Where is Udaipur?

Udaipur is in the southern part of Rajasthan, about half-way between Delhi to the north and Mumbai to the south. The state of Rajasthan is very traditional, and traveling to this part of the world feels as much like “time travel” as geographical travel. Women dress in traditional Rajasthani skirts, blouses and wrap the gossamer “leria” around them—a large piece of transparent scarf material, almost always draped over their heads like veils. Their jewelry is among the world’s most spectacular in silver filigrees and gold. The rural men often wear dhotis—long pieces of white sheer cotton wrapped around the legs and tied at the waist, and usually turbans. Regional varieties abound.


What kind of food is eaten?

Mostly vegetarian food. In the restaurants, preparing traditional northern Indian-style food such as might be found in Delhi is probably a restaurateur’s goal (though success really varies!) but for the poor Rajasthani, food usually includes an extremely spicy, watery vegetable dish, dal, and chappatis (a flat dry bread cooked one by one on a “tawa” or flat pan, over a flame.)


Are visitors welcome any time?

Yes, but advance discussion about when, for how long, etc., is really appreciated. Emailing to info@animalaidunlimited.com will get an almost immediate response.


How do I plan to volunteer?

Just contact us at info@animalaidunlimited.com and we’ll talk through the details about your qualifications, your ambitions, what you would hope to gain from the experience of volunteering with Animal Aid, and what particular needs we have.


Is there a minimum time commitment you ask of volunteers?

Ideally, volunteers work at least 3 weeks. This amount of time enables you to get into “the rhythm” of the hospital, enables staff members to understand your personal goals and abilities, and to use those to the benefit of the animals in our care, maximizing the experience for both you and the animals.


Does Animal Aid provide accommodation and meals?

No, but accommodation and meals are easy to access and can suit all budgets in Udaipur. The main tourist area where most of the hotels is called the “old city” and it’s 4 km from the hospital.


Do you require a donation?

No, but we encourage you to consider fundraising for Animal Aid among your friends, families and colleagues if you feel inspired. We can help you with suggestions, brochures, and words of encouragement! Even though some people may not feel comfortable about asking for financial support, once you see and experience the hospital and get a deeper sense of what a big, real difference contributions make to our ability to treat those who need us most.


What if I can’t stay for 3 weeks?

Volunteers unable to stay for 3 weeks are still very much WELCOME.


Does Animal Aid provide food?

No. Many hotels will happily provide a “tiffin lunch.” Tiffin is the world-famous stainless steel lunchpail.


How do I get to the hospital?

Auto rickshaw costs about Rs 80 from the Old City. And, many volunteers ride bicycles to the hospital, and bicycle rental fees vary.


How much does it cost to get to India?

Of course each traveler is coming from a different place, but…from west coast USA it costs about $1500 traveling on Asiana. When we last checked this was about the cheapest airline we could find, but let us know if you can do better!


Do they speak English in Udaipur?

Mmmmmm, sorta kinda. Both Hindi and English are school requirements, and most educated people can speak heavily-accented Indian English. Rural people do not speak English and as you get a few kilometers out of Udaipur they don’t speak much Hindi, either. Mewari is the name of the local dialect. Rajasthani language rolls by very quickly with many words unique to the region, so if you are a student who has been dutifully studying Hindi in preparation for your trip to Rajasthan, don’t feel bad if you’re having trouble communicating in Hindi. Your Hindi might be good, but pure Hindi’s not what they’re speaking here.


When is the weather best?

Many people like August through March best. Late March, April, May…these are the hottest months when it soars above 100F. In June, July and August it usually rains intermittently and green things burst forth out of the arid soil. All the seasons have something spectacular and beautiful, even the hot period, when the nights are glorious.


What kind of people do you need?

All skill levels are welcome. Veterinary surgeons are of course extremely valued, but even if you have no particular skills but simply love working with animals, we have plenty of needy angels to tend.


Do I need inoculations before arriving in India?

You may. Contact your doctor or your university hospital’s Travel Medicine Clinic (most University hospital’s have such things.)


What clothes would I bring?

Light clothes easy to wash! You will get dirty every time you come to the hospital, because even if you’re not wrestling a cow in the mud, a dog WILL jump on you trying to get a kiss.


What is the daily routine like?

An auto- rickshaw ride to the hospital costs about Rs 60 (about $1.25) and it’s easy to get to. Volunteers often ride bicycles to the hospital. Rental of a decent no-gears bike costs Rs 25 (about $.50) per day.

Lunch can be purchased through the hospital for Rs 200 a week.

The hospital cleaning staff arrives around 8:30 and usually staff starts rounds at 9:30. This is when volunteers usually arrive. The atmosphere is pretty informal since the animals’ situations vary so widely from day to day, but everyone just starts doing work, including feeding, wound dressing, evaluating, monitoring, treating. The dog-catchers start early; they arrive with 10-15 new dogs at about 10:30 and that’s when the sterilizations begin. Emergency calls can interrupt the schedule at any time, but we are quite diligent about continuing with the sterilizations between 10:30 and 1 pm most every day.

