Palliative Care in Southern India February 2018

Transcription

1 Commuting on the Keralan backwaters Palliative Care in Southern India 7 22 February 2018 The tour is designed to precede the 25th Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care in New Delhi (23 25 February 2018)

2 The intricate Chinese fishing nets in Cochin Palliative Care and Care for the Elderly are developing within the distinctive structures of South Indian society and family life. This tour takes you to two very different states to give you a top to bottom view of palliative care and care of the elderly, with some fascinating professional visits ranging from prestigious large hospitals, to Ayurvedic hospitals and pharmacies, to hospices and village community projects in rural India. Travel from gentle, eclectic Kerala into the ancient and cultural land of Tamil Nadu and learn first hand about this richly rewarding part of India. This tour has been designed so that it can be joined before attending the 25th Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care in runs yoga courses tailormade for the elderly, which greatly enhances mobility and mental stimulation. After lunch take an afternoon city tour of this multi- faceted city, which encompasses the oldest church in India, 500- year old Portuguese houses, an ancient Jewish community, the spice houses and areas that could be lifted from an English country village. There is the option of seeing a Kathakali dance performance in the evening. The following day drive to Trichur to visit the progressive Trichur Hospital and the Palliative Care Ward. Return to Cochin and enjoy a high tea at Taj Malabar before a sunset cruise past Arrive in Cochin, the Gateway to Kerala, and check into your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure to settle in before an introductory talk by Gilly urn on the background to Palliative Care and Care of the Elderly in India before your welcome dinner in the evening. Your first professional visit is to Nagarjuna Ayurvedic Centre on the banks of the river Periya at Kalady the next morning. As well as traditional Ayurvedic treatments, the centre Sorting turmeric

3 a training, research and clinical demonstration unit that runs educational programs in Pain and Palliative Medicine for South Asia, as well as a clinical service developing and operating community oriented palliative care services. The institute provides free treatment to the majority of its patients. Next day meet with local palliative care nurses and specialists and take part in community visits in the morning. In the afternoon drive to Kaniyakumari, the southernmost point of India, visiting the magnificent 16th century Padmanabhapuram Palace on the way. Check into your hotel. A rice barge in Kerala the ethereal Chinese fishing nets and dinner at Pepper restaurant. Visit the Holy Cross Hospice, a peaceful hospice set amongst trees and gardens. Return to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure or there is the option to take a cookery class. In the evening see a training session for Kalaripayattu - a Keralan martial art form that dates back to the 13th century - and enjoy a foot massage. Next morning drive the short distance to Alleppey to board a private converted rice barge for a cruise along the tranquil Keralan backwaters. See Keralan life unfold as you sail past families swimming, fishing and washing in the canals, past vegetable laden canoes and alongside vivid green rice paddies and coconut farms. Enjoy a Keralan dinner and spend the night onboard the barge. In the morning visit the hagavathi man Temple, dedicated to the goddess Sri hagavati, and the ornate Gothic style Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church. Continue driving to Madurai and check into your hotel. In the evening watch the joyously frenetic Going to ed night ceremony at Meenakshi Temple, where the image of Shiva is carried in a chariot from his shrine to join his consort, Parvati, at hers. Explore the ancient Tamil city of Madurai the next day, starting with a cycle rickshaw ride through the markets. In the afternoon return to explore Meenakshi Temple, South India s largest and most impressive temple, and in the evening take part in a street food tour. Next morning drive to Tiruchirappalli (universally known as Trichy) and visit the Next morning drive to Trivandrum and check into the Lake Palace Hotel, where you will spend the afternoon at leisure before dinner. Start the next day with a talk on the developments in Palliative Care in India by Dr Rajagopal, setting the scene for a visit to the Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences in the afternoon. This WHO Collaborating institute is Watch a Kalaripayattu demonstration

