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Agenda For 2017 Southern India Trip
Boston - Dubai - Chennai

​8 Days 7 Nights
Friday February 17 through Saturday February 25, 2017

Carole will help you find a roommate for the trip.
(Schedule subject to change)

**Chennai is 10.5 hours ahead of Boston's Eastern Standard Time.
Roundtrip Flight on Emirates Airlines

Friday February 17    
Leave Boston Logan Airport bound for Chennai, Tamil Nadu in Southern India.
Fly on Emirates Airlines, one of the top airlines in the world.

Saturday February 18
Explore the wonders of the Dubai International Airport during your quick layover

Sunday February 19 
Welcome to Chennai!  Our hosts, Presiding Elders Sarah and Abraham Peddiny and the people of India greet you at the airport with
unbelievable hospitality in the wee hours of the morning. 

We'll check into the hotel and have Breakfast sampling foods from around India and the world at the multiple food stations. We'll have an overview of the week's activities on Day One, exploring Chennai, the 4th largest city in India. We'll attend  a culturally rich worship service at Hope Center India (Optional Activity).
We'll get measured for custom Indian outfits that will be delivered to you before you leave Chennai!

Monday February 20
Enjoy the loving, kind and spirit filled women, men and children of India. Day Two takes us 100 miles to the state of Andhra Pradesh where we learn about village life in India. Widows often have a tough life, but you learn how they are supported by groups that care about improving the quality of their life. Full dance performances by the women and children of the villages are a part of our cultural experience. you'll be showered with flower petals when we arrive in Negari. And the freshly cooked food is simply delicious.

Tuesday February 21
One of the highlights of Day Three in India is meeting with the community leaders of the region. It is a joyous occasion, learning about their work, the people and fellowshipping with them. And who knows...you may eat a delicious lunch on banana leaves and
​eat with your hands for the first time!!! When in India, eat like the Indians!!

Wednesday February 22
Day Four in India will be packed with cultural and historic activities. We'll visit the famous gold store and watched our local host use fierce negotiation skills to help reduce the purchase price of our items.
​Then we'll visited the sacred cave where St. Thomas, Jesus' disciple, hid before his death.
Finally we'll tour a famous Hindu Temple in Chennai. India is alive in culture, history and tradition!

Thursday February 23
Day Five is one of the highlights of our trip. We'll visit Thirumani Village, a Dalit (outcaste) community where some of the most gracious and hospitable people live. Bethel AME Church (Boston) supports the Educational Center in this village, and the children continue to excel in school, thanks to the activities in the Center. We will also visited the largest Leper Colony in ALL of Asia, will fellowship with the residents and bring them warm greetings and nutritious food. (Optional activities for all travelers)
Then we will travel to to the beautiful seaside town of Mamallapurum on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. What a fast-paced day in India!

Friday February 24
On Day Six our whirlwind trip will come to a close! We'll visit the Shrine of St Thomas, the place where Jesus’ disciple was murdered in 72 AD, followed by a visit to one of the few Catholic Basilicas in the world. Then shopping at a fabulous Chennai Mall. Birthday and anniversary celebrations for our travelers in the group are not unknown on this last day in Southern India. We make sure to have fun straight through boarding our Emirates flight back to Boston.

Saturday February 25
Leave Chennai in the wee hours of morning on Emirates Airlines. Transfer planes in Dubai and arrive in Boston mid-afternoon on Saturday.
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​Excursion #1: Bonus Trip To Dubai
Spend 3 Exciting Days In This Exciting City/State
Friday February 14 through Saturday  February 18, 2017
You Will Meet The Group At The Dubai Airport & Travel Onto Chennai
Separate Pricing Applies
(Schedule subject to change)

**Dubai is 7 hours ahead of Boston's Eastern Standard Time.
Roundtrip Flight on Emirates Airlines

Tour Activities On Your Own

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene. Burj Khalifa, an 830m-tall tower, dominates the skyscraper-filled skyline. At its foot lies Dubai Fountain, with jets and lights choreographed to music. On artificial islands just offshore is Atlantis, The Palm, a resort with water and marine-animal parks.

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Excursion #2: Bonus Trip To North India - Taj Mahal
Spend 6 Exciting Days In Delhi, Agra (Taj Mahal) & Jaipur
Saturday February 25 through Friday March 3, 2017
This Excursion Follows The Week-Long Trip To Southern India/Chennai
Separate Pricing Applies
(Schedule subject to change)

**New Delhi is 10.5 hours ahead of Boston's Eastern Standard Time.
Roundtrip Flight on Emirates Airlines

 Day 1 – Saturday February 25
Arrival in Delhi
  • Arrive at Delhi’s International Airport
  • Overnight in Delhi
Our representative will meet you in the arrival area of the airport after you clear all immigration and custom formalities. Depart for your hotel and check in for your stay.
 
