Kerala cultural tours
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
The essence of this trip is being with the local communities and understanding how livelihoods are made in different areas of Kerala - be it coir making in households mostly by women or understanding farming techniques in the spice plantations which supply most of the world’s spices. We also encourage moving around on cycles to best save on precious fuel and to get a ring side view of life in the villages.
This trip also helps in raising awareness about the unique bio-diversity of the Western Ghats mountain ranges which is one of the 34 biodiversity ‘Hot Spots’ of the earth. The Cardamom Hills are facing threats like never before and this trip will help understand local problems and what are being done to reduce the impact of modernisation.
The places you will be staying are famed for their eco processes and commitment, having won awards and accolades for best eco tourism and conservation practices. This can also be a chance to learn how to reuse and recycle waste water and hotel waste to usable water and fertilizer for the farms and plants. The effective use of energy saving practices also is in focus at all these places.
Eco Initiatives by the hotels in this itinerary:
- Recycling The water is recycled since water shortage is endemic to these areas where most of these resorts are. The waste water is re-cycled & the waste from the kitchens is converted into compost & used as fertilizer for the gardens and growing vegetables.
- Local Procurement One of the most enduring principles of these hotels is to "eat local", thus helping local communities to earn a decent living by selling local produce instead of depending on big retail chains. Getting involved in communal activities: The destinations are run like little village communities, and there's always some things to do at the organic farms and paddy fields. There is also more involvement with the local communities - for example, the tribal community at Periyar have been encouraged to grow organic pepper & this hotel helps them market it at a higher price overseas.
Community
Our drivers are all locally hired and for whom this is the sole livelihood. The guides are also from local communities and tribal population thus helping to plough back substantial amount back into the local communities.
The forest programmes at Periyar and local visits to small businesses in other places, which are part of this tour, directly impacts the livelihood of involved persons.
The trip into the tiger reserve is always accompanied by members of the local communities & a substantial portion of the income goes to these members of the local communities.
The travel is slowed down to a crawl & tourism over a period has become a major source of income and hence livelihood depends on more travelers. Most activities like cycling, village walks or visit to farms, while staying at these hotels, are directly done by members of the local communities.
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