4 Auroville / Pondicherry Cochin 1 2 Alleppey ackwaters Trivandrum South India Madurai 7 Kanyakumari Chennai Mahabalipuram Next morning explore the surrounding countryside by auto rickshaw, including a visit to Kumbadi village, a village school, a temple and a primary health centre. After a thali lunch in the village visit Mahabalipuram s extraordinary open air showcase for Tamil art, featuring a remarkable shore temple and the world s largest bas-relief, a stunning composition carved in stone. In the evening enjoy a farewell dinner with the group. Transfer to Chennai for your return flight or further extend your time in Mahabalipuram. Rock Fort Temple, perched high on a massive rock outcrop above the city. The temple offers wonderful views of the city as well as having superb sculptures within the temples themselves. Continue to Auroville, an international community dedicated to peace, sustainability and divine consciousness, where people from across the globe work together to build a universal, cash-free, non-religious township. Hear a talk on the background to this idealistic community and stay overnight at the Mango Hill Hotel, between Pondicherry and Auroville. Explore Auroville the next day and learn about their health initiatives. After a vegetarian lunch spend the afternoon at leisure, either in Auroville or visiting nearby Pondicherry. Drive to the former French colony of Pondicherry the next morning and explore the French and Tamil quarters. This charming city is unlike anywhere else in South India with a distinctly Gallic flavor, evident in the architecture, police uniforms and of course the food. In the afternoon continue to Mahabalipuram and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Drive to Chennai the following day and visit Tamil Nadu s first hospice, the Jeevodaya Cancer Hospice, with which Gilly urn has been closely involved since its inception. Return to the seaside town of Mahabalipuram for dinner. Meenakshi Temple (top); Auroville; as reliefs at Mahabalipuram (above)

5 Itinerary 7 22 February 2018 = reakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner 4 nights Cochin 1 night on a rice barge 2 nights Trivandrum 1 night Kanyakumari 2 nights Madurai 2 nights Auroville 3 nights Mahabalipuram 7 Feb (Wed) Cochin D Arrive Cochin and transfer to the hotel Talk: Development of Palliative Care in India by Gilly urn 16 Feb (Fri) Madurai Cycle rickshaw through the markets Visit Meenakshi Temple Take part in a street food tour D 8 Feb (Thurs) Cochin D Visit the Nagarjuna Ayurvedic Centre at Kalady Sightseeing including the Dutch Palace, Synagogue, St Francis Church and the spice houses Optional Kathkali dance performance 9 Feb (Fri) Cochin D Drive to Trichur. Visit the Trichur Hospital and the Palliative Care Ward Return to Cochin for high tea Sunset cruise past the Chinese fishing nets and dinner at Pepper restaurant 10 Feb (Sat) Cochin D Visit the Holy Cross Hospice At leisure. Optional cookery class Kalaripayattu demonstration and foot massage 11 Feb (Sun) Overnight rice barge cruise Drive to Alleppey oard rice barge and cruise the Keralan backwaters overnight 17 Feb (Sat) Madurai / Auroville D Drive to Tiruchirappalli and visit the Rock Fort Temple and Srirangam Arrive in Auroville late afternoon and check into Mango Hill Hotel 18 Feb (Sun) Auroville L Talk: A ackground to Auroville. Visit the Peace Arena and international Zone. Learn of their health care initiatives Vegetarian lunch. At leisure 19 Feb (Mon) Auroville / Mahabalipuram D Visit the former French colony of Pondicherry and tour the French and Tamil quarters Continue to Mahabalipuram and at leisure 20 Feb (Tues) Mahabalipuram D Drive to Chennai and visit the Jeevodaya Hospice Dinner in Mahabalipuram 12 Feb (Mon) Trivandrum Drive to Trivandrum At leisure at the Lake Palace Hotel 13 Feb (Tues) Trivandrum Talk: Updates in Palliative Care in India by Dr. Rajagopal ( father of Palliative Care in India) Visit the Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences D D 21 Feb (Wed) Mahabalipuram L Explore the countryside by auto rickshaws Thali lunch in village. Visit the World Heritage shore temples Farewell dinner 22 Feb (Thur) Mahabalipuram Transfer to Chennai for onward flights or further extend at Mahabalipuram D 14 Feb (Wed) Trivandrum / Kanyakumari D Meet with local palliative care specialists for community visits Drive south to Kaniyakumari and visit Padmanabhapuram Palace en route. Check into your hotel 15 Feb (Thur) Kaniyakumari / Madurai D Morning visit to the agavathi man Temple and Our Lady of Ransom Church Drive to Madurai and see the night ceremony at Meenakshi Temple N: All itineraries are subject to change according to local conditions. This itinerary is ground only and departure and arrival dates may differ. Variety of cultural visits excellent. Frida Garrood, Malabar Journey 2017