Delhi is India’s capital and a major gateway to the country. Perhaps there is no other capital city in the world so steeped in history and legend as the Indian capital Delhi. It was the magnet, which drew the Mongols, Turks, Persians, Afghans, Mughals and the British, all of whom contributed to its glorious but turbulent past. The fascination with Delhi was such that even though it was abandoned many times, its rulers returned to it again and again rebuilding it at least seven times. Today, the twin cities of Old and New Delhi still intrigue Indians and tourists alike as the cultural and political capital of the largest democracy in the world.
 
Day 2 – Sunday February 26
Old & New Delhi (B)

  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Morning Old Delhi Tour
  • Afternoon New Delhi Tour
  • Overnight in Delhi
After a short briefing, set out on a tour of Old Delhi, the capital of Mughal dynasty between the 16th and 19th centuries. Visit Jama Masjid - the largest mosque in India built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. From here, board cycle rickshaws for a tour of Chandni Chowk, known as the Moonlit Square of India.  As you drive through the narrow lanes, witness the architectural marvels, the multicolored facades, beautifully decorated shops, ethnically dressed men and women and get bombarded by the cries of hawkers and fragrances emanating from the potpourri of eateries that line these historical alleys.
 
During the British regime, the street underwent major changes and since then this area has witnessed some of the most important events in Indian history. Today these splendid ruins and tales of valor are a testimony of the evolution of the times.  Chandni Chowk truly reflects the national unity, secularism and diversity of India.
 
Continue to a Gurudwara (sikh temple) and witness the community kitchen where thousands of worshippers are fed round the clock.
 
Next drive through New Delhi, passing by Presidential Palace - the one-time imperial residence of the British viceroys; the India Gate - a memorial raised in honour of the Indian soldiers martyred during the Afghan war, and the Parliament house and other government buildings built in the first quarter of the 20th century by two famous English architects, Sir Herbert Baker and Sir Edwin Lutyens. It was during this time period that the capital of the British Empire was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
 
The tour to Imperial Delhi will include a visit to the Qutub Minar, the tallest stone tower as well as one of the finest Islamic structures raised in India. Then visit Humayun’s tomb, built by the widow of the second Mughal Emperor, Humayun, it is an outstanding monument in the Indo-Persian style, a precursor of the Taj Mahal.
 
Day 3 – Monday February 27
Delhi – Agra (B)                                                                                                              
​By: Road – 210 km | +/- 4 Hours

  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Drive to Agra
  • Visit Agra Fort - a World Heritage Site
  • Overnight in Agra
After breakfast this morning, drive to Agra via the Yamuna Expressway. On arrival, check in for your stay. 
 
Once a small village on the banks of the Yamuna River, Agra was transformed by two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and his grandson Shah Jehan into the second capital of the Mughal Empire – Dar-ul-Khilafat, or ‘seat of the Emperor’ in the 16th & 17th century.  A world of contrasting edifices of red sandstone and white marble, narrow galleys, bustling streets and small buggies, Agra retains the irresistible charm that made this the favorite city of the Mughals.
 
In the afternoon, visit the Agra Fort, the seat and the stronghold of the Mughal Empire under successive generations. Approachable by two imposing gates and constructed of red sandstone, the citadel was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar between the years 1565 and 1573. Encircled by a moat, this dramatic city within a city was the palace of three emperors, Akbar, Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb, each of whom made significant contributions to the wonderful architecture of the inner buildings – a combination of Persian (Islamic) and local Hindu styles.
 
Later, take a guided walk through of the rustic village of Kachpura. This Heritage Trail of Agra shows you behind the scenes of life throbbing in the shadows of the Taj Mahal. Best part being, the trail is a community based enterprise where a youth from the local community will show you around. Whatever is charged for this trail goes directly to funding various welfare works such as upgrading schools, building toilets etc. in the area and in creating sustainable livelihoods.
 
Walk by lesser-known, yet significant, Mughal-era monuments including the Humayun Mosque and the historical wells of Baoli. Also see the 'Gyarah Seedi' carved from a single stone and situated at the edge of the River Yamuna, overlooking the Agra Fort. Follow your guide on foot through rustic Kachhpura and experience an authentic side of rural India that you've probably never seen before, including a street play presented by the town’s youth. This will be an opportunity to learn about India’s rural lifestyle as we check out the traditional art form of Sanjhi – paper stencils drawn on the walls by young girls.
 
