Women’s Justifi Trip to India

Justifi is Adventure with Purpose. We provide an amazing, growth-oriented, immersive adventure to many of the world’s great destinations. Our India trip starts in Delhi, the bustling home to 20 million people, continues up on the edge of the Himalayas to the village that is home to the Dalai Lama, and concludes in Amritsar, the capital of the Panjabi region on the Pakistani border. We arrange all the logistics (domestic transportation, accomodations, meals) as well as fantastic educational experiences with Justifi staff and local Indian guides. In addition, we will learn about the human rights challenges that India faces by meeting with inspirational leaders and have the opportunity to volunteer to help make a difference.

Even though Justifi Trips accomplish a lot in a short time, one of our guiding principles is that we each need a calm mind and inner peace in order to truly grow and explore. This is not a hectic, on-the-bus-off-the-bus style program; the trip does move, but at a relaxed and fun pace that includes free time to explore on your own. Every activity and educational session is amazing and you’re not going to want to miss even one, but if someone feels like they need a bit of “me time” that’s ok, too.

We typically begin each day with a morning educational session of informal discussions, guided meditation and/or personal growth workshops all in a Jewish context led by Justifi’s amazing educators. In addition, we’ll be dealing with various human rights issues throughout the journey.

An amazing group of fabulous women who a want to explore India, to learn about themselves, and to help improve the world, along with 2 or 3 community leaders. The trip will be run by the awesome Justifi staff of educators and logistical coordinators, as well as our private Indian guides and chefs.

International airfare, Indian tourist visa, travel medical insurance, recommended tip of $40 for our local staff (guides, drivers, chefs, etc), extra snacks/drinks, activities during free time, and shopping.

Unfortunately, Justifi doesn’t offer any direct discounts, but past participants have used tools like GoFundMe.com to raise well over $1,000. Just like your friends who run marathons, bike races, or take up their own cause, you too can fundraise for your program to offset the trip costs. Many travellers use their credit card or airline “points” to book to their international flights.

Should be great! High 80’s during the daytime with cool evenings. Rain isn’t so common during the fall.

You will need to arrive in Delhi (airport: DEL) before 10pm on Monday, October 28 and depart from Amritsar (airport: ATQ) after 4pm on Thursday, November 7. If you want to arrive early or stay late Justifi can help with those arrangements, too. If there’s sufficient interest, Justifi will arrange a “group flight” for the international travel.

Yes! All Justifi participants are required to have emergency medical coverage while abroad (there will be an option to join Justifi’s group policy). In addition, Justifi recommends getting a “CFAR” (Cancel For Any Reason) policy just in case something unexpected comes up.

Yes! Passport holder of most countries (including US, Canada, UK, and Israel) need to apply for an Indian tourist visa in advance on the government’s website. The process is very simple. The cost is $80-$100 depending on your home country.

Indian currency is called the “Rupee” and approximately 70 Rupee = $1. You can easily change money or withdraw from an ATM with an international credit/debit card when arriving at the Delhi airport. We recommend getting $50-$100 worth to start (there will be plenty of opportunities later to get more cash). Visa and Mastercard are accepted in many places (American Express not as much), but much of India is still cash based.

In the cities, we will be staying in wonderful highly recommended 4-star hotels. And in the Himalayan village we have a beautiful chalet-style hotel with a view from your that will make the entire trip worth it.

Prior to the trip, Justifi will provide a recommended packing list but you should pack lightly and use luggage that is easy to transport (e.g., a rolling bag) as you will be responsible for your own luggage! During the trip we will be flying on domestic airlines within India that have a limit of one suitcase per person with a maximum weight of 20kg (44 lb.) — Note that this is less weight than a typical international flight permits.

Check with your phone service provider about enabling international roaming. All the hotels where we’ll be staying have Wifi but no promises on the quality (this is India!). At the airport you can purchase an inexpensive prepaid SIM card that includes data if your phone is already unlocked.

Bring your phone charger and an adapter with cables for your phone/tablet. The prongs’ shape in India are round (similar to Israel).  Be aware that the voltage is 220v (like in Israel and Europe) which will damage American electrical appliances that do not have the appropriate rating.  If you have items that are usable only on American voltage, you must bring a step-down converter with a sufficient wattage rating and which will protect your items from the 220 voltage.  See an example step-down converter on Amazon.

Justifi has a team of high quality Indian chefs preparing homemade local recipes throughout the trip (although the spiciness has been turned down to accommodate American palates). India is primarily a Hindu country which means it’s largely meat-free so Justifi’s menus are mostly scrumptious vegetarian and dairy. Many travellers like to bring their favorite snacks and treats for a taste of home.

All meals that Justifi serves are strictly kosher. We do our best to accommodate dietary limitations (vegans, gluten-free, etc) as well as allergies.

India, like many eastern countries, is generally a very warm and hospitable destination full of incredible people that hosts millions of tourists every year. Although Justifi’s India itinerary avoids known problematic areas it is still important to beware of petty crimes like pickpocketing and purse snatching. We advise our participants to put their valuables in the hotel safes and watch their purses and wallets when in crowded marketplaces or tourist destinations. In addition, women in particular should not be travelling alone (especially at night).

No! Tap water in India is not treated and can be a serious cause of sickness unless it is first boiled. We will have regular access to purchase inexpensive, safe, clean bottled water.

As non-medical professionals, Justifi does not give specific medical advice.  We recommend that you consult with your health care professional with regard to vaccinations.  For general guidelines, check out the US government’s CDC advisory for India.

You may find some critters while travelling. We recommend that participants use insect repellent.

We don’t have the exact hotels determined yet, but, in general, in the cities we will be staying in wonderful highly recommended 4-star hotels. And in the Himalayan village we have a beautiful chalet-style hotel with a view from your room that will make the entire trip worth it! Once we get a deposit and can finalize the hotels I’m happy to share the details.

We use private, full size (i.e., 40 passenger) buses for large groups. In remote areas (i.e., the Himalayan villages) that buses can’t access we use local car/van services. Depending on the exact, final itinerary we may also take the metro (light rail) and/or tuktuks (like an electric rickshaw common throughout Asia).

Our policy is that Justifi staff accompany any participant requiring medical attention. We have a list of highly recommended urgent care centers / emergency rooms from our local partners for each destination:

Delhi
Sir Ganga Ram City Hospital Rajinder Nagar

Agra
Shanti Mangalick Hospital

Dharamkot
Dharamsala Zonal hospital (6 km)
Fortis Hospital Kangra ( 25 km)

Amritsar
Fortis Amritsar and others

Justifi will be sending 3-4 of our educational and logistic staff (myself included). We also have local Indian staff for catering and logistics that travel with us. In addition, on days when tour guides are used we will have 1 or 2 Indian guides.

The places we go have no indigenous Jewish communities and there are no local rabbis other than Chabad.

This is not an emphasis of our trip, but we can try to include something if you want.

We’ll be in the Himalayas for Shabbat where there are 2 chabad rabbis and their families that are seasonally there (it’s unclear yet if they will be there during our trip). If the Chabad is going to be open we will join them (optionally) for Shabbat. We typically invite them to speak to the group and share their personal stories.