About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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Based in the valley of Spiti, high in the Himalayas, you'll be surrounded by stunning views whilst getting your hands dirty and making a difference! As this area is a remote valley cut off from the rest of the world for part of the year you will find an exciting and challenging experience in developing and building greenhouses for the local tribal communities to ensure that they have a year round supply of fresh vegetables. Live with the locals and have a truly amazing experience high up in the mountains!
Spiti, situated in the vast expanse of the Himalaya, is a cold desert with an arid landscape with limited vegetative growth, similar to the neighbouring areas of Ladakh and Tibet. Its height is well above 3000 mt. and in the 6 month long winters the temperatures can easily dip to –30 degree centigrade. Such hostile conditions and lack of rain mean that agriculture is restricted to only 1 crop a year as the only source of moisture is the winter snow. Due to the extreme winter climate the inhabitants of Spiti burn coal, wood, dung and other bushes to cook and warm their houses. Moreover green vegetables which are largely brought in from outside become very scarce during the long winter months as the roads to Spiti close down. This not only impacts on the nutrition of the local community, especially the children and women, but also has a huge financial burden on the local community.
The Green House project came into being to enable local communities to grow their own vegetables, enhancing their nutritional intake and reducing their expenditure. Any excess produce can also be sold in local markets and increase their income.
With the skill of local masons, a new design of greenhouse was developed using local materials such as mud brick, wood, and straw to enable the rural farmers to grow vegetables during the winter months when temperatures could drop as low as -25 degrees centigrade. The greenhouse is an eco-friendly way of enabling the locals to fulfill their needs within the region itself, however manpower can be in short supply and this is where your help is needed.
This is the perfect trip for anyone fascinated by mountains and the people who live in remote parts of the world. Spiti is a stunning and much forgotten part of India and offers the intrepid traveller a unique and rewarding experience. However be prepared for dirty hands and hard work! As this is at altitude you will also need to have a moderate level of fitness. You will be involved in various stages of building but no specific skill set is required, only the ability to be flexible!
Your typical day will run from 10.00am until 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. You will be involved in various stages of constructing a 'greenhouse' with the guidance of a local expert. The first stage will involve building double insulated walls on three sides and working your way up to the roof and ventilators. A polythene sheet is then attached to the South face of the structure. After finishing the outer structure the inside will need to be painted and then you will be involved in the basic preparation of the soil and planting some vegetables giving the local communities the opportunity for year round fresh produce - a first in this region!
Depending on the location of the greenhouse you will be staying in a local homestay, monastery guesthouse or camping.
Homestay - The homestay will be a clean and comfortable room in a local house with traditional dry composting toilet - environmentally friendly toilets without a flush! Rooms will be based on 2 to 3 sharing. The families usually have 2 to 3 children who will be eager to learn to speak to you in English! Hot water can be made available on request with the family. Meals will be of local delicacies but if you would prefer to stick to basic Indian meals of lentils, pulses, rice, chappatis and local bread then this can be arranged in advance. Boiled water is also provided for drinking. All bedding is provided.
Monastery Guesthouse - The guesthouse is run by the monks of the monastery and the rooms are clean and basic. Hot water can be made available on request. Meals will be of local delicacies but if you would prefer to stick to basic Indian meals of lentils, pulses, rice, chappatis and local bread then this can be arranged in advance. Boiled water is also provided for drinking. All bedding is provided.
If you are camping, alpine tents with sleeping bags will be provided, and meals will be provided by and eaten with the local villagers.
As this project is at altitude you will need to have reasonable levels of fitness. People can have varying reactions to altitude so you may wish to see a doctor prior to travel for any medical advice.
Temperatures can vary from 25-30 degrees and could dip to a minimum of 0-10 degrees Celsius. Its best if you are prepared for lower temperatures due to wind chill or the weather turning bad especially in the months of May and September when temperatures could dip to – 5 degrees. The days are hot and the nights are usually refreshingly cool, so you should be ready for inclement weather as storms can build up rather quickly at high altitudes.
Essential items to bring would include; Woolens, thermal underwear, wind/rain proof jacket, hiking/trekking shoes, spare sandals, woollen socks, water bottle, flash light and spare battery, sun hat, scarf, gloves, sun glasses, sun cream, lip salve, insect repellant, small daypack, long trousers, long sleeved shirts, t shirts. Don`t forget your personal toiletries, an apron and working gloves.
All raw materials and equipment for the building will be provided for the construction of the greenhouse.
