Over 50s tour to Kerala
| country: | India |
| location: | Kerala |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 6 Dec, 27 Dec |
| price: | From £1369 (16 days) including flights from the UK, from £949 excluding flights |
| offers: | If you organise a group of 6 – 9 people onto one of our adventures we will give you £50 off per person. If you organise a group of 10 or more people onto one of our adventures one person will go FREE. Offer can not be combined with any other promotion. The booking must comprise of a minimum of 6 people, with 1 lead passenger who all the booking correspondence will be sent to. Adult prices must be more than £900 per passenger. Valid on all trips departing before 30 Sept 2009. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A fascinating journey through India’s mystical south, seeing all of the major highlights and getting a real flavour of local life.
Temples & Wildlife
The gentle south is home to devout followers of Hinduism whose faith is embodied in their lavish temples. From the ‘shore temples’ at Mahabalipuram you’ll travel by train and road to witness the exquisitely carved and decorated temple towers at places such as Tanjore and Madurai. Crossing the plains you enter Kerala and the tranquillity of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the best of Southern India’s wildlife.
Backwaters & Beach
A highlight for many is the time spent aboard a traditional houseboat. Cruise the backwaters and while away the hours by reading books or just watch the world go by. You’ll may be spot kingfishers and watch local life on the riverbanks. This is typical Keralan scenery, featuring lagoons and emerald green rice paddies. Following a homestay with a local family, you’ll have time to relax on the beach at Kovalam – a great way to end your trip!
Special inclusions
Cooking Lesson - Southern India is famous for its spice and food. During the trip, there may be the opportunity to experience them both with a spice tour and cooking lesson.
Your accommodation
Hotels (12 nights), houseboat (1 night), homestay (1 night). The hotels we use are comfortable with en suite, air-conditioned rooms, some with swimming pools and a good restaurant. Rooms at the homestay and on the houseboat will usually have en suite facilities.
Dining out
Trip price includes: 14 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 3 dinners. Keralan curries and fresh fish are abundant. You can have them as spicy or as mild as you like – all tastes are catered for. Vegetarian fare is widely available.
Transport used
Typically we use a minibus with air conditioning or fans and ample room for our group. You’ll be accompanied by an expert local Group Leader and walks and boat trips are led by a variety of knowledgeable guides.
Temples & Wildlife
The gentle south is home to devout followers of Hinduism whose faith is embodied in their lavish temples. From the ‘shore temples’ at Mahabalipuram you’ll travel by train and road to witness the exquisitely carved and decorated temple towers at places such as Tanjore and Madurai. Crossing the plains you enter Kerala and the tranquillity of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the best of Southern India’s wildlife.
Backwaters & Beach
A highlight for many is the time spent aboard a traditional houseboat. Cruise the backwaters and while away the hours by reading books or just watch the world go by. You’ll may be spot kingfishers and watch local life on the riverbanks. This is typical Keralan scenery, featuring lagoons and emerald green rice paddies. Following a homestay with a local family, you’ll have time to relax on the beach at Kovalam – a great way to end your trip!
Special inclusions
Cooking Lesson - Southern India is famous for its spice and food. During the trip, there may be the opportunity to experience them both with a spice tour and cooking lesson.
Your accommodation
Hotels (12 nights), houseboat (1 night), homestay (1 night). The hotels we use are comfortable with en suite, air-conditioned rooms, some with swimming pools and a good restaurant. Rooms at the homestay and on the houseboat will usually have en suite facilities.
Dining out
Trip price includes: 14 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 3 dinners. Keralan curries and fresh fish are abundant. You can have them as spicy or as mild as you like – all tastes are catered for. Vegetarian fare is widely available.
Transport used
Typically we use a minibus with air conditioning or fans and ample room for our group. You’ll be accompanied by an expert local Group Leader and walks and boat trips are led by a variety of knowledgeable guides.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-2: | Overnight flight to Chennai (Madras); transfer to coastal Mahabalipuram |
| Day 3: | Free day to relax in Mahabalipuram |
| Day 4-5: | Train to Trichy; explore Tanjore |
| Day 6: | Return to Trichy; visit Srirangam & Rock Fort; continue to Madurai |
| Day 7: | Madurai; visit Sri Meenakshi Temple |
| Day 8-9: | Periyar NP; nature walk & boat trip |
| Day 10-11: | Cochin; sightseeing |
| Day 12: | To Allepey; join houseboat & cruise Malabar backwaters |
| Day 13: | Drive to Kumarakom; homestay |
| Day 14-15: | Transfer to Kovalam, relax on beach |
| Day 16: | Fly to London |
over 50s holidays
This trip has been specially designed for, and is exclusive to, travellers over 50. On these trips, the typical group size is just 12, and we never exceed 16. This means better service for you, the chance to use smaller hotels, more freedom to reach out of the way places and more of a sense of camaraderie and fun. Over half of our travellers book independently and we do not charge an additional single supplement. Most travellers are aged between 50 and 70 and there is no upper age limit. It’s attitude and a love of travel that counts!how this holiday makes a difference
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Entry fees to Periyar National Park go towards the maintenance of the park and wildlife conservation. In conjunction with our local agent in India, we have developed a programme of school visits and on this trip you’ll have the opportunity to visit a school in south Chennai. You will get to see how the younger children are educated during your visit, and get a cheery “hello” in English or Tamil! They welcome stationery such as exercise books and English-language reference and story books, pencils and crayons. Although you can take things out with you, goods are available cheaply locally and your Group Leader will be able to give advice on where to buy things.
Our Responsible Travel Code Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us. Charity Partnerships We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems. Carbon Balancing Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full. The Foundation  We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you call. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |