of the trip. Take a look through
the staff FAQs for more information on the Lifeworks staff.
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Lower Dharamsala is at an altitude of 1400m, while McLeod
Ganj is at around 1750m, making them considerably cooler than the plains below.
Temperatures in June can go up to 100°F, and the monsoon season starts
in July so you'll need to remember to bring a rain jacket!
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Trying to call the US collect is fairly difficult. We
suggest using local telephone cards which are easy to purchase and relatively
inexpensive. Students can also use a credit card or an AT&T calling card
with an international U.S. direct prefix from many phone booths. As a backup
communication system, the Lifeworks India staff will be in frequent contact
with our Sarasota office.
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How will I pay for calls home?
Phone calls generally must be paid in cash to the operator (about $1.00 per minute), although it is sometimes possible to use a local calling card.
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How can parents find out what's going on aboard the program?
The easiest way is for students to place a quick call
home to let Mom and Dad in on what's going on! Sometimes this doesn't happen
though so we have instigated a trip update system in which, at the end of each
day, the student leader writes a few remarks in the log. If and when we can
do it, this is then typed up and posted on the Lifeworks website.
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Can I get mail on the program?
Letters sent from the US to India will not arrive in time, but just because
you can't receive any letters, doesn't mean that you shouldn't send one yourself.
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Can I email home from the program?
Sure, there will be some opportunity to email as many
of the hotels that we stay at will have email, so it will be possible to stay
in touch that way during those times.
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Do I need any specific immunizations for this program?
No special immunizations are required to visit India yet the CDC recommends
the following. Tetanus and Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B and Typhoid.
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What about the travel arrangements?
Students come from all points of the compass, so coordinated air travel is of vital importance. For this reason, we ask that all students flying to India book through Reservation Services International as they regularly obtain the best fares available, arrange group seating, and provide close monitoring on travel days in case of flight difficulties. As airlines often change their schedules, Lifeworks cannot be responsible for the coordination of air flights that are not booked through Reservation Services International.
For those booking through Reservation Services International, a Lifeworks representative will meet the group at Newark International Airport (EWR) to help with this transfer. In most cases, this representative will also be a guide for the program and will fly to Delhi with the group. Additionally, it's often possible for us to help families connect with other families in their area to coordinate students flying together on the domestic portions of their itineraries.
For more information on flight itineraries and travel information, please contact...
Leah Hernandez
Reservation Services International
1.800.329.9000
(Texas +1.281.528.7727)
leahctn68@hotmail.com
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Can I use frequent flyer miles to get there?
Unfortunately, frequent flyer miles may not be used
for the international portion of the ticket for this voyage. The reason for
this is that we require that all of the students fly together on a specific
set itinerary. Additionally, for some of the programs, we rely on discounted
group fairs to lower the cost for everyone.
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Do I need a passport or any special visas?
Everyone traveling to India must do so with a passport
valid for a minimum of six months after the date of departure. Additionally,
all visitors need visas. Tourist visas are valid six months and cost around
$60. These can be applied for within 90-days of date of travel. For more information
on visas please contact our office.
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