20 March – 21 March
Start time: 8am, 20 March
End time: 3pm, 21 March
Rs 8,000 per person
No minimum
(For larger groups, please get in touch)
Join us get a glimpse of rural life in India and celebrate the festival of colours!
Holi is one of India’s largest and most popular Hindu holidays, taking place every year between February and March. Spend the day with us learning about life in a village and celebrating this colourful holiday safely and authentically with the community.
Travelling by ferry, local bus and tamtam (a large rickshaw), we’ll explore the countryside to the south of Mumbai. On our way to our partner village, Chinchoti, we’ll visit several local industries and activities as well as a school, where we will learn about education in villages. In Chinchoti we’ll be treated to a delicious lunch with a local family. Then, we will get hands-on, interact with the community and further explore and the surrounding area.
Your guide will explain their history, religion, the challenges they face and how they fit into Indian society today. Throughout the tour, you will be able to talk with locals through our guide. At night, we have a special activity: we’ll create a bonfire on the eve of Holi and perform various prayers and rituals that are unique to the festival.
You’ll be hosted for an overnight stay with one of the families in the village. The next day, as means of ending your trip, get ready for to play Holi–a memorable and colourful way to spend time with the community.
Learn about how the majority of Indians in the village live: spend time with the community members, visit their houses, wander around the village, enjoy the peace of the surroundings.
Depending on the season, you may help plough a field, harvest rice, make bricks, fish and even go for a swim. Whatever day of the week it is and whatever the weather— you’ll be invited for a game of cricket.
Food is an essential part of Indian culture, so the home-made lunch in a villager’s home is undoubtedly a highlight! You will eat what the locals eat—rice, scrumptious vegetable dishes, fresh fish and even chicken curry. Get comfortable for a feast, sitting on the floor and eating with your hands.
The travel to and from the village is much more than just getting from A to B. See country life unfold across the stunning countryside as you bump along in a rickshaw. And get an unobstructed view of some of Mumbai’s most iconic sights as we return by boat.
Witness the enthusiasm of rural Indian youth and get a deeper understanding of the education system.
Learn all about the pujas and prayers associated with the festival of colours. We’ll perform these rituals before a bonfire together! Then spend the night with your host family, gearing up for the Holi Party tomorrow.
After your overnight stay, join our friends from the community for a music and colour filled Holi party. Rest assured that we will be using safe, all-natural Holi powders.
Boat Ticket Office at the Gateway of India
We meet at 8am at the boat ticket offices in front of the Gateway of India in Colaba. (Photo)
Boat Ticket Office at the Gateway of India
Begins 8am on March 20, ends 3pm March 21
