Just come back from Odisha – fabulous
And Nepal……
Odisha
Having led previous tours with Aahilya Holidays I am really excited about more upcoming trips with them. Nagaland 2024 was fabulous and I will be returning there in November/December 2025. Think Kantha, block printing weaving and the Hornbill Festivla. Please register your interest with @aahilyaholidays if you would like to join me.
Kantha work
I am also hosting a tour to Jaipur in February 2026 with Aahilya in association with Sew Creative – this tour is full.
Lastly I will be hosting a trip to Uzbekistan in March 2026. …..there are still spaces on this trip so again please register your interest with Aaahilya ASAP if you would like to like to come. I know it feels like a long way head but it’s good to get it booked now!
Kim (https://www.kimthittichai.com) is doing a similar tour at-the moment…..see her posts….. and mine on my instagram from last year to see if it is something you would be interested in doing. It really is an amazing place. …..and now is a great time to go!
https://www.aahilyaholidays.com/tour/6aa0/glimpses-to-north-east-india-with-helen-sill-2025 and Uzbekistan 2026….https://www.aahilyaholidays.com/tour/d083/a-textile,-craft-&-cultural-journey-of-uzbekistan-with-helen-sillsee the Aahilya Holidays website or use these links for full itineraries and more information. Better still call Aahilya (or me!) and chat about it!
Nagaland
Nagaland November 2024
Exceeded all expectations. This trip was sooo good! Starting off in Kolkata visiting galleries, doing some kantha work with kantha artisans and block printing workshops We then flew to Nagaland to witness the extraordinary hornbill festival, and beautiful Naga villages, then onwards to Assam to a multitude of small villages visiting artisans in their workshop..hand loom weavers, silk makers and mask makers via the magical Majuli Island…..visiting indigenous communities and being amazed at the wild like..flying foxes anyone? and a huge variety of colourful birds. We also managed to squeeze in a safari ….and had a stand off with a rhino and saw a ruddy tiger!
Uzbekistan
Having travelled with Aahilya for research purposes to Uzbekistan last year I am now leading a tour there with them in March 2026 …..this is now live on their website. This is going to be a great trip. see the itinerary https://www.aahilyaholidays.com/tour/d083/a-textile,-craft-&-cultural-journey-of-uzbekistan-with-helen-sillHere
The tour I hosted to Rajasthan 2023 was with a great bunch of ladies and was the most wonderfully creative textile holiday. We did loads of stitching! Isha and her team arranged the most amazing itinerary making sure we experienced much of this unique part of India whilst also having a relaxed vibe, staying in two centres – Delhi and Jaipur. There was a range of craft and textile art to see as well as having an almost daily stitch practice, hosted by me. We explored fabric, embroidery and block printing unique to Rajasthan. Travelling in our own private coach, visiting beautiful palaces , charming villages and marvellous cities . ….we also drank in centuries of tradition seeing artisans at work and visited an amazing elephant sanctuary near Jaipur…which was absolutely one of the highlights.
Visits included Delhi Craft Museum, Sanskriti and Anokhi Museums, Nila House in Jaipur.
We did around 4 or 5 block printing workshops, a Puppet making and an Aari Tari workshop….
We also made Rangoli patterns and had the opportunity to take a closer look at the indigo dyeing and paper making processes. We had an awful lot of fun! See instagram for photos.
Uzbekistan was an amazing trip. This was a research trip for me as I study South Asian textiles. See photos on instagram. https://www.instagram.com/mycathasniceboots/?hl=enI
Screenshot
I am returning in 2026 hosting a trip. This time we will be spending time in the Fergana valley visiting a silk making factory and workshops as well as the iconic silk route cities of Samarkand, Bhukara and Khiva. We will also be looking at beautiful suzani and chapans and participating in hands on workshops with master craftspeople.
Aahilya are running 2 trips next month with artist Kim Thittichai…check out their website for details. These are fully booked.
helen sill 