join textile expert Carole Douglas as she celebrates her tenth anniversary of specialised tours to India

Join us as we travel beneath the surface and into the very fabric of life. Follow the migration of stitch from the cultural hub of Ahmedabad to the textile mecca of Kachchh where tradition begins and ends with diversity, devotion and dignity. Spend time with local artisans and discover how stitch creates identity, pride and style while offering economic independence. But our journey does not stop at stitch. It takes us into the heart of a unique textile heritage and the culture that defines it. Learn from the masters about the interplay of techniques that give rise to the renowned ‘Kutchi style’ and go deeper into tradition as you try your own hand at stitch dye and print. Your journey will also lead you across vast landscapes - from saltpans to wetlands, from vast deserts to pristine shores, from museums to markets, from simple homes to sumptuous palaces and from places of worship to Indus Valley sites. We finish our journey with a special celebration with special people. You will take home memories of extraordinary encounters, genuine hospitality and of a textile experience second to none.

16 Days: November 23rd to December 9th 2014(optional 3 day extension in Mumbai)

© 2011 Carole Douglas - Desert Traditions trades as a division of Logico Pty Ltd, ABN 72 135 700 113

Stitches in Time

ALUMNI TRAVEL

EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL AND SPECIAL INTEREST TOURS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Desert Traditions PRESENTS

Traditional Rabari, Bhujodi 2013 Marwad costume, Pacham 2012 Ahir embroidery masterwork 2011

www.desert-traditions.com http://desert-traditions.blogspot.com/

TOUR PRICE:Land only per person twin-share .............................. A$4950.00Single supplement (est only) ....................................... A$980.00LAND ONLY PRICE INCLUDES:

Domestic air travel and land transport within India Twin-share accommodation Meals as per the itinerary Drinking water All transfers, entrance fees and sightseeing as per the itinerary All applicable tipping for hotels, restaurants, guides and drivers Fees for hands-on workshops with artisans Services of Tour Leader Carole Douglas Services of professional guides throughout the itinerary Program handbook, pre-tour information package and other related

materials

LAND ONLY PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE: Return international air travel to India; please note that the tour

commences in Ahmedabad on November 22nd ends in Mumbai on December 6th

Meals not listed in itinerary Beverages with meals, alcoholic drinks, morning and afternoon teas Visa requirements of the tour member Travel Insurance Items of personal nature (telephone, laundry, room service, tipping

for meals and personal services etc)Camera Fees

AIRFARES:We recommend that Australian passengers book their international flights through Alumni Travel who offer the best fares available at the time of booking. Airfares are subject to change up until final payment has been received. Once the ticket is issued, airline cancellation and amendment conditions will apply. If you have additional travel in mind and require an earlier departure there may be a supplement payable.

I’m Interested . . . How Do I Book?

Complete, sign and return the attached Alumni Travel Booking Form along with your deposit of A$950.00 per person to Alumni Travel. Upon receipt of your Booking Form and deposit, you will receive a confirmation of your place in writing.

DEPOSIT AND FINAL PAYMENT:The deposit is accepted as a first installment of the tour cost and will be fully refunded if the arrangements can not be confirmed or the tour is cancelled by Alumni Travel. Final payment is due at least 60 days prior to tour departure (Fri Sept 26th). An invoice will be sent to you two weeks before the final payment becomes due.

CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS:Any cancellation from the tour must be done in writing. The cancellation date will be taken from the day your written cancellation is received by Alumni Travel. Because of the tour cancellation charges imposed by our various suppliers, the following cancellation charges apply, per person: Over 60 days $50.00 - Administration Fee59 - 45 days 25% of tour cost44 - 30 days 50% of tour costWithin 30 days 100% of tour cost

If a difference occurs between these cancellation conditions and those imposed by our suppliers, then the conditions of the supplier shall apply. There is no refund before or after travel has commenced or for any unused portion of the tour, either in regard to the standard group arrangements or separate independent arrangements.

CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS:Any payments by credit card will be subject to the following non-refundable Merchant Administration Fees:1.5% = Visa / MasterCard2.5% = Diners Club2.8% = American Express

TRAVEL INSURANCE:It is standard policy that all our international travellers are covered by international travel insurance. A comprehensive travel insurance brochure is available from Alumni Travel. The insurance brochure contains the terms and conditions under which insurance cover will be offered to you.

ADDITIONAL TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS:If you would like Alumni Travel to assist you with any additional arrangements pre or post tour please contact our office for assistance at time of booking. All arrangements need to be finalised at least 30 days prior to your departure.

AMENDMENTS:An administration fee of $30.00 per amendment will be charged for any changes made to any reservation within 30 days prior to your departure. Any additional charges imposed by our suppliers will also be payable.