If you time your arrival to one of the designated arrival dates then airport pick-up is completely free. Please book your flight to arrive into Kullu Manali airport (airport code KUU). Should you require a different pick-up time or any additional nights at the orientation accommodation, for example if you arrive a day or two early, you can arrange this through the i-to-i office.
After your pick up from the airport a 2 hour drive will bring you to the bustling small hill station of Manali. You will check into your hotel and can spend the day acclimatising to the altitude and roaming The Mall and parts of Old Manali. Your time is free to spend at your leisure, either walking or visiting old temples of the area. Food is not provided so you will need to provide your own meals - but there are many small restaurants and stalls to keep even the most avid foodies happy!
Today is an early start. After breakfast you will drive over the Rohtang pass which separates Kullu from the Lahaul valley, and descend into the valley of the Chandra river. Here you will follow the river and continue past Chhattru, Batal and over the Kunzum la (pass at a height of 4551mts), which divides Lahaul and Spiti. You will spend some time taking in the fabulous views of the Chandrabhaga range of mountains, visit the Buddhist shrine at Kunzum and then reach Kaza by evening. The journey is about 210 kms taking around 8 to 10 hours. Transport will be by jeep. Your overnight stay will be in a guesthouse. Meals are not included
After breakfast you will visit the office of Ecosphere - our partners in this tour and get a insight into Spiti, its culture, people and ecology. You will also get details on Ecosphere’s various developmental activities in the area along with their initiatives on responsible travel and conservation of nature & culture. Subsequently you will be briefed about the project and preparation for the following day.
In the afternoon you will visit the highlands of the left bank plateau for altitude acclimatization. You will visit the Kye Monastery, about half an hour drive, the largest monastery in Spiti and an old people's home. After spending time here with the residents you will drive up to Kibber village, half an hour away which at 4200m+ is the 'road head' for the trade route into Ladakh over the Parang La pass. On the way back you will have the option to bike back to Kaza on mountain bikes (this is an optional extra payable in country).
The evening can be spent roaming the Kaza market where one can find interesting local handicrafts. Any last minute shopping, internet and phone calls are best done today as the project site will not have any of these facilities. You will stay overnight in a guesthouse. Meals are not included.
Today you will transfer to the village and the project site (between 1 and 2 hours by jeep). You will settle into your accommodation, get to meet the villagers and others who will be working with you on the project. Lunch and dinner included. Breakfast is not included.
You will spend 7 days (with the weekend free for exploration!) working alongside the local community to construct a greenhouse under the guidance of a local expert. You can expect to participate in various aspects of the building and need to be flexible and pro-active. Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner are included.
Over the weekend you may take a break and spend some time exploring the wonders of the Spiti Valley. There are various things to see and do in the area ranging from over 1000 year old Buddhist Monasteries to a spot of adventure with mountain biking or trekking to some of Spiti’s lesser known regions. You may also take part in a Yak safari - that's surely something to write home about! Please note that the weekend activities are optional and incur additional charges payable in country. Our in country team do need to be aware of any activities at 3 least three weeks prior to arrival in order to arrange, please enquire for more details. Meals are not included on the optional weekend 2 day trip.
After finishing your greenhouse, you will return to Kaza today and visit the office of Ecosphere, where you will be able to give your feedback to the Ecosphere team to allow them to continue to manage effectively this on-going development programme. The rest of the day can be spent unwinding, relaxing, doing some shopping for curios and handicrafts and simply enjyoing the stunning scenery. Breakfast and lunch are provided, you will need to budget for an evening meal.
On the last day you will have an early breakfast and drive back to Manali along the same route that was taken to reach Kaza over the Kunzum La and Rohtang La. Please note that you will need to make your own arrangements back to the airport to catch your flight home or carry on your journey through this amazing country. Please note that you can expect to arrive back in Manali around 5-6pm depending on road conditions and should therefore plan onwards travel with this in mind. Breakfast only is included.
Note: Minimum numbers apply for this trip; please contact us for more information.
It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you fora the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.
Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….
We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More
Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.
Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.
If you are volunteering on a Teaching project then a 60-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More
It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time - especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.
Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!
Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More
Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More
Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More
The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More
We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do.
We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.
Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here
You will arrive on the Arrival Date and will be met at the airport on that day. You will be taken to your guesthouse for your first nights stay.
It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.
The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.
EU Customers – find out more here >>
Australian customers - find out more here >>
All other customers - find out more here >>
As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.
