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photo: bamboo rafting
periyar tiger reserve
photo: old courtyard
fort cochin
photo: aryurveda mana
river nila
photo: thoni cruise
tirur river joins river nila
photo: rainforest
camps periyar
photo: folk
expressions river nila |
About the Package
A
classic Kerala tour that provides you the ambience of highlands, rivers,
backwaters and beaches. This trip also gives you insights into interior
Kerala, un known territories, cultural richness of a river, spices and aroma
of a hill station, ancient heritage of an island and the famed backwaters of
Kerala along with it most beautiful beaches. Depending upon the season of
your visit, we can include activities like river rafting and rain forest
camping to the trip. This trip will give you the touch and feel of Kerala in
all its richness. All through out the itinerary, the trip focuses on its
people, culture and wilderness.
Various accommodation option ranging from home stay, heritage resorts,
hotels and wilderness camping are offered. The days spent in Cochin,
Alleppey and Varkala, the guests will be exploring the areas on their own.
Itinerary:
Day 1 Wayanad:
Spice Tour, Tea estate treks: Day with the planters exploring spices of
all kinds grown in one farm. Join the family for lunch. Trek through
vast acreage of tea plantation. Learn about the processing of tea.
Day 2 Wayanad:
Legend trails and visit to Edakkal caves: Listen to the heritage of
Wayanad and see the pre historic sites that unveil the mystery of the
land called Wayanad.
Wildlife Safari in Muthanga or Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuaries: 24
kilometre safari through the sanctuary. You could see Asiatic Elephants,
Bears, Wild gaurs, Spotted and Sambar deers and even a leopard
Day 3 River Nila:
Thoni cruise (country boat cruise) with a visit to Thunjan Parambu
literature park and Vakkad beach.
Day 4 River Nila:
Visit to (Kalaripayattu) Martial Arts School and evening with
ritualistic folk artists: Tracing a lineage of ten centuries, the kalari
is a unique exposure to traditional martial arts culture of North
Kerala. Evening with the folk artists show cases the folk heritage of
River Nila.
Day 5 River Nila:
Day with the Masters at Kalamandalam. An interaction with students
and masters of classical dance and music school of Kerala.
Day 6 Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary.
Trek through the wilderness of Chimmony and evergreen forest
camping. Chances of wildlife spotting
Day 7 Cochin:
Heritage Visits, Jew town, Synagogue, Spice Markets, Beaches
Day 8 Cochin:
Village visits in Cochin and nearby coastal areas.
Day 9 Aleppey Kumarakom:
Backwater Cruise and village visits in Alleppey and Kumarakom
Day 10 Aleppey Kumarakom:
Relaxation in a backwater resort with Ayurvedic massage in Alleppey
Kumarakom region.
Day 11 Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary:
Night Patrol in the sanctuary areas in Periyar.
Day 12 Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary:
Day trek as part of the Tiger Trail
Day 13 Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary:
Bamboo Rafting and Spice Market Visits
Day 14 Relaxation on the beaches of Varkala
How
this particular trip makes a difference to the local community /
environment
:Spice tours were initiated to support small time farmers and spice planters
in and around Wayanad areas to find alternative, supplementary source of
income. This provides a glimpse of the issues surrounding the struggles of
spice farmers in terms of price crash and issues of globalization.
The
boats used as well as the oarsmen are from the local communities. This makes
an alternative, supplementary source of incomes to sand miners, coconut
processors, and small size property owners.
Promoting the martial arts provides supplementary source of income for a non
profit school that runs the ‘Kalari’ to maintain the school. Certain part of
the proceeds from this go to support the school and the Kalari.
Supplementary income coming to the members of the school also makes sure
that they maintain their interest in the martial art forms in terms of
economic viability. Evening with the folk artists is part of revival of folk
art and music forms. Village visits in Cochin supports small entrepreneurs
who operate out of Kumbalangi village.
All the houseboats we use are eco friendly and minimises the damage to the
eco system of the backwaters. We use only Bio toilets, use solar panels of
Electricity and traditional lamps, Use large mineral water cans to avoid
usage of several disposable mineral water bottles. All the staff in the
boats are from local areas.
In Periyar and Chimmony, the programs are
operated by local community members belonging to the Eco Development
Committees (EDCs). The benefits are transferred directly to the community
members. Trekking assistants and guides were mostly poachers and the entire
program in Periyar was designed to rehabilitate them. |
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