PASSPORT AND VISAS:It is the traveller’s responsibility to ensure that they possess the necessary travel documentation for the tour, such as a valid passport and any required visas. Your passport should be valid at least 6 months beyond the end of your journey and have two clear pages for each country to be visited in your journey.

FORCED CANCELLATION:In the event that passenger numbers do not reach the minimum number of tour participants (8, excluding the tour leader) required for the tour, it may be necessary to either surcharge or cancel the tour. If such an event does occur, you will be notified at least 60 days prior to the tour departure.

TOUR PRICES:Tour prices have been calculated on the basis of exchange rates and tariffs as at December 2013 and are subject to change up until final payment has been received. Once final payment is received, no surcharges will apply. Should you decide to cancel your arrangements on the basis of a change in the tour price, normal cancellation charges will apply.

For tour enquiries and bookings please contact:Rob Lovell ALUMNI TRAVELLevel 7, 60 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000 AustraliaPO BOX Q597, Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230 Australia Phone: (02) 9290 3856 / 1300 799 887Fax: (02) 9290 3857World Links Education Pty Ltd trading as Alumni TravelABN 81 003 444 648 Lic. No 2TA003088email: robl@alumnitravel.com.auwww.alumnitravel.com.au

For detailed tour information please contact:Carole DouglasDesert TraditionsPO Box 152 Manly NSW Australia 1655Tel: (02) 9949 3787 Mob: 0438 772 795email: caroled@bigpond.net.auhtpp://desert-traditions.blogspot.com/www.desert-traditions.com

GENERAL INFORMATION AND SPECIAL BOOKING CONDITIONS

Itinerary includes Ahmedabad, Surendranagar, Kachchh

Sun Nov 23rd Accommodation: Lemon Tree Atrium Light supperNight arrival in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and transfer to Hotel (approx 30 mins).Our hotel is conveniently located on the banks of the Sarbamati River that divides the new and the old city of Ahmedabad.

Mon Nov 24th Breakfast, lunch includedAfter a leisurely buffet breakfast and restful morning enjoy a light lunch before embarking on a tour of Ahmedabad’s environs including Adilaj Ki Vav step well, the City Museum, Art Bookstore and finishing at Gandhi Ashram. Evening at leisure.

Tue Nov 25th Breakfast, dinner includedMorning heritage tour of the old city of Ahmedabad followed by browsing in the fascinating markets where you can buy anything from fabric to farm implements, idols to iphones, spices to spools of thread, beads to bags, pots to pantyhose, electronics to elephant gods - the choices are endless, the bustling crowd is friendly and you will be made ‘welcome’ at every turn. Traditional lunch at Vishala followed by an afternoon of textiles including a workshop with embroidery master and designer Asif Shaikh. Welcome thali dinner at House of MG.

Wed Nov 26th Breakfast, lunch includedEarly departure for Patan and Modhera to meet the Patola (single ikat) silk weavers and a family of Masroo weavers. Lunch with the Salvi (patola) family followed by a visit to Rani Ki Vav step well before departing for the 1,000 year old sun temple at Modhera. Return to Ahmedabad for a leisurely evening.

Thu Nov 27th Breakfast, dinner includedMorning visit to the Calico museum - every textile lover’s dream - before spending the afternoon visiting workshops and retail outlets of major groups including Hansiba (SEWA), Auro (organic natural dyes), Bandhej (east meets west fashion) owned by author of ‘Shifting Sands’ a textile history of Kutch, Anokhi and Fab India - 2 of India’s favourite shopping stops and if time allows we will visit a mall! Optional visit to Errol Pires split ply weaving museum.

Fri Nov 28th Accommodation: Rann Riders All meals includedMorning departure for Rann Riders wildlife/nature resort where we spend two days exploring local villages, enjoying a wildlife safari and dining in style under the stars. Here begins our journey into living traditions as we mingle with artisans who create works for personal use and for livelihood. Meet the Mir community with whom Carole has been working for the past few years and continue marking the evolution of stitch. Enjoy a camel cart ride into the local village and an optional safari (cost applies).

Sat Nov 29th All meals includedEarly wildlife safari to local wetlands, the gathering place of thousands of international migratory water fowl. On the way ‘home’ seek out the last remaining herd of wild ass in this sanctuary. Afternoon visit to local artisans including embroidery, weaving and pottery. A very special dinner treat awaits you.

Sun Nov 30th Accommodation: Hotel Prince Breakfast, lunch includedMorning departure by bus for Dhamadka (5 hours) to visit Ajrakh block printers and your introduction to Kachchh (Kutch) textiles. This village represents the heart of the block printing industry and has a long rich history. Enjoy a packed lunch and fresh chai with the artisans before departing for Bhuj (2 hours). ETA 3pm in Bhuj. Take rest before an evening with textile collector and raconteur A A Wazir.

