TOUR FULL Palliative Care in Southern India (FULL)
About the tour
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.
From the Chinese fishing nets in Cochin to the shore temples of Mahabalipuram, travel through the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Experience ancient Tamil history, the beautiful Coromandel coast and gentle, eclectic Kerala. Between the wide ranging professional visits there is ample time to enjoy the cultural treasures and stunning natural beauty of South India.
‘This trip has been wonderful. Incredibly well organised. A great balance of highly educational clinical visits and sightseeing to really explore the Indian culture. David Oliviere as tour leader was fantastic. A kind, wise, highly regarded professional. A joy to have been on this tour.’ Jenny Wright, Palliative Care in Northern India, February 2023
3 nights Cochin – 1 night Alleppey – 3 nights Trivandrum – 2 nights Madurai – 2 nights Pondicherry - 2 nights Mahabalipuram
Download our brochure TOUR FULL Palliative Care in Southern India
Your tour leader
David Oliviere
David Oliviere is a consultant in psychosocial palliative care, a social worker, an educationalist and a clinical supervisor. He is former director of Education and Training at St Christopher’s Hospice in London and visiting professor at the School of Education and Health Sciences at Middlesex University.
David trained at Nottingham University in social administration and social work. With a background in psychiatric social work and management in the personal social services, David was involved in founding Pilgrim’s Hospice, Canterbury, before joining the North London Hospice as Director of Social Work. Subsequently, David worked as Community Care Advisor for ethnic minorities and refugees, London Borough of Enfield, and as Macmillan Principal Lecturer in Palliative Care at Middlesex University, whilst practising at the Macmillan Support Team in Barnet Hospital.
David has contributed to several publications, spoken internationally and has jointly edited a number of books including, “Good Practices in Psychosocial Care”, “Loss, grief and bereavement”, “Patient Participant in Palliative Care”, “Resilience in Palliative Care”, “Death, Dying and Social Differences” and “Narratives and Stories in Palliative Care”.
He currently practises as a couple and bereavement counsellor and professional interests include work with families in palliative care; culture and ethnicity; staff support; bereavement; and strength-based approaches. He is joint lead for a new theatre project in palliative care education, “Stories That Speak”.
Need more information?
- Tel: (Toll Free) 1-8777-398-764
- Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm
Itinerary at a glance
- Day 1: Cochin (Wed, 14 Feb) Arrive in Cochin and transfer to the hotel.
- Day 2: Cochin (Thurs, 15 Feb) Visit the Nagarjuna Ayurvedic Centre at Kalady. Sightseeing including the Dutch Palace, Synagogue, St Francis Church and the spice houses. Sunset cruise past the Chinese fishing nets.
- Day 3: Cochin (Fri, 16 Feb) Visit the palliative care service, Signature Care, and learn about their work in Kerala. See a high-energy Kalaripayattu demonstration, followed by a cooking demonstration with dinner.
- Day 4: Cochin / Alleppey (Sat, 17 Feb) Drive to Alleppey. Take a day cruise along the lush backwater, with lunch included, and stay at backwater resort overnight.
- Day 5: Alleppey / Trivandrum (Sun, 18 Feb) Drive to Trivandrum. At leisure at the Lake Palace Hotel. Seminar: ‘Stories of Palliative Care in India and International Palliative Care Experiences.’ Dinner on the coast.
- Day 6: Trivandrum (Mon, 19 Feb) Talk: 'Updates in Palliative Care in India.' Visit the Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences and learn of its role as a training, research and clinical demonstration unit.
- Day 7: Trivandrum (Tues, 20 Feb) Meet with local palliative care nurses and specialists and learn of Pallium India’s work in the community.
- Day 8: Trivandrum / Madurai (Wed, 21 Feb) Late morning check out. Take an air-conditioned train to the ancient Tamil city of Madurai, arriving early evening. Check in to the hotel.
- Day 9: Madurai (Thurs, 22 Feb) Take a cycle rickshaw through the markets. Visit Meenakshi Temple, South India’s largest and most impressive temple. Take part in a street food tour in the evening.
- Day 10: Madurai / Pondicherry (Fri, 23 Feb) Drive to Tiruchirappalli and see the impressive Rock Fort Temple, perched high on a massive rock outcrop above the city. Continue to the former French colony of Pondicherry and check in to Mango Hill Hotel. Explore Pondicherry’s 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.
- Day 11: Pondicherry (Sat, 24 Feb) Visit the the Aarupadai Veedu Medical College in Pondicherry and learn about medical and nursing palliative care education and on service. Afternoon at leisure to explore Pondicherry.
- Day 12: Pondicherry / Mabalipuram (Sun, 25 Feb) Drive to Mahabalipuram and take rickshaws to visit an extraordinary open-air showcase for Tamil art, comprising World Heritage shore temples and a stunning composition carved in stone.
- Day 13: Mabalipuram (Mon, 26 Feb) Spend the morning exploring rural India, visiting local villages, a potter's studio, a farm and a rural health clinic. Enjoy a delicious thali lunch in a village house and at leisure. Farewell dinner.
- Day 14: Mabalipuram (Tues, 27 Feb) Transfer to Chennai for onward flights or extend at Mahabalipuram for beach extension.
Tour cost
The ground only cost of the tour per person sharing a room is USD $3,774. The cost per person with a room to yourself is USD $4,456