Lunch lasts an hour and there are two tea breaks in between.

Volunteers are often welcome to attend emergency cases out of the hospital, and these are really interesting and usually fun.

Most important, the STAFF are all fun, welcoming, warm and casual and hardworking people, some of whom will become your friends over the course of the weeks you’re with Animal Aid.

The ideal volunteers are fairly regular in their routines, so that gradually we can learn what their skills and interests are, and they can see and understand where we most need them, and customize a program where the volunteer feels useful and the staff feel the volunteer is really helping.


What happens when I arrive in Delhi? Do you have hotel recommendations?

If you want to hire a car with a driver holding a sign with your name on it, try contacting VINtring Holidays Pvt. Ltd. We have had good luck with them. The proprietor is “Vini” and the office is located in the YMCA tourist hostel. Email him to make arrangements: india@vinstring.com, and web ymcatraveldelhi@gmail.com.

If you prefer to catch a taxi, be sure to get a pre-paid taxi just outside the terminal building (but just 10 paces beyond the group of people waiting to greet passengers) on your right.
For hotel information in Delhi, we recommend using a guide book. We have stayed mainly in the Karol Bagh and Paharganj areas, which have hotel rooms ranging (from our experience) from about Rs 500 (sometimes ooookayyy clean and friendly) to fancier places Rs 1500 and more.


How do we get to Udaipur?

You can fly or train from Delhi; from Mumbai we recommend flying. If you are flying it costs about US $130 each way. You should book in advance with your travel agent. A train is relatively cheap…


Taking a Train to Udaipur from Delhi

Purchasing train tickets needs to be done in person at the New Delhi Railway Station. Be sure it’s New Delhi.

If you arrived in Delhi in the middle of the night and you want to get to Udaipur by train as soon as possible, I suggest getting up, having your coffee and heading straight to the station. (Ask your hotel person how much it ought to cost to get to the station by auto rickshaw from whatever hotel you’re in.)

Get this task out of the way as soon as possible so that your remaining hours in Delhi are free. It’s going to take 2 hours by the time you get out of there.

There are several buildings on the same side of the street as the main entrance and that’s definitely where you want to be. Delhi is kind of famous for sending “guides” onto the streets to try to steer you to travel agents, and they’ll tell you the booking offices are closed and you HAVE to go here or there—IGNORE THEM!!

Even if a guy is sitting on the stairs below where the booking office for foreigners is, telling you the office is closed, ignore him!

The office is up a flight of stairs and down a dark hallway at the station itself. It is the only place where foreigners can reliably buy tickets.

The office opens at 8:00 am (don’t know when it closes.)

You can use either Rupees or US$ to purchase your ticket BUT if you use Rupees you will need to have an “encashment certificate” with you, which any bank would issue when you convert your money.

There is a queuing system, mercifully, and you can sit down while you await your turn. Choose which line you sit in based on which currency you are going to use. Ask the lady whose desk is just at the left of the entry door.
There are several classes of travel available and they seem to change depending on time of year.

There is a huge difference in price between first and second class, and the one time I went first class I thought it wasn’t that worth it because you still had to share your berth with another person (this is only relevant, I guess, if you’re traveling alone.) The first class compartment was NOT squeaky clean, but it cost about 6 times more than second class sleeper.

A ticket from Delhi to Udaipur costs about Rs 350 I think. (used to, anyway.) very affordable for anyone.

There is a fabulous express train leaving the Nizzamuddin station in Delhi at 7 pm and it arrives in Udaipur at 7:30 a.m.

We authors of this web page have only used Second Class Sleeper. This is a berth with 6 separate cots, 3 on each side. They are not super clean; we always take our own bed sheet to lay on the plastic seat. Luggage is stowed underneath the seats.

Going in and out of Delhi other people board the train and can crowd into your berth, and they stay awhile. These are commuters and they’re really not supposed to do it but it is tolerated. However as it starts to get later and you get irritated, if the people in your berth aren’t ticketed passengers, and if you’re feeling bold or that there is not enough space, you could suggest they move. As it starts getting dark everyone does move and people start shifting around getting their own sleeping spot organized. Unfortunately in this class of travel the people on the second rung (the middle) need to wait until the lower person is ready to lie down, because the back of one seat becomes the bed of the middle. It’s not so tricky though; I have traveled this way dozens of times and always get to go to sleep when I want, even as the earliest one.


Getting to Animal Aid Hospital in Udaipur

Cars or auto-rikshaws are available on the street that will take you to your hotel.

Once situated, we’ll also take you to the hospital. But if you’re a traveler reading this and you’re already in Udaipur, here’s where we are:

Animal Aid Hospital is located in Chota Hawala Village, 4 kilometers outside Udaipur.

Ask any rickshaw driver if they know the Animal Aid hospital. If they do, fine, they’ll take you. From the Jagdish Chowk area the ride should be about Rs 80. That Jagdish Chowk is a main tourist area.

If the drivers don’t know where the hospital is, ask them to go to Shilpgram. At Shilpgram, ask someone for directions. We are a 5-minute auto rickshaw ride from Shilpgram inside Chota Hawala Village