Mon Dec 1st Breakfast, lunch includedEmbroidery orientation day beginning with Bhujodi village for weaving and Rabari textiles. Lunch at the cooperative trust of Shrujan for an orientation to Kachchh embroidery styles followed by a visit to local Ahir artisans. Late afternoon with QASAB, women’s embroidery unit, who will explain Banni embroidery at their Bhuj HQ. Evening stroll in Bhuj Bazaar with designer and Bhuj Resident Lisa (Madame) Hall of Australia. Dinner at leisure.

Tue Dec 2nd Accommodation: Shaam e Sarhad All meals includedDepart for the Banni (dry grasslands), a pastoral area that bears the mother lode of embroidery and footprints of time. If open we will visit Kala Raksha for an introduction to Rabari style and decoration. Lunch at resort. Later, visit a Mutwa community for the finest of stitch. Spend an evening on the edge of the desert to watch cranes fly against the setting sun. Shaam e Sarhad literally means ‘sunset on the border.

Your tour leaderCarole Douglas, is an artist, educator, environmental advocate and a passionate world traveller. She began her travels to Gujarat in 1996 and founded Desert Traditions tour operations in 2004. She writes prolifically on a range of Indian and textile-related topics and her collection of textiles represents years of research and travel. Well known and respected in the wider community Carole is responsible for several successful international projects. With her in-depth knowledge of textiles and the arts, the cultures from which they spring and her long-standing relationship with at least two generations of artisans you are guaranteed a truly unique ‘off the beaten track’ journey.

This itinerary is prepared by Desert Traditions in consultation with local guides, community leaders, master artisans, tour operators and Gujarat Tourism and all tours operate under Responsible Travel Principles. We work to spread understanding between cultures and to support traditional artisans and their communities in enterprise efforts.

Wed Dec 3rd All meals includedOptional early morning buffalo milking at nearby Hodko. A day of village visits to unravel more yarns about the migration of stitch and its relationship to identity, community and style. There are 16 identified embroidery styles in Kutch and several of these are to be found in the Banni-Pacham region. Evening journey to the summit of the Black Hills to watch sunset over the Great Rann of Kutch - its salt encrusted surface stretches all the way to Pakistan.

Thu Dec 4th Accommodation: Hotel Prince Breakfast, lunch includedDepart Banni and visit Kala Raksha cooperative for an orientation to Rabari style stitch and decoration. Packed lunch at Kala Raksha. Afternoon visit to Nirona village for Rogan work (oil on fabric), bell making (the sound of Kutch) and lacquer work made on a foot operated lathe. Evening and dinner at leisure in Bhuj.

Fri Dec 5th Accommodation: Hotel Prince Breakfast, lunch includedOptional morning heritage tour of Kutch finishing at Aina Mahal (hall of mirrors) where we will rendezvous. Afternoon (& evening?) of Bandhani (fine tie & dye) with master artisan Ali Mohmed Isha - try your own hand at this traditional craft!

Sat Dec 6th Breakfast, lunch includedA day of ‘hands on’ beginning at Ajrakhpur for block printing with the family of master artisan Dr Ismail Mohmed Khatri. Shared lunch at Ajrakhpur before an afternoon visit to Khamir Craft Resource Centre (great coffee/chai cafe) and then onto Sanjotnagar for nomadic ‘kharad’ weaving with master artisans Tejsi Dhana Marwada and his son Samat. We include a beading demonstration/lesson with Teji’s wife, Sajana. We will spend the early evening in nature with good friend Kuldip Gadhvi and watch the rising of the full moon!

Sun Dec 7th Breakfast, lunch includedMid morning departure for Mandvi, an historic port town on the Arabian coast. We visit Carole’s friend Dr Pulan Vasa (recently seen on TV with Joanna Lumley in her search for the ark) who will tell us about early trading times. We visit the wooden ship building yards and the old style market township. Lunch (and swim) at Mandvi Beach Resort. We will make our slow way back to Bhuj and enjoy dinner when and where we can.

Mon Dec 8th All meals includedOff the beaten track. A day with a pastoral community by special arrangement. Carole has worked closely with remote pastoral communities over a number of years. She will organise an expedition well ahead of time and advise closer to the date. Pastoral communities move around quite freely and it may be Rabari, Jat or Maldhari people with whom we will spend time hearing folk stories and music and participating in an evening meal. This will offer a rare glimpse into another way of life.

Tue Dec 9th Breakfast includedMorning at leisure in Bhuj bazaar and/or at the Post Office to lighten the load before your mid afternoon flight to Mumbai for connecting flights to Australia or elsewhere. We offer a Mumbai extension, at your own cost and at cost. There is much of interest to see and do in this humming mega city. We can arrange guides, visits, interesting events and accommodation.