"A great trip to cherish for the times to come. "
Ravi Sankar

Planning the trip:
There is very good information available at the Blue Yonder website. In fact I was inclined to take up the trip based on the information that was provided in the right amount of detail. I also would like to thank Vinod for taking the time to understand our needs and in customizing the package to it.

Experience during the trip:
Ashok and I were amazed by the hospitality of at the homestays. Our hosts made every effort to make us comfortable in their homes. We couldn't believe that we were the first set of people visiting them; we thought they have been doing this for several years.

It was wonderful to observe and interact with local people, to learn a little about their culture, traditions and way of life and to connect with them. The cultural programme that was put up in Pabyuk-Naitam at a short notice was exemplary. I was amazed to observe such rich talent in children and young adults and also very happy to know that despite their busy lives people are making all efforts to preserve their culture, something that can make all us Indians proud.

Food is an integral part of the local culture and we got to taste some splendid home-cooked food at all our homestays.

Another aspect of the trip was the flexibility we had to modify the itinerary within reasonable limits. Sikkim is a mountainous state and the weather can be very unpredictable. Given this it was often difficult to undertake certain outdoor activities like trekking when it was raining. In these situations Adrian could quickly re-plan and suggest some very good alternative destinations to visit.

About the people:
Ashok and I found a wonderful company in Adrian and Manoj. Adrian has the ability to connect with other people which makes him get along very well with them. Manoj is a skillful driver and still sports a smile at the end of a long and arduous drive through the mountainous roads. Thanks to both of them for giving us some wonderful moments to cherish.

We met some very interesting people during our homestays and we wish and hope that we get to meet them again as we would love to make another trip to beautiful Sikkim.  On the whole it was a great trip to cherish for the times to come.
 

"A memorable holiday!!"
Allison and Family USA 

It is hard to identify a single memorable moment. It was the whole experience that made this holiday so enjoyable. Our trip with Blue Yonder was unlike the typical tourist experience. Although we were in Kerala for only a few short days, we felt that even in that short time we were able to connect with people and develop a better understanding of their land and resources. As we sipped from fresh coconuts and drifted in the luxurious houseboats we felt relaxed and refreshed.

Our sunset boat trip on the River Nila helped us develop a deeper appreciation of the river as a life-source to the region and an understanding of the urgency of protecting its diminishing waters. Our afternoon spent with local musicians was unlike any musical performance we had ever experienced. We developed a deeper appreciation of the way that music, family, religion, and the environment are so intertwined. Our trip would not have been complete without our final afternoon of ayruvedic massages. It was the way that each of our experiences in Kerala was different yet interconnected that made this holiday so memorable.

Tips to other travellers?
Don't hesitate! The Blue Yonder are not kidding when they say this is a "tailor-made" holiday experience! They worked hard to accommodate our schedule and our interests. If you want a relaxing vacation or an activity-packed adventure, they can make it happen for you!

Benefiting local people, and minimized impacts on the environment:

Without a doubt, the Blue Yonder is committed to fostering tourism that is environmentally and socially responsible. Although their tour operation clearly benefits the local people with a focus on preserving the environment, the most powerful impact of our experience at the Blue Yonder was how it shaped our own understanding of responsible tourism.

As frequent travelers, the Blue Yonder helped us to understand how tourism (when responsibly managed) can be a powerful agent for environmental protection and local economic growth. We value all the work that the Blue Yonder is doing within the communities along the River Nila, but we also believe their impact is more than on the local level.

Now that we have seen how powerful an experience traveling can be when it is organized in a way that benefits the environment and the local people, we will search out more experiences like this in our future trips abroad! Gopi and the Blue Yonder certainly deserve the accolades that have recently received for their commitment to responsible tourism.
 

"Brilliant time!" Julia and Nigel UK

Well we’re back! Thank you all so much for such a brilliant time.
The whole holiday was a fantastic experience and far surpassed my (already high) expectations. It was our first experience of a holiday officially recognized as “responsible tourism”, although the holidays we usually organize for ourselves would probably fit most of the criteria. Nigel had been rather less enthusiastic (being quite happy with our usual trips to France and Italy) but he too was totally bowled over by it all. You made us feel that we had made real friends with you all – and we were so sorry to leave you. There were so many incredible experiences in just 3 weeks – and we felt really privileged to have been able to have them, so thank you for making it all possible. The programme you devised for us, just could not have been better, fitting what I had told you about us so perfectly.

