The Spirit of India 2022
NEXT TOUR: Jan 30th to Feb 13th, 2022
We limit each tour to 12 people so please pay your deposit as soon as you possible.
Our philosophy for the tour is less travel/bus time and more time in the sacred towns to settle in and get a feel for each place. Our accommodations are very nice for India standards and most will have air conditioning when needed and hot water. India is however, a third world country and so the rooms will be quite different than our comforts in the USA. Our shuttle bus is very nice with a/c and comfy seats. We will sleep and eat in comfort and safety so that you can most fully enjoy your two weeks in India. We will save the pilgrimage for your second trip!
Prices for Yoga Trip to South India:
Checks and money orders accepted. Credit card payment are done through Paypal (you don’t need a Paypal account to pay with your credit card). A 3% fee is added to these transactions).
$3100 per person Double Occupancy
$3350 after October 15, 2021
$4100 per person Single Occupancy (no discounts)
$444 deposit due upon registration
*Full amount due 60 days prior to departure (December 1, 2021)
If paying by check, please make the check out to Corrine Champigny and send to:
6385 Ivy Street
Nashville, TN 37209
This tour is all inclusive except for your airfare to India.
Transportation: All scheduled ground transportation including airport pickup and drop off unless you come before the tour or stay longer afterwards.
Accommodations: Based on double occupancy unless you specifically register and pay for a single. We will place you with a room mate or you can request someone specific. You do not have to book the India tour with someone in order the get the double rate. The hotels we stay in are some of the best in the area however this is India and it is a third world country. Our standards are quite different then theirs. The hotels are very clean and quite beautiful.
Meals: Three delicious vegetarian meals a day are provided. Bottled waters are included with meals. Extra water can be purchased very inexpensively and is readily available.
Temple Fees and Gratuities: We will be handling gratuities to tour drivers, tour rickshaws, tour bellmen, all meals, and temple fees. We will be making donations on the groups behalf at the temples. You may need to tip for extra trips for shopping or for laundry etc..
Yoga Classes and Evening Music: Most mornings we will be doing yoga type stretching, movement, meditation and breathing. Some evenings Corrine will be leading the group in music and chanting. Attending the morning classes are not a requirement for the tour however we find that it helps to center and stay healthy for the trip. Corrine has been teaching yoga and meditation for over 25 years. Please see www.theivyhouse.org for more info about Corrine. Or go to www.blissed.com to see videos of Corrine teaching.
Tour Itinerary
This is a sample itinerary and subject to change. India is an enchanted land where you can count on the unexpected and no matter how much we try to prepare ourselves it will surprise, delight and perhaps challenge us at every turn. You will be flying and and out of Madras (aka Chennai) Read on for the details!
Arrival into Chennai
Day 1 and 2
We will stay the first two nights in your arrival city of Chennai. Chennai has the 2nd largest urban beach in the world and is the 6th most populated city in India. We will shop for clothes so that everybody can find appropriate and comfy clothing. We also have friends in Chennai that we sometimes have dinner with. There will be much more to see and do here but I do want to leave you with some mystery and many surprises!
Mahabalapuram
Day 3, 4 and 5
A short 2 hour drive to the small beach town of Mahabalapuram that will help us ease gently into India. We will do some morning breathing and stretching by the ocean, dine on fresh seafood and visit local ancient temples. Mammalapuram is a very small and charming beach town that is home to wonderful artisans who have been sculpting for many generations. Mammala is famous for it’s fantastic sculptures that are shipped all over the world. A slow and easy integration to Mother India is our goal in Mammala.
Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu
Day 6 to 11
3.5 hour drive to Tiruvannamalai on our air conditioned bus. Tiruvannamalai, an ancient temple town at the foot of sacred Arunachala, the oldest and most holy mountain on the planet
Five full days will fly by here in Tiruvannamalai which is one of the holiest cities in the world. Saints, Gurus, teachers, writers, musicians, artists and spiritual seekers come from all over the world to visit Arunachala, the home of one of our greatest sages Ramana Maharishi. You can do a google search for Ramana Maharishi to read more about the man, the mountain, the temple and the city.
Days will include gentle morning breathing practices and movement, the most amazing food, short walks up the mountain to Skanda cave to meditate, visiting the many temples in the area, meeting Corrine and Satya’s children, visiting gurus and enlightened beings, taking a bull cart ride around the holy mountain and visiting chai shops. These four days in Tiru is really about getting a feel for the real India from a locals perspective.
Pondicherry, Auroville and Chidambaram
Day 12-15
Heading back towards the Bay of Bengal we will drive 2.5 hours to the different state of Puducherry where we will visit Pondicherry and Auroville. We will be staying either on the beach at a healing resort or alternately at a magical Japanese garden boutique hotel.
Pondicherry
Pondi was built up by the British and is influenced by both French and British culture. Although still very much Indian, there are wonderful French restaurants and very good quality shops in the area.
Auroville
It is hard to describe Auroville and truly a place one has to experience and see to believe it and get a feel for it. The shopping is fabulous, the water is the cleanest and best in all of India and it is mostly a mystery to outsiders. Auroville is an experimental township founded in 1968. The story is that the government gave the spiritual community known as The Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 800 acres of barren land. That land is now flush and flourishing with organic farms, eco factories and much more.
Day Trip to Chidambaram
Day 14
A day trip to Chidambaram which is a 90 minute beautiful drive through the local forest and farm land.
Chidambaram has one of the oldest and largest Shiva/Nataraja Temples in all of India. It is also a small town with less hustle and bustle. We will visit the Temple in the morning and then go for an afternoon canoe ride on a beautiful nearby lake.
Back to Chennai
Day 15
Drive the 2.5 hours to our departure city of Chennai. We will stay in the same hotel as we did our first night in India. It will seem like months ago that we arrived here. Last minute shopping and eating in Chennai. Most overseas flights will depart between 9pm and 3am!