Volunteer Travel in India

Overview

by Lonely Planet:: India will sideswipe you with its size, clamor, and diversity - but if you enjoy delving into convoluted cosmologies and thrive on sensory overload, then it is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas unfolding on earth, and you'll quickly develop an abiding passion for it.

Nothing in this country is ever quite predictable; the only thing to expect is the unexpected, which comes in many forms and will always want to sit next to you. India is a litmus test for many travelers - some are only too happy to leave, while others stay for a lifetime.

It's worth checking the dates of particular festivals - you may be attracted or repelled by the chaos (and jacked-up prices) that attend them. There are virtually no festivals in May/June. The wedding season falls between November and March, when you're likely to see at least one lively procession through the streets.

For those looking to help out the locals on their vacation, volunteer work is available for everything from house building, to environment conservation, to teaching English classes, and even day care.

When To Go

Generally, India's climate is defined by three seasons - the hot, the wet (monsoon) and the cool, each of which can vary in duration from north to south. The most pleasant time to visit most places is during the cooler period: November to around mid-February.

The heat starts to build up on India's northern plains from around February, and by April or May it really heats up, peaking in June. In central India temperatures of 45°C and above are commonplace. South India also becomes uncomfortably hot during this time.

Late in May the first signs of the monsoon are visible in some areas - high humidity, electrical storms, short rainstorms and dust storms that turn day into night. The hot season is the time to abandon the plains and head for the cooler hills, and this is when hill stations are at their best (and busiest).

For Travel Packages

We've researched travel packages by the subsequent companies, all offering eco-friendly vacations all over India. What makes these eco-friendly vacations? Read our guide on ecotourism to find out.

* Different Travel

Helpful Resources:

Get the Lonely Planet Guide :: India. Remarkable, bewildering, totally irresistible - India offers a million different experiences, all at once, all the time. If you seek spiritual enlightenment, the thrill of scaling the mighty Himalaya, or the buzz of a modern hyper-metropolis - or if you just want to lie on a tropical beach and count cows - discover the sensory overload that is India with this top selling guide.

* Lonely Planet Guide :: India
* India Travel Blogs
* India Interactive Map