Relief Riders International

Consider the two alternatives.
You're at home in bed. Alarm wakes you at 5.30 a.m. on another cold grey day. Stagger out of bed to join the daily commute to work. Ah, the joys of a desk job in the City of London! To be fair, the work is interesting: being a consultant to Chief Execs and CFOs, helping them deal with issues, enjoying the company of decent colleagues…… but it's pretty hard to argue that this job makes the world a better place - not really better.

Or:
Rise at dawn in a camp in the wilds of Rajasthan. Ride on horseback through the beautiful countryside, stopping by a lake for lunch. Arrive at a village with a school full of bright-eyed young kids, under-nourished but seemingly happy, where you help dispense de-worming pills and vitamins, teach them the basics of hand-washing and hand out some much-needed school books and sports kit. Or perhaps it's a day to register people for a first-in-a-lifetime dental check-up and help the dentist with a long-overdue extraction carried out in the makeshift surgery of a classroom. And then there's the fun of spending time with the other volunteer riders, like-minded (some of them, at least!) but from various walks of life and corners of the earth, all gathered by the charismatic Alexander, looking like a God and not a bad horseman either (but so sorry I beat you at the Bucket and Ball race, Alexander).

Well I've done both now. I'm back at my desk with PC, phone and rounds of meetings. And I know which is more fun and more rewarding. So if you'd like to visit a fascinating part of the world, ride out on Marwari horses, and most importantly give something back to some charming, cheerful people who are less fortunate than us, then a trip with Relief Riders International might be the experience for you. And by the way, in a strange way it makes going back to work not so bad either.

Dian Sourelis/January 2011 Narlai Relief Ride

A perfect blend of adventure and service
Whether you ride regularly or not, this adventure is fantastic! Beautiful, well trained horses, great support from a large and talented team of outfitters, amazing terrain, villages and experiences. This 2 week ride through some of the most remote areas of the Indian desert allowed me to interact with and help over 1400 school children and 150 children and adults in the areas of medical and dental care, school and sporting materials, and gave me hundreds of memories. I have taken adventure trips before but this is by far the most amazing experience I have had.

Barbara Jenkel/January 2011 Narlai Relief Ride & October 2005 Meetwas Relief Ride

Even better the second time!
This was my second time with Relief Riders and i certainly was not let down. If you want adventure, voluntourism, exposure to another way of life, introduction to beautiful people, love from children and a feel good adventure - this is for you. One has to be flexible but that is half the experience. The mode of transportation is horseback and since the last time i rode was five years ago - it was a challenge-but I DID it. Alexander and all the Indian people who help were exceptional. I would recommend this to anyone who has adventure and the willingness to help others to book this trip

Timothy Donahue/ January 2011 Narlai Relief Ride, New Year 2006 Kishangarh Relief Ride & October 2005 Meetwas Relief Ride

Wonderful Experience!
This trip is for you if you: enjoy helping people love to experience unique new culture enjoy riding want an experience you will likely not forget The horses are unlike any you have ridden, the people are warm, interested in westerners, and very kind and happy. The kids are so wonderful always smiling.

Joan Miller/ January 2011 Narlai Relief Ride

Unique! Unlike any trip I've ever taken.
Relief Riders International Horse Safari's has created a unique travel opportunity. The combination of adventure travel along with a humanitarian program where the riders actively participate was challenging and memorable. It was unlike any trip I've taken. Highly recommended!

Ilene Douglas/ January 2011 Narlai Relief Ride & October 2005 Meetwas Relief Ride

Life Changing!
This was the trip of a lifetime to a country that I never even considered visiting. Alexander Souri put together a trip that was exciting, meaningful, and educational. He is a man with a passion for India and its people, especially those who need medical and educational help. I will go again. Galloping across the desert with the sun sinking behind us the moon rising in our path...Wow

Jeanne Davidson/January 2011 Narlai Relief Ride

A priceless experience!
Unique opportunity for a combination of long-distance horseback riding on amazing Marwari horses with distribution of medical and educational supplies to small rural villages.

Peg Steley/ February 2011 Sardar Samand Relief Ride

Profound, uplifting adventure, back-roads of Rajasthan
Relief Riders have crafted the perfect travel adventure. Journeying through exquisite countryside, "camping" by lakes and under mountains in "Queen of Shiva" tents, yoga in the mornings, dining under the stars in Rajasthani fields, eating curry tiffin lunches served under the shade of giant Banyan trees, exquisite Marwari horses bedecked in red and orange garlands panting in the background. A cultural interlude was provided by a visit to the breathtakingly beautiful Jain temple at Ranakpur, a world heritage site we just happened to be passing. All this combined with a rich sense of purpose; a humanitarian mission delivering goats to impoverished villagers, school supplies to hundreds of students, participating in dental and medical camps. It was awesome!

Suzanne Skone/ February 2011 Sardar Samand Relief Ride

Exceeded all my expectations—Joyful!
A most unique opportunity to see your own volunteering efforts effecting the lives of local people. You feel like a volunteering "rock star" and are treated like one. This trip is so powerful I'm doing it again!

Ellie Zalesky/ February 2011 Sardar Samand Relief Ride

Exciting and truly heartwarming!
the camp staff are wonderful and friendly and the horses are extremely well kept and taken care of and Ajeet, the bossman, is beyond charismatic and fun! The humanitarian giving of school supplies and deworming meds to the kids is an incredible experience and the smiling faces stay with you forever.