If forced to summarize the 3 things that stick in my mind most:

The Keralan people: smiles everywhere and of course meeting you guys – you really made all the difference.

Syam’s totally irrepressible enthusiasm during our 3 days in Periyar, especially seeing the wild elephants – and the need to recover once we got to Haritha Farm (it was just the perfect sequel)!

Those activities where we felt that we were seeing the hidden Kerala around the Nila – the Pulluvar, the music trip, the Kalari, the 2 Brahmin homes and the boat trip. Having said that, the experience was far better because you had already ensured we understood a bit of the basic philosophy from our visits in Arunmula and to the various museums. Thanks to Arun for his interpretation and his (and Dipu’s) fearlessness at the Kalari session!!! I think you organized the things the right way round for us, seeing the museums etc. first before heading up to the Nila.

A bit more detail..

We ADORED Karikkathi. I had a funny feeling when we heard we were staying there after all other places were booked that it was just meant to be. I just hope that the bay does not get over-developed. I suggest you check regularly before sending future guests there.

The houseboat trip was fun – and I’m glad we did it. Perhaps give future guests a warning that it is getting rather commercialized to manage expectations – is there an option elsewhere which is more environmentally sensitive? I guess you use one of the more environmentally aware providers – perhaps note this in your briefing?

Marari Beach was good. I thought it was a shame that we were not at the Beach Resort for the 3 days, but Nigel was very taken with the reclaimed doors, windows etc at the Beach Homes(!) – and the guy there was incredibly helpful – even retrieving for us the torch we left on the houseboat! I’m so glad we had one of the rooms in the Resort with our own pool, a real luxury. 3 days at Marari was enough though – discretely done and nicely spread out, but you can’t escape the fact that there were large tour parties there.

Periyar experience was amazing. A “sound bite” would be: “ How fantastic to see the Periyar Tiger Reserve with Syam, a wonderfully knowledgeable naturalist. We packed so much into 3 days and it was so encouraging to be a very small part of a scheme to benefit both the wildlife and the local people and it was superb to track and see the elephants in the wild.” The accommodation there was adequate, but we found it a bit strange not getting the room cleaned during our stay. (Soft Europeans, I know!). Now if Shyam had found us a tiger it would have been perfect…. The night camping was an interesting experience – especially the 1cm of foam “mattress” - again though, wouldn’t have missed it.

Haritha Farm was good fun. Jacob is such an engaging host and the food was predictably great – best of the holiday. His little tuk tuk trips were fun too, to give a feel for the area. We’ll be giving him a few little ideas on what he could do to improve the décor of the rooms though!

We enjoyed Cochin and the Old Courtyard fitted the bill fine for us in view of the attraction of old buildings. It did work well having meals out in different locations.

Our time in Nila was a fantastic experience as I’ve already said. We felt just so privileged to be able to experience the different aspects of your culture and heritage, on such an intimate level. It was again good to think that our visit was in a small way helping you to sustain local customs. The Riverside accommodation was probably not really up to standard though and does need some urgent attention I think. The Ayurveda Mana is wonderful and if I come to the Nila again, I’d certainly like to stay there for a few days. There was something surreal about seeing the guests drifting back to their rooms across the garden after their dinners under their parasols…. 3 massages in 3 weeks was great. I’ve just looked up the prices of a 1 hour massage locally – about 6000 Rs! Oh well – dream on…

The overnight rail trip was an interesting experience which I don’t feel the need to repeat!

Dipu our driver was great, albeit the vehicle was a bit ropey and so our progress was perhaps just a little more sedate and bumpy than we may have liked. Having said that we soon got to trust Dipu’s driving and I think that it may have been a good thing that his command of English was not better, otherwise his concentration on the road may have been affected by us asking lots of questions. I had to open the door of my car myself when we got back to Heathrow – quite a shock! Mind you Nigel was quite relaxed with my driving on the way home after the Kerala experience.

Anyway, we are missing you all dreadfully already! Do keep in touch. Better get on now to earn some money for the next holiday!!!!