6 Hotels Casino Hotel, Wellington Island (Cochin) A warm and welcoming hotel that combines old world charm with modern facilities in a peaceful location on Wellington Island. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, there is an outdoor saltwater pool and the customer service is excellent. Deluxe Houseboat (Alleppey) Stay in a deluxe converted rice barge, each with air conditioning, private facilities and onboard staff catering for two bedrooms per houseboat. The houseboats are both charming and comfortable. Lake Palace Hotel (Trivandrum) A beautiful 5-star hotel set in spacious grounds in a peaceful location, with a lovely outdoor pool and lawns stretching down to the lake. The hotel provides water sports and other amenities and the rooms are comfortable and large. Hotel Sparsa (Kaniyakumari) A good medium grade hotel in an attractive location encompassing gardens and excellent sea views. Regency Madurai by GRT (Madurai) A good hotel with large and well-appointed rooms, the hotel facilities include a pool, a gym and fitness area and a spa. It provides a friendly and welcoming service. Mango Hill (Auroville / Pondicherry) A gracious Indian hotel with an unmistakable French touch, located on a hill planted with mango and cashew trees between Pondicherry and Auroville, on the ay of engal. The spacious main house has 14 elegant rooms with private terraces and a restaurant offering good Indian and French specialties. Casino Hotel,Cochin (top); Stay on a houseboat in Kerala; Lake Palace Hotel, Trivandrum; Contemporary style at Grande ay Resort (above) Grande ay Resort (Mahabilapuram) Nestled on the southern edge of Mahabalipuram, the Grande ay Resort is an elegant contemporary hotel with good facilities, close to Mahabalipuram each and the temples.

7 Tour Leader Gilly urn set up Cancer Relief India in 1990 and worked as the Project Director of the Indo- ritish Palliative Care Project from , a collaboration between Macmillan Cancer Relief and WHO. She has been instrumental in setting up palliative care services in collaboration with Indian colleagues, notably the first hospital based palliative care team in India, which is now a WHO Demonstration Project with SE Asia. She was one of the prime instigators in setting up the Indian Association of Palliative Care, and is an expert on palliative care and society in India. Well-travelled and energetic with an excellent sense of humour, Gilly is a great asset to any tour. She has led several highly successful Care of the Elderly and Palliative Care Tours to South India. Gilly was excellent wonderful sense of humour, an inspirational person with lots of stories to put it all into perspective. Suzy Fenger, Palliative Care in South India, Jan 2008 National Guide The ground only cost of the tour is 2,559 per person sharing (excludes international flights and transfers)* The cost includes: The services of a tour leader (Gilly urn) 14 nights accommodation in good medium grade hotels and 1 night on a converted 2 room rice barge with air conditioning The single room supplement is 640 reakfast and lunch or dinner daily A full programme of professional visits and cultural tours as per the itinerary Admission fees where applicable Full-time English speaking national guide (Prince Charles) All transport in India (except arrival and departure transfers) Tips The cost excludes: Meals not mentioned All personal extras such as porterage, laundry, inoculation fees and drinks All optional excursions, tours and visits Travel insurance and visas International flights and airport transfers * If you require help booking flights to India please contact the London or Melbourne office. For the past 14 years, I ve travelled throughout South India, learning and experiencing everything I can about this beautiful country. It has been tremendously fun and amazingly rewarding, and I want each of our guests to feel the same passion for India that I have. I ve always felt that my job is not just guiding tours; it s really creating experiences for our guests. To truly connect with this land and its people. Prince Charles Projects We support two projects on this tour. The first is Gilly s personal charity, Cancer Relief India (CRI), which she set up in March The second is Pallium India, established in 2003 with the aim of integrating pain relief and quality palliative care in healthcare throughout India. The tour professional programme is eligible for CPD. Please contact us after the tour to request an attendance certificate. Cannot praise Charles (national guide) too highly. Very professional and an excellent companion on the journey. Adaptable, knowledgeable, thoughtful and always had the best interests of the group in mind Jenny Fearns, Malabar Journey, 2016

8 About Us To travel with us is to dig below the surface, revealing the deeper destination. Of course, you will visit the great historical sites; marvel at the wonders of architecture and engineering; be moved by the riches of culture and art; and experience the most spectacular landscapes in the world. What we also do is make sure that you see the country as it is today, giving you privileged access that independent travel and other tour companies rarely get close to. We give you a variety of experiences, from the sublime to the humble, in the company of intelligent, curious, like-minded people. And while we can be worthy, we also make sure that you have a lot of fun. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays in this brochure are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: Jon aines Tours (London) Hyde Park House, 5 Manfred Road, London, SW15 2RS Tel: +44 (0) / 5618 Fax: +44 (0) info@jonbainestours.co.uk Jon aines Tours (Melbourne) PO ox 68, South runswick, Victoria 3055 Tel: +61 (0) Fax: +61 (0) info@jonbainestours.com.au A Kathkali performer; Pondicherry; The Keralan backwaters; Mahabalipuram temples (above)