For over 5000 years the subcontinent of India, has seen the rise and fall of a succession of great empires, regional states and colonial powers. The first great Indian empire-builders were the Harrapans (The Indus Valley Civilisation) who flourished across parts of modern-day India and Pakistan from around 3500BC. The Harrapans opened up trade routes with Mesopotamia, built carefully planned cities and developed a pantheon of deities that over the years morphed into the Hindu deities Shiva and Kali. After the Harrapans came the Aryans who developed the caste system and wrote the sacred Vedas (including the Upanishads and the Brahamanas). These philosophical teachings were instrumental in the development of Buddhism and Hinduism – the religious foundation stones of the Indian cultural psyche.
After a brief incursion by Alexander the Great in 326BC, the Mauryan Empire gained control of much of central, eastern and western India. The first Indian empire to embrace Buddhism, the Mauryan civilisation reached it’s peak under the guidance of Emperor Ashoka and a long period of political stability enabled the caste system to flourish and allowed many cultural and technological advancements to be made. During this time envoys were sent to Sri Lanka and Nepal to spread the word of Buddhism.
Over the next 1000 years many empires gained control of regions of India – the Gupta’s in central India, the Chola’s and The Vijayanagar Empire in the south – but it wasn’t until the emergence of the Islamic empire of the Mughals that the whole of India came under the control of one power.
The Mughals ushered in a golden age of art and architecture, and have left us with many of the most recognisable symbols of Indian grandeur and architectural excellence – Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal, Agra’s Red Fort and Hamuyan’s Tomb in Delhi. They ruled from the early 16th century until the rise of the British East India Company and the advent of European control of the Indian subcontinent.
After much jostling for position, the British emerged as the dominant colonial force in India. While Portugal held sway over parts of Goa and Kerala and the French had small colonies such as Pondicherry, British influence spread from the verdant valleys of Kashmir to southern shores of Tamil Nadu. India was now under British rule and would stay that way for over 150 years – the British Raj had been born.
The European colonisers exploited the many natural resources found in India and the excesses of the Raj were many and spectacular. Every summer, as the heat in the central plains grew unbearable and the streets of Delhi shimmered in the heat haze, the entire apparatus of government was moved more than 300km north to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. To this day Shimla - a strange little town perched high in the foothills of the Himalaya - resembles nothing quite so much as a Victorian English village - complete with parish church and fun fair!
The excesses of British rule created widespread resentment across India and a succession of uprisings and civil disputes lead to independence from British rule in 1947 and the partition of India and Pakistan. Following independence much blood was spilled as Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims tried to ensure their place in the uncertain future of the subcontinent. Many wars have since been fought between Pakistan and India and to this day the Kashmiri borders are still disputed and fought over. The pristine valleys and glacial lakes still reverberate to the sound of gunfire and army convoys ply their trade across the mountain passes of the Jammu and Kashmir.
India’s recent history has seen relative peace and since the recent earthquake that hit Pakistan and Indian Kashmir, relations between the two countries have greatly improved. Although poverty and deprivation are still endemic in India, economic strides are being made and India now has a reputation as one of the world’s leading e-business nations.
Due to the sheer size and the complex geography of the subcontinent, Indian weather is as complex as Indian history. While the people of the central plains are searching for shade and respite from the heat, the inhabitants of the Jammu and Kashmir are waiting for the last snows of winter to recede.
From as early as February the whole continent gradually begins to heat up and by May temperatures of 45C are commonplace. As the hot season drags on the country takes a collective deep breath and waits in anticipation of the south-west monsoon. When the monsoon finally hits, the hot, dry and dusty conditions are gradually replaced by intermittent heavy downfalls. It doesn’t rain all the time during monsoon, but it rains every day – heavy tropical showers are punctuated by warm sunshine that turns the parched subcontinent into something of a mudbath. During this time of year, travel can be difficult if not downright dangerous: rivers break their banks, floods bring cities to a standstill and the destructive power of the monsoon is clear for all to see. In 2005 parts of Mumbai were under 5 feet of flood water and hundreds of the cities slum dwellers lost their lives. After the south-west monsoon has subsided, the south eastern coast (primarily Kerala, Karnataka and Goa) experience a short but intense second monsoon.
When the rains have finally cleared the country experiences a brief but beautiful spell of warm sunny weather. The period from October until around early February sees much of the country experiencing comfortable conditions that are ideal travelling weather for foreign visitors. That being said, in the far north (Kashmir, Ladakh and parts of Himachal Pradesh) winter has taken hold, snow covers the mountains and passes up into the Himalayan Plateau shut down as early as September 16th.