Andrew Mersmann (Author of Frommer's "500 Places Where You Can Make a Difference) February 2007 Nagaur Relief Ride

An experience like no other!
My experience of the February 20007 Nagaur Relief Ride was a breakthrough that picked me up and put me down somewhere exponentially further along the road than I expected to get. In my field of travel writing, the description "life-changing" is bandied about loosely, but I could not be more sincere when I say this trip changed my life.

Jonathan Rick/February 2006 Meetwas Relief Ride

Truly amazing, very gratifying and unforgettable
Aside from all the outstanding adventures we had and all the good services we performed and the amazing riding and scenery, I'll always remember Alexander's surprise night when local people simply appeared out of the dessert night performing all sorts of music, dancing, fire eating. sword swallowing and so on. Afterward we all got down and danced and partied to the wee hours!! Great bonding and so much fun

EDWARD GOLDBERG

Be prepared to enter a new world: India bombards you with color, sounds, scents, religious mystique, fragrant tastes and constantly changing topography. There is no better way for the adventurer to see and feel the country and other than to live, ride, work and laugh with its culturally rich people. Be prepared to return home a changed person.

SHIRLEY CAMBELL

Riding through the unspoiled countryside of fields and small villages, through narrow streets and into the forts and merchant villas made for an unforgettable experience. The desert landscapes made for great riding and the spacious and comfortable tents at our camps were out of "Lawrence of Arabia."
The medical clinics provided an opportunity to meet the people close up and the satisfaction of knowing that without our help it would have been much harder to provide the free care to these isolated areas. At the schools where we handed out supplies, the children were a delight and we were greeted with small celebrations and big smiles.

HEATHER FERRELL

"I signed up for the Rajasthan Relief Ride! and showed up in Delhi to find every sense bombarded with exotic new sights, sounds and smells. In those first moments, I was slightly apprehensive! It was shortly after check-in that I realized the power of this trip is stepping into the unknown, relinquishing all fears and allowing the journey to unfold as it will!
For two weeks we rode incredible Marwari horses across the desert, volunteered at remote hospitals and schools, and met the most appreciative, gracious people. We enjoyed daily siestas, delicious food and fireside chats with our fellow riders ! I signed up for an adventurous vacation but somewhere in the Rajasthan desert found myself on a magical journey. I returned stateside to find myself forever altered precisely because I did step into the uncertainty. And I came home feeling more alive because of it."

BARBARA JENKEL

"For me, the relief program was a spiritual experience! It is so special to see a small child smiling when he receives a pad of paper and an adult so grateful when they receive a goat which will provide milk for their family! I received an education about another part of the world that I could never get from a book. I hope that I can hold on to the spirit, innocence and wisdom of the Indian people that I met."

DICKSON BAIN

Relief Riders International provided the most enjoyable and unique vacation my wife and I have ever taken. This vacation/humanitarian experience will stay with us forever. One day you are riding through the desert enjoying the beautiful scenery, then we would help Red Cross doctors dispense the medical supplies we were carrying to the local villagers. Then we would ride to a school to give out schools supplies and enjoy the wonderful dance and singing performances of the students. Then we would give the poorest families in the village a female goat to provide milk for their children. Your staff were great at doing everything they could to make the trip a wonderful experience."

TIM DONHUE

"I have traveled to many exciting, and beautiful and interesting places: the Sahara, Mongolia, Ireland, Russia, Patagonia, and New Zealand. My RRI trip in October 2005 was without a doubt the most fascinating, exciting, interesting and rewarding trip I have ever taken. I loved the Indian people. They lead such a difficult and simple life yet are so friendly and happy. I have such great memories of all the smiling faces I saw, and was humbled by how grateful they were for what help we could offer. "There's so much to do, but we did make lives better and might even have saved a few. I have never felt so rewarded for doing so little. I am anxious to go back and do more and I have such great memories."

PAMELA BAKER

"I experienced a profound connection to nature - from riding the spirited Marwari horses through the Thar desert; sitting around the campfires deepening relationships with nine former strangers; lying in a reflective peace in our paisley tents unraveling our particular places in the universe; participating in the inspiring and deeply moving visits to schools and hospitals to support the Rajasthani people. India's magnificence is overwhelming."

ILENE DOUGLAS

Because of my amazing trip to Rajasthan, I can never be the same. I still see the women in their glorious saris gathering their meager harvest of millet, or herding a small herd of goats, or peeking out a doorway as we ride through the small villages. How can I put into words what it was like to give a goat to an elderly man who seemed to weep as he clasped my hands and thanked me? I will always remember the man in Dundlod who came up into the medical clinic using his hands to propel him, and the older woman in Meetwas who sat on the ground while someone gave her pills and a cup of water. And the eleven year old boy, who came to the clinic, so sick he was unable to walk.

Nor can I forget the night sky with the stars so close it seemed I could touch them or the spectacular sunsets that turned the afternoon horizon into a blaze of yellows, gold's, reds, and orange. Now back home, the people of Rajasthan float through my dreams at night and remind me that I have been someplace very special. I still stutter and murmur when people ask me about my trip to India and I wonder, will I ever be able to adequately share this adventure in words that do justice to Relief Riders International and the work you are doing for the people of Rajasthan.