When are our tours held?
The schedule varies, and is based around when people would like to explore the village.Tours are held on most weekends, year round. We can also offer tours on weekdays, if we have a group of four or more people. Email us with your preferences and we will fit your needs accordingly.
What is the impact of you booking a journey ?
- 18% increase in average annual household income for over 80 households
- Over 2000 days of employment created annually
- Reduction in migration
- Conservation of traditions & biodiversity
- Connecting urban & rural communities
We endeavor to contribute towards the UN’s MDG’s through Rural Tourism.
How does a Grassroutes journey impact you personally ?
- Opportunities for unlearning
- Disconnecting with stress
- Reconnecting with nature
- Story telling
- Out of city experience and the list can go on.
How are our tours priced?
Tours are priced anywhere between 1000-3500 for a 1 day and 2 day trip , depending on the various themes ,festivals and type of transportation preferred . While we are not the most expensive tours, we believe in keeping ours the top of the range.
How is you money utilized?
Breakup of income from tourists 2010-11 (in %) :-
Marketing of village tourism 40.4
Training & Monitoring in villages (Operations) 24.1
Village payments & village development fund 35.5
How many people are in a group?
We allow a maximum of :-
- 25 people for Purushwadi
- 10 people for Walvanda for an Overnight stay
- 30 people for Shiroshi and Walvanda for a day trip
(but we also cater to smaller groups of 4 people or more)
How far the villages from Mumbai ?
Shiroshi and Walvanda are 2.30 hrs away from Mumbai
Purushwadi is 5 hours away from Mumbai
What kind of food is served ?
You will be provided with simple vegetarian village food comprising of lentils, rice & vegetables. Non vegetarian food can be provided if it is requested for in advance. If the traveler has any allergies or special wants like vegan food etc. Please keep us in the loop so that we can arrange for the same.
What are the kinds of Accommodation
Various kind of accommodation are present:-
Tents
Cottages
Village home stays
And Dormitories
They are all inclusive of your tour price and does not change with the type of accommodation. However booking them will depend upon availability.
Can I customizea tour package?
Yes you can , Whether you are on adventure or leisure traveler, the value of your money spend on travel will be maximized and your time spend on planning a trip can also be saved.
What is the deadline to reserve a Tour Packages?
We strongly recommend you place your booking as early as possible for your own benefit when we have enough time to deal with the payment, change and cancellation.
Reservation should be made at least 48 hours prior to your arrival. We will be able to instantly confirm your reservation once the payment has been made.
How can we pay for Tour Packages?
Before you place a booking all prices we advertise are accurate at the date of published, but we reserve the right to change any of those prices from time to time in accordance with the change of itinerary, services and the type of travel you choose. Once you decide to make a payment we shall forward you our bank details and you can wire transfer the money to us.
What is your cancellation policy?
Deposits are non-refundable, but can be used towards another tour depending on availability. If you have to cancel a tour, all deposits are refunded with a cancellation charge of Rs 500/-
How much walking is involved?
On most tours, the total walking distance is only about 3kms or less and there are plenty of rest stops.Most of our treks are designed keeping beginners in mind , However we also have other trails that might entice the experienced trekkers. The focus on all tours, is on exploration and discovery in nature.
Are children welcome?
By all means. ,we also frequently lead tours for school groups. The tours are great educational experiences, and fun for all members of the family. Kids will be involved in hands on activities. The tours engage all the senses, and offer lots of opportunities for kids to really get involved. Kids aged 10 months – 10 yrs have visited our villages in the past and have had a great time.
What should I carry?
• Pair of good walking shoes
• Personal medications if any
• Basic Toiletries (towel, soap, toothbrush, paste..etc)
• Clothes
• Cap
• Torch
• A raincoat/umbrellas
• Mosquito repellent or Odomos (Generally the mosquitoes are well behaved, but you never know if they may have an affinity for you)
• A Bottle of Water - 1 Litre is good enough (We have Aquaguard and Purified water and you can re-fill as and when required)
• Spirit of Adventure
What you should not carry ?
- Electronic Gadgets like Ipod etc (You won’t get time to listen to it.)
- Jewellery (The Marriage season will begin in May only)
- Lots of Cash (Unless you plan to buy some Cows…)
- Alcohol (Unless it is more than 5 Liters)
- Office Work and Laptops.. (The Cows in this Village don’t like IT.., and may attack the Laptops)
What is expected of you while on tour?
- Behave in a manner and dress in attire which respects the villager’s culture, traditions and environment. There should be no indecent exposure with clothes.
- No littering in the village, dust bins are provided in the tents and cottages.
- Consumption of alcohol is permitted but not in presence of villagers. Further unruly behavior on consumptions of any substance will not be tolerated
- To maintain accountability in the village, please do not give any money / tip any individual villager
- Keep an open mind and have fun while you’re at it.
What happens if the weather is bad?
Tours take place rain or shine, heat wave or snowstorm (which are, to calm your concerns, rare). We don’t like to freeze, get drenched, or melt either, so be assured that we are always prepared to adjust tours for your comfort and ours, whether it’s ducking into the historic covered passages to escape the rain, an unexpected stop for ice cream to cool off, or warming our hands and tummies with a glass of hot chai.
If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us directly on info@grassroutes.co.in or call +91-8879-477-437