Afterwards, return with your guide and driver back to your hotel for the evening at your leisure.
 
Day 4 – Tuesday February 28
Agra – Jaipur (B)                                                                                                                              
By: Road - 236 km | +/- 5 hours

  • Visit Taj Mahal at sunrise
  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Drive to Jaipur
  • Visit Fatehpur Sikri en route
  • Overnight in Jaipur
Rise early and visit the Taj Mahal. It is fitting to see this extraordinary monument by the first light of day as its exemplary beauty is awe-inspiring and will create an unforgettable memory.
 
Said to be one of the most elegant and a harmonious building in the world, Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1630 AD to enshrine the mortal remains of his beloved Queen Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal manifests the wealth and luxury of Mughal art as seen in architecture and garden design, painting, and calligraphy. The 144 foot double dome of the Taj is capped with a finial and the four minarets each 131 ft high and crowned by an open octagonal pavilion highlight the perfect symmetry of the tomb.
 
Return to the hotel, and after a leisurely breakfast commence your drive to Jaipur. You will stop enroute at Fatehpur Sikri - the deserted red sandstone city, an outstanding example of Mughal architecture built by the Great Mughal Emperor Akbar as his capital and palace in the late 16th century and abandoned after 15 years due to scarcity of water. It was a veritable fairy tale city and its 'ruins' are still in a pristine condition.
 
Continue your drive to Jaipur – passing some incredible scenery.  On arrival, check in for your stay.
 
Jaipur - also known as the ‘Pink City’, for the abundance of pink plastered stone used to build its massive forts, magnificent palaces and exquisite temples. The city built in 1727 A.D by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II followed a grid system, which made it the only planned city of its time. A young Bengali architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya designed the city in accordance with Shilp Shastra - an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture. There is far more to the city than just its famous monuments and to get a complete experience of Jaipur, uncover the mysteries of the bazaars and visit silversmiths, turban sellers and traditional markets.
 
Day 5 – Wednesday March 1
Jaipur (B)                  

  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Visit Amber fort with Elephant ride up to to the fort
  • Afternoon explore Jaipur
  • Overnight in Jaipur
 
After breakfast, visit the sprawling Amber Fort. Jaipur’s Maharaja Man Singh, Mughal Emperor Akbar’s most successful General, started constructing Amber Fort in the 17th century. Before the City Palace was constructed in Jaipur, Amber was the seat of power. The Fort is surrounded by fortified battlements and overlooks the Moat Lake.  Once you are on top, stroll through the sprawling complex of courtyards and halls. Many of the rooms have delightful wall paintings, with precious stones and mirrors inlaid in the walls. Most fascinating, perhaps, is the Sheesh Mahal (hall of mirrors) where a single lamplight is reflected in the many mirrors, lighting up the room.
 
Return to the city, with a photo-stop at Hawa Mahal (the Palace of Winds). Five stories in height, and built of red and pink sandstone highlighted with white quicklime, it is thought that the women of the royal harem used the many casements to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen.
 
Continue to Jantar Mantar, an observatory built by Sawai Jai Singh ll in the 18th century. The Maharajah, a scientist as well as an astronomer, had the principles of Euclid translated into Sanskrit. One of the most remarkable sites in Jaipur, the Jantar Mantar has fourteen major geometric devices for measuring time, predicting eclipses and tracking stars and planets. Just next to the observatory is the City Palace. Built within the fortified area of the original city, it has one of the finest monumental entrances in India. The Palace is now principally a museum housing a collection of great treasures, including miniature paintings, carpets, royal garments and other interesting objects from Jaipur's intriguing past.  The former royal family retains a part of the palace for their personal use. 
 
You will have some leisure time at the hotel or opt to visit the colorful local market. Walk through the old city of Jaipur past the Palace of Winds and market stalls before heading back to the hotel. Please be aware that these are very old market places in Jaipur used almost entirely by local people, hence you should be prepared for the hustle and bustle in the streets.
 

Day 6 – Thursday March 2
Jaipur – Delhi (B)                                                                                                                              
By: Road – 273 km | +/- 5 Hours

  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Drive to Delhi
  • Overnight in Delhi
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and some time at your leisure. Checkout at 12 noon. At the agreed upon time, you will meet your driver for your return drive back to Delhi. On arrival, check into the hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.
 
Day 7 – Friday March 3 
Delhi – Departure
Early this morning (late night of March 2nd), at around midnight, you will be met at the hotel for transportation to the airport. Depart Delhi at 04:10am.

Come Travel With Us To India & Dubai In 2017
New Cross Cultural Adventures Each Day Of The Trip