Travel in India is unlike anywhere else on the planet, the distances are huge, booking tickets can be tricky and comfort is often at a premium. If you are short on time or just don’t want the many hassles of travelling through India, flying can be a good option. Local airlines such as Deccan, Kingfisher, Jet Airways and Indian Airlines offer services to destinations across the country.
India is home to the world’s largest railway system and offers the resilient traveller some of the greatest rail journeys known to man. Journeys can be long - Delhi to Chennai comes in at around 30 hours – but when you travel by train in India you get to see the vast complexity and natural beauty of the subcontinent roll past in all its glory.
If you decide to travel by train, the complex issue of booking a ticket must be addressed. First you’ll need to decide what class you wish to travel in: this can be tricky. There are 6 classes: 1st Class air-con (1A), 2-tier air-con (2A), 3-tier air-con (3A), chair car (CC), Sleeper (SL) and Second (II). For short journeys second is adequate, unless it’s really hot then it’s well worth paying for chair car. For longer journeys sleeper offers a cheap option with the added bonus of being able to mingle with the Indian masses. When the majority of Indians travel long distances by train, sleeper is their class of choice. Much has been said and written about the pitfalls of travelling by sleeper, but in my experience, it is the best way to truly experience Indian rail travel. 1A, 2A and 3A are more comfortable, but significantly more expensive and you’re less likely to strike up conversation with ordinary Indians. Whatever class you decide to travel in, you will need to pop down to the train station and book yourself a ticket. I won’t go into to much detail, but suffice to say, it’s probably best to put half a day aside for this little errand. Ah, the many joys of India!
Travelling India by bus and coach can require an almost saintly forbearance and an extremely hard backside. Short journeys by bus are great (if a little hair-raising) but for longer distances I’d suggest you jump on a train or a plane. The journey from Leh to Manali will see you sat in a rickety old bus for 2 whole days negotiating some of the highest motorable passes in the world on roads that seem more suitable for mountain goats that mass transport. That being said it is a spectacular journey and is will leave you feeling that you have really travelled.
When travelling within a state, bus travel is fine. Buses serve all major cities and often stop off at small towns and villages (and at shops owned by friends of the driver) along the way. On long journeys you may well be charged around ten rupees for having your baggage stored inside the bus. Although this is a little cheeky and can be a little annoying (the charge seems to apply only to foreign travellers), it is important to remain polite and to remember that the baggage handlers on the buses have much less money than you do.
Many buses have a small shrine to their deity of choice perched precariously on the dashboard and often make stops at roadside temples to make offerings. If asked for a few rupees to help with the offering, my advice would be to dig deep and hand over a few coins; bus travel in India can be a dangerous business and it can’t hurt to have a little divine protection!
Travelling by tuk-tuks, cabs and rickshaws is a great way to travel around cities, although care must be taken. It is imperative that you agree on a price before you set off and don’t be afraid to haggle: if your driver says the price is 100 rupees, knock them down to about 70 and you’ll be getting a half decent foreigner-price. Travel by taxi is the most expensive, tuk-tuks are a little cheaper (but just as fast) and bicycle rickshaws are cheap and slow. Drivers will often try to take you to shops, hotels and restaurants where they receive a commission. Unless you really like the driver and don’t mind being over-charged, it’s best to refuse firmly but politely. When travelling in Mumbai, travel by taxi can be tricky. Taxi journeys are metered, but the meters are very out of date. Ensure that the meter is at zero when you start and make sure that the driver has an official tariff card in the car. When you arrive at your final destination, you’ll need to work out the price by comparing the price on the meter with the tariff card. It’s a pretty simple operation, but unscrupulous drivers often try to overcharge unsuspecting tourists and will insist that they don’t know what the tariff card is. As with all things in India, be polite and remain calm.
Lonely Planet are leaders in the travel guide sector and their website is a great source of travel information.
www.fco.gov.uk
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas.
State owned domestic airline which offers competitively priced flights to destinations across India.
300 daily flights to 44 destinations across the country. Also good for flights to Sri Lanka.
Good quality budget airline. Nice food on the flights too.
www.indianrail.gov.inTrain information, ticket reservation and general info for train travel in India. The reservation service saves a lot of time and hassle… when it works!
We work in partnership with hundreds of established projects that are run by local communities. The information on our website comes directly from the projects and we work with them to ensure this information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the projects themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can change with little or no notice. If you have travelled with us and have any updates to this information, please let us know.
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* We can be held responsible for any starry-eyed and amazing journeys of enlightenment, discovery and thorough enjoyment...
