Angana Bordoloi's grassroots NGO uplifts marginalised artisan communities in Assam's Majuli, world’s largest riverine island. Over 250 artisans revive organic cotton farming, sericulture activities (Eri silk and Mulberry silk), and natural dye production/ +Tour Launch. Watch here. 

The Maya have been a cultural force in Mexico and Central America for over 3000 years. ​Engage with the ancient Maya and present day descendants through magnificent rainforest archeological sites, visits to artisanal villages, and by celebrating at festivals. 

The Maya have been a cultural force for over 3000 years as evidenced by their art, architecture, maths, astrology, calendrics and hieroglyphic writing. With this lecture, explore Maya culture ahead of our Fall Chiapas tour.

Connecting three continents, the Silk Road was a pathway for the exchange of luxury goods and new ideas. More than just silk traveled these treacherous roads. Rare and valuable commodities made fortunes along the way. 

UNESCO 2nd C BCE rock-cut caves of Ajanta, are a cross between monumental architecture and massive sculptures Notable not just for antiquity and religious significance, but also for spectacular artwork and ingeniously sophisticated techniques in its creation. Read more. 

Hereditary Chettiar bankers built uniquely designed mansions of the finest from all over the world.  Learn about this fast disappearing microcosm, its fascinating culture, arts and crafts, and distinctive cuisine. Read more here

Preview of upcoming tour of South India. 

Visually splendid and often extremely costly, Mexican festivals feature dances with richly embellished costumes and masks. Most important on the festival calendar is Days of the Dead. Celebrate the passion that is Mexico!

Indian medieval warrior queens' contributions to religious harmony, the anti-colonial movement, art, and architecture. Clues to modern India through two strong queens - Sultana Razia and Abbakka Chowta. Read more. 

Messenger, protector and bank account are roles traditional jewellery plays Travel from the steppes of Central Asia to the Maghreb to decipher the language of silver. 

Chef Geeta invites you into her kitchen to explore myths and traditions of Diwali while focusing on the food that brings us together. Cook along or just watch. FREE - Catch the recorded session here. 

Life and work of Frida Kahlo, and focus on her passion for the popular arts, festivals, and visual traditions, villages, and festivals of Mexico. Info session and tour launch. Led by researcher, author, and scholar Chloë Sayer. Explore Frida's art and her profound love for her country.

UNESCO Rani-ki-Vav, showcases the height of craftsmens’ ability, silted for 800 years before discovery and excavation.  Start with an holistic overview and zero in on the 1000's of exquisite sculptures for religious, mythological and secular commentary on 11th CE India.

Discover why the word “moghul” is synonymous with concepts of wealth and power. Starting with the first emperor, Babur, and ending with Aurangzeb, the focus is on imperial patronage for works commissioned by these rulers that also provide insight into their lives. 

12th CE UNESCO Angkor Wat is an anomaly amongst Khmer temple mountains. Discover its purpose through the complex art and design of this massive religious complex.

Read about the Women of Angkor: Celestial or real? 

Phulkari embroiders women's lives from birth, adolescence, marriage, childbirth to death. It survived Indo-Pakistan partition, but almost succumbed to machine copies and commercialisation. A mother-daughter duo revive original designs and motifs to breathe new life. View here. 

When placed on the head, textiles serve very specific purposes, ranging from identifying the wearer’s ethnicity, geographical location, or life achievements; age, marital, or economic status; and religious affiliation.   

Read more here. 

The mulberry tree is crucial to the extraordinary material culture of Uzbekistan with an emphasis on its glorious ikats. Due to a technical glitch, Dana's talk was repeated June 3 (above) But you can watch the tour preview here. 

Journey into the evanescent world of traditional Arab scent. Scent features in religious, personal, and social context through silver perfume containers, sumptuously scented paste beads, and fragrant clove necklaces. 

Frida Kahlo's iconic status lies in her flamboyant and courageous dressing style, an homage to Mexican indigenous cultures and an inspiration for designers and fashionistas the world over. Reading list here. 

India's least-known edifices are also its most marvellous. Unique marvels of architecture, engineering, and art, they proliferated throughout the subcontinent for over a millennium. Watch here

Descend into stepwells to descend into time. Astonishing and overlooked architectural wonders, stepwells are intricate, sacred, and surreal. Plus, a ​

textile artist shares a first hand account of her journey of building and revitalising Kutch's beading community. Watch here.

King Anawratha faced an uphill battle in 1044 but with help from Buddhist leaders and strong generals he forged a powerful kingdom in central Myanmar. The art and architecture of Bagan illuminates political and religious changes that came to define Burmese culture of the period. 

Mexico's Day of the Dead honours the departed with lavish offerings. The roots of this festival stretch back into the distant past. In her new book, Chloë Sayer traces cultural significance and visual legacy of these uniquely Mexican celebrations. 

Little is known of the dynasty that created some of the most spectacular religious structures in the world, such as the spectacular and massive Chandi Borobudur. A contextualized walk through the details of its evocative sculptures. Read more. 

In Uzbekistan, every part of the mulberry tree is used as food, wood, as a host for silkworms, and the pulp for generations-old paper making. Learn about its importance on design, spinning, tie-dye, and weaving of Uzbekistan's glorious ikats. View here. 

Moroccan zellige is as intricate as jewellery. Yet Morocco's royal cities are lavishly adorned with zellige. Go inside enchanting zellige interiors, learn how it's made, and why it's a prized but dying art. Includes Oct 2021 tour preview. Watch. 

Few countries offer such a rich and varied cultural heritage as Mexico. The arts and crafts of Mexico are a living force, not a nostalgic evocation. Dazzling colour and design combine Aztec, Maya and Spanish traditions. Read more here. 

Since earliest times, kohl has been used to beautify men and women, ward off evil, confer status, accompany rituals and feasts. Using SW Asia's canvas, explore its remarkable history from Early Bronze Age to the present. 

Colourful, turbulent art and lives of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera capture the world's imagination. Discover why Frida's intimate self-portraits and Diego's panoramic murals gave the pair iconic status.