North Kerala tailor made holidays

From

£1400

Convert currency:

13 days excluding flights

More info:Price includes accommodation with breakfast and some meals, road and rail transport, all activity charges and entrance fees as stated in the itinerary. Excludes domestic flights. Price can be altered based on group size, accommodation and transport selected. This trip is available throughout the year but the best time to travel is between October through April.

Tailor made

“Get to know Kerala’s underexplored north on an adventurous tailor made tour that takes you on rainforest treks and jeep safaris and introduces you to traditional builders, spice traders and fishermen.”

Highlights

Description of North Kerala tailor made holidays

Imagine Kerala and the mind typically wanders to scenic coastlines and quaint fishing villages in their idyllic natural settings. This North Kerala tailor made holiday will help you explore them.

Now how about traditional folk dances involving frenzied drumming and dancing around fires? Or ancestral spice-traders whose homestays offer up some of the region’s most authentic and culturally distinct cuisine? Or walks to local tribal homes, and meeting traditional boat builders? All of these are possible and more. You can also experience an invigorating ayurvedic massage by the beach, go on spice-plantation walks or jeep safaris through the forested Western Ghats, go country boating to get close to migratory birds, or trek through deep, dark rainforest. Enjoying a local catch of fish prepared right on your houseboat as it glides along the unexplored scenic backwaters will also add to your experiences of Kerala’s beautiful and culturally diverse North.

Day-by-day experiences

Day 1-2:	Cochin. This experience begins with the historic of Cochin on a unique private historic walking tour of the ancient quarter of this port city and ending with a traditional Kathakali dance performance.
Day 3-4:	Calicut. Experience a coastal train ride, traditional Kerala boat building, country boating through a migratory bird sanctuary and ancient spice and sweet-meat markets. Additionally experience a performance of the ancient 11th-century Kallari martial arts form at one of their traditional schools.
Day 5-6:	Wayanad. Spend these two days in this nature-rich region on the Western Ghats experiencing spice plantation walks, jungle safaris, bird watching and tribal villages from the comfort of your eco-resort or plantation homestay.
Day 7-8:	Thalassery. Spend these two days at an ancestral homestay situated in this historic spice-trading port town. Experience authentic north Kerala cuisine and get to try a hand at it with structured cooking classes with the host family. Additionally experience one of North Kerala’s most distinct folk dance forms that pre-dates it’s existence to Hinduism itself! Known as Theyyam, this is one of Kerala’s most distinct classical performances.
Day 9:	Kasaragod. Travel to the scenic backwater and coastal region of Kasaragod; one of Kerala’s most northern-most regions. Spend these next few days immersed in activities based out of a scenic coastal eco-resort.
Day 10:	Lake Temple. Spend the day visiting one of Kerala’s largest fort-complex situated right on the coast as well as a uniquely constructed Lake Temple exemplifying it’s uniqueness in construction.
Day 11:	Nature trek. Spend the better part of the day on a nature trek through the region’s grassland and rainforested slope, situated on the border with the state of Karnataka.
Day 12:	Ayurvedic massage. Spend the day at leisure occupied with a traditional Ayurvedic massage and ending with an authentic Kerala dinner aboard your private houseboat through the backwaters.
Day 13:	Departure. Transfer to the nearest airport or catch the coastal train to the nearest airport to catch your flight out.

Travel Team

If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.

01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.com

Departure information

This trip can be tailormade from April - October and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary

Vouchers

Accepted

Holiday type

Travelling with a local operator

This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.

Responsible tourism

As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.

All our guides and naturalists who help our guests along this holiday are locals from the surrounding towns and villages in North Kerala. These guides are professionals and most often they are the primary bread-winners in their family. Hence their salaries go towards educating their children and providing a better standard of living for their family.

Additionally all the fresh seafood, fish and coconuts you consume along the way are caught daily by local fishermen and supplied to the resorts/ homestays you will be staying at during this holiday. Their catch is bought at fair prices hence giving them a respectable and remunerative livelihood to live off.

Most forest guards and staff employed by the Government, and the ones used on our safaris, are tribals who have been given a job in the modern world keeping in mind their unique knowledge of the forest and the wildlife within.

The Impacts of this Trip

We have been very conscious about ensuring that this trip has a very low to minimal impact on the region’s local environment. In the execution of this holiday, we have carefully selected properties/ resorts/ homestays who have strong eco-policies as well as practice these policies very effectively. From eco-friendly building materials, water treatment and recycling to solar energy use, these properties ensure that they exist in harmony with the surrounding nature.

Additionally the naturalists we employ for our walks as well as the guides we use on the jungle and bird-watching safaris are passionate about their local ecology, both flora and fauna, and share their in-depth knowledge with all our guests. When possible (depending on availability), we utilize vehicles (mid-sized only) on the trip that are converted to run on fuel as well as LPG, thereby making them more environmentally-friendly.

Environment

Community

The Impacts of this Trip

Climate

1 Reviews of North Kerala tailor made holidays

5 out of 5 stars

SHOW

Reviewed on 18 Feb 2014 by Gentian Bolt

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

We traveled as a family and moved every couple of days so ever day brought something new and was memorable. What was exciting about this holiday was learning about other cultures and meeting people living in a variety of different ways. But as a family, the favorite experience was riding an elephant.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Take plenty of hand sanitiser for when you are out and about and some toilet rolls too. Food is very cheap, eat out! Don't eat at the Sandesh Prince hotel in Mysore. Take plenty of cash to tip helpful staff, they really appreciate the recognition of their good service, and of course they not very well off.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Yes particularly the backwater boat trip and the stay at the Emerald Ilse where local people were employed. We got to know people along the way that we are staying in touch with and hope that we might have further involvement with the communities.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Excellent. It was the holiday of a lifetime. It was expensive but it was everything i'd asked for. Totally perfect.